Citrojim's Ka, Saxo and Bike Tales

[CitroJim]

these cars with springs and no LHM have maybe confused me

Same here

Surprised and shocked that such a tiny car as a Saxo needs power steering! At least it's not an electric system

[CitroJim]

Just insured the Saxo ready for Saturday's collection...

Got a stonking good deal from LV - who insures both my house and Pug 207 - and a deal that came out just a couple of quid dearer than the cheapest quote on the comparison websites

LV always seem to do me a good deal

[CitroJim]

Got some more good spannering done on the Activa this afternoon

Offside dismantled completely and the hub is off and ready for a wheel bearing change.

I couldn't hear it at the slow speeds I drive but it's certainly a bit noisy and graunchy... I have one in stock...

Also started dismantling the nearside and now ready to extract the driveshaft with the split boot

A good afternoon and again, very much enjoyed the spannering even though I no longer love/want the car itself...

I must say that over the time I've had the car and my diligent use of copper grease around all I've previously dismantled (which is most of the car now!) makes dismantling a nice, easy job... Nothing is seized and it all comes apart

spannering4.jpg

spannering5.jpg

Hoping to get a bit more done tomorrow.

The replacement balljoint boots and the CV joint boot have arrived today so tomorrow the first tasks I'll do is drain the gearbox and pop the driveshaft out ready to swap the boot...

That's one bit of the job I'm not really looking forward to

[CitroJim]

A bit more work done today on the Activa...

I pressed out the old wheel bearing - a job I love oddly enough - and prepared the hub for pressing in the new one. I think I just love using my hydraulic press and the most satisfying bang that occurs when the old bearing finally lets go and decides that yes, it will come out to play

Also fitted a new rubber boot onto the lower ball-joint... They seem to do the job and for just under £4 for a pair they're a good solution to a split one on an otherwise good joint...

I got a bit carried away and lost track of time. Now I have run out of time to get ready for a Redway Runners social run this evening

No worries as I'm really enjoying all this spannering work. Loving it in fact

I really do know where my true love lies...

Here's the hub all ready to receive the new bearing along with all the bits considered beyond reasonable further duty!

spannering6.jpg

Hopefully more work tomorrow..

In other news, the Saxo timing belt kit has arrived and I've got some oil and a filter ready to take to Somerset on Saturday to give the car an oil change. Alasdair tells me the oil looks very black! I'll then change it again very soon after...

[Stickyfinger]

as black as a witches T** mate

[RichardW]

Coming along, Jim. That hub is in remarkable condition given its age - the ones off my 10 year old 307 were (a lot) rustier than that!!

Thinking about the boot - it's probably easier to knock the outer joint off and fit the boot from the other end, that way, you only need to cut the boot off the inner joint, and not even remove the can, so all the rollers can remain in place!

[Zelandeth]

Looking good Jim, definitely seems like you're making good progress there.

Really looking forward to spending some good time getting to know this car now, will be a really interesting to compare to my time with Gabriel - and about as total a difference to the Lada as you could imagine.

[CitroJim]

I think you'll love the Activa Zel. It is a totally different drive to Gabriel though... They may be both Xantias but there the similarity ends

Progress might be a bit slower today...I pulled a muscle in my arm whilst wielding a big club hammer and cold chisel at the bearing retaining circlip that was fairly well rusted in the groove but today I do hope to press in the new bearing and get the new big brake calipers cleaned up and ready for fitting...

I'll be swimming first - with this arm it might be interesting - I might end up swimming around in circles

Richard, yes, I think the knock-off the outer joint will be the simplest and easiest way in the end... I'll be doing that job quite soon now but I need my arm to be OK as there will be hammers involved!!!

Generally the car is really quite rust-free. In my ownership it's never seen much winter use at all... Makes a difference I think... It certainly comes apart easily enough

[daviemck2006]

I agree that an activa and a 1.9td are totally different. I dont know why, but I never really bonded with my activa, which had the boost control fitted, the same as Jims, but Gabriel is totally different and I bonded instantly and love her to bits. Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed driving the activa, it was fun, but there were things about it that really did my head in. After owning an activa and a 1.9td, the only other xantia I would consider would be a v6 auto. But bigpug satisfies the v6 auto urge so for me the little fleet I have at the moment is good. Im sure Zel will enjoy the activa, although I could see it being more like his saab than anything else.

[CitroJim]

Davie, can you be a little more specific about what did your head in on the Activa?

I just want to see if we might agree

[daviemck2006]

Not being able to bypass the immobiliser, the length of time it took for the suspension to rise. It always settled a bit and took about 30 seconds from starting it untill the stop lights went off and it could be driven. The fuel consumption. I never bettered 24mpg. That were the main things. However I think the clutch going within weeks of getting it, and I know that was just bad luck and there was no way it could have been forseen put it in a bad place to start with. And the fact that when I decided to buy a xantia it was going to be a v6, not an activa I was going for. So it wasnt really the car I wanted. It was the provenance of that particular car which made me decide to buy it. However, even allowing for the clutch and welding it got I just got my money bavk when selling it. Its a great pity it has never been taxed since and the MOT is now expired. I honestly thought the buyer was going to use it. Then again it could have the bits of paintwork done and sitting in a warm dry collecrors garage for all I know! But to the worst bits of her, Gabby is the complete opposite. A few seconds for the glow plugs to work and she starts instantly, no stop lights on, no immobliser code to put in, and 44mpg around town. She is exactly what I wanted for the workhorse, yet is good enough for "posh" duties too, therfore preserving bigpug, which could become a very scarce car in the future, and is a keeper.

[CitroJim]

Not being able to bypass the immobiliser, the length of time it took for the suspension to rise. It always settled a bit and took about 30 seconds from starting it untill the stop lights went off and it could be driven. The fuel consumption.

I can understand all of that Davie, especially the fuel consumption

The fuel consumption can be OK if driven a little conservatively - I have had 39mpg out of one and regularly I could see 35mpg...

But then, you all know how I drive

I understand entirely about the clutch going too. And the length of time it took to fix I never quite have the same love/trust if a car of mine ever lets me down and has to come home on a flat-bed... Silly I know but it happened with my last Xantia V6...

It's been a case of two (or three) steps forward and one step backwards on the Activa today...

Found the replacement CV boot is the wrong one - there's two choices as per typical Citroen - and the other side wheel bearing is not perfect. I'm going to have to replace it despite last changing it maybe two years ago.

I'd may as well whilst all is in bits... It would be niggling if all went back together and it proved to be noisy...

I know it was changed relatively recently as the circlip came out easily and did not need a cold chisel and club-hammer

Here's the split in the CV boot. It's tiny...

spannering7.jpg

The correct boot is now on order... I discover the wrong CV boot I bought is for a Saxo so it'll be useful one day! Or maybe I've seen into the future and the Saxo is going to need a boot for its next MOT! Funnier things have happened to me...

I also have a wheel bearing on order...

Off out now to play with the hydraulic press again I enjoy pressing things...

[Hell Razor5543]

I have a load of shirts that require pressing, Jim!

[daviemck2006]

I’ve just thought of another thing that pissed me off, every time I ordered something for the activa I got bits for a 2.0 16v which is a different thing and most bits are different between the two. The whole car although it could be brilliant at times just pushed too many annoyance buttons, which Gabby hasn’t yet despite the mot fail. I wasn’t really expecting it to pass without anything needed to be honest. I need a dry day or two to look at the other door shut. It’s a little crusty, if caught now should be ok, if left it will probably need the welder also, so it’s worth a rub down and treat with something. The good thing with her patina it won’t matter if the bits match just now as long as they are treated lol

[CitroJim]

I’ve just thought of another thing that pissed me off, every time I ordered something for the activa I got bits for a 2.0 16v which is a different thing and most bits are different between the two.

Now that was a PITA Davie... Bloody annoying too... I think that's maybe why i ended up with the wrong driveshaft boot too

I have a load of shirts that require pressing, Jim!

Speaking of pressing...

I've pressed out the second wheel bearing this afternoon As it had not been resident in the hub for so long it gave up the fight relatively easily and I was not rewarded by a big bang this time

The base of my press really does bear silent witness to just how many wheel bearings I've done over the last couple of years or so!

spannering9.jpg

When I pulled the driveshaft I naturally lost a little gearbox oil. I caught it in a clean container and measured it so that I know by how much to top up when I reinstall the shaft...

Saves a full gearbox oil change and the drained oil proves it's not needed... I lost just about half a pint...

I did another value-added job this afternoon. I unseized the handbrake cable adjustment nuts on each cable and got them running easily up and down the full lengths of the threads... It'll make setting up the handbrake with the new big calipers a nice, easy job.

Looking forward to tomorrow when i finally get to see and play with my new Saxo In fact i can hardly wait. Just one more sleep