Xac's adventures with Cassy (and friends + wife)

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 15 Jun 2009, 21:51

I forgot to mention, when I popped round to Jim's I picked up the electric window gubbins I'd left there and fitted them when I got home.
Basically, Juliet's door is not the original, and the connector for the motor that was in it had a whole bank of pins, whereas the original had two pins.
It took me about an hour to swap them over, during which time I found a small bolt in the bottom of the door.
This secures the ouside handle which until yesterday was quite floppy when you pulled on it

Next is to get the back up, drain the LHM, clean the filters, remove the rear high corrector and check the rear hydractive valve as it keeps sticking in hard mode despite the magic black box being fitted.
The RHC is sluggish, and it's got the cable tie mod on the plastic bar, so someone's bodged it in the past.
I may also, depending on finances and how long it takes me to clean the RHC, try and get hold of a new rear bumper and fit that.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 24 Jun 2009, 09:22

Popped round to Jim's last night after work to borrow his sphere tool.
I showed him how Juliet was leaning and we discovered the lateral corrector has seized, which would explain the creaking I'd been hearing that day.
I headed home and got the front up in the air.
The corrector was so stiff I could only move it by carefully using a pry bar, although that can only be used on one side as the other has nothing to pivot against.
The plates of the corrector are rubbing against the flat surface of it's housing, and they have a thin layer of rust between them.
Working it with the pry bar and plenty of spray lube has helped, but it's still too stiff on the drivers side to move much by hand, and the passenger side is impossible.
Will probably have to remove it to give it a good clean.

Onto the back, removing the spheres was suprisingly easy, I even managed to avoid a douche vert! Although had it not, it would have been more like a douche jaune given the colour of the lhm

Definitely in need of some hydroflush, I dread to think how clogged the filters are!
So, I have removed all the rear sphers, marked them and will take them for testing at Jim's.
I'm expecting most to be flat as none look that new.
It was gone 11pm when I finished, so I didn't have time to remove the rear height corrector.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 24 Jun 2009, 11:36

Good work Xac

You'll find the car will feel a heck of a lot better whith the roll corrector sorted

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 26 Jun 2009, 11:37

Took Cassy with Danielle round to Jim's last night to check Juliet's rear spheres.
I fitted the antisink sphere to Richard's tester and duly turned the wheel.
The needle hardly moved, so I checked and yes the bleed screw was done up, the reading was indeed correct, instead of 55psi, it was only 5!
The rear centre and activa spheres were also flat at 10 and 20 psi.
Thankfully the hydractive corner spheres were gooduns at 30psi.
I'm popping along to GSF on Saturday to get some hydroflush, so I'll pick up new spheres when I'm there.
I'll also remove the front activa sphere and test that at Jim's.
We're pretty sure the front centre sphere is good because in soft mode the front is very soft.
I've also got to remove and clean the rear height corrector.

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 26 Jun 2009, 12:17

Xac wrote: I've also got to remove and clean the rear height corrector.

I cleaned mine the other day, a lot better access than the front HC!
If you are taking it off I reckon it should be possible to take the linkage off without disturbing the hydraulic side of things. Those new seals are expensive little things

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 26 Jun 2009, 21:03

I was shocked at how flat those spheres were Xac

You are going to see such a heck of a difference in your Activa with the suspension sorted. It'll be a revalation, I guarantee

Maybe I should let you have a spin in mine just to see how an Activa should be...

arkweld · Unread post by **arkweld** » 26 Jun 2009, 21:48

Hi , as for the Activa rear anti-sink from GSF , anyone know what to get . After my visit , N45372 was the sphere on there list for this .
Although with the same Volume/pressure 400/50 as the "N45338 (which gsf dont have ) . I declined there offer as the GSF online catalogue say's what they wanted to sell me was EXC Activa . Any thought's thank's

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 27 Jun 2009, 22:55

I'm fitting the normal A/S.

Got to GSF around midday with some chap giving the bloke behind the desk a bit of a headache. From what I could gather, he was asking for a part that he may not need but didn't want to pay for it unless he ended up using it!
Anyway, the activa specific spheres won't be in until Monday lunchtime, so dad's going over tuesday to get them for me.
I picked up two lots of hydroflush, the A/S sphere and some 3.5mm seals.

After a very nice lunch at Dunstable with Danielle, I took her to meet my mum which went well

Then we headed home to work on the car. I refitted the two good corner spheres and got to work trying to remove the height corrector.
Unfortunately the only T40 I had was for a screwdriver, so would have damaged the head of the bolt.
Thankfully Jim lent me his torx socket set and some petrol and I was able to remove the HC.
The linkages are rotating fine so unless I'm wrong, it's not seized at all.
I also removed the resevoir to replace the LHM with hydroflush.
This was made much easier by removing the airbox and then using a pry bar under the tank and rotating it to pop it out of it's grommet, then it just lifted out without spilling a drop.
Emptied and cleaned out, I replaced it and filled up with some hydroflush.
Next I tackled the filters which were filthy.
The LHM that was dripping off them was coke coloured!
Using Jim's petrol, an old toothbrush of Danielle's and some cotton buds I cleaned them up a treat

Reconnecting the return pipes, I found one had snapped!
It's a thin one with a larger section on the end which then fits on the filter spiggot, so I'll need to see if I can get the larger section off and replace it, or find a larger pipe to fit over it.

So what's left?
Tomorrow, if Jim's available in the afternoon, take the HC to him for his opinion.
If it's ok, re-fit the HC.
Fit deans connectors to the pre-tensioner leads under the passenger seat to hopefully stop the airbag light flashing.
If there's time, I may see about taking the instrument panel out to check the bulbs as some aren't working and some only work if I slap the dash

Then on Tuesday fit the new spheres, bleed the brakes and go for a drive to see what a difference it's made

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 28 Jun 2009, 21:12

Well the rear HC has recieved the CitroJim seal of approval, the linkages are working lovely, so it's the hydrolic part which will get a good flush through with hydroflush once the spheres have been replaced.

As it takes the same amount of force with a pry bar to move the rear HC linkages when in place as it does to move the roll corrector ones, I'm guessing the same issue is there, so hopefully with the hydroflush it will be sorted.

Now the rear HC is back in place, and the A/S sphere is fitted, I just need to wait for dad to pick up the remaining spheres on Tuesday then I can get her up on her feet and check for leaks.

Didn't get time to replace the fuel filter or sort out the connectors under the passenger seat as I had a plea for a 21mm spanner from a friend who's partner's Seat is off the road.
Saturday he replaced the front brake discs and pads, and last night she told him it was knocking so he took a look and found her driver's front spring had snapped!
I did point out that if they had a Xanttia it wouldn't have happened and rather than £60 for the spring it's only £25 for a sphere but they just weren't listening. Some people eh?

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 01 Jul 2009, 00:13

Pipes all fitted, new spheres fitted, set the car on high, up at the front, down at the back - uh-oh!
Phoned Jim and he popped round to check against his V6 (I tried my best not to drool)
Yes, I had the two pipes on the driver's side of the rear height corrector the wrong way round.
Fixed that and Juliet is now lovely and soft at the back

However the roll corrector is well and truly seized, so it's had to come off.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 01 Jul 2009, 23:14

Took the roll corrector over to Jim's this evening and it was more seized than I thought.
I didn't realise the linkage unit should be able to spin freely on it's mounting plate!
Jim set to work with the magic plus gas and managed to get it to turn under force.
With a mix of plus gas, WD40 and 3in1 oil, loads of tiny rust particles were begining to make their way out.
We wondered if the pin holding it all together could be pressed out, but 2Ton of pressure wasn't enough, but did free it up a little bit more.
Working as a tag team, the mounting plate can now be rotated with one finger.
The linkages however are still very stiff with plenty of rust particles underneath.
Citroen have at least tried to help stop it seizing by making the unit with plastic plates between the moving metal faces, but with so much rust it's causing too much friction.
The use of plastic makes me wonder if perhaps a silicon based oil or grease might be a better option (my silicon spray worked wonders on Cassy's spare wheel hook!).
The corrector is now soaking in a saucepan of diesel which hopefully will seep into all the gaps and help free it up.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 02 Jul 2009, 14:50

Well the diesel (and slug) bath has helped loads.
Popped home at lunch and gave the linkages a good workout, much easier although still a little stiff.
Will soak it until I get home from work tonight.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 05 Jul 2009, 01:20

Well it's been a weekend of lows and highs.
Re-fitted the roll corrector, and in doing so sheered the head off the bolt holding the o/s roll link in the wish bone.
Managed to drill the remains of the bolt out (after failing to move it a micron with an extractor) only to snap the drill bit as it was coming out.
Drilled that out, and re-cut the thread to fit a suitable bolt, so now everything is back together.
Then I discovered I'd left the adjustment instructions at work.
So it looks like it will be next week before I get the car driveable again.
Frustrating but also very satisfying to know that the hard part has been done.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 06 Jul 2009, 11:45

Jim popped round to lend a hand with Juliet, as she was listing to the n/s.
Her roll corrector was not behaving properly at all.
Pushing on one end of a control rod (5273 37 and 5273 38 ) showed the corrector linkage moving, but no response from the corrector.
Jim looked understandably puzzled as the solution cogs wizzed away inside his mighty brain.
We managed to get her up on ramps, and Jim dived under again armed with a prybar and screwdriver.
Using the prybar to move the linkages, Juliet wiggled and danced, and then started to bow alarmingly fast.
I've never seen someone move so quickly while lying down as Jim flew out from underneath!
Brave as ever, he went underneath and used the screwdriver to centre the corrector, and I have to say Juliet was very level.
The problem lay in the control rod guide blocks (5273 60), they were so worn you could see daylight through them!

The roll correction works by the difference between the movement of the two control rods connected to the wishbones.
There was so much play in the system that the corrector just didn't know what was going on.

So I'm off to Peugeot in Bletchley at lunch to order the new rods and guides, which should arrive in a few days.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 06 Jul 2009, 15:19

I've ordered the parts from a very nice chap at the local Peugeot dealership (god I hate Peugeots) for £40.70inc
They should arrive on Wednesday, so fingers crossed