Life on the edge - the Diary of a C5

[Xantianut]

Hello, Friends!

Well, the reason the big hammer failed was because the Old Fool had not fully cut through the bottom bolt. When he did, there was almost a twang followed by the tinkle of tools ie cold chisel and hammer through screwdriver hitting concrete. A little more of the Zinngy Spannner and off it came!

His stud extractor is now googats so he's ordered a new one.

To show the level of violence required, here's a pic of my nice new RHS brake with the googats beneath.

This means I have a break from being hit. Now, I ways liked Bill our next door neighbour but today he lent Papa a 4lb lump hammer. He's now looking at buying one.

What have you done?????

Love

Otterchops.

[Hell Razor5543]

Otterchops, might I suggest (if you are still listening to me, that is!) you ask Papa to put some gasket paper between the brake calliper and the trailing arm. C5s suffer from the same weird corrosion that plagued the rear brakes of the Xantias. I did this on my first C5, but I never got to see if this helped prevent the corrosion, as she was involved in a shunt a year or so later on that wrote her off.

[Xantianut]

Hello, Unka James!!!

Yes, he has made a gasket out of some card as well as using about a gallon of grease on the assembly.

BXs also suffered from this corrosion. When he did the back brakes on Old Red he made gaskets for them. When the seal blew in one a few years later, it came apart easily. This was after he had had the usual pig of a job removing the blasted thing the 1st time.

Or similar words. I think they are similar. Some of the French words he said to me are positively frightening!!

I need not worry about Papa over using a big hammer on me. He returned Bill's tonight!! This just leaves his Ripper's Hammer.....

Love

Otterchops.

[Xantianut]

Hello, again, Friends!!

Thinking of Fifi IV, the old red BX16TRS, reminds me of a story Xantia told me before she went to the Citroen Dealer in the Sky.

Fifi IV had taken Daddy and Mummy to Llangollen and her starter motor had stuck. He flicked the switch because the key did not energise the starter but to no avail. He cleaned the contacts. He swore. Then, in a fit of temper, he whacked the starter a four penny one with his big hammer. The car started perfectly for the next 4 years.....

[CitroJim]

Excellent

[Xantianut]

Hello, Friends!!!

More parcels today. The postman brought disc screws, brake flare nuts and some new pipes. Then the chap from DHL delivered a MASSIVE box with a brake bleeder and a big bottle of brake fluid while moaning about his aching back. Daddy has decided there is no way he can get the old pipes off the hoses so he's going to cut them and join them. He knows what he is doing. He looked at the other end of the hose and decided it would be like working through a letterbox!!! So iPad tells me he has ordered a pipe cutter and some brake pipe joiners.

He's going to be busy. I can see that!

Love

Otterchops

[CitroJim]

There's a joke about a gynaecologist decorating his hallway through his letterbox but I digress...

I'll be most interested to hear how Daddy gets on with those pipe joiners

Good to see Daddy is really pampering you!

[Xantianut]

Nearly forgot, I now have 2 new rear brakes!!!!

Otterchops.

[MattBLancs]

Thought the massive box and aching back postman were a dead cert for a nice big hammer delivery!

Oh well, big hammer not really the instrument of choice for weedy little brake pipes so perhaps for the best

[Xantianut]

Hello, Friends!!

Rain has stopped play and Papa's hips are creaking audibly.

My RH rear brake is plumbed in but not the LH. Papa has been working on the pipes, now that he had bought the CORRECT size fittings!! now you know why I call him The Old Twit.

In other news, he has ordered some new (NEW) front seat belts for me. My re test gets ever closer.

He is getting too old for crawling about on damp concrete in winter but has promised me another test in July.

Love

Otterchops.

[Xantianut]

My new brake line!!!

Hello, Friends!!!



Good news! My googats rear brakes are now non googats!!! He has bled them with his pressure bleeder and has got loads of air out of them. The joints are not leaking and I feel good!

He decided to start my powerful engine and that's when I showed him my disgust. I started cleanly - I'm a good girl, I am - then, when he revved it my engine belched out the biggest cloud of black clag this side of a class 52 Western loco! His tool box was blackened by this but it was right under my tail pipe!! It soon cleared but it does a girl good to clear her throat!!!

Turn round in my drive and then he'll sort my track rod end and my CV joint then rewire my brake pad warning sensors.

Love

Otterchops.

[CitroJim]

Excellent Good progress and good news

the biggest cloud of black clag this side of a class 52 Western loco!

Ahh! My favourite class of diesel locomotive by far I love the old 'Whizzers' and used to watch them thundering past my grandparents house in Somerset when I was of an impressionable age The mainline between London and the far West ran right at the bottom of their garden...

There's nothing like a Maybach on full chat - music Oh, and the clag

I remember too the old Class 42 'Warships'... More Maybach music

[Stickyfinger]

There's nothing like a Maybach on full chat - music Oh, and the clag

Try FOUR of them in twin pairs Jim

[myglaren]

And here was me thinking Maybach was just a Mercedes in a fur coat.

[Xantianut]

Hello, Friends!

That’s a pic of Maybachs opening up and waiting for their turbos to catch up. Me? I was venting my anger!

I now have all 4 wheels fitted and Papa has turned me round in the drive. Poor old boy, Papa is very achy. It is a mere 3 degrees out there! At least I am on ramps ready for play to restart.

Love

Otterchops.