Citrojim's Pixo, Saxo and Cycling Tales

[KP]

Jim,

Dont replace the pipe.

Take it off and go to pirtek.

They can do a flexible section to replace the duff part or more of the pipe if you wish and then just remove the rubber parts of the P clips and either file them down or replace with some aug tape instead mine has held nicely bar one probem that i over bent the outlet from the pump and it mini holed like yours did

[CitroJim]

Jim,

Dont replace the pipe.

Take it off and go to pirtek.

Thanks Will,

I shall do just that, if it starts leaking again. I'm sure my sliver Activa is possessed. Since seeing that pipe weep like a good 'un last weekend, it has not wept a drop since It's a bit like that stone that bleeds on certain special occasions

I've done something a bit, well, experimental. I got a tyre repair kit on the job and put a cycle patch on the nick in the hose and hid the lot behind the heatshrink sleeve. I don't know how long it'll hold but it might just be good enough to secure an MOT pass. I'm not willing to spend anything on this car if I can avoid it. So far I've spent the princely sum of £26 on it... Everything else has come from "stock".

I can't afford it this month anyway. Siany turns 15 tomorrow with concomitant drain on dad's pocket , my red Activa is due tax this month and my V6 due both MOT and tax early next month...

I'm still needing to get the Activa system properly balanced. It remains a black art to me and one that I'm having trouble with. last evening I decided to adjust it and worked out the way I'd have to turn an adjusting barrel. I did, got it wrong and she's leaning even more now

One day I'll get it right.

On Monday, after washing it on Sunday, I gave my red Activa a good polishing. Actually I also washed the silver Activa and she looks quite presentable now.

Anyway, one nice clean and polished Activa is now resting and the V6 is back in service. Fresh from adjusting ride heights on the silver Activa, I finally got around to adjusting the front ride height on my V6. It's now adjusted to three fingers and rides better as a result!

On a quick test run I could smell oil, fresh oil at that. On reaching home I cracked the bonnet to be greeted by smoke issuing forth from behind the rear bank.

Investigation shows I have a leaky rear bank exhaust cambox and oil thus leaked is dropping on the rear exhaust manifold and burning nicely. It's not too serious just yet but will shortly need attention. I'll do all four camboxes at the same time. The oily smell on first startup of the day has been there a few weeks now so is nothing startlingly new. What is new is that I know what it is now...

Another job on the V6 that will shortly need attention is drop links. I made the old error last year of fitting el-cheapos and guess what? Yep. The links themselves are substantially Ok but their rubber boots have almost completely perished away...

I shall do as the Anglian Windows man used to say. "You only fit them once, so fit the best!"

[CitroJim]

[quote="CitroJim]I shall do as the Anglian Windows man used to say. "You only fit them once, so fit the best!"

Was that not Ted Moult, he of the 'Everest' ad [/quote][/quote]

Yes, It was Mike! I can picture him saying those immortal words too...

Sorry, I got confused as I actually bought a set of Anglian windows for the house I owned in the 80s, believing them better than the Everest offering at the time...

[myglaren]

I shall do as the Anglian Windows man used to say. "You only fit them once, so fit the best!"

Was that not Ted Moult, he of the 'Everest' ad

Yep!

[CitroJim]

Thanks Steve,

That brought a few memories back. They don't make adverts like they used to do they? Good old Ted. Spoken like he really believed it...

Just been out in the V6. I cannot believe how much difference resetting the front ride height has made Maybe driving the Activa these past 10 days has changed my perception but the V6 feels even more like a magic carpet than it did. Speed humps are nearly non-existent and bad potholes are more heard than felt...

Hope it lasts and it is not just my imagination or an attack of PARS*...

*Post Activa Ride Syndrome

[xantia_v6]

Th
Just been out in the V6. I cannot believe how much difference resetting the front ride height has made Maybe driving the Activa these past 10 days has changed my perception but the V6 feels even more like a magic carpet than it did. Speed humps are nearly non-existent and bad potholes are more heard than felt...

Hope it lasts and it is not just my imagination or an attack of PARS*...

I believe you Jim...

When I first got my V6, the ride was quite harsh at the front compared to my old VSX. I fitted new front spheres with no improvement, took it to Pelaides for them to check out, and they said there was nothing wrong with it. I then lowered the front ride height by about 40mm, and the ride was magically better.

Over 100,000 miles since then and the front height has crept back up (a little worse than yours, I think), so I am looking forward to the improvement when it is reset.

[myglaren]

Just been out in the V6. I cannot believe how much difference resetting the front ride height has made Maybe driving the Activa these past 10 days has changed my perception but the V6 feels even more like a magic carpet than it did. Speed humps are nearly non-existent and bad potholes are more heard than felt...

Oddly enough I was stuck behind a beemer this evening and thought that instead of spending all that money you could just fit flat spheres to a Xantia.
Except Xantia's don't smoke like beemers do

[Citroenmad]

I never used to be one for softly sprung cars, i thought i always liked harder cars. However i find it very diffuclt to go in a normal car now, nothing is as good, other cars are just boring and harsh.

[myglaren]

I never used to be one for softly sprung cars, i thought i always liked harder cars. However i find it very diffuclt to go in a normal car now, nothing is as good, other cars are just boring and harsh.

I had a spin around in daughter #3's Saab 900 cabriolet on Sunday.
It is a lot of fun to drive and the seats are superb, plenty of toys but the ride is certainly no match for a Citroen hydraulic.

A kid in a new Astra sport wanted to race. Didn't do so well

[Citroenmad]

I do like a fun and entertaining car to drive from time to time. The C5 grips very well and it can be thrown around surprisingly well, but its obviously not sporty. Though after a while a normal car becomes annoying. When the ride becomes tiring and i get bored of being bounced around. Im left sitting there thinking "this is really harsh, where is the suspension, why is it so noisey, where is my C5".

Ideally id like a sporty car and a big Citroen, that would be my ideal garage.

Though one car does both of those in a way, the Activa!

Nice work on your project Jim, seems its coming together.

[myglaren]

Ideally id like a sporty car and a big Citroen, that would be my ideal garage.

I was surprised to find that the C6 did very well on that score, despite JC's comments to the contrary.

Hustled along those dark country lanes at an alarming speed in a very assured, quiet and comfortable manner.

Had all the qualities of a Jaguar (Grace, Space & Pace...) and then some!

[CitroJim]

Oddly enough I was stuck behind a beemer this evening and thought that instead of spending all that money you could just fit flat spheres to a Xantia.
Except Xantia's don't smoke like beemers do

Steve !

You've done it! You've found a niche in the market for flat spheres

They'll sell like hot cakes now. Fit these Myglaren Specials and transform your Xantia into a Beemer...

[DickieG]

Oddly enough I was stuck behind a beemer this evening and thought that instead of spending all that money you could just fit flat spheres to a Xantia.

Steve !

You've done it! You've found a niche in the market for flat spheres

They'll sell like hot cakes now. Fit these Myglaren Specials and transform your Xantia into a Beemer...

Err Beemers aren't that bad, try an Audi A6 or Saab 9-5 Aero they really do sort out loose fillings

[CitroJim]

try an Audi A6 or Saab 9-5 Aero they really do sort out loose fillings

Is that why their drivers never seem to be the most happy and contented of souls? It must be purgatory for them. I really do now feel genuiney sorry for them and next time an Audi driver is guilty of a misdomeanor whilst negotiating the Queens's highway I shall be most forgiving.

Saab drivers though are another matter given they're just thinly disguised Vauxhall drivers...

I visited our loacl Stealers yesterday, Perrys of Bletchley. They are rather good for spares. Ring 'em up and quote a part number and they'll get it in for you and give you a ring when ready for collection. Nearly as good as mail order

They deal in both Citroen and Peugeot although they seem more biassed to the Lion Rampant. To be fair though, they've been Pug dealers since they gave up Dagenham Dustbins about ten years ago and have only just taken on the Double Chevrons following the closure of a dealership in the north of the City...

I now have a fistful of XM steering ram gaiters for Activa Ram repairs and a V6 manifold gasket ready for when I do my leaky camboxes.

No chance to look at either subject last evening as it was Sioany's birthday yesterday. She's now 15... Time flies...

On the face of it, the XM gaiters look perfect for the front ram although they don't look as if they will stretch enough for a rear one.

The V6 cambox job I shall have a dry-run on the spare engine I have before attacking the job for real...

[CitroJim]

It's been a busy few days but very enjoyable....

Big problems at work saw me finally get home from there on Friday evening at 21:45 after starting work at 07:20

Whilst at work on Friday evening I received a call from the girls asking if I'd pick them up from the railway station at 00:30 on Saturday morning They went to a gig in Birmingham..

Saturday saw John (jgra1), Toby_HDI and I travel to Chesterfield to recover a complete LPG system from a crashed V6 406 Coupe to be fitted to John's car. I was a truly great day and very thoroughly enjoyed

Before the arrival of John and Toby, I got a little more work done on the Activa Ram project and in doing so made two interesting discoveries: The XM leakback gaiters will repair both a front and rear ram and the outer metal sleeve over the ram proper (the one that channels leakage from the top down to the collection collar) has an oil seal in the top of it that rides on the ram piston. The seal is a pretty ordinary one and looks to be replaceable if one of a suitable size can be found.

I am now of the belief that if the ram piston is good (not scored) there is a good chance of bringing virtually all leaky rams back to good order.

Looking at the XM leakback gaiter and how it would seal on a front ram, I decided that the sealing area was rather corroded to effect a good seal so I skimmed it smooth in the lathe...



I then experimentally fitted the gaiter:



And at the bottom, that looks good. In this picture the outer sleeve and concertina is not fitted. I did try fitting up the gaiter with the outer sleeve in place but found the splayed part at the bottom fouls the pipe spigot so the sleeve will need trimming.

The yellow pointer here in this picture shows by how much. It also shows a rear ram with a gaiter in place. On the rear, the gaiter is a good, snug fit on the bottom of the ram body but again the sleeve will be too long...



Which brings up another problem; that of securing and fitting the protective concertina and securing it. It will need trimming and a new lower attachment method devised.

It's all coming along... After this, I'm planning trying to make new hydractive electrovalve bodies...

Today I've spent mainly with Robyn. We gave her 206 a good check-over and I taught her how to change a wheel. It took her a while to find the wheelbrace

After playing cars we raided the rhubarb patch in the garden and made a rather tasty crumble

A great weekend all in all, loads of variety and interest but not quite as much sleep as perhaps desirable. Still, I can have a day off in the week to make up for effectively working two days on Friday