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

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 24 Jul 2009, 23:08

XantiaMan583 wrote: Have you got his phone number/address? I've got some work for him...

Indeed..

Pleiades
Unit 12A Brookside Industrial Estate
Sawtry
PE28 5SB

Tel 01487 831239

Very easy to find, just off the A1M between St. Neots and Peterborough.

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 24 Jul 2009, 23:19

Jim,

What are you doing up at this time of night?

Sid_the_Squid · Unread post by **Sid_the_Squid** » 25 Jul 2009, 09:20

Good news indeed Jim, I was just wondering if the engine lifting was going ahead today, I'm glad to hear that you fixed it without the extra strain of having to remove the engine, and that your feeling better.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 25 Jul 2009, 10:27

DickieG wrote:Jim,

What are you doing up at this time of night?

Trying an experimantal late (ish) night and a lie-in Richard, it didn't work - I was still wide awake at 5 this morning

Sid, I'm sorry to diasppoint you on the engine out job. I'm rather relieved I did not have to as I'd hate to disturb everything I know is OK.

Touch-wood, I'm now leak free and soon to take the car for a spin and warm up the gearbox oil ready for the tedium of checking and setting the level

Worst job in the world...

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 25 Jul 2009, 10:44

CitroJim wrote:It's been a busy week and my health has continued to improve. Cutting out caffiene and stimulation late in the evening abnd sticking to a more-or-less set bed-time seems to have done the trick with my sleep. I've also stayed away from here to see if that had any bearing; hence why I've been very quiet this past week. To all those of you who have sent PMs and emails, I will reply soon. I'm just about back to my old self now

That's good news Jim, it's good to know you're recovering well and learned how. The biggest problem I find is keeping the discipline as no matter how hard I try, I often over-run my cut-off time. With all the added responsibilities you've taken on with the forums etc, it must be 10x more difficult for you. Good luck!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 25 Jul 2009, 17:11

I'm going to be firm with myself Mike

Just a quick blog entry and then to my stack of PMs and a spam-filled mailbox.

On the subject of spam, I get an awful lot but none directed specifically at me. It all comes in from the forwarded email from the forums

The rubbish that comes in is frankly unbelievable and recently the spammers have got clever in disguising spam to look like PM alerts so thay can't be easily filtered out

Spammers are the lowest form of life as far as I'm concerned and should be dealt with in the same way as cockroaches

Speaking of spam reminds me of Vauxhalls for some reason and on that subject, I was today out giving the V6 a shakedown and came up behind a late Vectra travelling relatively slowly. Why only became apparant when I looked closely; we were traversing a stretch of road on my test circuit which I know is very bumpy. The Vectra was all over the place and looked like a cork in a rough sea. The V6 on the other had did not even register the bumps. Do Vecras really ride that badly? If so they must be purgatory on anything other than a billiard table.

I've checked the gearbox oil level and after a quite small top-up it is now good. Touch-wood, no leaks from anywhere so she now returns to daily use

Following the gearbox re-shimming and a re-initialisation, the gearbox is now a lot, lot better and quite satisfactory. As I said earlier, the float is still a little excessive and it could be refined. It seems the end-float is rather critical to smooth changes.

Next job is the rear arm bearings

Not looking forward to that...

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 25 Jul 2009, 19:57

CitroJim wrote:Speaking of spam reminds me of Vauxhalls for some reason and on that subject, I was today out giving the V6 a shakedown and came up behind a late Vectra travelling relatively slowly. Why only became apparant when I looked closely; we were traversing a stretch of road on my test circuit which I know is very bumpy. The Vectra was all over the place and looked like a cork in a rough sea. The V6 on the other had did not even register the bumps. Do Vecras really ride that badly? If so they must be purgatory on anything other than a billiard table.

Yes Vectras do ride that badly, the old 'P' reg V6 ones were even worse and so bad that on fenland roads you needed to slow to a crawl as the car bottomed out on the slightest undulation not to mention it was physically painful to your own body, dreadful car's Vectra's

they must have been designed over the phone.

CitroJim wrote:Next job is the rear arm bearings Not looking forward to that...

They aren't that bad to do Jim, you'll get each side done easily within a couple of hours, I know what job I'd choose between changing rear arm bearings and rebuilding an auto gearbox.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 26 Jul 2009, 17:54

Ahh, so the Vectra does ride that badly then

Won't be getting one of those any time soon then..

Mind you, a lot of traffic seems to move slowly when piloting a V6

DickieG wrote:They aren't that bad to do Jim, you'll get each side done easily within a couple of hours.

That's good Richard

I'm pleased to hear that. All being well, I'll be doing that job this coming weekend.

Between a spot of gardening, I helped my neighbour get a wheel off his Tranist Van. He'd already broken three cheap socket sets attempting to get the wheelnust undone

My breaker bar, an impact socket and me leaping up and down on the end of the bar eventually loosened them but they were hugely tight. It must have been some gorilla or a BIG rattle gun that did them up!

I then made a couple of subsittute Activa Ram Bushes on the lathe following a couple of requests for them. Mine may not be as good as the originals but they are a lot cheaper

Out then for a long drive in the V6 around the Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire countryside to give it another good test run. I'm happy to say all is good but those rear arm bearings need doing....

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 26 Jul 2009, 18:09

When I had Syb, my first Xantia, a beautiful young lady put a dent in him just below the O/S rear lights, in that rectangular section.
She was on her way to a dinner with her boyfriend so I didn't feel too bad turning her offer to get her dad's mate to fix it down opting to go via insurance instead.
While my car was being dealt with by I think Vikings of Basingrad - sorry Stoke - they gave me a "sporty" Vectra to drive.
It was horrible, the centre arm rest over hang the hand brake making it hard to get to, it was gutless as anything and worst of all was petrol so you had to rev the balls of it to get anywhere.
I was so despirate to get my Xantia back that I managed to talk Viking into letting me take it before they'd finished cleaning/polishing it.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 26 Jul 2009, 19:35

My son in law arranged a 3 day test drive of a Vectra 2.3 turbo diesel.

We took it out for a run on some decent roads and some not so good ones.

It went like a scalded cat but was the most uncomfortable car I have been in, apart from my dad's moggy.

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 26 Jul 2009, 20:00

Talking of Vauxhalls, my parent's have a Mk5 Astra. Steel Girders for suspension and rock hard seats

Our previous Mk2 Astra on the other hand was a pleasure to drive and it had much better all round viewing than even the Xantia, let alone this new Astra.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 30 Jul 2009, 19:36

And the news for Vauxhall continues to look poor. I see BSM have abandoned their long-standing arrangement with Vauxhall and gone over to Fiat 500s.

My GF runs a Corsa (

) She spotted this thread and got rather, umm, vocal

She's had Vauxhalls for years, right from Nova days and she is not a particular fan of her latest Corsa. She says the earlier ones she has owned have been far better.

Happy to say my V6 continues good and is fully continient in all departments

It's so good to see an alternator free of LHM spills and a bone-dry pressure regulator

The gearbox is now a whole world better and most changes are utterly imperceptable.

I have a rattle from the front suspension. I thought it was the rear but it is not, definitely the front but can I find it? It has new drop links and everything seems tight

It's got me for a bit. Big investigation this weekend.

I went to see Xac the other evening to look at his failed rear screen heater. Funnily, it fixed itself after a bit of relay massage.

But guess what though Xac....

In all the dampness last night my rear screen misted and I went to switch on the heater and my V6 is showing exactly the same symptoms!

It must be catching! The problem lept from Cassy to my car parked right behind. We know why yours is now working Xac

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 30 Jul 2009, 20:03

Have you done the fan relay mod yet?

Danielle and I loved having you over Jim, glad you enjoyed your spud.
Course if you'd delayed til tonight you could have had some duck stirfry

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 02 Aug 2009, 16:22

Ummm, Duuuuuck (in a Homer Simpson voice!)

Thoroughly enjoyed the evening

It was excellent and sp was the baked potato!

Xac wrote:Have you done the fan relay mod yet?

No, not yet as the ignition switch has been replaced and the blower runs perfectly

I must confess I've not looked yet as I've been laid low by this shoulder. Goodness only knows what went on. Perfect on Friday morning and by Friday evening a complete bona-fide cripple

Yesterday was a complete wash-out

I couldn't even type

Richard rang me and he could detect immediately from my vice that I was not a happy bunny.

Much better today though. Almost as if it never happened. Now what's all that about? maybe Ibuprofen really is magical stuff?

Still, despite all the pain and suffering I did collect a set of Xantia seats for Malcolm in the 2.1TD and they were worth the trip even if by the time I arrived home I was wrecked. My shoulder was then so bad it was as much as I could do to get the car parked

The seats are lovely though. Immaculate.

I met the seller and he was interesting. He strips cars carefully and sells the bits on eBay. All done under cover and with great care. A true dismantler rather than a breaker if you know what I mean.

I've been busy catching up on all I could not do yesterday (a lot

) and now just about clear so I can go and have a forum catch-up

Toby_HDi · Unread post by **Toby_HDi** » 02 Aug 2009, 16:44

CitroJim wrote:...Speaking of spam reminds me of Vauxhalls for some reason...

I resent that comment

Can't speak for the newer Vectra's but my 'V' Reg V6 one was fairly firm. Certainly wasn't all over the place though. Must have been something wrong.

My current Omega is ok, does have air springs on the rear. Needs drop links and some general maintainence but is ok.

Glad to see the V6 is going well Jim and you having some fun with it