GEEEE'z what an adventure!

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 07 Apr 2009, 21:15

Another large gap without a huge amount to update if im honest.

I've uploaded a second Video Guide to the FCF YouTube channel. By the way if anyone fancies making their own French Car related video, it would be more than welcome. Doesn't have to be a guide, a bit of history maybe, CCC gathering etc...

The last fortnightly check on the Xantia has shown that im loosing some sort of fluid, possibly oil or denzil or a combination, which is showing in three small puddles underneath the engine bay. The biggest is dripping of the bottom of the sump. I've also found a collection of diesel feeling/smelling fluid settling around the injector on the gearbox end almost like it is seeping from the top union.
I will be taking a proper look at this on Good Friday if the weather holds out. Also time to bring the tractor out from storage aswell to work on

Courtesy of Whitecrook, the Xantia has a PH1/D head unit, I can now vouch for the improved sound loudness/quality and the smoother letters

Now its a case of finding/wiring a CD Changer loom to connect the BP CD changer I have

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 08 Apr 2009, 22:02

Put the Xantia up on Axle stands after work today to give the front HC linkage a good clean. I was hoping to take the whole HC and carrier off but one pipe union refused to play ball, I plus gassed it before I attempted to clean the linkage in-situ.
After a good brush with a pot of WD40 I thought that the suspension might just work properly again...how wrong was I

Now it refuses to settle at the normal driving position, classic white clip falling off symptoms

Unfortunatly, the white clip and anti roll bar metal is all in place, so its looking like a bit of dirt might be lodged in one of the springs. Couldn't really look at it anymore this evening as the darkness crept in so providing the weather holds out that will be a job for tomorrow.

I had a nose around the collection of fluid leaks I appear to have and some LHM coloured fluid was covering the accumulator sphere and pressure regulator

I've cleaned it all up so I can identify where the leak is originating from.

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 15 Apr 2009, 16:58

I attempted to clean the HC again a couple of days ago but only made things worse as now the front of the car will either go high or low

so the HC HAD to come off.
I had the front HC off the Xantia this afternoon, not as bad a job as I was expecting actually. The amount of oily mush on the HC and linkage is huge, the back of the auto adjusting spring where I couldn't get access was caked

Im going to finish cleaning it up tomorrow and see if ive got some motion.

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 15 Apr 2009, 18:17

superloopy wrote:
Howzabout 'YouTube'ing what's needed for this job ... something I must do
to my TD soon as it's got major probs with its uppies and downies

Thats a point

I could do a photo guide, getting my video camera under the Xant would be a bit of a problem, poor light and space. Need a second pair of hands under a ramp really and unfortunatly my matewitharamp is using it at the current.

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 17 Apr 2009, 19:50

Its all well and good looking at the diagrams in the Citroen Guide, but it makes no match to pulling levers/pouring LHM in yourself and seeing what happens

This bit pre-dates the previous posting:
Could I find a 8mm one? No chance. Factors only stocked 10 and 11mm flare nut spanners. The nearest I got was a 9mm at Halfrauds for nearly 6 quid

In the end, I found a set of 12 Sealey ones on Amazon of all places for around £15

At this point the car was undrivable as there was no way the car would stay at the normal driving position so a lot of catching lifts ensued while waiting for me new set of spanners to arrive

One of these lifts was to a special RoADAR meet with a guest speaker by the name of Chris Gilbert who trains class 1 police drivers and even taught a couple of the Royals to drive. Learnt a lot from the talk and picked up his Driving Commentry DVD at a discount price

Anyway, back to removing the HC.
Got the car looking like it was about to join the other aircraft and had another go with the unions and of course it looks like someone had a go before me, the evidence being a slipage on one of the unions, this made more work as the recently purchased flare spanners just slipped over again making things worse

. In the end the mole grips came out to inch out the union. After this the pipes were rather tight too. After all the linkages came off I somehow managed to swiftly remove the HC from the car within a couple of minutes which I was suprised with as I was expecting it to be more wiggly and fiddly, the same happened for putting it back after remember the 'method'.

I picked up some new seals at the Citroen garage for the astronomical sum of £3.55

and fitted the sparkly clean and greased HC and linkage back onto the car, it was a bit fiddly connecting the linkages back on but again, once a method was found it was made easier. One thing I was worried about was swarf and oily stuff getting into the hydraulic bits, I had blocked all the endings but always in the back of my mind that something may have slipped through

After a bit of adjustment of the manual height lever, the car will now sit at any level from any level apart from intermediate high which I put down to needing a bit more adjusting of the manual height lever.
The first drive after tinkering was with my brother who commented on the improved ride comfort, of which I agreed

Things are a lot more floaty now

Look out for a photo writeup in the not so distant future

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 02 May 2009, 20:21

Excellent work Kev

Pleased it turned out well...

So it was easy then, one you'd found the "method" to wriggle it out..

Next time, try an Activa

They're rather more hemmed in and it sits very close to the roll corrector and the job then becomes a real fiddle, especially doing it in the dead of winter lying on freezing concrete....

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 02 May 2009, 22:21

red_dwarfers wrote:One of these lifts was to a special RoADAR meet with a guest speaker by the name of Chris Gilbert who trains class 1 police drivers and even taught a couple of the Royals to drive. Learnt a lot from the talk and picked up his Driving Commentry DVD at a discount price

Nice bloke Chris, I worked with him until his retirement.

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 26 May 2009, 16:53

DickieG wrote: Nice bloke Chris, I worked with him until his retirement.

Cor! What are the chances of that!
Shame he doesn't drive a C6

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 26 May 2009, 17:03

Well, I've not been about much recently

Still stuck me head in around the corner, no reason/excuse for this. Just had me head stuck doing other things is the best one I can think of

The Xantia hasn't caused me any trouble recently, its been mostly treking me between golf courses the last few weeks.

The Height Corrector guide has been on my hard drive far too long now so I've proof read and made some small changes, and will be uploading it today, so many days past my personal deadline date its unreal

I do apologise to those who could have done with it earlier

davetherave · Unread post by **davetherave** » 26 May 2009, 21:26

Its a very useful guide! If i had known it about 2 years ago i would have saved myself a load a money when my xantia went dragster style on me!

Unread post by **myglaren** » 26 May 2009, 22:31

Excellent guide Kev. It could well save many an awful lot of bother.

RE: photo's. Have a look and see if your camera has a makro setting, usually signified by a tulip glyph.

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 15 Jun 2009, 20:57

Firstly, the DSM rally up in Little Horwood was awesome 8) . It also transpires that one of my bosses spent a couple of years living in Little Horwood before he came down here!

Met up with fair few FCF members, I darn't list all the usernames as im bound to leave one out

When I finally made it to the venue, a DS was coming in the opposite direction so naturally I let the D go in front of me over the bumpy lane.

That was an awesome sight!
I caught up with the owner who was a very nice chap, (as all Citroen appriciators

) during the conversation we got onto the subject of the convoy drive the following day and I was offered the passenger seat in a DS Pallas

It really is how people describe it, floating on a bed of water sitting in your favourite armchair. Its not just the suspension that makes a DS a DS, the whole character, safety features, two tone horn, the quietness of the engine, headlamps...I could go on

Later on on Saturday me, davetherave and another chap were treated to a spin in a 2.7 V6 turbo HDi Exclusive. An awesome car! It has a different character to the DS in that its better at the very small bumps and you can certainly stick it around corners without any roll. It even tells you that all of your seat belts are plugged in correctly

Going on to the mini FCF meet, it worked out that all of our cars were in roughly the same place which worked out well

The beige leather in Sid the Squids V6

DickieG had brought his DS which was quite a picture

Vince's car was SPOTLESS right down to the shiny Bosch injection pump, you needed sunglasses during the high sun

. It was amusing to see Jim giving his already mirror like Activa a good polish aswell

I spent a bit of money up there too, an OEM Citroen Valeo clutch from vince and some new stainless steel bumper strips from Brian Primmer. Also picked up a couple XM brocures to drool over aswell as an accesories manual for the Xantia.

Oh and of course, the SM

What an amazing looking car and packed engine bay! It even looks to be quite a task to change the battery

That was just a mear summary of the weekend, skimming the top as it were. It was really great to meet up with friends I haven't seen for a few months and make some more

Citroen appriciators really are the nicest of people, it makes it all worthwhile owning them

davetherave · Unread post by **davetherave** » 15 Jun 2009, 21:18

Citroen appriciators really are the nicest of people, it makes it all worthwhile owning them

Agreed!

It was a great event, im looking forward to the national! That ride in the C6 really was rather smooth!

I also got the replacement metal strips and am itching to fit them.
Hopefully one day ill have a DS too (ill have to keep a look out in the south of france this year!).

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 15 Jun 2009, 21:34

davetherave wrote:
Citroen appriciators really are the nicest of people, it makes it all worthwhile owning them
Agreed!

Absolutely spot-on

Best thing about owning a Citroen and certainly the best thing I ever did, getting into Citroens and it was all by accident really

I often wonder if there are any other makes of cars that have the same incredibly friendly, sociable and helpful band of owners?

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 22 Jun 2009, 21:51

Starting with a few Chevron related videos which I think deserve a link

Citroen BX Tribute
Citroen Xantia - The Pursuit of Perfection
Citroen XM V6 24v
Activa....Incident - Only watch if you are feeling brave

As mentioned previously, I picked up some stainless steel bumper trims for the Xantia at the DSM rally. Cue a 3rd Citroen video guide - fitting replacement stainless steel bumper trims

Now they're all fitted, they make the car look proper nice

Problem is, they put the front and rear trims to shame

I picked up a rear accumulator the other day to fit over the weekend too, not clicking at the time that I would need a new union seal, I had been supplied with the big corner sphere seal instead. Cue a quick trip into the dealer by another family member the following day. I think Xantias are starting to get a bit of a reputation up my way with mine being on axle stands every couple of months

A regular dog walker asked me "Whats wrong with it now?!" in a jokingly voice.
While I was under there I had a nose at the rear height corrector, it was rather grubby, covered in oily mush and a bit rusty in places so a good bit of muck shifting followed by wd-40ing. When it came to taking off the white plastic clip to manipulate it, I found a clip over it to keep it on the antiroll bar link, it looked rather OEM. Would it have been?

Overall, im nearly happy with the suspension, the ride heights look roughly right now the front linkage has been properly cleaned and greased and the rear has had a good clean in-situ. Just got to sort out the front sinking problem and sticking LHM float.

I've also got to look at the injector leak. I've also notice that at some point in the last week something has sprayed out of somewhere, covering the side of the air cleaner box....investigations will commence soon.

All this work I've been doing since I've had the car, im getting even more to the point where I don't think I could sell the car even if I was offered a higher spec/lower milage model. I wonder what the future holds for this car....