Mk1 BX 19RD Estate RHD! A new home

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:28 pm

The rear carpets are absolutely saturated. Thankfully we've no snow and do have actual sunshine today, so now the BX tinkering is finished for the day, it's sitting there with all the windows and doors open. The rear seat has gone VERY mouldy as I'd left it folded...

Had the front brakes apart. The sliders seem to be working nicely and there's no sensation of binding at the wheel. Took the pads out, dashed a little copper grease on their backs and put them back together. The RH handbrake was nicely loose - yet this is the wheel that seems to get warmer. The LH one seemed a bit tight, so I slackened that off a bit. Plenty of meat on all pads, though the discs both sides are still a little rusty.

Test drive revealed that the brakes still work very nicely and the handbrake still holds it on hills, so I didn't slacken it too much! The car feels a touch more perky than it did on Tuesday as well. Ok, so it doesn't have a second lot of seats and three doors in the back anymore, but it's definitely a little bit better. Still doesn't want to pull beyond 3000rpm really, but 70mph (indicated, actually about 64) is possible more easily it seems.

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 4:32 pm

Sounds like you are making slow but steady progress.

Interestingly, with my 19 n/a I have to say it's pretty good and will happily (dare I say eagerly) rev to 4000 (more if I let it!), so much so that on the 190 mile round trip I did yesterday, I actually had to rein it in a bit to keep it from charging along at over 77 mph. On one stretch I thought I would give it its freedom a bit and it went happily to 90mph on the satnav.

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 4:45 pm

Aye, much the same as the Green Tiger. This actually has the same engine (rather than the earlier diesel it should have) so it should be reasonably brisk. Instead, it's merely adequate. To be honest, I rarely felt the need to go much beyond 3000rpm in the Green Tiger, but it was nice to go for a few more revs when needed - ie going uphill.

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 4:10 pm

BX now has a pair of brand new rear tyres. Took it in to a local garage to find out why one of the rear tyres wasn't holding air. The fact that the metal strands were coming through on the inner edge was a clue...

I'm angry and a bit bemused at myself for not spotting this sooner. I've had the wheels off before and didn't think it was suffering camber issues at the back. Perhaps it is? Or maybe the tyre was just REALLY old. It was Kwik Fit own brand!

Oh well. £80 and I've got a pair of Matadors (Slovakian so they must be good) fitted now. Certainly got rid of the puncture worries!

Post by **Tim Leech** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 4:17 pm

Dollywobbler wrote:.Oh well. £80 and I've got a pair of Matadors (Slovakian so they must be good) fitted now. Certainly got rid of the puncture worries!

They fit those to new Polos, never had a problem and are quite hard wearing too.

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 4:20 pm

Good stuff. Funnily enough, I bought some Matador all-terrains for the Maverick the other week - they're stupidly called Izzarda tyres. Is-harder. Clever eh?

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:36 pm

Here are the belated, promised thermostat pics.

As you can see here, not only was the thermostat properly knackered, the circlip was very, very gunked up too.

This bit was loose in the 'stat housing...

Not pretty. This is after the first excavation!

On this evidence, it's hardly surprising that the heater matrix is likely to be gunked up. Makes me worry about what state the engine's waterways are in...

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:43 pm

Bother. BX won't start. Glow plugs relay is clicking and I think the plugs are getting power, but there's not even a sniff of internal combustion. Suggests to me that there's a fuelling issue, but I'll try and investigate tomorrow.

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 4:30 pm

BX is still not really running. If I bleed and prime at the filter housing (if I remove the bleed screw, it takes at least six pumps before there's any sign of diesel) I can just about get it to start at least. Guess I may have to keep a 12mm spanner in the car... I think I need a visit to my friendly garage to help trace the problem. Waving an incense stick around didn't reveal much - I was hoping to spot smoke being sucked in somewhere.

There was a massive puddle in the rear footwell again today as well. I think it's actually coming in via the driver's door seal, which is pretty much mullered. That doesn't explain how water is also getting underneath the rear seat though...

I've tried to improve the seal with gaffer tape until I can get a new one. All-in-all, feeling a bit down in the dumps with this project again. It's certainly an emotional roller-coaster!

Mothman · Post by **Mothman** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:07 pm

Keep the faith Ian, keep the faith.

All will come good in the end. If you need a door seal i have a spare.

Andy

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:10 pm

Thanks Andy. If you have a spare, it'd definitely be of interest. I suspect the gaffer tape will not work. The seal has gone into holes in several places.

citsncycles · Post by **citsncycles** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:15 pm

I'm not familiar with the fuel lines on the BX, but if it's like the GS then the main run along the length of the car will be steel. If that's the case, then that section may be corroded.

If there's water under the back seat as well as in the footwell, are you sure that the door seal is the only place water's getting in? I've seen water move quite a distance from where it initially entered, including water appearing under the rear seat on a Viva from the boot lock and water in the rear roof locker of a coachbuilt campervan that was eventually traced to a split in the luton floor.

Post by **Defender110** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:52 pm

Have you got a sunroof? blocked sunroof drain tubes are often the cause of water in the back.

Post by **Tim Leech** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:28 pm

Defender110 wrote:Have you got a sunroof? blocked sunroof drain tubes are often the cause of water in the back.

Being an estate it could only have a aftermarket one, but as Ive seen it in all her faded glory I confirm it doesnt have one!

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:23 pm

I think my BX is trying to cheer me up. She started first time today, though perhaps she was just pleased to finally have her garage back!

Excuse the BlackBerry-pee-poor camera.

She's sitting in there with the dehumidifier while I ponder whether its sensible to use her for a 320 mile round trip tomorrow. My other options are the capable-but-noisy 2CV or the fuel-slurping Maverick.