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

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 08 May 2010, 07:38

CitroJim wrote:
DickieG wrote:
CitroJim wrote:I'm STILL having trouble levelling it
Now that will test anyones patience enough to make even a Nun swear! It took me literally weeks to get your red one level, each time I finished adjusting it it'd be level, that is until I drove it the next day
You did a good job Richard It's still beautifully level to this day

I'm so desperate I had thoughts of digging a pit in my driveway, possibly to bury the car

Luckily for me my drive is absolutely level, I drove the front of the car up on ramps to do it, the best advice is to adjust it just a small amount at a time. You're obviously welcome to use my facilities if it'll be of help.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 08 May 2010, 19:01

DickieG wrote: You're obviously welcome to use my facilities if it'll be of help.

Thanks Richard

Trouble is, the car is still sans MOT and I'm not keen to take it for an MOT until it is more or less level. I'm sure the MOT tester won't be best impressed with a lop-sided Activa

I was hoping to have another go today but the weather has been really awful up here and I've stayed indoors.

Still, at least it enabled me to finally write up my Activa Ram Repair Guide and publish it on my website.

Last Saturday I reported on an epic struggle with a friends' 306 rear brakes. I'm pleased to say the car passed it's MOT and in return for my help the owner bought me a little present. A biography of Andre Citroen

I was well pleased. It's a great book and very interesting. I never knew he had Jewish parentage... The book was written in 1996 and in the forward the writer speaks of how proud Andre would have been of the [then very new] Xantia Activa as an example of how the company were still following his mantra for producing advanced cars...

This week I finally won an eBay auction. Normally I never have a lot of luck there but this time I did and won a SEEM gauge for tensioning cambelts

SEEMs my luck is on the change. lets hope it lasts out and tomorrow dawns dry and fine and I can finally get my Activa project on the level...

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 09 May 2010, 20:07

Luck was with me. I've finally levelled Project Activa and learned a lot in the process.

When I started, the front ride height was far too high and the car was well tilted to the offside. It was riding so high as to have no movement in the front suspension.

Previously, I had initially set up the roll corrector rod lengths precisely as per the official Citroen words.

Whilst jacking it up to get ramps under the front wheels, they steered all by themselves over to the nearside

What on earth was going on...

Firstly. I tried to reset the ride height and failed. It would not change. The HC was OK I knew. Then I noticed the ram was fully compressed whereas it should have been sitting about half way. I wondered if I had the hoses around the wrong way but I confirmed they were right.

To cut a long story short, the Activa system was so far out of adjustment, despite being set up as per the official words, that the rams were compressed fully and this was both upsetting the height correctors and causing the bizarre steering behavior. Logical really after giving it some thought.

The official words on how to set up the roll corrector is not helpful and does not really work. I've now worked out how to get it initially roughly right using the two setting holes in the roll corrector quadrant and some lateral thinking. This will get it near enough. Furthermore I reckon I can do better next time using special setting blocks under the front wheels. I must do some experiments and report back.

I do know now that until the system is more or less correctly set up, both lean and ride height will be all over the place and it's near impossible to get it right using the "tweak and hope" method due to the interdependencies.

A few more tweaks of the bottle screws and the ride height has the car riding more or less level but it's still not 100% level to my satisfaction. Some more tweaking is still needed to get it absolutely spot-on. It's good enough for now though.

The car drives a treat and is now ready for an MOT. I shall do just that during the week, work permitting.

I did want to bleed the brakes before the MOT but found to my horror that both front nipples and one rear nipple are so badly rounded that a spanner will go nowhere near them. At some point I'll have to replace the nipples

N2XAN could be back on the road next week.... Watch this space!

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 09 May 2010, 21:18

Airsoft on the 23rd if you want to come along after 4:30 and use the ramps Jim

Or come earlier and join in the shooting

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 09 May 2010, 21:31

Xac wrote: Or come earlier and join in the shooting

Had I not got 'XAN levelled today, I'd have been tempted to offer it to you for target practice Xac

With my new knowledge of levelling, it might be an idea to have a look at Juliet again in that department....

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 11 May 2010, 21:15

Well, that's it. XAN goes for an MOT on Friday and all is ready.

I really wanted to bleed the brakes and took the bull by the horns and replaced the bleed nipples. The front ones looked in shocking condition and I was fully prepared to have to remove the calipers and carry out surgery.

I Plus-Gassed and hammered a 7mm socket onto each nipple and they came out without any problem at all. Result

I discovered that the nipples are not like standard motor factor replacements, especially the rears, so if you have to replace a nipple the genuine Citroen items should be used. I "borrowed" some from my stash of spare calipers.

Brakes bled, they work much better now. Plenty of air in the rears. In doing the rears I tried doing it without the engine running to test a theory about a method of testing an Anti-Sink sphere. It seems to work...

So, after months of work, the light at the end of the tunnel is now visible. Gosh it was a long dark tunnel

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 12 May 2010, 00:25

Congrats Jim, another challenge seen off via determination and perserverance.

P.s. The Andre Citroen book sounds good

Unread post by **myglaren** » 14 May 2010, 15:23

Well?
Did it pass?

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 14 May 2010, 16:17

myglaren wrote:Well?
Did it pass?

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

And with only three minor advisories..

Considering everything, a result!

Gosh, I've been a bag of nerves for two days, unable to do anything of value...

I's terrible at MOT time. Stress comes back with vengeance and I almost fall to pieces.

Got it all again in two weeks when the V6 goes in for her MOT

Unread post by **myglaren** » 14 May 2010, 16:35

Well done Jim, all the hard work paid off in the end.
Will you be using it to the rally?

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 14 May 2010, 17:22

Well done Jim though I didn't doubt it would pass. What were the advisories and was it your usual tester or someone new?

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 14 May 2010, 18:47

CitroJim wrote:
myglaren wrote:I's terrible at MOT time. Stress comes back with vengeance and I almost fall to pieces.

What is it about MOT's that makes me feel as if I'm the accused in court awaiting the verdict as if I'm really guilty and hoping for a result?

Strange when in all my time of driving that the only fail I've ever had was due to rust on a C15D (no surprise there

).

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 14 May 2010, 20:23

well done Jim

I got my second of the month yesterday!! the new guys seem to give me an easy time so far!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 14 May 2010, 20:54

myglaren wrote:Will you be using it to the rally?

Gosh no, After all I've done to that car there is no way I'd take it on any significant journey for weeks yet. It needs a good shake-down first. I'll begin with a few runs to work/kids taxi and see how it goes...

It's been a very difficult and stressful week this past week Steve, not least the stress brought on by the bloody MOT on the Activa. This has left me feeling rather exhausted and unwell so sadly I will not be going to the rally this weekend. I need to rest up and recover and driving all that distance, even in the V6, could well set me back futher...

Vince, yes the book is a revalation and I recommend it to any Citroen fan. It deals with the cars during his time at the helm and the remarkable expeditions he undertook as publicity stunts for Citroen. He organised several expeditions taking his Autochenelles (Citroen-Kegeresse half-track vehicles) across the Sahara, Asia (Beirut to Peking), the Canadian Rockies and the Antarctic. Citroen have the honour of being the first car to cross the Sahara.

It looked at Citroen the person and what drove him on; he was a gambler and if not gambling on the green baize, he was taking a gamble on the next big thing in the automotive world. He took some huge risks to bring about the Traction Avant and ultimately, the DS.

He died of a broken heart following his bankruptcy bringing the Traction to production and the subsequent takeover of Citroen by Michelin. Reading between the lines, he was stitched up and suffered because he was a Jew. Quite a tragic end...

Read it! You'll enjoy it. He and Louis Renault went to school together and were always enemies...

Back to my Activa, today was that first time I'd properly driven it (apart from a naughty trip around my local roads) and I must say it drives very nicely indeed. It feels different to my red Activa in that it's a bit softer on the suspension but still nice and taut. It's also free of rattles and other noises.

Next job is cambelt and waterpump before she goes into full use.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 14 May 2010, 22:14

Shame we won't be seeing you in Wetherby Jim, still, a rest will probably be just what the doctor ordered.

The Citroen book sounds most interesting. May have to acquire a copy.