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

[mickthemaverick]

Be careful Jim, I always had a similar arrangement with my daughter which called me to Exeter 3 times during her Uni days and then to Newton Abbott twice while she was living there. When she lived in Italy her neighbour was a mechanic so I was safe but since she has been living in Germany I have been on call again. So far resolved her two problems over the phone but it's only a matter of time!!

[CitroJim]

Always being at the end of a phone is no good! You need to be closer than the end of an arm!

Love it!

You might also say both my daughters have me wrapped around their little fingers James

here's nothing I won't do for them

[CitroJim]

Be careful Jim, I always had a similar arrangement with my daughter which called me to Exeter 3 times during her Uni days and then to Newton Abbott twice while she was living there. When she lived in Italy her neighbour was a mechanic so I was safe but since she has been living in Germany I have been on call again. So far resolved her two problems over the phone but it's only a matter of time!!

Been there, done that when my girls were at Uni Mick

I 'enjoyed' several 'adventures' to Wales to rescue distraught daughters and distressed cars

It's all part of fatherhood!

[CitroJim]

Just heard from Robyn... Her C1 stated fine this morning to take her to work so the battery may be good for a little longer after all

Hopefully, yesterday's flat battery was just a bit of carelessness on her part and too many short journeys in the dark...

Next time I'm in Tesco I'm going to treat myself to a set of their jump leads...

You never know when you might need them... The last lot I had I threw away when I thought my driving and vehicle spannering days were all over...

That complete year off certainly worked as a good 'circuit breaker' for me... I don't drive much these days but I'd be a bit lost without a car now, if only for shopping and taking me to running and cycling events!

[NewcastleFalcon]

That complete year off certainly worked as a good 'circuit breaker' for me... I don't drive much these days but I'd be a bit lost without a car now, if only for shopping and taking me to running and cycling events!

This might be a nice addition to your motoring for pleasure fleet, its white, its French, carries a bit of nostalgia with it, practical for bike loading, has a certain "coolness" factor now, and an umbrella for a gear stick..



Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

I'd absolutely love white R4 again Neil I had two of them back in the 70s as a teenage driver and adored them both, even my early one with 6V electrics!

I still rate the R4 as one of the best cars I've ever owned and a big contender for car of the century... What they could carry was legendary... I once had two bow-fronted Hoover Keymatic automatic washing machines in the back of one of mine

I also had an R5 in the early 80s. It was a disappointment after the R4...

[mickthemaverick]

My ex-brother-in-law had a baby blue R4 when I was engaged to his sister and it fell to me to keep it going as he vowed to 'drive it into the ground'. After two years of trips to the cash and carry, my ex father-in-law was a publican, and trundling over all sorts of rough terrain on our weekend fishing trips it was very much the worse for wear. Both front seat backs had sheared and effectively you had to sit on a stool. The seat frames rotted away and were replaced by upturned beer crates lashed together with Britvic banners and screwed to the floor. He still would not accept that he had achieved his ambition and drove it so equipped for a further 6 months before the floor collapsed and deposited him on the road after a rather scary emergency stop when a pram ran into the road. It turned out to be loaded with a guy for charity collection so Ray flogged the remains to the scrap dealer and gave the cash to the two young lads who had lost the pram!! I think he got £6 for it and they were well pleased

[CitroJim]

Mick, that's a great tale Love it! Shows how they doggedly go on and on even when falling to bits Shame they had such an attraction for the old tin worms Both of mine were no stranger to the welder!

[RichardW]

If the battery can only stand a short while at ignition on must be about done. Stick a new one on whilst you've got time to choose. I've got a Yuassa 5000 on my 3008, which was recommended here - fitted it last year (I think!) for <£100, starts it like it was run yesterday even after 3 weeks standing.

[CitroJim]

If the battery can only stand a short while at ignition on must be about done. Stick a new one on whilst you've got time to choose.

I agree Richard, the battery should have held up longer than it did and I have advised Robyn not to be surprised if it let's her down again I also advised her to buy a new battery as a sensible precaution as winter draws near... It's in her court now. She won't spend out on a new one until she has to! Her husband works from home so if the battery does die she can use his car so it's not a complete showstopper. .

Success today

Gotcha!

With engine running, an assistant standing on the brake pedal and a breaker bar bending alarmingly it finally gave in!

At the cost of a small wound to her wing inflicted by the lathe Space is so tight in my workshop that as I jacked her up, she tilted a little and her wing just contacted the lathe reversing switch

Ouch!

The offending switch...

How dare you hurt my Daffodil!

I've touched it up with a bit of paint to keep any potential rust at bay... I need to get a few other blemishes sorted out at some point before the shows start and this new one has now been added to the list... I'll try not to inflict any more!

[Zelandeth]

Big meaty mains powered impact gun available if you need it!

Edit...late to the party... didn't spot there was another page!

The offer still stands though. It rattled the wheel bolts off the van like they were finger tight when I'd been literally jumping on the end of an 8' breaker bar trying to undo beforehand. Likewise the bolts holding the prop onto the diff.

[CitroJim]

Excellent! Thanks Zel Now, do you have a magic tool to free off seized bleed nipples?

On that topic, I've trawled the web for techniques to try and I will indeed try them but in the meantime does anyone have any good suggestions?

[Gibbo2286]

I knocked this up years ago to get those hub nuts undone, quarter inch steel, fasten it to the wheel studs and wedge on the floor.

It's also long enough to pop between the seat and pedal to check the brake lights.

[Zelandeth]

Excellent! Thanks Zel Now, do you have a magic tool to free off seized bleed nipples?

On that topic, I've trawled the web for techniques to try and I will indeed try them but in the meantime does anyone have any good suggestions?

Sadly no magic potions beyond what you've probably already tried. If they're going to shift Plusgas and heat from a MAPP gas torch I've usually found will shift them. Blasting them with Plusgas while hot can sometimes help through thermal shock. Obviously you need to be careful not to damage anything else in the vicinity with the heat...and if the thing has decided it's going to shear off anyway this won't help you!

[Skull]

Success today

With engine running, an assistant standing on the brake pedal and a breaker bar bending alarmingly it finally gave in!

Well done Jim they are satisfying when they finally give in shame about the collateral damage but I'm sure we've all been guilty of that

My preferred method would be car firmly on the floor under the cars weight, seems to help and whichever bar you use, supported at the pivot point by either a trolley jack or axle stand.

The only tip I have for bleed nipples is the one where you make a well around it with putty/blue tac or similar and fill that with light oil, apply some heat to try to encourage the lube to run down the thread. Good Luck .....