Am I stupid or WHAT!?

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 03 Nov 2009, 22:13

citroenxm wrote:Problem is guys, with only ONE and I mean ONE 16mm spanner in ALL of my spanners, its a hard choice to make, guess I need to go and buy a cheapie from Stermat or somewere...

Ill give it a go though.. thanks Malc!

Paul

Aldi and Lidl have their "specials" and every once in a while they'll have a selection of spanners in. They're cheap enough to sacrifice on one of these jobs but they're also reasonable quality being made of chrome vanadium steel. Its worth picking up a set when they next have them in just in case, either to be modified or for that job when you need an extra spanner, no doubt that you'll use them eventually!

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 03 Nov 2009, 22:18

Id have to be told then, I never goto Aldi or Lidl

But I know what you mean

Paul

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 03 Nov 2009, 22:27

citroenxm wrote:Id have to be told then, I never goto Aldi or Lidl

But I know what you mean

Paul

I get spammed by the Aldi weekly offers a couple of times a week, you too could sign up for the same "service" on the Aldi website, the specials are on there, Lidl puts their specials on theirs too.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 03 Nov 2009, 22:37

citroenxm wrote:Id have to be told then, I never goto Aldi or Lidl

But I know what you mean

Paul

I don't either but a few weeks ago dropped in to one while passing for some milk. Came out with £57 worth of stuff including much European beer, wine and chocolate. Some milk too!

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 03 Nov 2009, 22:40

Terrible that, when you pop in for "Milk" and end up spending half yur wages!

Bad news that .....

Paul

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 04 Nov 2009, 10:38

I don't reckon their chocolate is crash-hot, nor especially cheap here anymore.

One thing bothers me about the OP's quandary.

Can anyone (preferably with a background in engineering) logically explain how the factory might have assembled the parts?

Regards, Adam.

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 04 Nov 2009, 18:04

talking of cheap tools i just found this site looks very interesting,

http://www.baconsdozen.co.uk/tools/repair.htm

refgards malcolm

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 04 Nov 2009, 18:27

I bought a new 16mm spanner today, so I can have a go at grinding the shamfer off the edge of the other spanner..

Paul

Stunned Monkey · Unread post by **Stunned Monkey** » 24 Nov 2009, 16:33

Sorry to resurrect an oldish thread - maybe my little trick on PRV's will help (but probably won't)

Same scenario - can only get a socket on the torque converter bolts on the cock. Can't get a full length spanner on them either..

Came up with this little gem which has never let me down:

Working where the starter motor has been removed, put a stubby spanner ring-end onto the torque converter bolt, and then using a knuckle bar on the crankshaft nut, turn the engine till the stubby spanner fetches up against the casing. Turn engien slightly using the knuckle bar. As long as the stubby is squarely on the bolt, it'll come undone.

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 24 Nov 2009, 21:36

Yea, old post and a forgotton job for the moment! Ive taken the hump and left it for now! ANNOYINGLY!

The spanner still jumps off what ever I do, A nice sugestion however!

Ill be fetching my hoist home and getting the sump off now, when I catch up again..

Paul

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 09 Jan 2010, 19:47

Kowalski wrote:Aldi and Lidl have their "specials" and every once in a while they'll have a selection of spanners in. They're cheap enough to sacrifice on one of these jobs but they're also reasonable quality being made of chrome vanadium steel. Its worth picking up a set when they next have them in just in case, either to be modified or for that job when you need an extra spanner, no doubt that you'll use them eventually!

Lidl have a special on the 14th, cheap spanners!

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl ... x_7573.htm

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 09 Jan 2010, 21:09

Cheers Kowalski,

I tried the "Grinding down a Spanner" side to try this, and it still didn't work, I decided to give up on that gearbox, and to seperate the one thats on the car when I get that one out, BUT, Ill drop the sump before it comes out and undo the converter in situ, then drop the box and engine out, and seperate on the floor..

Paul

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 09 Jan 2010, 21:24

Paul,

We found the flex-plate bolts on the V6 we scrapped to be very tight. Even a ground-down spanner would not touch them.

In the end I ground down a socket so the end was flat with no lead-in. That worked a perfect treat and that socket now lives in my "Special Tools" drawer along with a cunningly bent 10mm ring spanner that is just the ticket for undoing the two nuts on the exhaust manifold to cat joint...

There is much else in that drawer besides

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 09 Jan 2010, 21:32

Yea Jim,

Thats what Ill have to do next, but Ill get the sump off, its an Air Con Sump, and the engine is junk really, other then 169k and heavy oil consumption..

Intercooler pipes were quite oily when I got them off on friday, so Im starting to wonder if the Turbo seals have had it, which dont matter really, as the new engine has a turbo on it... estimated 85k - But I cant proove it.. Knowing were its come from though, Ive no reason NOT to beleve it either.

Paul

falling-out-with-my-car · 10 Jan 2010, 12:23

Paul,

actually I think its probably time someone with excellent citroen mechanical knowledge wrote a letter to Haynes to make them understand that their manuals are wrong and not detailed enough.

How can say "based on a complete strip down and re-build they have never taken an Xantia appart and re-built it the book proves that.

and this the rebuild is the reverse as the dismantling bit not always so.

surely we could all hit them with a letter at the same time I wonder what reaction we would get?????