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

[myglaren]

I did notice a lot of orienteering going on and knew a couple of those who did it but didn't realise it was originated in Sweden.
I lived there through the seventies.

[CitroJim]

The thing on the left is an SI (Sport Ident) unit, which replaces the punch and card mentioned by Richard (so last century!). The SI unit is programmed with the control number and the time and date. Instead of a punch card, the competitor carries a micro-chip encased in an elongated plastic stick. The competitor uses a map with all the flag locations marked on it to find each flag in turn. On finding the flag, he/she plunges the stick into the hole in the SI unit. Using the magic of very short distance wireless data transfer, the control number, time and date are "stamped" onto the microchip stick.

Ahh yes, they're used in trail ultra marathons... I last saw them in use in the Dragon's Back Race... A 5-day ultra marathon across the mountainous spine of Wales from Carnarvon Castle to somewhere unpronounceable in the south of the Principality A run I'd love to do... Bucket list material

Jim, I'm a bit surprised you're not more familiar with orienteering, given your enjoyment of the the great outdoors

It's a thing that has completely passed me by Alec although I'd absolutely love to get involved in the sport given my love of maps and ability to navigate by them given a decent compass... It ticks a lot of boxes... Outdoors, in the countryside, running and maps... Bliss

I plan to get into ultra trail marathon running in 2021 and that demands a degree of navigational skill... Then I'll also get to try out some SI units

I'm very happy to report Sian's (youngest daughter) Pixo received a clean MoT pass today

Happiness is an MoT Pass!

So that's all the family cars now MoT'd No critical MoTs are needed until September 2021 although Daffodil's is due in January... Daffodil is not critical and I may leave her MoT until the spring...

Speaking of Daffodil, I did plan to both reassemble her dash and make a spacer for her rocker box baffle on the lathe but the job of reassembling her dash turned out to take a LOT longer than planned That and a visit from an old friend scuppered the spacer fabrication for today...

Reconnecting the speedo cable was a game but I now have it sussed I also avoided shredded arms but wearing tight lycra cycling arm warmers Arm protection is needed as an AX dash has more sharp edges than a rack of butcher's knives

Here's Daffodil's dash all nicely back together

That' clock's only right twice a day!

If I need to pull out her instruments again I'm not worried as I now know all the tricks and how to do it

[mickthemaverick]

Just a thought!!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-AX-C ... SwUHRchTfc

[CitroJim]

Just a thought!!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-AX-C ... SwUHRchTfc

Good find Mick The problem is the installation of it in the pod...

Citroen instrument pods of the vintage in Daffodil are exceedingly delicate and I'm not prepared to disassemble one until I have a complete spare available. To swap the clock requires total disassembly of the pod...

I'm not that brave so until I have a complete spare unit in my possession the clock can remain a bit iffy!

I'm on the lookout for a complete pod... And more specifically one with a tacho in it as I now know all the wiring is in place for the higher spec. pod to pop straight in

[mickthemaverick]

Any good?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9611630780-d ... SwktpeZFkd

[CitroJim]

Any good?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9611630780-d ... SwktpeZFkd

Thanks Mick

It' may be but that it's for a diesel may affect the working of the tacho... Plus the shape of it looks wrong compared to mine...

I must do some research

[CitroJim]

It's been a few days since I've had an opportunity to do a bit on Daffodil but this afternoon, after completing a lot of essential tasks to leave the weekend totally clear for a half marathon run tomorrow morning in Salcety Forest and a duathlon on Sunday (10K run followed by a 40K bike ride followed by a 5K run), I had a bit of spare time to devote to her

First up was her dipstick... Her old one had fallen to bits. I obtained a replacement for which I was assured was for an AX but on looking at it, the shank (yellow bit) was a bit too big... Maybe it was for a diesel AX...

No worries, I popped it in the lathe and made it right

Shank Reduction...

Looks a proper job in the engine

That looks better...

Next up was to make a substitute rocker baffle spacer..

Spacer maker!

Here it is in place. It looks different to the pukka one but it does the job...

Installed...

I must check it's happy after a few long runs... It's made of Nylon66 so it should be OK...

Here's the proper one...

The proper spacer...

After checking the valve clearances, all OK, I reassembled with a new rocker box gasket...

Job done!

I now have a nice quiet oil-tight engine

A very satisfactory afternoon spent and delighted now that I did not dispose of my lathe as I planned to a while ago... It was worth its weight in gold today

It was my girls who demanded I not dispose of it - it's something of a family heirloom. I thought they would not be interested in it but I was wrong!

[mickthemaverick]

I
No worries, I popped it in the lathe and made it right

A very satisfactory afternoon spent and delighted now that I did not dispose of my lathe as I planned to a while ago... It was worth its weight in gold today

It was my girls who demanded I not dispose of it - it's something of a family heirloom. I thought they would not be interested in it but I was wrong!

Well done the girls!! Only place you are allowed to have a nasty turn now Jim , so it just has to stay!!(Plus of course I might want you to make something for the C5 one day )

[CitroJim]

Only place you are allowed to have a nasty turn now Jim

Don't worry Mick, it's staying I don't find arguing with my girls is good for my health

[CitroJim]

I completed my very first Duathlon event today

A Duathlon is like a Triathlon but with the swimming leg replaced by a running leg. I can't swim well enough to compete in a Triathlon... My swimming is decidedly brick-like and despite years of practice and coaching it remains thus

No worries, a standard distance Duathlon, comprising a 10K run followed by a 40K bike ride followed by a 5K run is good

Today's event was a proper one to the full BTF rules and both I and my bike had to be scrutineered to ensure we were legal!

Me in action on the first run leg... The course was largely trail and muddy... Lovely To think I hated cross-country running as a schoolboy and now I both love it and pay good money to do so

Mud, glorious mud! Photo by kind permission of Big Cow Events...

A nice finisher tee and medal was awarded at the end... The medal is rather special is it's made of wood

Finisher goodies!

Even Sally got in on the act for the obligatory post event photo... We were not allowed, under the rules, to carry phones or cameras whilst competing...

sally enjoyed her day out too...

This will, everything permitting, be the first of many Duathlons I'll be competing in! Given my age and performance, I may even qualify for the BTF championships next year

[Skull]

That's always a good sign Jim ......If you're in front of the guys with more hair than you

Well Done

[CitroJim]

That's always a good sign Jim ......If you're in front of the guys with more hair than you

Well Done

Yes, that's me at the front - leading the pack

Today has been a good day in the workshop

The first job was a friend's petrol lawn mower - a rather snazzy self-propelled Webb that would not start...

I had to giggle a little at the massive boast on the top of the Sanli engine proclaiming it to be an Overhead Valve (OHV) device

I wonder if the next generation of mower engines will be overhead cam? Until quite recently mower engines, such as the good old Briggs and Stratton were side-valve...

Despite being in excellent condition and really not that old she was advised to scrap the mower as it was considered beyond economic repair

I despair at how throw-away our society has become

A bit of diagnosis found the ignition coil to be duff. New ones are readily available for around £30 and are dead easy to fit...

One happy friend! She treated me to a coffee and a cake in town

The next job was to make a pair of 3.5mm Citroen hydraulic pipe couplers to allow some new pipe to be spliced into a long corroded run on a friend's rather desirable Xantia 2.1TD Exclusive estate...

My lathe saw some action

3.5mm coupler under manufacture

To help produce this:

And completed...

After making one I ran out of raw materials and need to procure some more... eBay will provide

A good day well spent

[ksanturion10]

Aluminium this is?
Xantiae's anti-sink and height correctors resemble some kind of aluminium casting compounds, so probably drawn, non-alloyed aluminium is ok for a coupler, but if I had a lathe like this I would use some kind of mild steel

[CitroJim]

It was the material I had to hand! The aluminium, I know from previous work, will be fine, given the wall thickness and will last well. It will need proofing from electrolytic corrosion though... The owner of the car these couplers are destined for is well aware

I've also used brass in the past with equally pleasing results but for this application it's overkill...

Along with height correctors, hydractive electrovalves are made of quite thin-walled aluminium... As are rear suspension cylinders...

Aluminium is easier to machine too

[lexi]

Those little Myfords are ace. Always hankered after one. Now they are spendy and I have no room left for one. Have a wee wood lathe for knocking handles and dowels up.