A big thank you too....(56K warning, photos inbound)

TehAgent · Post by **TehAgent** » 09 Apr 2007, 18:13

Xac and CitroJim,

Thanks for the help, was nice to meet you and put a face to a name, at least now, my brakes are working and my hand brake is fixed YAY.

Now just need to sort out the battery and get some new Spheres, then me and xac can try and drag CitroJim away from the car long enough for us to help lol

Also found out that mixing the interior of a xantia and battery acid doesn't bode well...

Pictures to follow....

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 09 Apr 2007, 19:59

You're more than welcome Ian, it was great fun, even if Jim did hog most of the hard work

Uploading the photos now, and thanks for showing us how not to change the brake pads!

Post by **CitroJim** » 09 Apr 2007, 20:21

A most enjoyable day Ian and really good to meet you and Tess

It all goes to confirm my long-held belief that the finest people on the planet are to be found driving Citroens

I've just had a shower (water ran black

) and put my overalls straight into the washing machine before the battery acid has a chance to burn holes in them

By way of explanation, Ian had a battery tip up in the boot a short while ago and we had to remove the rear half of the car interior and neutralise the spilled acid. It had already attacked the fabric of one rear seat and the carpet

Nasty stuff...

I promise next time I'll try to back off from the work a little

Guilty as charged m'lud..

nick · Post by **nick** » 09 Apr 2007, 20:47

citrojim wrote:By way of explanation, Ian had a battery tip up in the boot a short while ago and we had to remove the rear half of the car interior and neutralise the spilled acid. It had already attacked the fabric of one rear seat and the carpet Nasty stuff...

Nasty stuff indeed. I don't envy anyone having to clean that up! I once had an almost full 5L can of oil tip over & burst open in the boot of a BX. At least with oil I could take some comfort in the fact that it was probably rustproofing all the nooks & crannies it seeped into!

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 09 Apr 2007, 22:25

I recall a mate of mine telling me about carrying back a car battery from the local motor factors earlier in the day, how heavy it was and that it spilt down his new jacket. When I told him to wash it asap he said I was being a 'Drama Queen' as nothing had happened.

Well he was right for two weeks

TehAgent · Post by **TehAgent** » 09 Apr 2007, 23:31

This stuff must of been pretty potent then, as it eat through my gloves while i was trying to soak up the spill with some kitchen towels, we had to remove all the rear seats, and then the boot carpet.

Only problem now, i need a new interior

or a good sowing kit...

Anyway.

CitroJim. hard at work.

Brake Caliper internals. This is a 3 man job, and the main cause of a high hand brake cable. we can now provide step by step instruction on how NOT to get the piston back into the caliper

Bodge-it & Scarper Ltd. From left to right. TehAgent (me ian) Xac (Andy) CitroJim (Jim) enjoying some refreshments.

Stripped boot.

The acid collected in the foot well after emptying its self out in the boot. Very smelly too.

Just preparing bicarbonate of soda, to neutralize the acid and stop it doing any more damage.

Just add water and bicarb. and pour into car. leave for 30 mins. when the alarm goes off. you will have nice fluffy bread... er... i mean neutralized acid.

Acid damage to the rear seat

Acid damage to the rear seat. Fortunately it only ate through the stitching and melted a bit of the backing onto the sponge. so with a bit of needle and thread. might be able to repair it. if not, its a new interior.

Post by **CitroJim** » 10 Apr 2007, 11:30

That photo of me under the wing looks bad. The only two tools on show are hammers, one a large one

Honestly, I do employ other, more subtle tools...

And is that the first signs of thinning hair on my head

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 10 Apr 2007, 11:55

citrojim wrote: And is that the first signs of thinning hair on my head

Just grow it longer Jim and have a comb over

Tippy's said we can pretty much use the ramps whenever the coast is clear (ie no paintballers on site) so when Ian gets a chance to pick up replacement spheres we can use them to make our life easier!
Though I think you and I should sit back and let Ian do the work as I'm sure that's what he'd prefer

(and he can get sprayed with LHM this time instead of me!)
We should have taken a photo of his rear sphere when we had the wheel off to show everyone how rusty it was!

Ian, how was the car this morning?

TehAgent · Post by **TehAgent** » 10 Apr 2007, 15:17

Car started fine, took it over to Northampton to a scrap yard to see if they had any decent interiors, unfortunately they all either had cig burns / glass / oil or a combination of all 3.

Though i did find a nice Xantia R reg, the same color as me, so grabbed the passenger side door with replacement side mirror. just finished doing that. Almost had the Passenger side wing too, but one stubborn bolt and lack of hacksaw, meant i had to leave it. so consolidated my unbolting work with a new parcel shelf with screen visor in it. Pitty i didn't have more cash on me, as it also had a front bumper with spotlights still intact.

boot carpet is dry now so going to go fit it back into the car soon and put the rear seats back in.

Then just need to wash the car and get that passenger side door looking clean like the rest of it, looks out of place at the moment as its the only panel that's muddy.

*edit*

forgot to mention, the battery is definitely forked. it started OK in the morning, but when i went to start it to come out of the scrappy, it just went dead again, had to get the old boy with the JCB to give me a jump start.