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

lexi · Post by **lexi** » 11 Nov 2009, 23:19

Nice work Jim. Are you able to source from a bearing supplier rather than go to Citroen?

Toby_HDi · Post by **Toby_HDi** » 12 Nov 2009, 09:58

PM sent Jim

Post by **CitroJim** » 12 Nov 2009, 13:41

PM replied Toby!

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 12 Nov 2009, 17:21

Hi Toby, if you're going up to Jim's could you do me a favour and collect a cabin sensor off me I got for him and also bring back the Lucas pump he's got for me please?

lexi · Post by **lexi** » 12 Nov 2009, 18:01

. I`ve just ascertained that the bearings are part-assemblys so it`s pull the trousers down time at Stealers? Sometimes bearings and seals are automotive application only which means the car maker has had a mod or add-on done to it. If not however the same bearing can be bought for peanuts instead of .......££££££OUCH

Post by **CitroJim** » 12 Nov 2009, 20:45

Mike, that's wonderful, thank you

I shall certainly have a pump ready to send back with Toby!

Lexi, no way I'd go to a stealers for bearings. I deal with a specialist automatic transmission spares supplier and the bearings from them were very reasonable indeed as they are not standard off the shelf ones.

Mike's car is back on my driveway. I was hoping to make a start this evening but the weather is foul. Instead I readied the workshop for the job ahead and make ready to start as soon as the weather breaks.

Toby_HDi · Post by **Toby_HDi** » 12 Nov 2009, 20:55

Not a problem Mike,

PM sent

Post by **CitroJim** » 14 Nov 2009, 21:02

Not the best day for it but I'm happy to say the engine is now all ready to be lifted out. It was cold and wet work but apart from the exhaust flange and removing the flex-plate bolts (both of which are two handed jobs), all is now ready

Weather-wise, it seems us in the middle of the country escaped rather lightly compared to some other parts of the country.

vince · Post by **vince** » 15 Nov 2009, 09:51

Im still waiting for it to clear enough to get my ABS sensor back in. Its been cold and rainy up here for about 2 weeks now

red_dwarfers · Post by **red_dwarfers** » 15 Nov 2009, 11:38

Next door was having their roof retiled/felted or something that involved having all the tiles removed...not the best time for all this wind and rain. Added to that, part of the scaffolding flew off and smashed through a few of our tiles then was sweeped up over the top of our roof and come to land a couple of houses up

Quite an eventful evening running around with plastic sheeting and buckets

The following day our house was on the local BBC News - Spotlight 8)

Post by **CitroJim** » 15 Nov 2009, 14:50

Oh dear Kev

sounds like it was really bad down your way

Vince, that's because you live "oop noorf"

Today has been an absolutely beautiful day, no wind, sunshine all day and warm too.

Toby arrived just as I'd got the exhaust manifold disconnected and within the hour we had the engine and gearbox sitting on the rug in the garage. No dramas at all except for when we were lowering the engine down onto its support blocks I managed to get a mouthful of coolant from the header tank hose

Anti-freeze with bittering agents in it taste HORRIBLE and it has taken two cups of tea and a curry to take the taste away

Toby, you've been a start today and great company

Thanks hugely for all your help!

Now to pull the gearbox apart....

Post by **myglaren** » 15 Nov 2009, 15:06

CitroJim wrote: I managed to get a mouthful of coolant from the header tank hose Anti-freeze with bittering agents in it taste HORRIBLE and it has taken two cups of tea and a curry to take the taste away

A likely excuse. I believe you though

lexi · Post by **lexi** » 15 Nov 2009, 15:23

we had the engine and gearbox sitting on the rug in the garage

Sound like a right pampered V6 that one

Post by **CitroJim** » 15 Nov 2009, 18:55

lexi wrote:Sound like a right pampered V6 that one

I guess by engine standards it is lexi

Sitting in a nice warm garage on an oil soaked rug rather than a cold engine bay!

Luckily the rug is past domestic service but I still hope the engine will not disgrace itself by leaking anything on it. It's already in my bad books for spilling coolant on me. My fault, I should have drained the block

Today has been an excellent day

It was really great to have Toby's company and his very able assistance. We did, as the corner of the picture shows, get the gearbox stripped but we encountered a problem with the big slotted nut. My special tool is not quite up to the job and it came apart at the welds

A MKII version is in planning...

After that we called it a day and I took Toby for a spin in my Activa around a few roundabouts in Milton Keynes and showed him the sights, such as they are...

Then we went for a quick spin in my V6.

We then had a look around Toby's absolutely stunningly gorgeous Alfa 166 V6. That car is just beauty on wheels; an Italian 406 Coupe. You have to give it to the Italians, they do make some absolutely drop-dead gorgeous cars; shame the electrics are not quite in the same league

I could lust after an Alfa...

All in all, a brilliant day

Shame it fell on the same weekend as the NEC but there'll be another Classic Car Show next year.

Toby, thanks again for all your help today

Post by **CitroJim** » 15 Nov 2009, 19:57

I've just been idly looking at the dismantled gearbox and noted something very interesting that may reinforce why regular oil changes are critical to a long and healthy life. It's been educational to strip a 'box that has done a few hundred miles since a rebuild.

The first thing to note is that the inside of the 'box looks absolutely pristine, like new whereas on the first strip it looked very dirty and grey. Clearly the detergent properties of the old oil were all gone but more telling is this. New oil is quite sticky and it clings to vertical surfaces for ever like a thin film of ice almost.

The old oil does not do this. I reckon the old oil had lost all of it's body and was causing the lubrication films to break down under temperature and pressure and this was the prime reason why the very heavily loaded output bearing failed.

LT71141 may be an expensive oil but it's still far cheaper than a rebuild!