Gold Sinker Mk1

[CitroJim]

I think access is much improved if you take the OS drive shaft out....!!!

Yes and with it the intermediate bearing mount too.. Often the extra time it takes to remove a little more pays absolute dividends...

[aerodynamica]

I think access is much improved if you take the OS drive shaft out....!!!

Aw cripes really? You need to remove a large, heavy duty component that involves, breaker bars, torque wrenches, lots of swinging space, draining and refilling gearbox (requiring other totally unrelated things removed to gain access..) all to swap out a bit of plastic held on with two bolts... typical Citroen?

[aerodynamica]

I found that after 2 days rest the coolant level had only dropped about 20mm, I topped it up and ran the engine and it appeared no to be leaking, I went for a drive to halfords (couple of miles but all urban) to get jubilees and anti freeze etc and it still wasn't leaking, went to Lidl for some bits, it still wasn't leaking... then got back home and parked up after lots of manouvreing due to the narrow street and lack of parking spaces and after I parked up it seemed ok. went for a short walk to a post box an returned to find it was now finally leaking out quite merrily. Odd that it waited so long. I was interested in the cooland circuit diagram because I wasn't sure if the plastic junction was a part of the 'cooled' or 'heated' part of the circuit. I think maybe one of the two vertical connections from it goes to the heater matrix but that's based on a Peugeot 205 coolant diagram I found.

[Zelandeth]

Had this on the water pump of my Suzuki Cappuccino a few years back! It only leaked when cold, as soon as it started to warm up the leak stopped completely! Confused me no end, and I still changed the pump, but leaks like that do sometimes happen.

[aerodynamica]

Yes it's odd. If it turns out to be a crack maybe it'sexpanding with heat . Not sure. Got a new problem now anyway with a nail in the front tyre and not got the locking bolt key on me arg

[RichardW]

It's on the 'cooled' side - it collects the water from the matrix and the radiator (and possibly a connection to the header tank?) and directs it into the water pump suction. They are known for cracking.....

[aerodynamica]

Well, the timing belt, water pump and that coolnt pipe plastic junctionchanged out, coolant flushed and renewed. The plastic pipe bit was defiately "access is uneasy" but certainly could be done with the drive shaft still in place. The leaking coolant was not caused by a cracked plastic part but the O ring was perished.

With it all renewed it's only the dreaded clutch clip to change for the old 'preventative maintenance' then everything else that goes wrong will be dealt with as and when

It's running well now and seems continent!

[CitroJim]

It's running well now and seems continent!

Excellent work Graeme

Enjoy the clutch clip

[aerodynamica]

Haha thanks Jim, I've done the clip before but had to cut the pivot bolt and replace. I have a new clip but not the metal bit. Anyone know where I can get this?

[CitroJim]

I have a new clip but not the metal bit. Anyone know where I can get this?

Seen that before, often on clips bought from a well-known factor...

If you are changing eh clip as a precaution Graeme it should be possible to recover the old metal bit and reuse it.

If the clip breaks invariably the metal bit gets badly distorted Graeme...

[aerodynamica]

Cheers Jim, I thought it was the metal clip that always broke and pinged off? I'll admit in the 4 Xantiae I've owned I've never actually had the clutch clip break - but since I'm into Mk1s and they're the oldest cars, I always change the clip out of caution. The Silver Xantia had its original factory fit clip (black plastic) and the gold Xantia (hereafter named 'Old Katy' ) is presently sporting a black clip so I fear the worst! The clutch action however, is light and good travel so I think the clip is having an easy time of it. Still going to change all the same. I'd kick myself if I just left it and then it popped (100s of miles away during rush hour or something..), the mileage on Old Katy is half that of the silver Xant but even so, it's still done 76K miles and 23 years on one clutch clip..

I had to cut the pivot bolt on the silver Xantia to remove the pedal but have been assured by other Xantia-ists that you can get the bolt out without cutting it - how? I actually tried and there is just no way! the bolt is too long and even forcing it past the brake pedal at an extreme angle couldn't clear the pedal box webbed parts. I removed the brake pedal pushrod (with the spring in it to make the brakes feel more like normal cars) to no avail - it simply couldn't remove.

If anyone has a trick I don't know then speak up!! in an ideal world I'd not be cutting the bolt!

[CitroJim]

Busted ones I've seen have ben a failure of the plastic Graeme and that in turn has caused the metal bit to ping off and get mangled...

No, I think you're right, if the bolt is in the wrong way - and it seems a bit of a lottery if it is or not - then cutting is likely the only answer but I have heard tales of bending things out of the way but not sure what those things are...

[RichardW]

Malcom reckoned to be able to get them out by bending the edge of the pedal box a bit which allowed the pedal to twist slightly on the chamfer on the end of the bolt, and thus give enough clearance to get it past the brake pedal. On the one I did I couldn't see anyway it was coming out, even with the brake canister removed, and a hole cut in the carpet to get a bit of extra movement! An early MK1 will be fitted with the highly amusing coiled return spring as well, just for good measure...

[aerodynamica]

Haha yes I recall the spring from the silver Xantia - it looked like it would be impossible to refit it so I took a photo of it before it came off and amazingly it did go back on. I had a lot of trouble I recall refitting the brake pedal canister thing - just couldn't get it to compress back in - it did go eventually but only after about an hour messing with it.. I will not be taking one off again!

If I have to cut the bolt again this time do you recall what size it is? IIRC it was an M8 screw but might have been one either way M6 or M10, well M10 seems a bit too big but I simply can't recall what size it had been last time (that was only about 6 months ago... what's going on with my memory? what was I writing about again?)

[RichardW]

Just seen this... bolt is M8 x 70 apparently.