Anyway, I digress. My BX has been laid up for about 9 months as the cambely was due for replacement, and I didn't really see the point in changing the belt as I would be replacing the engine next weekend. Or the next. Or the next... Fast forward to now and I have a little more time so out with the old (going to find a new home down south with Kermit) and off with various bits to fit on the Xantia engine, such as sump (want to keep the air con!), oil cooler sandwich plate (smaller on the BX) and the timing cover (I prefer the one on the BX as it uses clips rather than bolts).
Earlier this week I was having a spot of bother with the crankshaft pully bolt - I couldn't budge it using 4' of leverage so I had the bright idea of using a spot of mechanical assistance. I.e. breaker bar on bolt head, tow rope to breaker bar, other end of rope to tow hitch on a V8 Discovery. Some of you may be ahead of me here (no, the Discovery didn't break down!), but it did succeed in pulling the Xantia off the tree stumps that I was using as axle stands, and dented the side of the BX
After I had jacked everything up again I tried to use a trolly jack under the breaker bar until the weight of the car was being supported by it, and then tap on the socket head with a hammer. When this didn't work I decided to call it a day as it was midnight and had started raining.
Next day in daylight, with a huuuge scaffold pole, I got the F"%$ing thing undone
I am swapping the cam with a N/A diesel cam (kindly supplied by David Rutherford) as the profile should give me a little more torque off boost, hence I have to re-shim the valves. I am slowly learning that it may not be a good idea to work on the BX in the dark when I come back from work. as I have mis-measured one of the valve clearances - now 0.06mm tight. Bugger.
Anyway, the Xantia engine is out, ready to be cleaned up and lots of new parts fitted to it. If anyone is still reading this far then I will try and post up some pictures, also any hints I can think of...number one being don't try and undo a crankshaft bolt with a 4x4!!!
There is a simpler way but it's a bit late now I guess. The simpler way is to use the starter motor with a good "T" bar jammed up against the wishbone. As long as you ensure the engine cannot start, a quick whizz of the starter releases the bolt a treat. Never failed me yet, even when faced with a bolt that had been tightened by King Kong previously although that one took three spins of the starter...
Then rain and hail stopped play; but I did manage some pictures in the 10 minutes of sunshine that we had...
Badly phrased Mat, what I meant to say was it's a good use of a part of an otherwise dead Xantia that is beyond saving... I'm all for a terminally ill Xantia donating it's vital organs so that a BX can reap the benefit 
). Might give it a try next time I get stuck.
