lhm leak??? (lesson too)

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
deian
Posts: 1729
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 10:53
Location:
My Cars:

lhm leak??? (lesson too)

Post by deian »

Hi,

today i picked my discs up from paul (nice chap), and hurried home to do my front brakes.

all went well with the drivers side, handbrake cable off, clip off pin, pin out, swing caliper up, pads off, caliper off, disc off, wind back caliper anti-clockwise, discs on, caliper on, pads on, pin in, clip in, tighten, handbrake cable back on, then the passenger side got done, all off, and so on until i couldn't wind back the piston on the passenger side front caliper, i kept winding it anti-clockwise (like the drivers side) and then i noticed, it seems out a lot, so stupidly i dropped the suspension thinking this would release some pressure for it to wind it back easier, so i started her up, dropped from intermediate height down to low, and i had the passenger front side up on the jack, so the back wheel was up in the sky somewhere and later i could hear fluid gushing about somewhere, so i carried on, couldn't do it, then went up to check the haynes manual (useless, useless, useless, they don't even know you need to 'wind' it back), anyway, i went back and tried winding it the other way, and lo and behold it worked, so the other side winds back clockwise (didn't like that trick at all), then i noticed something glistening in the sunlight on the floor on the other side, AAHHH LHM, i tried to forget it (something told me it would be ok), i carried on, and dad was saying wtf is this on my garage floor blah blah blah, so i carried on finished the brakes, wheel back, on tidied up, car out and had a look, dad was pessimistic, but something in the back of my mind told me the fluid wasn't related to the brakes that i just did on that side but related to the sphere/piston because of my idiot technique of trying to wind back the caliper the wrong way. Can anyone confirm my mess-up is not related to the brakes?

For the record, the car works and brakes fine, handbrake holds nicer, and it's lovely, bleeding tomorrow.

Thanks for reading my latest adventure / mishap.
User avatar
Xaccers
Posts: 7654
Joined: 07 Feb 2007, 23:46
Location: Milling around Milton Keynes
My Cars:
x 184

Post by Xaccers »

I've always winded my caliper pistons back in clockwise on both sides... I'm sure of it...
The piston is on a threaded "bolt" which it winds down on in normal braking use. A spring moves this back slightly when not applying the brakes, and the hand brake applies pressure on the "bolt" which is how it works.
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
Laguna II 2.0dCi Privilege (Monty)

DIY sphere tool
Xantidote
Posts: 1146
Joined: 03 May 2009, 22:07
Location: Merseyside
My Cars:
x 5

Post by Xantidote »

Yes, like Xac, I've always wound the piston on each side back in clockwise. Not sure that you can do anything wrong winding it the other way, just makes the job longer until you realise it's the other way!

Are you also saying you've now got an LHM leak? When I'm doing the pads/discs, I try not to distort the flexible hose any more than really necessary when pivotting the caliper up out of the way. A good look in the daylight will reveal anything amiss. You shouldn't normally need to do any bleeding, after doing pads/discs, though whilst jacked up, it's an opportunity to get rid of a bit of the older LHM stuck in the front brake pipes.
Martin

1995 Xantia TDLX (deceased :( )
citroenxm
Posts: 8061
Joined: 30 Dec 2004, 23:10
Location: Somewhere in North Wales, Anglesey
My Cars: M reg Xm S2 2.1td Auto Exclusive. 269k and rising
L reg XM S1 V6 12v Manual SEi
L 94 XM 2.1 TD auto total resto

2008 Peugeot 207 Sw 1.6 16v hdi. 217k and rising
2010 Peugeot 207 SW 1.6 8v HDi 161k and rising
x 70

Post by citroenxm »

Yes, Xantia Pistons wind BOTH in a clockwise direction HOWEVER, on the C5, they turn in opposite directions to each other... cant remember which goes which... but I know they are opposite to each other..



Paul
Sharing a pug 207 1.6 hdi Sw 16v.
M reg Xm 2.1 td auto exclusive S2 269k and rising
L reg XM V6 12v SEi auto .. Light project

A very sad...
1994 XM 2.1 d auto
deian
Posts: 1729
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 10:53
Location:
My Cars:

Post by deian »

not on mine, i will make a video if i have to!
deian
Posts: 1729
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 10:53
Location:
My Cars:

Post by deian »

must admit, new brakes are lovely aren't they lovely control over them, i can even hear lhm gushing back in a controlled manner now, didn't have that before,

so what was that lhm leak i had??
RoyChristie
Posts: 53
Joined: 24 Nov 2009, 22:37
Location: Northern Ireland UK
My Cars:

Post by RoyChristie »

overfilled LHM reservoir ???
deian
Posts: 1729
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 10:53
Location:
My Cars:

Post by deian »

no no, it's related to when i did my drivers side front brakes, and then moving to the passenger side, jacking the car up and then lowering it on the jack... lhm came weeping out from the drivers front side, it wasn't the brake pipe as far as i can see, is there maybe a leak off pipe of some kind on the strut?
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49532
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6163
Contact:

Post by CitroJim »

Possibly, there's the (in)famous strut leakage return tube Dei, the one half way up the strut but if that was gone you would have known about it long ago. When they go they spill a fair amount of LHM.

No, there's no brake leakoff as such. The only route is up through the LHM reservoir via the ABS and dosuer valve.

Check though, the leakage return on the LH side of the ABS block. If this was perished, this might account for it as the act of winding back the piston in the caliper will push LHM back through the ABS block. In use, the ABS leakage return does not flow a lot so it could go un-noticed if the pipe was on it's last legs.

Might be worth checking the two dosuer leakage return pipes too.
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
citronut
Posts: 10937
Joined: 29 Apr 2005, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom east sussex
My Cars:
x 92

Post by citronut »

i have never found a left hand threaded calloper on a XANT yet, on either side,

regards malcolm
citronut
Posts: 10937
Joined: 29 Apr 2005, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom east sussex
My Cars:
x 92

Post by citronut »

spoze it could make a diference if YNYS MÔN is the other side of the equater to us,

bit like the water going down the plug ole the opposite direction to us DAN UNDER init

ps.

how much of that crimbo spirit had you had before doing your brakes TEA HE

regards malcolm
deian
Posts: 1729
Joined: 26 Feb 2006, 10:53
Location:
My Cars:

Post by deian »

LMAO

how can we compare water going down the plug hole over there and you over here, were talking bout two sides of the same car, it is comical, really now, if i was bothered to take the wheels off again i would do a video to show you all, but that would very sad just to prove a point, we shall let it be for the time being

thanks to all anyway, there was quite a bit of lhm leaked too, i'd say half a pint leaked, haven't seen any more leaks since
citronut
Posts: 10937
Joined: 29 Apr 2005, 00:46
Location: United Kingdom east sussex
My Cars:
x 92

Post by citronut »

Dei
i was joking

regards malcolm
Duracell
Posts: 91
Joined: 22 Feb 2007, 10:54
Location: UK
My Cars:

Post by Duracell »

I've always wound Xantia caliper pistons in clockwise - I found out that C5 pistons are different by applying the same knowledge without checking and dumped a load of fluid on the floor when the piston wound past the seal (wasn't concentrating either) - perhaps this is how your fluid leaked Deian
citroenxm
Posts: 8061
Joined: 30 Dec 2004, 23:10
Location: Somewhere in North Wales, Anglesey
My Cars: M reg Xm S2 2.1td Auto Exclusive. 269k and rising
L reg XM S1 V6 12v Manual SEi
L 94 XM 2.1 TD auto total resto

2008 Peugeot 207 Sw 1.6 16v hdi. 217k and rising
2010 Peugeot 207 SW 1.6 8v HDi 161k and rising
x 70

Post by citroenxm »

AND ME!!

And beleve me Ive done PLEANTY of them, and they DO BOTH do clockwise!!

Its the C5 that has a Clock and anti clock wise calipers..

Paul
Sharing a pug 207 1.6 hdi Sw 16v.
M reg Xm 2.1 td auto exclusive S2 269k and rising
L reg XM V6 12v SEi auto .. Light project

A very sad...
1994 XM 2.1 d auto
Post Reply