Vince's XM...213k and slowing....

vince · Post by **vince** » 25 Jun 2009, 22:40

Well finally i got round to doing the valve cover gasket

Its only been about a year or so leaking oil onto the drive but hey...ive been busy

Ok so the real reason was i was a tad hesitant about getting stuck in and then geting stuck

But on the whole it was pretty easy....once i realised that you have to take the metal central intake bracket off the inlet manifold or else the rocker cover wont come out.....i tried for ages to no avail

I also realised that the culprit making the removal of the rocker cover and refitting alot harder than it needs to be is the 10mm bolt holding the L/H coolant hose bracket onto the cover. I left that off putting it back on and instead cable tied the hose so that it doesnt move about in a very neat arrangement each side of the R/H hose bracket.

The main reason i wanted to get the rocker cover off was to replace the gasket, and so that i could clean up the cover and paint it. I do like a clean car and am perversely looking forward to doing the sump and anything around it that needs sprucing up.

Before the next show i go to (god knows when that will be)

I will replace all the jubilee clips with new ones unless they are on the coolant hoses (i dont touch cooling systems as i tend to break them)

Ive a feeling that the under engine covers will also end up with a thin coat of satin black making them again look like new

. The engine bay looked / and now, looks like this

Cover off

Cover painted, laquered and back on with a new gasket

Standing back a bit

Xantic · Post by **Xantic** » 25 Jun 2009, 23:03

Next time i post a picture of my engine i will use one of these photos..

Thats a clean looking engine bay, puts mine to shame.

admiral51 · Post by **admiral51** » 26 Jun 2009, 00:09

Hey Vince that engine compartment looks like its been lifted from the Xantia brochure i recently purchased

On a more serious note it looks Ace

. Does that mean that if i remove all the filth off mine i will find the same components in my engine bay

Colin

CitroJim · Post by **CitroJim** » 26 Jun 2009, 20:58

Good grief Vince

your engine bay looked a million dollars at the DSM Rally, it now looks an order of magnitude better. Well done

Pleased to see you succeeded in getting the rocker box cover off and back on again

Is it nice and oil-tight now?

vince · Post by **vince** » 26 Jun 2009, 22:33

Thanks guys, ive just come in from degreasing the sump, gearbox and surrounding gubbins. Ive given the underside of the box a quick going over with gloss black and the sump also. It will need a couple more visits under there though before Godmanchester

Yes Jim its all oil tight now.....at least it seems that way

Its partly the reason why ive degreased the underside of the engine and box. My driveway is so stained with oil due to the longstanding leak i had that i cant really tell if any new oil has dropped. Now though a quick look underneath will tell me all i need to know.

As for the shinyness......the black plastics work really well with Carplan Tyre shine (Tescos now sell it too) None of that foaming rubbish, just a nice neat silicone laquer. It doesnt burn either....and lasts ages

The silver bits i tried to clean up with autosol to no avail. So plan B was a tentative going over with Hypersilver wheel paint with a variety of artists brushes (tescos again). On the inlet manifold at the back of the engine above the turbo i used a first coat of high temp aluminium paint then hypersilver over that. Seems to be coping well enough

What i have noticed however is that the paint on the rocker cover has cracked in one spot.....that is due to my impatience once it was removed and cleaned. It was keyed first with wet and dry before painting but i suspect that a little dust or grease was left on it when the paint went on. Never mind it will touch up ok

I must recommend however cleaning up your engine bay, it gives great satisfaction when its done and its not hard or expensive either

When i saw Sid's V6 at the DSM rally i thought....hhmmm nice big engine cover that, that would come up a treat

I must however pay respect to the ever helpful technical helpline of Jims

If it wasnt for knowing i could receive supportive advice i wouldnt have gone near the rocker cover.....cheers Jim, your the man 8)

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » 26 Jun 2009, 22:44

Damn you vince it puts mine to shame!

vince · Post by **vince** » 26 Jun 2009, 23:03

Best get cleaning then Dave

its fun for all the family

Sid_the_Squid · Post by **Sid_the_Squid** » 27 Jun 2009, 22:28

When i saw Sid's V6 at the DSM rally i thought....hhmmm nice big engine cover that, that would come up a treat

He he, yep it sure would look nice. I'd love to get the intake manifold sandblasted and all shiny, sadly don't have the cash.

You have a done a fantastic job with your car Vince

vince · Post by **vince** » 27 Jun 2009, 23:06

Paint it Sid, its what the hot rod builders do

vince · Post by **vince** » 29 Jun 2009, 22:39

Ok, so since i bought the car.....a year or two ago the rev counter has never worked.....I knew working in the parts game that the sensor that feeds the guage (TDC sensor) must be duff but never got round to changing it....UNTIL NOW

Finally after all this time my rev counter has burst into life 8) To celebrate i took it for a blast on the motorway and discovered something else that needs attention

Not sure what it is yet so see the Citroen section for my query

CitroJim · Post by **CitroJim** » 29 Jun 2009, 23:49

Geat stuff Vince

Excellent

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 30 Jun 2009, 10:36

WHat a Nice Xantia 8)

It looked very fetching at Weatherby last month, i even took some pictures of it.

Brigsygtt · Post by **Brigsygtt** » 30 Jun 2009, 12:33

Looks spot on, can't beat a clean engine bay 8)

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 30 Jun 2009, 16:53

I can see at least two parts missing

One I suspect was intentionally removed but the other, I suspect, would cause an emissions failure in the US.

But that sure is one shiney engine bay 8)

vince · Post by **vince** » 30 Jun 2009, 20:55

Im intruiged now Mike....what parts are missing? i havent removed anything