Twice Bitten - BX blues

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jack.dempsey
Posts: 116
Joined: 05 Mar 2003, 17:57
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: BX TZD @ 250K miles (J reg),
Xantia TD @ 165K miles (R reg),
Xantia 2.1 TD (R reg)
and tow a caravan with them all (not at the same time)

Twice Bitten - BX blues

Post by jack.dempsey »

My BX's clutch cable failed last weekend and me and SHMO set about replacing it. What an absolute 'child born out of wedlock'!!! Being a TZD there's little space or indeed visibility at the rear of the 'lump' and the access up under the dash around the pedal box was best described as 'interesting' - although we used some words that carried far more emotion. Anyway eventually we got it done, swearing that if it ever wanted doing again we'd scrap it immediately. So with a nice smooth clutch action, off went the car for MOT, only to jettison the whole of the 'green blood' into the MOT pit, much to the amusement (NOT) of the garage owner. Where from I wondered, something I may have disturbed perhaps whilst doing the clutch - no such luck, it's a fracture of the high pressure pipe to the rear RH strut - it's obviously been chaffing against the strut 'housing' and worn through. It's very considerate of it to fail whilst being MOT'd - it would have been far worse to have gone on the motorway, or miles away from home. Anyway here start-eth impossible task number 2. The system is obviously depressurised, the union on the pipe to strut joint is now totally ruined (I tried so hard not to round the flats) and I can't get the sphere off - everything is flapping about in the housing (worryingly loose) but the damn sphere won't shift. I've got 'the' proper tool and even with this I can't shift the sphere. I can't see how I can possibly hold any part of the strut whilst I try hammering the sphere. It has to come off. The replacement part (pipe) was only a fiver - but so far I've spent 2 whole days trying to progress this job, it would have been 3 days but the rain today has kept me inside (I hate rolling about under the car on soaking wet concrete). Anybody got any ideas, messages of condolance, want to have a laugh at my expense, can lend me a box of matches? I wouldn't mind but it's only done 230K miles (it's only just run in!!!) :evil:
They said it couldn't be done, so we didn't bother trying!
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

BEEN THERE TRIED IT :shock: :evil:

Loosen (or split) the rear strut boot clamp, then pull back the boot. Now you've got the only part of the strut accessible to clamp down with a suitable size of a Stilson to counteract the sphere removal forces.

You may swear & curse and shout "that'll destroy my rear strut".

It's the only way mate :roll:
- and you got to remove the sphere anyway for any later strut replacement :evil:
Anders (DK) - '90 BX16Image
citronut
Posts: 10937
Joined: 29 Apr 2005, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom east sussex
My Cars:
x 92

Post by citronut »

exactly what tool are you using,and where abouts in the country are you,i suppose UK?
regards malcolm
jack.dempsey
Posts: 116
Joined: 05 Mar 2003, 17:57
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: BX TZD @ 250K miles (J reg),
Xantia TD @ 165K miles (R reg),
Xantia 2.1 TD (R reg)
and tow a caravan with them all (not at the same time)

Post by jack.dempsey »

Malcolm, its a pliades tool, one I've used a few times before - but in all those cases I've been able to pressurise the sytstem prior to 'cracking' the spheres. The tool is not turning on the sphere, I'm just conscious that things behind the scenes could be twisting and bending. I've used brute force and hammer blows to no avail. I might see if I can attach some stilsons to the strut - there doesn't look as though there's much room to do so - either for the stilson or on the strut to apply it. I'm actually just outside Stoke (between Stoke and Ashbourne). At least todays weather is looking kinder for us 'concrete crawlers'. I suppose no matter what I've to seperate sphere and strut - even if I ruin both in the process.
They said it couldn't be done, so we didn't bother trying!
citronut
Posts: 10937
Joined: 29 Apr 2005, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom east sussex
My Cars:
x 92

Post by citronut »

if its the spring steel band with a pinch bolt to lock it onto the sphere and a handle about half inch square by 12 or so inches long,just rotate the sphere and susp/unit aticlock wise untill it wont go any futher,hold it there fit the tool so you can give the hadle a good blow with a club hammer,as you pipe is being replaced anyway you sould not do much damage to much else
regards malcolm
jack.dempsey
Posts: 116
Joined: 05 Mar 2003, 17:57
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: BX TZD @ 250K miles (J reg),
Xantia TD @ 165K miles (R reg),
Xantia 2.1 TD (R reg)
and tow a caravan with them all (not at the same time)

Post by jack.dempsey »

Hi Citronut - been there did that, all day yesterday and the day before. Things were starting to bend! I took the advice of others and got the rubber boot out of the way, found the biggest stilsons I could that would actually fit around the now exposed strut, and relied on brute strength and a lot of ignorance. I tugged and heaved and cursed and swore and tapped and 'wellied' and sprayed penetrating oil and WD40. I repeated this several times, and then, after deciding to have a 'wee dram' (for medicinal reasons only you understand) I applied some more of the heaving and grunting, and it suddenly let go - hurrah. So got the sphere off and tried to remove the strut. Those who can remember will recall that I'd 'grollied' the union and could not remove that either - the mole grips would just fit with the sphere on but wouldn't turn, due to lack of room. Once the sphere was gone I expected this to be different - but the simple fact was that the strut wouldn't come out with the union still on and there still wasn't enough room to get the grips on and turn it. Out with the blow lamp and several heat it up, let it cool down sessions to no avail. The problem now was that nothing could be found to actually hold the well squashed union. Then I had a moment of pure inspiration. Why not use a 'tap wrench'? I'd bought a cheapo set from a local 'boot sale' recently and found that the tap wrench had a removable handle on one side which made it ideal for clamping on to the grubby end of the union and applying firm pressure. More heat and penetrating oil and 'yes' a slight movement, then more, then a great inner cheer as the union is removed. Not bad - one union in 3.5 days. The inner union was a relative doddle - I cut the pipe off and used the 'hex' socket and firm pressure. It 'cracked' and slowly unscrewed. It was now dark-ish - so bad light stop play, as they say in sporting circles. Tomorrows job is to try to straighten out the plate that fits behind the sphere - it bent into some interesting shapes whilst I was applying the brute strength aspect. Then I've to try and feed the new pipe into place, without too much bending - anyone got any tips on this ? Then reconnect and reassemble, which we all know is simply a matter of reversing the dismantling procedure (thankyou Mr Haynes). Of course I have to go to the office tomorrow, at least I can wear some clean clothes (how pleasant), although I was thinking about 'splashing it all over', no not brute, 'gunk' - since I've become accustomed to it's aroma. Oh deep joy !
They said it couldn't be done, so we didn't bother trying!
citronut
Posts: 10937
Joined: 29 Apr 2005, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom east sussex
My Cars:
x 92

Post by citronut »

its not often a sphere wont budge even with no presure in system,just every now and again,still it is posible to remove the susp/unit with the pipe nut in place,with the suport plate out of the way the ram dose go through but its very tight,i know because i do it,then i put the susp/unit in the vice and use heat and decent vice grips with flat geores obn the remains of the pipe nut,gently gently loosy loosy
regards malcolm
jack.dempsey
Posts: 116
Joined: 05 Mar 2003, 17:57
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: BX TZD @ 250K miles (J reg),
Xantia TD @ 165K miles (R reg),
Xantia 2.1 TD (R reg)
and tow a caravan with them all (not at the same time)

Post by jack.dempsey »

What an absolute swine of a job (that should read 'another swine of a job'). I thought it was just about done tonight, when I got it almost back together, all pipes connected and topped up with hydraflush. Still had the car on jacks so I could check for leaks after I started up the engine. All seemed well until I selected from high to low, at which point a squirt of LHM was seen to come from the rear hight corrector and drip onto the floor. Hmmm interesting - I've not knowingly disturbed the hight correcter or any of it's pipes - except a plastic pipe which I pulled off and replaced into it's rubber tube. I can't quite work out where the source of the leak was, but it definitely seems to be the rear height corrector. Flipping 'eck! It's been dry for a few days (because of my earlier HP leak) - could this cause it to fail ? Thanks for your previous advice Malcolm. :(
They said it couldn't be done, so we didn't bother trying!
citronut
Posts: 10937
Joined: 29 Apr 2005, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom east sussex
My Cars:
x 92

Post by citronut »

you will probably find you have split the rubber tube that the plastic pipe goes into,just pull it off of the hight corector,cut off the end which is split,and bung it back on,i hope thats all it is
regards malcolm
jack.dempsey
Posts: 116
Joined: 05 Mar 2003, 17:57
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: BX TZD @ 250K miles (J reg),
Xantia TD @ 165K miles (R reg),
Xantia 2.1 TD (R reg)
and tow a caravan with them all (not at the same time)

Post by jack.dempsey »

I do hope you're right Malcolm. It sounds quite likely as my limited 'shuffty' seemed to indicate it was coming from that region, but not from the end where i stuffed the plastic pipe in. Rained off again tonight, but tomorrow, after work I'll be back under there to check out your theory (some guys get all the fun, work all day, crawl around under the car all evening - good eh!).
I'm keeping everything crossed until then in the hope that you are right. Thanks.
They said it couldn't be done, so we didn't bother trying!
citronut
Posts: 10937
Joined: 29 Apr 2005, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom east sussex
My Cars:
x 92

Post by citronut »

what misschife would you be geting into if you did not have you citroen
regards malcolm
jack.dempsey
Posts: 116
Joined: 05 Mar 2003, 17:57
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: BX TZD @ 250K miles (J reg),
Xantia TD @ 165K miles (R reg),
Xantia 2.1 TD (R reg)
and tow a caravan with them all (not at the same time)

Post by jack.dempsey »

Well I'm pleased (believe me) to report that I've sorted it. It would have been nice if it had just been that little rubber pipe that had split - but sadly it wasn't. Of the two rigid pipes connected to the top of the rear height corrector, one of them was 'bleeding' every time I shifted the ride height lever from high to low. It popped about a tablespoon full of the 'green stuff' out, which dripped straight to the floor. After some investigation, and much studying of the offending union, it was clear that whoever had last assembled that joint had not done a proper job of it. The union was worryingly rounded on the flats, making it's removal rather delicate (this is where this thread originally started), but by removing the spare tyre I had enough room to lock on the 'mole grips' and ease the union off. It seems that the end of the pipe had not been entered into the block correctly, and the rubber seal could not do it's job. With a bit of delicate bending of the pipe I was able to properly locate both the end into the block and keep the seal at the correct location so that when I retightened the union (not too tight!) it all behaved as designed, and there was no sign of an LHM leak - hurrah ! In fact - HURRAH!! :D
They said it couldn't be done, so we didn't bother trying!
citronut
Posts: 10937
Joined: 29 Apr 2005, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom east sussex
My Cars:
x 92

Post by citronut »

well done,now i suppose you boared out of your head untill you break somthing elsregards malcolm
jack.dempsey
Posts: 116
Joined: 05 Mar 2003, 17:57
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: BX TZD @ 250K miles (J reg),
Xantia TD @ 165K miles (R reg),
Xantia 2.1 TD (R reg)
and tow a caravan with them all (not at the same time)

Post by jack.dempsey »

Got it in one. I had no (mechanical) reason to dash home from work and I found myself looking worryingly at the fading light and wondering why. I'm sure that something else will come along soon - I just hope it's easier than either of the last two jobs.
They said it couldn't be done, so we didn't bother trying!
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