Octopus on Tizzy D

[Brian]

Hi Folks,

Looking for some help here.

After recently fixing three LHM leaks, I am now faced with what looks like an octopus problem.
I have roughly located the leak, but at the moment cannot view the top of the rubber manifold to establish which of the 3 circuits is causing the problem.

I am looking for any clues, hints on how to find the leak so that I may be able to replace the faulty circuit only, As it looks like the complete octopus is not readily available.

I have removed the bolts from the stabilizer bar, but still can't get a small mirror over the top to give a view.

I am guessing it may require to remove the driveshaft, the front exhaust, to allow the engine to tilt forward and remove the stabilizer link and somehow drop the subframe a little.

[Mothman]

A complete new octopus is still available from main stealers.
Just need to quote the part numbers. I have them if you need them.

Andy

[tim]

No, you don't need to remove driveshaft or remove subframe. Can I refer you to the current octopus discussion on the Chat section, you will guess what my suggestion would be!

[Brian]

Mothman Wrote:
A complete new octopus is still available from main stealers.
Just need to quote the part numbers. I have them if you need them.

Yes please, will give me an indicator, Thanks.

Thanks Tim for the Chat section discussion link.

I have seen this article before, using brass fittings and rubber tube, brilliant write up.

There was also another thread showing fitting the manifold and pipes over the wing, but I can't find it.

Interesting and valuable thread this, hope we get some more input, if so would be worth saving as a sticky.

I had thought of doing this to the small octopus in the picture below, but in the end did a quick fix as shown and is holding up well.

I think the repair / replacement will be a more complex on the TD, due to the additional pipes etc.

I guess I am lucky really, I have been running Bx's for over 20 years now and never had to replace an octopus.

[Mothman]

These are the Citroen part nos for a complete octopus set.
96030258
96056235
96119048

Andy

[Oilyspanner]

TOP TIP there are two plastic pipes running down the chassis member under the drivers footwell area, they are different sizes, they both push into the ctopus on top of the crossmember in a totally inacessible place, cut them at an easily accessible point and once the old octopus is off plug the cut off bits into the new octopus, fit the new octopus and join the pipes where you cut them using some of your leftover rubber pipe, this will save a lot of time. especially as its easy to put the pipes in the wrong hole and get a leak.

[Brian]

Purchased the octopus today, made in Poland.
The finish does not look as good as the original, although the dealer insisted it was OEM quality.

Thanks for the "Top Tip" will use if I go original layout.

I am swaying towards fixing the manifold on the bulk head as Tim has posted, but being a turbo 92 vintage, may be quite a challenge routing around the inter-cooler, pipes and diesel filter etc.

Any one know if it's possible to replace the octopus without draining the LHM tank?

Cheers

[citsncycles]

Not surprised the new Octopus is Polish - Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, seems to be the favorite location for the manufacture of both older Citroen models and their parts these days.

[tim]

This is another reason why I wanted the octopus where I could see it. It may well be that as others have said the 'original' octopussies lasted 15 years. But these are not those.... and others have posted that they had issues a lot quicker than that. I have already had experience of substandard rubber goods; some years ago I fitted some fork gaiters to a Triumph m/c for a customer. The gaiters were about a fiver and looked to be the same as the 'originals' which last for ever, pretty much. These bastards lasted six months then shredded themselves into little bits. It wasn't the cost of the gaiters that I resented, it was the morning's labour to replace them. This is when I learnt about different grades of rubber.....

[citsncycles]

I've had similar experiences with rubber components made for Land Rovers - it's a lottery whether they're made of anything decent. Of course it was a different matter with the Wartburg, where you tried to buy pattern parts for all rubber components because the East German rubber was so bad...

There was a thread a few weeks back about exhausts, where it was said that some of the factory replacement exhausts would be made to a lower quality as the model got older - it may be the same for other parts too!