CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[Citroening]

You do know that you're going to get a "NOT Adam" custom forum rank now don't you...?!

Bit like James (Hellrazor) and his "NOT Alistair" rank...

[CitroJim]

Who's Adam

Sorry Will I must have seen that Addo had posted something and thought it was he whereas I now know it was you... You know what I mean...

[KP]

Ha ha it's ok Jim

[addo]

You do know that you're going to get a "NOT Adam" custom forum rank now don't you...?!

Bit like James (Hellrazor) and his "NOT Alistair" rank...

Seconded. Where's Xac, to carry the motion and implement this necessary change?

[CitroJim]

It's been an interesting weekend. Chris570 popped over to replace my Activa wishbone bush - it really was well-worn Thanks Chris for doing that Whilst Chris was here he did some work on his car which I'll let Chris tell us about as I did not witness it all.. It's an interesting tale I believe...

James (Hellrazor) also visited on Saturday for a bit of brake work so we had quite a gathering...

As the job refereed to above caused a massive delay to plans, Chris also visited on Sunday to carry on with an exhaust swap . During the swap he discovered he'd been supplied with the wrong centre-section and was stuck. We looked at a brand-new 2.1TD one I had cluttering up my workshop and found it identical more or less to the HDi one! In the past I’d been tempted to chuck it as nobody wanted it. Glad of that now as it saved the day for Chris.

Whilst Chris was fighting the exhaust I looked in to why his clock fades out and resets on a regular basis. Supplies were OK but the earth was wherefore suspect and dodgy. When I looked at the wiring diagram I saw where the clock gets its earth. Yes, that's, right - in the engine bay To get there it has to go via the bulkhead interconnect and the infamous loom under the rad that is well-known for rotting..

Now who on earth would do something as mad as that? Must have been something done by one of the former XM designers on the Xantia project as that is almost worthy of an XM The same muppetry is present in both the S1 and the S2.

I gave the clock a new earth and touch-wood it's now good.

A good weekend

[addo]

...the infamous loom under the rad that is well-known for rotting.

I often think of Genesis 3:19 in relation to non-structural PSA components:

...for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return

Moreover, quite often with a rude degree of prematurity.

[Chris570]

It's been an interesting weekend. Chris570 popped over to replace my Activa wishbone bush - it really was well-worn Thanks Chris for doing that Whilst Chris was here he did some work on his car which I'll let Chris tell us about as I did not witness it all.. It's an interesting tale I believe...

Now who on earth would do something as mad as that? Must have been something done by one of the former XM designers on the Xantia project as that is almost worthy of an XM The same muppetry is present in both the S1 and the S2.

I gave the clock a new earth and touch-wood it's now good.

A good weekend

Bloody knackering weekend.

The "some work" Jim is referencing there was actually a simple N/S track rod end that had some 'slight' play (read 5mm) that I intended to swap. Team WFA have a theory that cars that are driven frequently are easier to work on as nothing ever really seizes. That idea went out of the window quite quickly. The track rod lock nut came off in about 3 seconds and I looked at it and thought "Hmmm, that thread looks too small". Bear in mind that mine is a 110 HDi so should have the thick track rods. Well the N/S didnt but the O/S did. On the last MOT before I bought the car it had had a new track rod end fitted (90k ago), it seems that the 'Citroen Specialist' that did the repair didn't fancy using the correct parts. I hate him so much right now.

At that point I had a decision, go to a motor factors and get the right/wrong part (depending on your outlook) or change the inner track rod to the correct type. As luck would have it I did have a spare pair of them on me. I thought, well, it would be quicker to get the wrong one but I wouldn't be able to be happy with the car knowing i'd bodged it and anyway, changing the inner track rod is fairly easy, isn't it?

NO

I tried and tried to get the inner joint to unscrew using, plumbers wrench, big arse grips, some fancy meaty toothed grip bastards and then a 4lb lump hammer and various chisels. None of these shifted it and by this point the balljoint was so knackered the car was now undriveable. I love Citroen 'mechanics'. In the end i got the angle grinder out and very carefully cut the arm off so I was just left with the joint itself. Then I fetched a 35mm socket and using the angle grinder cut some slots into the joint. I then hammered the socket onto the joint and fetched the breaker bar, no dice, it just slipped (after putting a stupid load of torque on it). At this point I was contemplating my options, I seriously didn't think I'd be able to get the car going again, using this rack. I then tried the extreme violence part, I hammered the socket back on even further (trying not to damage the socket but i'd got beyond that) and got my electric impact gun on it. That was hammering away for about 30-40 seconds before the joint finally gave way. That gun is rated to kick out 450ft/lb of torque so that joint was well and truley on there. I found out why, the thread was full of crap inside, what amazes me is just how the ape got the joint done up that tight in the first place!

Anyway, the car is tracked now and is lovely to drive following the rest of the work. Many thanks Jim for everything. <--- He does nice pizza and tea.

[addo]

Seriously, how hard is it to pump up the brake cleaner bottle and hose out a female thread before fitting something new? Yet when I do this I get stick for being extravagant or fussy. Glad you sorted it.

[CitroJim]

Seriously, how hard is it to pump up the brake cleaner bottle and hose out a female thread before fitting something new? Yet when I do this I get stick for being extravagant or fussy.

Precisely Adam.

Whenever I replace anything that threads into a blind hole I always blow it out with an airline. Chris did just that...

I've seen castings broken as a result of not doing so. It's not extravagant or fussy; just bloody good practice...

[KP]

Doesn't even need that, a few seconds cutting some slots into the old bolt thread and using that to clean it out isn't bloody rocket science. I get so annoyed with such lazy mechanics that charge £40p/h and do such s**t work!

[Hell Razor5543]

The "some work" Jim is referencing there was actually a simple N/S track rod end that had some 'slight' play (read 5mm) that I intended to swap. Team WFA have a theory that cars that are driven frequently are easier to work on as nothing ever really seizes. That idea went out of the window quite quickly.

It probably is an accurate theory, PROVIDED the car has been properly maintained from the start. Unfortunately this was not the case here. I have no doubt that Chris has looked after it properly, but what Muppet (No, James, don't be rude to Muppets!) fitted that track rod. As I said to Jim and Chris, I hope to graduate to a Citroen novice mechanic at some time, but that @@!##%$= R-sole hasn't even got to that standard! At least I know when I probably need help.

[CitroJim]

It probably is an accurate theory, PROVIDED the car has been properly maintained from the start.

Indeed The biggest problem is gorillas doing things up so tightly when there's absolutely no need. They claim to be engineers but if they have no feel for torque then they're not and have no business anywhere near a car.

The Activa is now ticketed for another year

Next for the MOT is the XM in January... Shocking time for an MOT really.

I did four lengths of the pool this morning

[Northern_Mike]

When I looked at the wiring diagram I saw where the clock gets its earth. Yes, that's, right - in the engine bay To get there it has to go via the bulkhead interconnect and the infamous loom under the rad that is well-known for rotting..

Now who on earth would do something as mad as that?

The same person who decided the steering column earth for the M59 Berlingo should be behind the rear view mirror/under the roof-mounted aerial. A complete ****wit.

[Northern_Mike]

I don't trust BoLs for cars

My brother's been installing a "new" engine in the GSA powered-2CV. He's been using a BoL. It has been granted a new name, no longer is it the "Book of Lies", it is "a tissue of deceit"..

[myglaren]

I did four lengths of the pool this morning

Swimming or walking