Ew.Yuk part 2

[MULLEY]

My turn
Thought i would change the air filter (mines the rectangular shaped one) on the TZD, very dirty & wth a pool of oil at the front of the filter where the pipe from the intercooler connects upto.

So i checked all the other pipes that feed off the air box, including the large one near the rad, going as far as the one that sits above the cambelt.

They were all caked in oil (the inside), cleaned them all & put them back.

Should i be worried about all this oil? not being a mechanic, i dont understand how oil can enter through all these pipes & actually reach as far as the air filter. I can understand perhaps the intercooler pipe because its much closer (still dont understand why oil would be going into this pipe though).

I had to clean the air box, as it was plastered in oily crud. Took me hours to take everything apart, clean it & then re-fit it.

I took the intercooler off to check the rocker cover gasket wasnt leaking, seemed fine. Does anyone know where i can get hold of the small gasket which is at the far right hand side at the back which the intercooler is?

When i was up at Ken's, we took all this off before, & i noticed that the intercooler gasket was damaged, so did a temporary repair & put it back, but i want to replace it as i think the seal isnt 100 perfect.

To top all of that mularkey off, there is a banging sound at the rear of the car whenever i go over bumps, i've had a look but cant tell what it is & the rear arm bearings seem to be worse, so not driving her anymore untl i can get some help .

So its back to using the gas guzzler to work & back

[jeremy]

The crankcase fumes vent into a system of pipes - which after an oil trap on the front of the engine (Shiny black plastic round thing in the vicinity of the oil filler) pass along a tube and into the top of the air filter housing - from where they are sucked into the engine.

On mine (which has done 200,000 miles) the first inch of the air filter gets contaminated with oil - which I've never considered a problem. In fact the rest of the housing seems to stay clean and I've never done anything more to it than remove the leaves from below the filter.

The separator seems to me to be a bit small but if after 200,000 miles only a small amount gets passed it it can't be too bad.

How long has it taken for your element to get dirty - how dirty was it? There will always be some oil in the inlet pipes which is nothing to worry about. If the engine is fuming badly (usually covered in wet oil, and you choke if you remove the oil filler cap when its hot) then its got problems - like broken rings - which you can probably hear and feel as a pulse as one cylinder is feeble.

If you only cough gently when you remove the filler its probably OK. They all fume a little - you'll know if its fuming excessively - any doubt - its OK.

Citroen will sell the gasket. Is it the liquorice strip type? I think there are 2 types. Otherwise if you like the stuff put a bead of instant silicon gasket in the groove and re-assemble it carefully.

Banging at the rear - is the exhaust attached firmly at ALL points? One of my hanger brackets has bent slightly and a rubber works its way off. Its gone through the last 3 MOT's with a cable tie keeping it from walking sideways. Is the spare wheel and its cage tight?

[mat_fenwick]

When my rear arm bearings were REALLY bad, I used to get a sharp 'crack' when going over bumps - do you think it could be this that you are hearing?

[mountainmanUK]

If it's a "clonk" sound coming from the back end, I would first check the exhaust, both for loose or broken brackets / hangers, and also that the rear box or pipe isn't flapping about and hitting the underbody when driving. Obviously you can't really check it whilst you're moving, but a good visual check (rubber mountings etc) can show something out of place. You can also get hold of the tailpipe and move the rear end of the exhaust around, to see if you can recreate the "clonk".
Rubber mounts can perish and stretch with age, allowing the system to make contact with harder parts of the car!

I agree with Matt in that well-worn rear arm bearings give more of a sharp "crack" sound when on rougher ground.

You would be as well to thoroughly clean out any gunge in the breather pipes, then at least it would be "fresh" fumes going through the breather system! My old BX14 used to clog up its breathers quite frequently, and wasn't even particularly smoky or dirty!

Hope this helps!

Dave

[Ian_Fearn]

What do a set of rear arm bearings cost to do these days?

I had my first car BX done at a specialist for about 70quid a side. Done my own since then without any snags.

Get your spanners out Mulley! The job is well detailed on the forum and i could be around to lend a hand if you need some support.

[MULLEY]

Your help would be gratefully received, i dont mind getting mucky (well i do, but saving money makes up for it). I bought some kits for £18.80 each, which i thought wasnt bad, but then add up the wedge kits (as mentioned in other thread) & that some extra spondoolies.

However, once done should last for years (hopefully).

Are you around this weekend??

[Ian_Fearn]

This weekend is fully taken up but next weekend could be do-able along with nights in the week.

[MULLEY]

Thats great, how long does each side take (if nights were an option depending upon weather)?

[Ian_Fearn]

I'd allow a couple of hours for each side although the last one i did took about 45 mins.

Do you have a vice?

[mat_fenwick]

Do you have a vice?

I don't.

In fact I am a man of no vices, at least that's what I tell the missus...

[MULLEY]

Unfortunately i dont have a vice

[docchevron]

Dont need a vice, just stick the arm in an axle stand, get your knee on top of it, and beat it like it just had it's wicked way with your missus. Sorted.

[MULLEY]

I'll see if i can borrow one, as that might look a bit less dodgy with my neighbours than seeing me beat the crap out of one via the doc method

[Ian_Fearn]

I'd REALLY struggle without a vice.

The other option Mulley is to remove the arms, bring em to my house for me to remove the old bearing races and then refit the bearings.

Thats the hardest bit of the job done then.

[MULLEY]

Does the size of the vice matter?