Simon's new Xantia V6 and Leaf blog

[Mandrake]

Don't panic Chris, it might look a little scary in the picture but it's actually very stable, and doesn't even wobble when I've been swinging on the M12 bolt with the long torque wrench as hard as I could. That's why it took me over 2 hours getting it set up, until I was satisifed that it was stable and as safe as I could get it. And then after that I put the ramps and extra pile of blocks underneath as an additional safety net. I'm not sure what else I could add to it to make it any better ??

Also, I don't intend to be applying a lot of force while I'm actually under the car. The only time I've gone under it is to undo the troublesome plastic cover bolts and disconnect the high voltage cables. The actual removal of the M12 bolts and lowering of the battery will be done with me beside the car and not under it. (Can't get under it anyway when there is a battery trolley there and a partially lowered battery...) It's not my first Rodeo.

[white exec]

OK, but rather you than me.
I'd be looking to put some whole railway sleepers under there, if you have any left.
Or a spare wheel or two, or a broad pile of paving slabs or building blocks.
Anything so if it comes off those stands, it will get blocked before it traps a limb, or worse.
Even more risky when working alone...

[Mandrake]

OK, but rather you than me.
I'd be looking to put some whole railway sleepers under there, if you have any left.
Or a spare wheel or two, or a broad pile of paving slabs or building blocks.
Anything so if it comes off those stands, it will get blocked before it traps a limb, or worse.
Even more risky when working alone...

Well as I described, the rear wheels are just above the secondary ramps so the rear can only fall an inch or two before the weight is taken by the ramps. The front already has a pile of sleepers in the middle that's within an inch or so of the main subframe cross member while the axle stands are back further at a jacking point.

Unfortunately I can't put a sleeper right across as I may need to wheel a jack through the gap (temporarily removing the sleeper pile) if I need to lift the battery up off the trolley, however I don't think I'll need to do that.

I'm working alone but I'm not home alone. There's very little I need to actually go under the car for aside from the small bolts for the plastic cover - just disconnecting a few cables. All the heavy lifting will be done while I'm beside the car, and I even have ropes for the trolley to wheel it out from under the car while standing beside the car. I'll be careful, I promise.

[Mandrake]

Thought I better check in and let everyone know I'm alive and well and.....it's out!

All cables and brackets disconnected, rods fitted and other supporting bolts removed and ready to start lowering:

Some of the big M12 bolts spun out by hand once loosened however a few of them were very tight all the way out, and one of them I was only just able to get undone with large 1/2" drive torque wrench with both hands on the end of the wrench and my foot pushing for counterbalance on the extension.

The threaded holes are all fine and the threaded rods screwed in by hand so the tightness just seems to be a slight bit of rust on the bolt threads so I'll clean those up before refitting.

I was a bit late getting started and had to run to B&Q to get more suitable washers for the spacer tubes so I ended up not finishing until 2 hours after dark. I was determined to get the pack out into the garage so I could work on it during the week.

It's VERY heavy! I was just comfortably able to pull it up the slight incline to my garage by myself with a bit of a run up using two of the ropes. Good job I'm a 100Kg fatty at the moment, if I was a bit more lightweight like I once was I don't think I would have had the neccessary anchoring weight to move it... The trolley seems to handle the weight without any problems and considering the 240Kg weight the caster wheels were easy to roll.

The underneath of the car looks hollow and empty without the battery pack, there's hardly anything to it! I couldn't get any pictures as it was dark by then but I'll take some before refitting.

So that's phase one complete. The plan now is to remove the top cover and disassemble the three cell modules that have the faulty cells to swap after work during the week and have it ready to go back into the car next weekend. Of course of the dozens of screws that bolt the top cover on every single one is badly rusted so I've given them a good spray of rust penetrant and some time to work before I attempt to remove them...

[lexi]

Good for you and glad it went well. Least it was dry..........but bleedin' cold too out of the sun.

[Mandrake]

It started off very cold this morning but the afternoon and evening wasn't nearly as cold as yesterday. It's raining now so I'm glad I stuck at it into the dark (lit by the garage security light and a torch) to get it safely in the garage as I didn't want it half removed hanging down for several days in the rain with cables sticking out, unable to do any further work on it.

[white exec]

Well done, you. That unit is quite a lump.
Some copper grease on all the bolts could help "next time".
The job could be a bit like taking the dash out on XM/Xantia: daunting first time round, but really straightforward subsequently.
Good luck with the cells.

[Mandrake]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a tool to extract the remains of the M6 bolts that have snapped on me ? I do have a new 4.2mm drill for the job but as I have so many to extract (around 7 or 8 I think) a specialised tool that can extract them quickly without damaging the thread in the hole might be worth my time and frustration of trying to do it the hard way.

They've all snapped off just below the head of the bolt - some have a little bit sticking out, some are nearly flush. All are rusted. I see all kinds of tools online but some of them look like they're designed more for turning rounded off heads than for drilling out bolts that don't have any head any more...

Anyone have any personal experience with such a tool ? As I won't be refitting until Saturday or possibly Sunday I have enough time to order something online.

[RichardW]

Irwin reverse flute sockets might get them, but I don't know if they will go small enough. I had success on the Visa manifold stubs with a very small pair of Stilsons. Other option is to weld a nut on....let me know if you want borrow the MIG presumably the bolts will be soft, but you will need to retap - are they in some proper metal?

[Skull]

Irwin bolt extractors need a decent bite no good if they're snapped off near flush ....

these might be suitable

screw extractors

[xantia_v6]

Is there access to the other end of the bolts?

[Mandrake]

Is there access to the other end of the bolts?

In a couple of cases, yes, in most cases no. And even on the ones you can get at the back of (a couple of free floating brackets) you cannot get to them while the cover is actually in place, so fitting a nut isn't an option unless it was stuck on somehow.

There is enough redundancy in the bolts for the cover (some areas have both a push in plastic locking thing and a bolt side by side for some unknown reason) that I don't have to fix ALL of the bolts for a satisfactory result, however I do at least need to fix some of them, especially the two at the front which support the entire end of the front cover.

[Mandrake]

Irwin bolt extractors need a decent bite no good if they're snapped off near flush ....

these might be suitable

screw extractors

Thanks for the suggestion. After browsing around at other similar extractors to this, I ended up ordering the following one, on the basis of better reviews, and also more sizes that will be useful to me in the future with other broken bolts and stripped screws heads:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1

Will let people know whether these really work or not...

[Gibbo2286]

Having noted the high lift problem I have a pair of high lift axle stands here that I no longer need, open to offers.

[NewcastleFalcon]

If you need a brand new tap of the correct size/thread Tracy tools have the lot and send them in "ones", and most under £5. Mine arrived the next day.

https://www.tracytools.com/taps-and-die ... -taps-dies

Regards Neil