Dollywobbler's TZD estate - departure time

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Dollywobbler
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

Front spheres changed. What an easy job! Front end on ramps, oil filter wrench easily loosened the spheres, suspension in low, regulator open, spheres off, spheres on. Only problem was forgetting to remove the old seal but I quickly sussed that out!

Rears are naturally not so easy. My oil filter wrench grabbed the sphere well enough, but when I used a bar to try and push it around, it just exploded into bits. Bother. Not sure what my next plan of action is just yet. Frustrating.
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by mat_fenwick »

Are you passing up here any time soon? ;)
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

Is that an invite? ;)

I may be ok yet. Car now up on four ramps and a selection of tools are at hand. Having lunch then I'll give it a (literal) bash. Going for the hoseclip-and-smack-it approach having blagged a large enough one from a friend.

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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by mat_fenwick »

If you're stuck you can 'pop' round, but just thought it would probably make more sense to buy a sphere tool compared with the cost in fuel!

Good luck...
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1993 1.9 TZD Turbo Estate
1996 3.9 V8 Discovery
1993 VW LT35 campervan
1985 Hyundai Stellar V8
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

Well, if I can get them off without a tool, it'll be a bonus as I can't see I'll be changing them that often. Of course muggles here forgot that the accumulator is a bit flat and didn't order one of those...
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Kitch »

Dollywobbler wrote:Is that an invite? ;)

I may be ok yet. Car now up on four ramps and a selection of tools are at hand. Having lunch then I'll give it a (literal) bash. Going for the hoseclip-and-smack-it approach having blagged a large enough one from a friend.

Image
Careful raising and lowering it with it up on four ramps like that; the wheels need to roll somewhere.....
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

Thanks. I'm hoping I've left enough space for the wheels to move rearward if necessary - discovered the joy of trailing arm suspension last time I had the rear in the air!
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

Yup. Enough room for movement. Sadly the spheres are still stuck tight. Ugh!
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

Couldn't shift them. Had to give up. Then I remembered a Citroen specialist about an hour away. Nipped up there, got them changed. Sorted! Ride is much better. A little smoother but far more composed. Sadly, they confirmed that the nearside rear arm bearing is knackered. The car that just keeps giving! The bearings were changed in 2004 but the offside one was changed again just four years later. Now the nearside has caught up.
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

Nowt like flash photography to show up the rust spots! Looks like some attention needed around that bump stop...
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I really need to do something about the smoking. It is black smoke I think. I stood at the rear of the car while someone blipped the throttle and an unhealthy cloud appeared, even without really raising the revs. On the way back, I noticed people keeping their distance as I climbed hills! It's horrific. A Millers fuel treatment is on its way. I really hope it works. I think I'll chuck a new fuel filter in and fill the housing with fuel treatment.
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

Shoved a Millers fuel treatment in this today and took it out for a good thrash. It still smokes horribly, but the literature reckons it might take 200 miles before any effect is noticed. Or it might be something else. I've got enough for ten treatments so that'll keep me going for a bit.

The nearside rear arm bearing has suddenly deteriorated though. After a blast along a particularly uneven stretch of mountain roads, it was creaking incessantly. Going to have to get that done. The nearside front brake is definitely binding as well. Awaiting new pads before I investigate that. Could do without having to replace a caliper to be honest. Neither disc is healthy so I'm planning new discs and pads and give the calipers a good grease up (while checking that the sliders still slide).
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by mds141 »

Millers 'Eco Max' diesel fuel treatment does do the job Ian. The XM used to chuck out a fair amount of soot/smoke when I first got it. However after repeated doses it runs clear now, even with full throttle bursts. I'd give it a couple of 'double' dosing's to start off with though.
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Tim Leech »

Happy Birthday Ian!
Lots of Motors, mostly semi broken....
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

How low can you go? Glad I didn't put this job off any longer!
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Definite signs of binding on the other side. Hopefully that'll now be ok. It feels much better.
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The smoke is still a serious issue. There's a sooty look to it, but occasionally a whiff of blue too.
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Re: Dollywobbler's TZD estate - Spheres

Post by Dollywobbler »

Following extensive road tests (well, ok - my wife very briefly followed me up a hill in the 2CV) I can report that the smoke is definitely black. So, what could be causing that? I doubt it's over-fuelling as I'd hope for stronger performance if it was. It's running a mixed-in fuel treatment but at some point, I'll get around to changing the fuel filter and filling the housing with another fuel treatment.
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