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CitroJim
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Unread post by CitroJim »

MikeT wrote:I've now got a target of getting it running reliably by the 30th - then the fun begins.
The 30th of which month Mike? :wink:

I've replied again to your tensioner problem thread Mike. Hope that's now resolved...

I really wish I could offer some practical help Mike but life up here is so busy beween now and Christmas, I'd struggle to find time even to fix anythng that failed on my own cars :cry:

There's always the couple of days I have off between Christmas and New Year though... I'm free then (so far)... If nice weather it might be a goer.

If the situation is not resolved in the New Year, give me a call and we'll try to sort something. Else have the car loaded up on a low-loader and have it delivered to my driveway...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
MikeT
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Unread post by MikeT »

Was last month Jim, only because my insurance was due for renewal though so no big deal.

I hope this isn't going to drag on until the new year but I was thinking of leaning on you when it comes to the matrix :lol:
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CitroJim
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Unread post by CitroJim »

MikeT wrote: I was thinking of leaning on you when it comes to the matrix :lol:
Matrix Mike? Sorry I've never heard of a matrix, what's one of those then? something to do with a Xantia? If it is, it's news to me. :? Part of the engine is it? Timing matrix? Injection Matrix? Nah, it's all greek to me.

<runs away and hides>
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
MikeT
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Unread post by MikeT »

Oh what joy! Turbo on, turbo off. Manifolds on, manifold off. Camshaft on, camshaft off. Mount on, mount off. Tensioner on, tensioner off. Cambelt on, cambelt off and so it goes. :lol:

Having said that, today was a fine day if a little too short daylight-wise. After discovering the cambelt wanted to wander off the pulleys, I turned my full attention to that, forgetting to reset and relock the timing bolts etc. when I whipped the cambelt off :oops:

As per Jim's advice, off came camshaft again to get the crankshaft locked, then refitted cam and aligned the pulleys, the belt went back on and four engine rotations later all looked well, at last. There is now some difficulty getting the crank pulley back on but I suspect that's due to the extra layer of corrosion that's formed on the crank tail. Hope to sort that tomorrow.

For the record, I used a metre-long brass rod for the flywheel locking tool in the hope that I could reach and turn the engine with one hand and insert the locking rod with the other but I made a chance finding that was an even better one-man strategy! Owing to the extra length weighting the other end, I found that, in the shape I made it and as long as the tip is in the block hole, it will self-insert as soon as any flywheel hole presents itself. It inserts itself into the wrong holes if you're not careful, which gave me palpatations thinking I'd struck valves to piston. Seems you were right citrojim, the XUD's do have additional holes in the flywheel.

Another bodge I might patent :lol: is the cambelt tension plunger locking pin. After compressing the plunger fully into it's recess, I drilled a 2mm hole through the casing and through the plunger into which I inserted a small tack pin. This pin held the plunger well out of the way as the cambelt assemblies were refitted oh so easily this time.

All in all, I feel quite experienced at XUD cambelts now.
MikeT
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Unread post by MikeT »

A bit of emery paper and elbow grease got the crank tail all shiny again though the pulley still would not slip on far enough to engage with the woodruff key. I aligned it by eye and slowly wound it in using the bolt and it went straight on without binding/catching, thankfully. However, I wasn't able to tighten the bolt to the recommended angle. It does have plenty of threadlock on and I'll be keeping a watchful eye out for it loosening in the future.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity, I decided I would de-armour the fuel pump while access is this good so tried grinding the security bolt heads but soon realised this wasn't going to be easy or quick. Instead I have taken the advice of Gareth and Jim and will remove the pump (once I've found the third front nut that is).
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CitroJim
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Unread post by CitroJim »

Pleased you have found the de-armour job is at best difficult in-situ Mike.

For goodness sake stop trying to de-armour the pump without full preparation.

Before you start, you need three replacement bolts for the distributor head as three of the anti-tamper bolts hold this onto the pump body. When you have all three out, the head is secured by only one bolt and breakage of the pumping element is a real risk.

One of the anti-tamper bolts is very deeply recessed and to get at it you will need to do some very serious hacking. It is also hardened and very tight making the job ten times more difficult.

If you are grinding anywhere in the vicinity of the pump, it is vital that ALL pump oricifes are tightly sealed and afterward, the pump is very carefully cleaned. If any grinding dust or swarf gets into the pump at best you will need to strip it right down to clean it and at worst it's Goodnight Vienna.

How are you planning on undoing the anti-tamper bolts Mike?
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
MikeT
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Unread post by MikeT »

Thanks for the hints and tips Jim. I'll have a much better understanding with it removed.
red_dwarfers
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Unread post by red_dwarfers »

You and your "Goodnight Vienna" Jim! I've noticed you've used that phrase several times in the last couple of weeks :lol:
Kev

'19 C4 Cactus 130 Flair
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CitroJim
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Unread post by CitroJim »

red_dwarfers wrote:You and your "Goodnight Vienna"
It's an expression used when everything is predicted to go horribly wrong Kev, origin unknown. I must have once heard it somewhere as I'm never imaginative enough to make up something like that!!

"Goodnight Vienna" is, in fact, an album by Ringo Starr; he of Beatles and Thomas the Tank Engine fame...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
MikeT
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Unread post by MikeT »

I've aborted the IP removal (for the want of a spanner) and decided to crack on with refitting everything.
MikeT
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Unread post by MikeT »

Leaving aside the wheelarch liners, wheel and necessary fluids, everything's now been refitted - not one nut or bolt left over, just a broken plastic hose clip and a rubber wedge from who-knows-where? :roll:
jgra1
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Unread post by jgra1 »

great Mike :D

is tomorrow the big day?

John

edit

the wedge, is it from the OS engine mount?
MikeT
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Unread post by MikeT »

Alas no, John. Apart from the fact I don't have engine oil yet, I'm suffering intense back, hip and leg pains today, severely restricting my mobility. I blame it on the struggle I had yesterday with the turbo outlet pipework :evil:

EDIT: the O/S engine mount has it's rubber bit ok. This is a smaller piece, 2-3 inches long/wide and maybe 1/2 deep. (Akin to two slam panel rubbers side by side?) I'll photo it later and we can all join in the quiz :lol:
jgra1
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Unread post by jgra1 »

:evil: Mike I hate turbo ducting !

one type of turbo is worse than the other too...

I took my engine out with it still connected which saved some effort..

looking forward to the quiz :)
MikeT
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Unread post by MikeT »

We filled the oil, hydraflush & coolant then disconnected the stop solenoid in order to prime the oilways which was done without incident (though I was worried the cambelt may go walkies at that point but it stayed true, thankfully).

Then the time came to refit the stop solenoid connection, prime the fuel bulb and instruct my nephew on starting a diesel but the immobiliser had other ideas. The key symbol was flashing while something was emitting a high-pitched squeal. Fortunately that sorted itself out after a few minutes. So, the engine was cranking over ok but showing no signs of starting and I was getting concerned the longer it took. I've ran the white xantia dry of fuel before so understand they need a lot of priming but this was looking not good. I decided to take over from my nephew but as I approached the cockpit I realised he'd not been waiting for the glowplug light!

It started first crank after that. 8)

I wanted to run up to temperature to the point the fans kicked but if I recall from last April, I couldn't get them to work and today was no exception. The temperature climbed slowly to 85 when the thermostat opened and my nephew, while doing citrobics, occasionally revved the engine while watching the gauge climb to 90 then onto 100 and the fans still didn't spin up. I was considering letting it get hotter so the warning light lit up but as this was the first run after rebuild, I decided that 111 degrees was as much as my nerves would allow and we turned it off.

Unsurprisingly, in fact I was expecting it, the matrix gave off an intitial cloud of vapour through the vents and the tell-tale smell of curry assailed our noses. There's also a tell-tale turbo whistle which I suspect is the manifold downpipe leaking.

So, with that out the way, we shall be moving on to part two of sorting this car out. I just want to say thank you to everyone (not least my nephew) for helping it as I certainly wouldn't have been so successful without you all mucking in.