My XM V6 ES9

[Chris570]

Good luck with your back Chris, been there done that not nice at all

Cheers for that, i've been on my back now for 2 hours and i tried to get up to go have a hot bath but i made it 4 foot crawling, tried to stand up and immediately collapsed onto the bed again, now on the strongest painkillers i can find :(:(

[CitroJim]

Oh bloody hell Chris That's terrible. I once 'did' my back changing a clutch in a 1.9TD. I had to abandon the job for three weeks.

Take it easy and don't you dare do anything at all strenuous until it is fully good again . If you do I'll be having words. OK? The XM will keep until you're fit again.

Please, if you have any problems at all with your fleet whilst your back is not up to it you know where I am and don't hesitate. That unfortunately excludes getting the XM fully finished and roadworthy though but I mean seriously if you have anything that urgently needs doing on the Activa or HDi then just shout...

I have a long memory for a similar thing you did for me back along. I don't forget

[lexi]

You have done something previous to it likely.

Motors are a killer for it. Give it the time. Can you lift the legs with back on floor?

[Deanxm]

Sorry to hear that chris, hope you are back up and about soon, Trouble is once you damage your back you have to be so carefull so take it easy for a bit, you dont want to have to mend twice!

D

[Chris570]

Cheers guys, been a couple of weeks now since I did it and it's so infuriating, I was up and about after about 36 hours but at a snails pace, slowly things got better and I was back in work after 3 days off, mainly due to the fact that I'd lose too much money otherwise (stupid attendance bonus). My back has been a dull ache since then and I've been off the painkillers for best part of a week now. I got really really really bored today so I decided that I'd change the lambda sensor on the XM, actually a harder job with the engine out as you can't reach it, so I crawled underneath the car and did it from there. Putting the new one in meant first swapping the plugs which was a job I did on the bench. No pain whatsoever there so I was pleased. At this stage every little helps. I then cast my eye to the "new" engine and decided that if I lay on the floor it wouldn't be too painful, I was right. So the "new" engine now has the crank locked and the belt ready to come off (no point doing the cams as I need to reseal the camboxes) and the alternator is off as well. I then felt a twinge in my back and decided to stop there.

Nowhere near the progress you guys have been used to seeing with one of these updates but thought I'd better keep the thread alive. Also no news yet on the strut tops.....

[addo]

Not that long ago, I had seven friends and valued acquaintances die within a two year period (mostly of cancer). It really caused me to rethink the merits of high pressure work; nice to be striving towards something but we frequently undervalue our own lives and health in the process.

[CitroJim]

nice to be striving towards something but we frequently undervalue our own lives and health in the process.

True words Adam and I quite agree, the thing I'm striving toward is not work but retirement and emigration to Wales- Old North rather than New South The end of work cannot come soon enough for me...

Chris, that's naughty. You MUST wait until your back is 100% before attacking the XM

Did you get the new HDi pipe ordered up?

[Chris570]

Right, it's been too long since an update.

So.

The strut tops arrived back with me and i must say an excellent job has been done and to anybody considering using our european friend, don't hesitate, lovely guy and he's done exactly as he said he would. Top marks. I've fitted the strut tops again, it really is one of the few jobs on the XM that is very easy and quick to do, 5 minutes saw them fitted back on with the feed pipes and gaitors in place. The fact it was raining may have sped things along a tad.....

Engines....

I think it'll be easier to make a list of things that have been done and that which is left to be done....

Done so far:-

-Ancillaries removed
-Cooling pipes removed
-Exhaust removed
-Starter motor removed
-Timing belt and tensioner removed (newer style)
-Old engine sent to Eastment Motors for full strip down and report on failure(s)
-Transmission cooler tested (and passed)

Left to do :-
-Reseal camboxes on new engine (easy job now as the timing gear is off the new engine)
-Retime new engine
-Fit gearbox
-Fit Ancillaries
-Fit cooling pipes
-Fit Exhaust headers
-Fit starter motor
-Put engine in car
-Pray
-Swear
-Realise i missed a plug
-Grin

[addo]

And the spine is sorted, or not?

[Chris570]

99% there now, i get the odd twinge but nothing's ever perfect, french car ownership has taught me that

[CitroJim]

99% there now, i get the odd twinge but nothing's ever perfect, french car ownership has taught me that

I'm not surprised you have the odd twinge, the way you and Liam lifted the dead V6 engine around last night

I could barely tilt it. I've become seriously weak

[Chris570]

UPDATE time.

Ancilliries bolted on,
Gearbox on,
Exhaust on,
Camboxes sealed,
Starter Motor on,
and then the F&%*king tensioner snapped while putting the tension on the belt.

This happened 5 days ago and I've only just cooled down about it, which may sound a little excessive but given that every single sodding thing on this car has been an uphill struggle while pulling a huge boulder I feel i'm fairly justified. I think i'm now at that point where the car will either get done in the next month or will be left for another year, of course if it's left for another year it may not be done at all...... Reason being Jess and I have just had an offer accepted on our first house so to say time and money are lacking would be a huge understatement.

The car uses the c5 type tensioner does anyone know where that can be bought on it's own (really don't want to spend money that i don't have to)

[Chris570]

ok, Bullet bitten, new timing belt kit ordered.

[citroenxm]

RE Strut tops chris, is that KINGas???

Ive got a pair on my S1 SED 2.1 manual.. they really DO look the part rubber wise but the re shaped metal top part looks a little strange..

Good to see progress... PS. Im planning bringing a trailer down with me so we can collect the 2.1 td engine from you which i had temperally forgotton about.. Much appologies about that too..

[Chris570]

it is KINGas yeah.

Well i've not put any weight on them yet but they are a lot better than the old ones just by playing with them.

Why on earth do you need a trailer?? bring an estate and i'll load it in the boot with my crane. well either way i'll need you to come to mine to collect