BX octopus

tim · Post by **tim** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:04 pm

Urgent advice please! I've got a leak.... It's from the return pipe that comes from the rear, runs up along the lh side, turns right across the front member and then disappears up the rh side into the darkness. Just before it does that the steel hose stops and has a rubber pipe on it, and this is stuffed - it's already been cut and shut once and I need to get to the other end to complete the two-minute job of replacing it. I am told by the local garage that it's a pig of a job (translation, lots of beer vouchers) as it attaches to the octopus apparently but hell, if they can get to it surely I can - if only I COULD get to it. Do I need to take something off?? (e,g,engine...) Any advice appreciated.

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:46 pm

Your garage is fibbing.
This is the return pipe from the rear height corrector, once it changes from metal to rubber, it runs up the side of the engine bay with other pipes and goes straight to the reservior, a new piece of rubber pipe will do the trick, easy job, no need to touch the octopus

tim · Post by **tim** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:57 pm

Sounds good - thanks. But my real problem is that I can't trace the pipe beyond where it disappears - with me tugging the pipe from below (thank God for nice meaty tractor ramps) the missus can't see anything moving from above so I simply don't know where it comes out. There aren't many sightlines looking down from on top, Nor can I even see the octopod or any other junctions. I did think of detaching it from the steel pipe and trying to push the pipe through but it really feels tight as if it's either a fairly short length leading to a union I can't see, or else if it's longer it's clamped down somewhere. Someone suggested removing the driveshaft......
This BX estate was left for dead in a wood (judging from the variety and number of dead leaves stuffed into the underside and innards) but it looks sound and has only got 119 thou on the clock (the wife's has done 280 thou and is going better than it ever did) so I reckon it's worth a bit of sweat.

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:51 pm

The pipe come up hill and runs forward along with other pipes and passes through a couple of guide bars and a plastic sleeve before reaching the reservior.

Disconnect from below and get her to pull gently on each pipe and watch below for movement.

Alternatively, you could follow the diagram in the early Haynes manual which should show you exactly which pipe it is and where it fits onto the reservior.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:33 pm

Tim were abouts in East Sussex are you as i run my own repaire shop mostly on citroen's in St Leonards on sea,

fitting a new octapussy is around a 2 hour job and i have done a good few,

it is fiddly but not realy a hard job

regards malcolm

regards malcolm

tim · Post by **tim** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:35 pm

Problem solved. Yes, it was one of the cluster of pipes running up to the fluid tank. Having been bound together as a bundle since 1992 they weren't going to move individually so I couldn't detect which one it was. Also tried removing pipes from the tank and blowing down them but this didn't seem to work on the three that pull off easily. I also found a little ball bearing on the concrete afterwards...puzzling. Luckily I've been trawling this site and next day I found a reference to it coming from the 90 degree angled pipe on the top of the reservoir. If I'd been working on gravel or grass I'd never have known it had gone! As I couldn't shift or trace the pipe I looked at the solid pipe again, and by rebending and rerouting it a tad I was able to get another couple of inches, enough to fit it into the flexi pipe and clamp it up.

c90cassette · Post by **c90cassette** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:02 pm

hi tim may i ask you where the lhm fluid was dripping from?mine is dripping from the gearbox drain plug but cant see where is coming from thanks rob

tim · Post by **tim** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 10:39 am

The leak was a steady fast drip from the rh side running off the chassis cross member. I borrowed some butch tractor ramps so was able to get right underneath with a roll of wipes and a torch, and once I'd cleaned up I was clearly able to see the leaking pipe and fix it as described.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:57 am

the pipe you fixed is the power steering return,

regards malcolm