rear hydraulic pipe failure - where next?

[tim]

Once again, thanks for all the info - lifesaver. Anyway, story so far, I stripped out the old pipes at the weekend. Predictably some unions were frozen and others had very little head left to get a spanner on. Molegrips clamped firmly on the flats got them moving, though I had to remove the height corrector to free off one little sod in the vice using a bit of warmth. The link pipe between the unions didn't survive this, and the union into the r.h. caliper had also frozen onto the pipe so two new sections of pipe are on the way. Next job is refitting the new cupro-nickel pipes which look the biz and have more sensible 10mm heads on the unions. Incidentally, of the four pipes one of course had already popped; when I pulled out a second one this too fell in half as I tugged it through - rot. So after work tomorrow I'll start fitting the new ones.

[citsncycles]

Sounds familiar after working on that estate Tim rescued - although only one pipe had burst the others were rotten and didn't survive removel. I also had to remove the height corrector, although once off I managed to undo the pipe unions wothout resorting to heat.

[citronut]

if/when i come across a stuck pipe union, i cut the pipe leaving a very short stub, then use a hex socket to remove the pipe nut if it will before resorting to mole/vice grips,

regards malcolm

[tim]

Well, job done. The only complicated bit was getting pipe routing right and making sure that nothing touched anything else anywhere along the way. That and the bloody ram popping its cork (see other thread). In the end I finished up rebuilding the calipers, the rear arms and all the piping, and it all needed doing. Apart from the ram pipes which were fine, but had to be cut because the unions were immovable.
I finished up putting the car on ramps at the front so it was nicely level when the back was jacked up. I dropped the subframe to the last threads on all the nuts but noted Malcolm's point that allowing the weight to hang off one side might cause problems. In any event there was enough access. Most of the pipe clips on the rear were rusted solid or out, so the new pipes have been secured with a good selection of cable ties and buffering. All the rest was just plumbing. I'm even glad the ram blew right then because it sure as hell wouldn't have lasted much longer. No one has really commented on the fact that these are no longer available so surely we need to get our heads together and find an affordable repair service somewhere. If you don't have a spare ram you've got a dead car.
Everything bled up nicely again - I even managed to salvage the fresh green blood the ram pumped out by straining it through a pair of the wife's tights to remove the few bits in it. (Her car, so I wasn't going to use mine.....) a good fiver's worth.
I also found an unexpected side effect which may be of interest. The steering had been getting a bit heavy the past 18 months - quite tank-like on a cold day. I'd rebuilt an FDV to swap in case this was the issue but following the first test run the steering seemed amazingly light compared to before. Wife confirmed it - whatever the problem, draining down the system and rebleeding it has cured it! So what was going on? Air in the system before (but how did it creep in there, the car used to be fine)? I remember others complaining of heavy steering before, maybe worth a try.
With all this and new rear arm bearings the car now shoots up like a rocket as soon as you start her. It took a bit of time but the job was not a problem to do and requires only common sense, a few tools and the cupro-nickel pipes from Pleiades.
One thing more, before I undertake anything like that again I'll pressure-wash the underneath of the car first. Every time I touched something a fine shower of dust and grit dropped onto my face.

[MULLEY]

Rear struts are deffo going to be a problem in the future, there is a train of thought where its been suggested that the cylinder itself could be welded back up, not sure if its easy to do or not bearing in mind its made of aluminium, the experienced welders may be able to comment?

Sorry for the thread hi-jack, but talking of cylinders, are they same sided or is there a specific one for both sides? If they are left hand & right hand one's, with the exception of the vent pipes being on the wrong side, what would stop you from moving the vent pipes to the correct side or is it the actual cylinder design that prohibits this?

[citronut]

once i get a scrap cylinder im going to take it to a local car restorer who is very very good at ally welding,

might have to insert a scrap piston whilst the welding is taking place,

then maybe tun a cylinder hone down the bore,

just to test the water,

im 99% certain it can be done without affecting the bore in the slightest,

not sure on the BX but citroen list two part No.'s one left and one right for the Xant rearcylinders,
the only difference im aware of is the orientation of the cylinder boot regarding the spouts,

eay fix for that would be loosen the clamp, rotate the boot then re/tighten the clamp

regards malcolm

[Jaba]

The cylinders are not handed but are drilled with suitable drainage holes to accommodate fitting on either side.
Don't forget that Xantia cylinders fit the BX.

[MULLEY]

Sorry Jaba, do you mean that there are 2 sets of drainage holes so that the cylinder boot can be rotated as per malcolms post above?

[Jaba]

Sorry Jaba, do you mean that there are 2 sets of drainage holes so that the cylinder boot can be rotated as per malcolms post above?

Precisely. The gaiter blocks one of them off depending on its orientation.

Things can be done to minimise the through corrosion : Painting or coating the cylinder, drilling the housing underneath to allow water to drain out, cleaning out the debris from time to time in the subframe housing, treating the car like a little princess and protecting it from nasty weather by keeping it off the road...........usw.

[MULLEY]

Are the xantia cylinders exactly the same design as the bx one's regarding the drainage holes? I'm aware that you have to use the bx piston as its length is different & that the hydraulic spigot bit needs to made thinner so that it'll fit correctly in a bx.

[citronut]

from what i understand of the XANT cylinder, i cant see you need to swap the pistons over,

but just the push rod only, as the spring retaining clip/pin that hold the push rod cup to the arm is a lot thicker on the BX to the flimsy one of the XANT,

then you have to have the raised/stepped section on the cylinder outer body machined away,

also i dont think the cylinder boot close's either of the leak off holes, as the holes are in a deep Chanel all the way round the cylinder

regards malcolm

[MULLEY]

Can anybody clarify Malcolm's comment regarding the xant leak off holes?

[citronut]

yep me

as i have just fitted a new cylinder to an L reg XANT this very morning

all the way round the cylinder body and between the to leak back holes there's not so much as a chanel but a grove,

regards malcolm

[MULLEY]

So, just to clarify, you could buy a xantia cylinder, doesn't matter which side & fit it to the bx (after doing the mods described earlier on above) & you could fit it to you bx on the opposite side it should be, by rotating the rubber boot gaitor round onto the correct side? By the way, i'm talking Hatch cylinders rather than estate ones.

[citronut]

i have not actually done one as yet but others have on here somewhere,

it has to be hatch for hatch and estate for estate as far as im aware,

also has to be non active or hydractive, as it needs to have the 3.5mm bore pipe,

you will also need to use the BX push rod as i said above

regards malcolm