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

Post by **xantia_v6** » 29 Sep 2009, 06:47

Jim, Is there any way I can help with your matrix jobby? I need to build up some credit points for later help in stripping down the 4HP20 from my Mk2 V6.

Post by **myglaren** » 29 Sep 2009, 07:06

John Plum wrote: I'd like to get an rss feed for this blog. Wink

Now you have posted in it you will get email notifications which are the next best thing

John Plum · Post by **John Plum** » 29 Sep 2009, 17:04

CitroJim wrote: Behind the scenes, work continues well with the new forum server and converting the forums to phpBB3. My personal jury is out over whether or not phpBB3 is a good move or if we should stick to phpBB2 as we are on now. have a look at the new test forums at www.xantiav6.co.uk/forum for the FCF and www.xantiaactiva.co.uk/forum for the BXC and tell me what you think. I'm not happy with the speed of phpBB3.
hard...

Some tests (Safari webkit web inspeector):

(phpbb3)
http://www.xantiaactiva.co.uk/forum/vie ... 330d5c8b81
images 9.3
Docs: 1.37
Total 12 s

(phpbb2)
Thie orginal post (quoted from)

docs 3.63
images 977 ms
total 4.61 s

THe phpBB3 has more images, and I don't lknow their size.

Here 's one for Alan on the years anniversary of his passing away:

phpBB3
http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?t=24952
docs: 2.99s
images 804ms
other 423 ms
Total: 4.47s

This last phpbb3 has no images, other than avatars.

Post by **CitroJim** » 29 Sep 2009, 20:58

xantia_v6 wrote:Jim, Is there any way I can help with your matrix jobby? I need to build up some credit points for later help in stripping down the 4HP20 from my Mk2 V6.

Sadly not

It's just been done $\:D/$ $\:D/$ I unexpectedly had a couple of days off this week for complex reasons involving compensation for being unable to take next week off as planned due to work commitments and time owed.

No worries on the gearbox sir, you absolutely do not have to build up any sort of credit for a job like that; I'll be only too happy to

Xac, at incredibly short notice, came over to join me in the adventure and we got stuck in. I started at 8 AM and finished the last bit as 7:30

Thanks Xac, absolutely wonderful and very heavily appreciated

Paul (Citroenxm) was the unwitting star of the show as he gave us a hint of how to make the job easier by splitting the heater box inside the car and thus avoiding disturbing the LHM reservoir and aircon drain and so on. This made the whole job so much easier. Paul, I am forever deeply indebted to you for that.

We also took an opportunity to try disconnecting the matrix pipework at the matrix itself on the flange where it joins the matrix proper. That helps enormously too. The joint is sealed by two O rings and I reckon now it's these that fail and not the matrix itself. In my old one the O rings had gone brittle and fell apart. It was clearly leaking from that flange.

The heaterbox was full of antifreeze crystals which we blew out with an airline.

The most tedious job was to unjoin the two hoses that had been cut and jointed together with a length of copper pipe. I got hold of a Citroen Berlingo connector with pipes attached and it took ages to trim these to a suitable size and connect them to the existing V6 pipery. I'm not entirely happy with the result but it's better that what was there. I discovered that one pipe as previously bodged was running very close to the rear bank exhaust and could have burned through at any time

Xac has taken a good number of pictures of the important little bits to help anyone doing the job.

So now I have heat and that lovely smell that comes with a new matrix

Bliss!

We do it all over again tomorrow as we're replacing the matrix in Xac's Activa 8)

I reckon using Paul's heaterbox split and disconnecting the matrix water pipes at the flange, we can bring the job down to 8 hours...

Tomorrow we'll see!

I'm well exhausted so off to bed in a bit ready for Matrix No. 2 tomorrow...

My apologies for not being around on the forum today but you know why now!

Again, huge and heartfelt thanks to both Xac and Paul for their massive contributions to the success of our endeavours today

Post by **CitroJim** » 29 Sep 2009, 21:02

Forgot to say. The scuttle panel came off OK although it took some patient work with a very sharp craft knife and warmth from the sun. Another of Paul's incredibly valuable contributions to the job. Thanks again Paul

My windscreen and scuttle seal were original and had never previously bee disturbed.

red_dwarfers · Post by **red_dwarfers** » 29 Sep 2009, 21:09

Glad to hear the first one went swimmingly

Im looking forward to seeing these photos

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 29 Sep 2009, 21:13

Was a fun day Jim as always.
Can't wait 'til tomorrow

XantiaMan · Post by **XantiaMan** » 29 Sep 2009, 21:22

Photos photos photos.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 29 Sep 2009, 21:30

Here's the scary one:

Note: it is unadvisable to drive in this condition.

Oh, and I really, really, really, hate leather seats!

XantiaMan · Post by **XantiaMan** » 29 Sep 2009, 21:32

Looks like its been decapitated!

red_dwarfers · Post by **red_dwarfers** » 29 Sep 2009, 21:36

Im waiting for someone to say "Erm...What are you both doing on Thursday?"

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 29 Sep 2009, 22:01

I like your Citroen mug, i have one just like it 8)

That looks quite a job, still practice makes perfect i suppose!

Sid_the_Squid · Post by **Sid_the_Squid** » 30 Sep 2009, 10:01

Wow, kudos guys

Wish I could have been there, it looks like a lot of fun*.

Why the sudden hatred of leather seats Xac, related to the electric only movement?

*Is it wrong to be excited about such things

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 30 Sep 2009, 20:42

red_dwarfers wrote:

Im waiting for someone to say "Erm...What are you both doing on Thursday?"

Taking Juliet's dashboard out again

Sid_the_Squid wrote:Wow, kudos guys

Wish I could have been there, it looks like a lot of fun*.

Why the sudden hatred of leather seats Xac, related to the electric only movement?

*Is it wrong to be excited about such things

The front of the car is jacked up so it's tilting, you need to work at the front of the cabin, the seats being horrible leather are so slippery you have to fight against gravity all the time as well as fighting the dashboard.
I don't like sliding around inside a car when I'm driving so leather seats are no good for me.

Post by **CitroJim** » 30 Sep 2009, 22:20

As for me tomorrow, I think I'll need to see a chiropractor!!!!! All the strange angles in two cars over two days.

As seen in Xac's blog, a day of mixed fortunes but valuable experience gained and lessons learned in the crazy world of Xantia heater matrixes

I came in from taxiing the girls home and found the forum very sick, coming up with password boxes all over the place. It would not let me post.

I popped my server admin password in and it worked, which gave me a clue as to the problem (I hope).

I've just been into the server and hopefully sorted it. Apologies for the poor service this evening

Off to bed now, I'm pretty tired...

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