TIMS BX BLOG

[Tim Leech]

A lovely run out to the X rally in the Xantia, it drove superbly and you would think it was 18 months old not 18 years, mind you at only 45000 miles and regularly citroen serviced you would expect as much.

BX GT is now road legal and running sweet, I have been on about changing the LHM for a while as I know adam did it before I got her but that was over 8 years ago!

Anyway that took about 20 minutes, the filters were fairly black but the fluid was clean, now all sparkling and fresh and I avoided scarring my hands again this time whilst cleaning out the reservoir, fresh new LHM and new clips on the pipes that require them.

Just the oil and filter to do and setting the carb up and she's ready for ICCCCR 2016!

[MULLEY]

20 mins, how the hell did you manage that, did you just empty the lhm tank & clean the filters? Don't forget all the crud thats still in the system especially in the brakes, the whole system needs to be drained to ensure years of future trouble free motoring. I'd also highly recommend running hydraflush as well.

[Tim Leech]

basically yes Matt, I avoid the bleed nipples on the calipers as I just know they would sheer off.

The hydraulics on the GT have always been spot on, it rides better than any BX and the LHM was fairly fresh after it self emptied when a return popped off, so was just a quick job.

[mat_fenwick]

You might be pleasantly surprised with the bleed screws - I've found them to crack off better than other cars (possibly due to LHM being non-hygroscopic?) rather than shear. But I'd probably be inclined to leave alone if there isn't a problem, especially on something doing limited mileage. Butit it does shear, recon calipers aren't too expensive still so not the end of the world.

[Tim Leech]

Just a case of I had the lhm and a bit of spare time. The old lhm could easily have been reused but it won't do harm to change, oil and coolant next.

[Tinkley]

Mmmmm but the front brakes are just so sweet after bleeding...... and there's no fade or pumping....

[Tim Leech]

Mmmmm but the front brakes are just so sweet after bleeding...... and there's no fade or pumping....

I can guarantee you there's no pumping required, the GT has always driven, handled, stopped better than any other BX I've owned and still does, even Mr Wild himself who used it to go to the chippy one evening at a National Rally came back and heaped praise on her...so who am I to argue!

[MULLEY]

If you prepare the bleed screws & have some heat available & take it very easy they should come out without shearing. Personally it would probably be a good time to replace them & put some copper grease on the threads of the new one's to avoid them from becoming seized in. You'd be amazed at how much crap can come out of the dead stops in a BX, even one which appears to have been looked after. I'll be doing this on the valver once the weather gets warmer

[Tinkley]

You'd be amazed at how much crap can come out of the dead stops in a BX, even one which appears to have been looked after.

Dead rats included..... It's the colour that shows it best, the new fluid is a vibrant green and that which comes out of the brake nipples can be a weak piss colour, unrecogniseable from the new stuff!. I'd agree, you do notice the difference when they are all done, especially with correct front pads/discs.

[Tim Leech]

Random car purchase, no top gear jokes please, I've heard them all, often.

[Tinkley]

A friend had one in 50 shades of Tundra green, mind he sold it for more than he paid for it, down Oxford way....
I remember the leaf springs......

[Tim Leech]

Yea it's the opposite of bxs, very simple and old school!

[Defender110]

Wow that looks in good nick and very original, nice mk 1 variant. You finally scratched the itch then. I had a couple of these in the day, really quite reliable.

[Defender110]

That mustard colour is known as Greensand IIRC.

[Kitch]

I have a soft spot for Marinas as it was the first car I ever travelled in. There's a part of me that wants to own one, if only to see just how bad they really were! I remember my Dad telling me it was truly awful in nearly every way, which prompted me to ask "Why did you have it 8 years then?!"