Another One Bites the Dust!

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

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
buddster
Posts: 15
Joined: 16 Jul 2002, 02:29
Location:
My Cars:

Another One Bites the Dust!

Post by buddster »

Dear all,
My ZX TD went bang on the M55 last night at 00:30, 100mph conrod through sump kind of situation going on! It had a XUD9TE/L (D8A) engine. Any one know of where to get second hand engines from and what sort of money to buy? How much is a reasonable price to pay for fitment? Will a Xantia 1.9TD engine fit in ok? If so any specific engine model or any?
Cheers guys.
PS RAC were totally useless - 45 mins on the phone to get through, 1 hour waiting with no response - phoned them again - was told no one was yet coming, some people had been waiting up to 6 hours - they phoned me back half an hour later and said that it would be another hour until someone came - told them not to bother and got my brother to tow me back! And all this at 03:00 in the morning. I'd hate to see how they manage on a bank holiday afternoon!
JohnD
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 2632
Joined: 14 Mar 2001, 23:41
Location: Epsom, Surrey
My Cars: 2010 Citroen C5-X7 tourer
1998 Citroen Saxo 1.5D
2018 Citroen C4-B7
1998 Peugeot 306. 1.9D
2011 Citroen C1
x 72
Contact:

Post by JohnD »

Can I ask you what year your engine is? You may or may not have seen some recent posts on the www.honestjohn.co.uk site. It seems that several TD engines of R and S reg years have been shoving their conrods through the side of the block. Various theories have been put forward to account for this, but needless to say, Peugeot and Citroen wash their hands of any liability. I advice you to take a look at the website because there is talk of doing something collectively. Honestjohn (if you don't know) is the pen name for the Daily Telegraph motoring correspondant. Don't just do nothing!
buddster
Posts: 15
Joined: 16 Jul 2002, 02:29
Location:
My Cars:

Post by buddster »

Car is a 1994 M reg done 123,000 miles. Regular oil service etc.
I've been quoted £250 for fitment and around £500+VAT for a xantia 1.9TD with 1 month warranty. Are these reasonable prices?
cheers.
Dave Burns
Posts: 1915
Joined: 14 May 2001, 05:30
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
x 2

Post by Dave Burns »

Depend's what mileage is on the replacement lump, to my mind it doesn't want to have any more than fifty odd thousand on it at most for that price.
You can get good complete td cars for about the same money you are about to shell out, £250 for labour doesn't sound excessive for an engine swap now day's, but then again the ZX is easey to do.
I get my breakdown cover via the insurance company, only ever had to use it once when the clutch clip bust, one free call to the help line and that was that, Green flag on the spot in 30 minutes.
Recovery outfit's can have big business put their way by the bigger insurer's, they don't mess them about.
Dave
Jon

Post by Jon »

hmmm....
Been thinking about this one, and reckon Buddsters been dead unlucky here, the only time I threw a rod on an XU was when it ran out of oil.
Having said that, I'm aware (as John D says) of lots of late (P, R , S reg) 1.9TD's throwing rods, and we also suffered the same problem here with a Dispatch 1.9TD that just blew up at 70,000 miles despite having correct, clean oil and being serviced at the correct intervals with the OE Purflux oil filter.
A common factor emerges with all these late XUD blow ups. Exhaust Gas recirculation.Comments?
As for Buddsters blow up, I don't know. Maybe a non OE oil filter got blocked causing oil starvation? The Puflux filter has a valve that opens if the filter gets blocked, allowing (dirty) oil to keep circulating. Many aftermarket versions have the wrong, or no valve. Its just an idea?
Places to get good s/hand 1.9TD engines:
Edwards & Sons 01277 651486
PCR 01903 767676
Jon Wood
IT Supervisor
GSF t/as Andyspares
alan s
RIP 2010
Posts: 2542
Joined: 26 Jan 2001, 15:53
Location: Australia
My Cars:
x 6

Post by alan s »

Aww- geez,
Rod tossing is always a worry. If the engines haven't been modified or changed, it seems strange that certain year models do it whilst others don't.
You have to wonder whether the mileage is more relevant than the year model in this case. I think in cases like this it is always worth the effort to start checking out the stories behind them. What are the common denominators? As Jon suggests; oil filters, type or brand of oil? Time since previous cambelt change (possibility of valves kissing pistons) any overheating problems or potential oil pump failure and so on...as someone who was involved in motor sport for many years, it comes as second nature to try to find anything common to all those that have failed.
This way, when a common denominator is found, you are in with a chance of removing the factor of uncertainty when you repair the fault.
Alan S
buddster
Posts: 15
Joined: 16 Jul 2002, 02:29
Location:
My Cars:

Post by buddster »

Just to confirm some details.
Filter was a champion and was last changed abour 6 months ago along with Halfords oil 10W/40. Cambelt changed at 100,000 (when the head gasket went) about 1 year ago. No overheating problems. Smoked upon cold start up from No.1 cylinder for about first five minutes each day. Possible burnt exhaust valve? Fine once warm. The holes in the front of the block and sump look like they are courtesey of the No.1 cylinder conrod. Coincidence - dropped valve? I was 4 hours into my journey when it went pop. Oil level was checked a couple of weeks before and was ok. No oil leaks.
Don't know if it is related but about three weeks ago I filled up with some watery dirty diesel. The next two weeks the engine ran crap. Once the tank had run low I swapped the fuel filter and put in some wynns water in fuel tank remover/injector cleaner along with a full tank. The next day the engine ran better than ever before with loads of power when accelerating. It seemed as if the engine had loosened up or something? One day later and it spits a conrod. Well annoying - and I was going to change the oil and filter the next day.
Cheers.
Dave Burns
Posts: 1915
Joined: 14 May 2001, 05:30
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:
x 2

Post by Dave Burns »

I'd like to know how the rod has failed, wether it simply snapped or if the bolt's through the big end cap failed, a common method of throwing a rod.
As for certain model year's failing, it only need's a wrong torque setting on the engine assembly line for a couple of day's and bingo, hundred's of engines destined to fail.
EGR valve's in my experience cause a drop in engine performance, this must mean less stress on it, so my view would be to discount it as a possible cause, wouldn't know how to relate it to a rod out anyway.
Hmmm, Halford's oil ay, this is an area I never skimp on, I always pay through the nose for a big brand name, how else can you be sure you are getting the best oil technology available, been using Valvolene TD for year's.
Most of us on this site will have heard of the Halford's brake disc stories, why would their oil be anything better.
Dave
dave kelly
Posts: 3
Joined: 05 Aug 2002, 18:28
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by dave kelly »

I have one of the 97 R ZX,s that are throwing conrods Mine did at,000 miles two weeks after oil change, genuine filter td quality diesel oil fully serviced. conrod has appeared to come away from the piston end, most of the incidences appear to be of snapping at the bottom end but I wonder if this is simply because they are smashing into the engine block and starter and then breaking? As for EGR the inlet manifold is full of sludge from the exhaust gasses, I have read that egr on diesels reduces engine life by a minimum of 25% introducing soot into the oil via the bores and increasing engine wear in general, it seems suggested that increased service intervals of 12,000 miles may be the cause, couple this to more soot in the oil more likely hood of blockage of oil ways, and this could certainly be a cause. My oil changes were 6,000 mile intervals.
The Telegraph column has had letters from people who have had new engines fitted and 1,700 miles later the same thing happens! must be faulty components.
Post Reply