1997 1.9TD Estate - A Tyre-ing question about handling

[beko1987]

I don't think that clip is broken, but it probably is a bit tired. It might be OK for a short while if you carefully squeeze it back together, but I would plan on replacing it.

Sadly that bolt is in the wrong way round - suggesting the clip has never been changed, so it has done well! You also have a manual adjust cable, so getting the spring back on the pedal, is, er, interesting.... Here's some info on doing it, looks like I was doing it just about 10 years ago! viewtopic.php?t=21201

It has been changed, I remember the previous owner posting about it, but then he might have just put it back in the same way. I'm hoping by removing the rubber bit on the back of the brake pedal and some prying about it can come out, I'm not cutting it off as I don't have a bolt to put back in. Reading the many many posts on the subject there seems to be enough flex in the clutch and brake pedal to get them moved enough to slip the bolt out, I hope so anyway!

[ekjdm14]

From what I've read they're pretty easy as clutch jobs go, and got to be easier on a Xantia than smaller cars... If you do decide to change the clutch in future just get an OE spec one since "cheaper" alternatives are not that much cheaper in reality and the difference in quality shows in how light the clutch will be & how long it will last. It is possible that an ebay or ECP cheapie would last less than 30k or a couple of years... I've heard instances where they have lasted less than 10k! Still, hoping it isn't that. After all, the clips are a known fudge so not unthinkable that it would fail.

[beko1987]

One 10 page document printed out, should be plenty to be helping me along!

[CitroJim]

If you do decide to change the clutch in future just get an OE spec one since "cheaper" alternatives are not that much cheaper in reality and the difference in quality shows in how light the clutch will be & how long it will last. .

Good advice indeed Settle for a LUK or Valeo.... I've known a cheapie be well past its best at 50K but that was in the hands of a hard driver...

Biggest hassle of swapping the clutch is getting the release arm off the release shaft and lining up the release bearing on reassembly...

Easily done in a weekend and can be done solo with an engine crane...

[beko1987]

Does the collective trust ebay to send correct clutch kits out? Or is there some place I don't know about to buy a kit?

Not that I'm diving into clutch replacement, but may as well find out whilst we are conversing about it!

[CitroJim]

Sam, best source of clutches is GSF... I scored mine when they had a weekend of 50% off everything.. Those deals come up very regularly - every weekend sometimes! Just make sure you're on their mailing list to get it...

One thing, I have mine sent to a hotmail address and it more often than not ends up in the spam filter...

[ekjdm14]

Bought the clutch kit for the 206 from ebay, straight from a Peugeot dealer in Scotland for a good price (surplus stock?). Hardies or Larbert I think it was... Otherwise as Jim said, GSF

[van ordinaire]

carparts4less somewhat confusingly list 3 Valeo clutches for your car - but even the most expensive is £30 less than GSF (albeit before any discount).

Trouble is they only list their own part Nos: so can't do a direct comparison.

[beko1987]

Looking on GSF there is only 1 clutch kit listed, and they do a Valeo option for £100 with obligatory discount...

The new clip came today, and it includes a metal clip too. Leaving work shortly to go fit it and adjust the cable. If it still feels heavy then I need to hope the clip holds for another month until I can afford to put a clutch in (and hire/borrow an engine crane...)

[beko1987]

Carparts4less only show 1 clutch too, just 2 brands. So £100ish for a valeo kit.

R499AMV is my reg if that helps narrow it down. But what else would I/should I replace if I get that far?

[ekjdm14]

Carparts4less I think are the same as Euro, as are one or two other ebay suppliers as I recall (I'll check the ebay negatives I've left to find out which if need be lol!)

Not sure how much heavier the Xantia gearbox is compared to the one bolted to a 1.4HDi, but on that (my first "on the driveway" clutch job) I managed to manhandle the gearbox out with judicious use of a trolley jack & blocks of wood, and back in again with the same but assisted by a tow rope wrapped around a wooden beam over the strut tops as a safety "net"... Definitely easier with the proper tools though lol

[ekjdm14]

Oh, a clutch centring tool would be an advantage too (no spigot bearing on the 206 so eyeballed it!) but you can make one easily enough out of a bolt or socket extension wrapped in tape to a good fit...

You'll be replacing the gearbox oil in the course of a clutch job (driveshafts out) so basically if there's anything suspension or driveshaft-wise you're not happy with, balljoints/intermediate bearing/CV boot etc this would be the ideal time to swap those too (and only ever fit a 3-piece clutch kit, not just the plates or else it's a near certainty the release bearing will die after 100s of miles)

[CitroJim]

Not sure how much heavier the Xantia gearbox is compared to the one bolted to a 1.4HDi, but on that (my first "on the driveway" clutch job) I managed to manhandle the gearbox out with judicious use of a trolley jack & blocks of wood, and back in again with the same but assisted by a tow rope wrapped around a wooden beam over the strut tops as a safety "net"... Definitely easier with the proper tools though lol

Yep, the BE3 in the 1.9TD is just about man-handleable in my experience and I have, in a Pug 205 and 309 in the past. The heavier ML5 in the Activa, 110HDi and 2.1TD definitely isn't!

Clutch centring tool is essential! The cheap blue plastic one that come with some clutch kits is not up to the job in my experience. I turned up a special stubby one on the lathe as it's just possible to swap a clutch by moving a BE3 'box to one side and not completely removing it but you do need a very stubby and accurate centring tool.

I also like to use a little torque wrench on the cover bolts too so that I'm sure they're correctly tightened...

[ekjdm14]

The "turned up" tool sounds like a fantastic idea, takes any uncertainty out of the job. You really don't want to be going in & out with the 'box more than once if doing it the man-powered way!

Good advice on torqueing the bolts to spec if you can too. Not sure what sort of cover bolts would be on the Xantia but if it's the nasty torx ones and any strip out you may also need to replace one (ideally all) of them with correctly tensiled (10.9?) hex/12-point bolts. I don't tend to use a torque wrench on clutch covers but I do add a blob of semi-permanent thread lock, correct torque too though would add another bit of peace-of-mind.

[beko1987]

About to cut the bolt I think... It just won't come out...