V6 hydraulic pipe. Help wanted with part number/new price?

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 17 Aug 2009, 22:04

I've finally discovered where I'm losing LHM at the front of my V6 Xantia.

A very small slow drip of fluid on the ground which could almost be ignored
as the level rarely needed topping up has predictably got sufficiently
irritating, embarrassing and of course expensive as it has worsened that
an enforced layup was called for a short while back before the planned
gander now during my Summer Hols break - I've only just caught back
up with many things and I'm about to tackle a few minor jobs on the car
to get in into daily use again! Yay!!

At first it took a while to make sense of the leak really and in the early days
of ownership the MOT man put the wind up me by suggesting leakage and
staining of the nearside was the autobox fluid leaking!@!!

I kinda
suspected LHM as the level did start dropping though I didn't want to
volunteer this fact to him!!!

So, finally, this evening with plans to remedy said leak I find it's another
one of Citroen's wonderful weird inventions that I've not seen before and
don't have a spare handy for. Figures.

The source of the leak turns out
to be the regulator/front electrovalve hydraulic feed pipe. This runs off the
rump of the regulator and runs up round a plastic capping on the engine's
nearside. The pipe runs round toward the battery and joints onto a metal
feed that appears to run to the reservoir.

That wouldn't be so bad but just near the top of the gearbox there's a T
joint that runs off a plastic shrouded joint back to the front electrovalve that
sits on the radiator cross member. To help visualise things (So long as you
don't mind Jim!!) I've found one of the pictures from the gearbox job very
helpful!! Actually, I'm hoping this whole post will mean more to Jim perhaps
than many others...

The leak is on the electrovalve feed about 10mm from the T joint and a
plastic sleeve so there's little to get hold of and bridging a metal/plastic
feed pipe into and no chance of a jubilee on both ends were I to try this
kind of repair.

In case you didn't know, the pipe required is the one outlined in yellow!

Can anyone source a part number and £ for me on this pipe please
as this may actually be just about tolerable to my bank balance and
could spare me a whole load of faffing about! I don't hold out too much
hope of the new price being sensible mind and it goes against every
instinct I live by!!

I've wondered about alternative means of repair to LHM pipes on
www.club-xm.co.uk and I'm wondering if not new, possibly glue is the
answer!? If I can't bridge it I've not really got anything to lose (apart
from a few litres of LHM perhaps) if I try a glue repair! The options could
be glue and bandage or the more ambitious route of trying to open up the
whole T piece and renew the lot with metal/plastic pipes IF I am fortunate
to find correct diameters to suit; may be a big ask though!

Finally, subject to a new pipe from Citroen at a hopefully non eye watering
price, I don't suppose anyone has a spare one they'd be prepared to part
with for some reasonable beer coupons!?

Andrew

Stempy · Unread post by **Stempy** » 17 Aug 2009, 22:40

I noticed on mine that one of the pipes in that region looked very perished so I bound it in self amalgamating tape and have had my finger crossed ever since.

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 17 Aug 2009, 23:26

If it's the rubber hose I'm thinking of then it costs about £35 I can't help with a part number at the moment as I'm not at home

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 18 Aug 2009, 07:06

Because the hose goes to the electrovalve which is mounted on the body of the car, the problem is that this piece of hose gets flexed when the engine moves.

Mine broke there and I managed a repair that has lasted 3 years without leaking. I cut the hose just past the split, and cut off the remaining bit up to the T. This leaves about 8mm of T junction standing proud, which is enough for a seal, but not enough for mechanical support, and not enough to fit any standard hose clip that I know of.

I considered cutting out and replacing the T piece, but the hoses are different diameter, and I couldn't find a suitable replacement.

So I wrapped a few turns of steel lacing wire around the small hose about 10mm from the end, tight enough that it is not going to slip off, and bound a small cable tie into the last turn of that. So I had a loose hose with a cable tie securely fastened near the end of it.

Then with the hose pushed onto the T piece, the cable tie reaches around the back of the T piece and is suitably tightened.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 18 Aug 2009, 08:15

I thought I recognised that picture Andrew

Like Richard, I'm not at home at the moment and have no access to my parts lists but as soon as I am, I'll look it up.

It's the return line from the PR and electrovalve so it's not under any huge pressure and any repairs will not be hard to make LHM-tight. Be very careful of using any kinds of glue though as LHM can be quite evil to many substances. It attacks silicone pretty well and I'd also be worried that it may not be too kind to self-amalgamating tape over time. Any materials you may consider for repair purposes will best be tested by soaking in LHM for a few days before use to see what happens to them.

Sounds like I have the only V6 with this hose in good condition... I wonder for how long?

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 18 Aug 2009, 10:15

Better check mine .....

citrov6 · Unread post by **citrov6** » 18 Aug 2009, 13:16

mine went a few years ago on the red one same pipe i think.

unfortunately citroen only sell it as a complete pipe with the metal T-bit. it extends down to under the nearside wheel arch, which is where mine failed.

i'm trying to recall a price, i have a feeling it was the expensive one 130 quid or something and took a month to come in stock from france. could be wrong it was a few years ago.

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 18 Aug 2009, 13:25

FFS...

I kinda expected it to be 130odd quid rather than the more manageable 30!

I haven't got an account on Citroen's parts access just as I got the damned
site to work so I'd love to hear what the story here is.

Seems if I want to use my V6 then, I'm going to be sloshing LHM about the
place for a while yet? Only Citroen manage to disable use of their vehicles
yet again with their unique parts/fitments - no wonder in situations like mine
people with boggo cars can point, laugh and criticise.

****it

Andrew

Stempy · Unread post by **Stempy** » 18 Aug 2009, 13:43

Item 3

00005270FA OIL BACK HARNES 58.13 GBP GBP

Item 2

00005270PS OIL BACK HARNES 132.47 GBP GBP

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 18 Aug 2009, 14:45

Well that's pinned the blighter down a bit; least I know where I stand with it
now so MANY thanks Stempy!!

'Fortunately' I need item3 - the second item seems to have a combined metal
and rubber hose jobbie so presumably that's why it's made of polished brass?

Seems there may be a few of these being ordered from Slough shortly - that'll
confuse them when there's a rush for this item when 400odd cars only ever
made it into the UK!

Andrew

citrov6 · Unread post by **citrov6** » 18 Aug 2009, 14:51

sorry dude.

if it helps a temporary fix how i fixed mine for 3000miles i did till i got the pipe by wrapping it with b&q silicon tape then over the top of it with gaffer tape. i was assume that the leak would be held tight enough to be small enough not to absorb silicon, and it was ok, could of gone on longer but i did change it asap.

then changed the lhm a further time during the next month and the filters. but i think it would of been ok

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 18 Aug 2009, 16:19

That pipe (no 3) split on mine when I applied too much pressure to the side of it as I was removing the pipe containing the thermostat, after ordering it it arrived within a couple of days.

Stempy · Unread post by **Stempy** » 20 Aug 2009, 23:40

I've been trawling the net trying to find a supplier of desmopan hose in the hope of being able to buy it by the length for repair purposes, but as yet no luck

Seems daft having to buy a complete assembly when the rubber bit just clips on...

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 21 Aug 2009, 07:31

Stempy wrote:I've been trawling the net trying to find a supplier of desmopan hose in the hope of being able to buy it by the length for repair purposes, but as yet no luck

I have heard from a respected source that petrol hose can be used as a substitute but if you want to buy desmopan hose then look at websites selling DS spares particularly sites in Holland such as Citart etc, when I'm back home I'll post all the links.

Stempy · Unread post by **Stempy** » 21 Aug 2009, 19:26

Unfortunately the hose that's perished on mine is part of item 2 in the diagram and I don't really want to fork out £130 when I could get a metre of hose for a fiver that would do the job. Might have to get some petrol hose in the short term as I'll be driving her down to Bordeaux next month and I don't really want to leave a green trail along the péage.