Follow the yellow break road

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Tue May 20, 2008 8:54 pm

Had a rather sobering couple of hours this morning, peering at the underside of the yellow fella with Frank - the proprietor of the friendly Citroen garage. All the pipes are looking dodgy. Rust never sleeps!

We looked up the pipes on the Citroen parts service and almost all are available here but what a lot of work! He reckons two weeks for the whole lot as a DIY effort!

The guy loves BXs - having learnt his trade on them and there being none around anymore and makes it all sound easy but I know it ain't. Might have to temporarily retire the break but the one's that closest to the road is the TRD and that needs a head gasket! What to do? I'm reading The Haynes..

Post by **docchevron** » Tue May 20, 2008 9:51 pm

Two weeks?
You could re-pipe the entire car in a weekend without breaking a sweat.
Sod buying the pipes aswell, get some kunifer pipes and make your own!

Post by **docchevron** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:20 pm

I meant the whole car! Like, every last pipe!
And I work very slowley, constant fag / beer breaks adds to the labour bill ya know!!

Handily doing my front to rear pipes will be rather easy at the moment:

since the rear subframe and fuel tank are nestling elsewhere!
Unfortuanatley I've lost the remaining roll of 4.5mm pipe, and no-one seems to have any, so progress has been rather hampered...

Good idea though, bring the car over here Todd, we'll re-pipe it in mear minutes!

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:52 am

Thanks for the support fellas! I suppose when you know what you're doing it's straight forward. If only I was closer, I would definately take up those kind offers of assistance.

Thing is, I can't work that fast. I already learnt a few things about my limitations when I changed the injection pump - it should have been straight forward - but there's no substitute for experience and I made some mistakes.

I think the two week estimate was featuring in my other commitments/ being a pipe novice/ the state of decay underneath - all the unions look quite well 'matured'
Also, the ongoing diesel flow problems that have always afflicted this car to some extent - an air leak that no-one can locate ( it's not the pipes/the filter/the diesel heater) - must be in the tank somewhere? And it's weirdly intermittant - it really puzzles me.

Then there's the weeping heater that's turned the front right-hand side carpet into a sodden sponge.. I know that's not too bad to sort. It's not meltdown, it's 'age-related issues' hence the thought of reviving the TRD. But then - as I mentioned - I reckon the head gasket won't be straighforward ( pictures Doc and Jon allowing an hour before lunch for such a thing, while smoking and drinking at the same time!)

Post by **docchevron** » Wed May 21, 2008 11:31 pm

I once did three head gaskets in an afternoon, on the same car!
Dont ask....

Got the time to remove the head down to 28 minutes!

CitroXim · Post by **CitroXim** » Thu May 22, 2008 6:24 am

docchevron1472 wrote: Dont ask....

You should know by now Doc, you can't say that

Come on, out with it...

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Thu May 22, 2008 2:46 pm

Doc wrote

Got the time to remove the head down to 28 minutes!

How many cigarette breaks feature in that time?

Don't think I'll be setting any records with my own attempt.
The thing that concerns me is accurately measuring the cylinder protrusion so as to fit the right gasket. I don't have one of those dial gauges. Any thoughts?

Here's a picture of Frank's car, parked outside his garage. I mentioned in a previous post that it was restored by his two teenage sons as a surprise for him. There's a CX GTI of the first series lined up for resto next

Post by **docchevron** » Thu May 22, 2008 7:58 pm

citrojim wrote: You should know by now Doc, you can't say that

Come on, out with it...

Lets just say, just because a radiator is new, as in brand new, doesn't mean it's any good. In retrospect I really should have checked it first, but being as it was new, I just never thought about it, untill much later in the day after swearing alot....

The Todd wrote:How many cigarette breaks feature in that time? Don't think I'll be setting any records with my own attempt.
The thing that concerns me is accurately measuring the cylinder protrusion so as to fit the right gasket. I don't have one of those dial gauges. Any thoughts?

Ah, see that was multitasking, smoking whilst dismantling see!!

Er, ona diesel there is no cylinder protrusion, the block deck is flat. It's the piston protrusion that matters.
In short, get a "3" notch gasket (some now actually have 5 notches, but it's still a 3 notch if you see what I mean).
No worrys about clearence's then.

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Thu May 22, 2008 8:17 pm

The Doc wrote

It's the piston protrusion that matters.

yes, that's what I meant. Thanks for clarifying that! I bought a gasket last year at The National for 1.99 or something but I've got no idea how many notches it's got - I'll go and have a look tomorrow.
Then I've got to work out why the gasket got fried on a 68,000k engine - I'm hoping it was the old ignorance re the cooling system, no gauge etc. .. check the thermostat etc.

Meanwhile the yellow beast gently weeps upon the floor and prays for a heater by-pass. Zen, and the art of BX maintenance

kermit the frog · Post by **kermit the frog** » Fri May 30, 2008 7:48 pm

Hi Todd

getting back to your air leak problem maybe if the suspension/brake pipes are a bit suspect the feed and return fuel pipes maybe porous as well.
this has happened to me on my BX and i replaced them with copper 8mm pipe no problems since.

Doc where do you get kunifer 4.5mm pipe from and how do you make the ends?

Regards Kermit

Post by **docchevron** » Sat May 31, 2008 3:24 am

Kunifer is (or at least was) available in 10 and 50 metre lengths from GSF, I bought a boat load ages ago.
Although 4.5mm seems to be rather hard to get now, as is the 6.5mm pipe..

I flare the ends with a flaring kit!
Esentially there are two different types available, the Plaiedes one kit for each size efforts (which I dont believe they have in stock and since reports I have seem to think they are about to go through the hoop I doubt they'll get anymore), and the one tool for all pipes that mounts on a bench and is a bit of a beast.
The Plaiedes kits are great for repairing a pipe under the car at the side of the road, but they are bit faffy to use, the bench mounted unit is MUCH faster and easier to use, but not much good at the side of the A38 on a wet evening.....

kermit the frog · Post by **kermit the frog** » Sat May 31, 2008 4:21 pm

Cheers Doc i will keep a look out for 4.5 mm pipe and a tool for flairing the ends.
may even go and see if the local main stealer has a tool the don't use anymore and want to off load at a small cost.

Regards Kermit.

Todd PM sent