Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

[MattBLancs]

Arch clips added. 7 or 8 mm diameter suited.

Ordered these for wishbones:

Alford's

About £45 for complete wishbone each from Autodoc, in recognisable brands. EuroCarParts, GSF, Halfords trade all £80 - £100! Even for cheap brands.

The Halfords bushes are cheap and worth a try, will see (if I can get them in without a press! And) how they last

[CitroJim]

Just for interest, I took the (intact and good condition) rubber boots off the old track rod ends. This is what counted for grease in the failed joint!

It's grease Matt, but not as we know it

[MattBLancs]

Battery/bulb/fuse tester arrived today, seems the bushes are coming here separately- odd!

308 SW refilled, Sainsbury's.

528 miles,
£78.70, 151.9 PPL = 51.81 litres = 11.4 gallons.
46.3 MPG.

Not bad.

[MattBLancs]

C5 additive tank refilled at last. Two undertrays to remove (might get away with the front one remaining in place but as it was cracked it came off for a session with the new plastic staple machine)
Lots and lots of clips, a handful of M6 flange nuts and one random rectangular peg (squeeze tabs with snipe nose pliers) and there is the tank.

Fill hose has a very reluctant fuel pipe clip - tabs 180° apart squeeze simultaneously to release but really wasn't keen at coming off! Eventually a squeeze from a narrow jaw-ed pair of water pump pliers did the trick.

About 800ml (spare from the 308 top up that it turned out wasn't needed) of additive gravity fed into the tank. Went in easily, though the car's fill hose could do with being longer! It's also the "ridged" pipe like the stupid screen wash pipework so concerned about it being brittle at forefront of my mind too!

Nearly back together and...


...the heavens opened!

Thankfully a break in the weather about 20 minutes later and finished the job off.

[Huskyxantia]

Well done Matt, it is a pain in the you know what that job is, nice when its all done.

[MattBLancs]

A few pictures from today:

Undertray repair:

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

Removal from the car / accessing the tank:

K

J

I

H

[MattBLancs]

Order jumbled - argh!

Here's the C5 looking very like a C5 (bit crusty!)

A

B

[Huskyxantia]

Can you still buy vactan ? Rust killer and sealer , its a light green colour

[myglaren]

Can you still buy vactan ? Rust killer and sealer , its a light green colour

https://performance-chemicals.net/vactan

[Huskyxantia]

Thats what i use , brilliant stuff.

[MattBLancs]

I've heard if it - think via HubNut who raves about it too - will get some at some point. I've got 10 litres of phosphoric acid (which I believe is the "magic ingredient" in most rust converters) that I am liberally slapping on anything and everything. Will have another good go at the C5 underside at some point.

Still have lower wishbone bushes to do for that too.

[CitroJim]

I've heard if it - think via HubNut who raves about it too - will get some at some point.

Zel, of this parish, uses it too... I recall he did the floor of his Trabant with it recently..

Yes, indeed, phosphoric acid is the base ingredient of most rust treatments. Also in some Cola drinks I believe, which is why a mucky penny dropped into a glass of Coke or Pepsi can come out looking very shiny!

Goodness knows what it does to your insides when you drink it

[Stickyfinger]

Coke has not had that in it (at the old quantity) for years Jim.

The above is the same as Bilt & Hamber "Hydrate 80"

[bobins]

The active ingredient of Vactan is Tannic acid, I think the white part of the formula is just PVA glue of some indeterminate concentration.

[CitroJim]

Coke has not had that in it (at the old quantity) for years Jim.

That's good to know As you know, I very rarely touch the stuff or indeed any sugary fizzy drinks so my knowledge of the constituents of current brews is not that good.