Citrojim's AX, Pixo, C3, Running and Cycling Tales

lexi · Post by **lexi** » 11 Jun 2010, 20:03

Would look nice sitting on kitchen worktop alongside a 60s Gaggia Cappuccino machine

Post by **CitroJim** » 11 Jun 2010, 21:24

lexi wrote:Would look nice sitting on kitchen worktop alongside a 60s Gaggia Cappuccino machine

Green frothy coffee anyone....

Even my girls think it looks good. Too good to live in a dark corner of the workshop so it'll most likely stay in the conservatory and keep the Lexia company..

I observed something interesting today. I demo'd it to Robyn last evening and released pressure but re tightened the bleed screw.

This morning the conservatory was cold and the gauge was reading zero.

Came home this afternoon to a very hot conservatory and the gauge was reading 10 bars

It fell again as the conservatory cooled down..

I have a thermometer calibrated in bars

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 11 Jun 2010, 21:31

So not only does it look like a work of art it is MULTI functional too, superb bit of work Jim

D

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 11 Jun 2010, 22:00

Crikey, a sphere tester in the house

when I picked up my one from Bernie his wife was pleased to see the back of it as she thought it was making the garden look messy

Post by **CitroJim** » 11 Jun 2010, 22:05

DickieG wrote:Crikey, a sphere tester in the house

Ahh but Richard, you know my conservatory is really just an extension of my workshop

Post by **CitroJim** » 27 Jun 2010, 18:44

Gosh, it's been a long time

I've not disappeared and not given up the double chevron (heaven forbid!) but I have been extremely busy with non-Citroen stuff.. Mainly family and the sort of work that earns money...

Sadly, that's all conspired to keep me well away from the cars but almost as if they understand, they've been behaving themselves very well recently. The V6 has seen plenty of running around on long trips as faultless as ever and Project Activa has been doing the local running around stuff.

The V6 is soon to need a bit of suspension TLC though. It has an internal hydraulic leak, I believe from the front hydractive electrovalve. It does the most curious thing; on alighting from it, the front and rear rise in height as expected but only the rear corrects back down again. The front stays high and will remain so until the engine is next started and pressure re-established. It looks for all the world as if it is riding too high. It's because pressure is disappearing so fast the anti-sink valve closes almost immediately.

It's not affecting normal running but the tick rate is a bit fast.

Got a little done on the Activa Project on Friday. It was creaking on the front suspension but only in the dry. A storm of rain would quieten it down. The problem was traced to the drop link (it only has one as the other is the front ram). It had no play but was as dry as a bone. Replaced with an old one from my V6 as all is now happy.

Also on the Project front, I investigated strange noises from the cambelt area when the engine was hot. It was my fault - I'd over-tightened the cambelt when I replaced it. 72 SEEM units rather than the correct 43

That's better.

Both Activas have today had a good clean inside and out. I did the deed before 8 this morning whilst it was still relatively cool.

In the workshop this past week, as and when, I've been rebuilding a diesel pump. The one I chose to rebuild from my stock was full of horrible brown gum. Despite soaking for a week in white spirit, it was still there yesterday. I found a solvent that had the gum off in a moment: Petrol.

The pump is now rebuilt and awaiting fitting to a 1.9TD that's leaking like the Exxon Valdez

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 27 Jun 2010, 19:15

Jim, are you free on Saturday the 3rd to fit the pump?
I'd also like to swap my rear spheres and if I've not had time to do it during the week, replace the engine mount studs and rubber

I'm off to Cheddar on the Sunday so it would be a good trip to see how the fuel economy improves with the new pump

Post by **CitroJim** » 27 Jun 2010, 21:49

Xac wrote:Jim, are you free on Saturday the 3rd to fit the pump?

No, sadly not

I'm already spoken for by the girls on Saturday day-time. Saturday late afternoon/evening and Sunday no problem...

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 27 Jun 2010, 22:37

CitroJim wrote:
Xac wrote:Jim, are you free on Saturday the 3rd to fit the pump?
No, sadly not I'm already spoken for by the girls on Saturday day-time. Saturday late afternoon/evening and Sunday no problem...

Do you think we'd have enough time to do the pump?
Sunday's out for me with the Cheddar trip.
No worries if we can't do it, the real dead line is the Witby trip at the end of August.

Post by **CitroJim** » 28 Jun 2010, 07:26

Xac wrote: Do you think we'd have enough time to do the pump?
Sunday's out for me with the Cheddar trip.

No, we have to be prepared for potential problems so a whole weekend is the key.

Give me a ring in the week and we'll set a firm date. Not sure right now how the weekends are falling in July...

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 28 Jun 2010, 10:36

CitroJim wrote:
Xac wrote: Do you think we'd have enough time to do the pump?
Sunday's out for me with the Cheddar trip.
No, we have to be prepared for potential problems so a whole weekend is the key.

Give me a ring in the week and we'll set a firm date. Not sure right now how the weekends are falling in July...

Might be an idea to push it back to August then Jim, most of my weekends in July are taken up with the house move

Oh why did my cousin have to pick this weekend to come over from america to have his son christened! Doesn't he realise some of us have cars to work on?

Post by **CitroJim** » 28 Jun 2010, 16:30

Xac wrote:Doesn't he realise some of us have cars to work on?

The inconsideration of some people is breathtaking

No worries on August... It's pretty much clear at the moment and who knows, I may even get to take a bit of time off work...

Actually, I've been off work today but spent most of it in MK Hospital having my eyes checked. Good news there. My eye health is excellent and my vision can be improved with prism adjustments. One pair of my glasses now sports temporary prisms as a test. They must look odd to anyone looking at me as one lens is covered in lines like a fresnel lens. Looks odd but it helps my vision no end

Post by **myglaren** » 28 Jun 2010, 18:10

Not sure right now how the weekends are falling in July...

Mostly on Saturdays and Sundays, much like the rest of 2010

Post by **CitroJim** » 28 Jun 2010, 18:51

myglaren wrote: Mostly on Saturdays and Sundays, much like the rest of 2010

Ahh, thanks for the clarification Steve

Forgot to say that Robyn and I took a trip to our local Stealer to pick up a number of XM steering ram gaiters I had on order for future ram repairs. Whilst there we looked at the new Citroens and giggled about parking Rattiva in amongst them

I must say I'm very taken with the DS3. I rather like them. or rather, I did until I saw the price. One DS3 is worth about 25 decent Xantias....

red_dwarfers · Post by **red_dwarfers** » 28 Jun 2010, 21:54

We've got a DS3 at our dealer, although I think its a good idea, its not exactly to my tastes. I'm a little disappointed that it didn't follow it's concept design right through to the magnetic suspension. I'm intrigued by the DS5 to see what this has to offer as I don't imagine this will appeal to those who want to customise everything a la DS3.
Maybe the DS5 will be the technical one?

If you require an extra pair of hands during the month of August, give us a shout as I'm on holiday (Yes, all four weeks

)