2.1 TD Xantia on a budget

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RichardW Many thanks for the link

Thanks to CitroJim in advance for that thread

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Going OK until ....

Last couple of days a slight rumbling/knocking noise has been catching my ears from the drivers side engine footwell area ....during an inspection of the underbody today I asked the Mrs to raise the cars suspension into the higher position just to allow better access ....once fully highered I told her to turn the engine off whilst I looked for something loose causing the knocking noise - nothing obvious caught my eye .... the Mrs commented that it was quite nice sitting there in the sun ....then asked me if " I wanted it back down"

yes I said (no longer under the car I hasten to add)

so she moved the lever to the central position without starting the engine and has blown a suspension pipe

5270 Z4 (Nearside front pigs tail) according to Citroen service £37.84 will check tomorrow to see if my local can get hold of one

Obviously a lesson learnt to have the engine running probably due to give way soon anyway .... but I wont tell her that

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5270 Z4 (Nearside front pigs tail)

Citroen no longer supply

Anyone know of someone who custom makes these lines?

Goes from front regulator to a connector near the chassis leg behind the gearbox (looks tight access that end)

Is it possible to patch the burst bit (pigs tail loops) with some 3/16" brake line kit

My only car so the pressure is on ( ) to fix her quick and preferably cheap ... the push bike is a killer

[Xaccers]

Pleiades.

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?t=27692" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Cheers Xac

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Right, luckily when the suspension pipe blew the car was at home on the driveway suspension in high mode, tried to get it back to normal ride height but with the front left pigs tail leaking she doesn't seem to want to lower down.

Presuming that Pleiades will need the pipe for a pattern to copy I need to get the suspension in low mode and depressurised prior to removal of the burst pipe.

Messy with the engine running and doesn't seem to want to lower herself anyway.

So at the moment I've jacked her up, chocked at the rear and got the front wheels fully sat on ramps.

Is there anyway to depressurise the suspension and if so how can I get her into low mode without running the engine

[Xaccers]

If the pipe's burst, then as long as the engine isn't running there will be no pressure in the pipe so you can just remove it.
Give Pleiades a call, they've been in the business since DS days if memory serves, so can probably just make you up a replacement pipe and post it to you (unless it's the pipe with the rubber section, they'll need that to thread the new pipe onto).
You just bend the pipe to fit and screw in the ends.

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Xac

Well if that's the case it will be a lot easier (hopefully)

It's the non rubber one so will call them now ...

Many thanks - I was scared that there would be some pressure lurking in there

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Part ordered ....via Pleiades that was so easy .... and cheaper than Citroen

Cheers Xac

[Xaccers]

Part ordered ....via Pleiades that was so easy .... and cheaper than Citroen

Cheers Xac

They're great, and know their stuff

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Whilst waiting for the part to arrive I made a start on removing the old pipe front 9mm bolt on the accumulator no problem.

The rear of the pipe where it connects to the safety valve is a nightmare access plus it's mega tight ....

I decided to cut the pipe as close to the edge of the bolt as possible leaving a stub of pipe to allow a long 9mm socket to reach the 'flats' on the bolt .... I'm now down to a 8mm socket that's just rubbing the rust away

As a guide to how much effort I'm using the bracket that the safety valve is attached to is twisting

Going to acquire some smaller sockets tomorrow and try them but I'm not too hopeful ... anyone replaced one of these

If so how much did you have to rip out to get proper access the the bolts on the safety valve ....It looks a big job and if that's the case I might as well replace the other pipe on the safety valve (3.5mm)

I'm beginning to wish I'd tried to patch repair the pigs tail section only but obviously it's too late for that now and it's probably a dodgy method

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Bolts out

I had to remove the road wheel and handbrake cable, bend the adjacent 3.5 mm pipe out of the way and re-cut the pipe even closer to the nut (a junior hacksaw just fitted) after manipulating the 3.5mm pipe - to allow a shallower socket on.

It did put up a massive fight for a little fella (4.5 mm pipe - 9mm bolt - 6 Ibs/ft recommended torque) Had to get some of these special extractor type sockets

Special Sockets

CitroJim's link tip took me a few edit tries

and a fair few extension bars, tried the impact wrench but it just laughed at me so got my 18v drill on it in the end thread looks OK but no sign of thread grease or a seal - (since found - dug it out with a dental pick).

Hopefully new pipe will arrive tomorrow ... for the refit ....

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Part ordered ....via Pleiades that was so easy .... and cheaper than Citroen

Cheers Xac

They're great, and know their stuff

Phoned today to chase up (4 working days)

They don't have any 4.5mm pipe in stock or in the near future .... I'm trying alternative companies to make up the pipe ......

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You might find Pirtek could help, or Hopespares http://www.hopespare.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Or Edwards http://www.edwardsandson.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Citroenxm might be able to help too.
Good luck with it.
Paul

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isisalar

Thanks for those links ...I've sent it off to a local hydraulics engineer in the hope that they can custom make it for me.

I will report back when and if they are able to help ......