LHM weeping at steering pinion

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StevieM
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LHM weeping at steering pinion

Post by StevieM »

Xantia "N" reg 16v 1.8 96000miles

After sorting out all my "lazy" hydraulic issues, with the generous advice offered on this forum, by combination of brake bleeding/new spheres/cleaning filters, I added Hydraflush (only 400 miles on this so far), treated it to new cambelt/w-pump/aux drivebelt.....all sorted!!! (so I thought)
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Until............
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Patches of LHM leak on my nice blk-paved-drive.
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I have identified the leak tonight - up on axle stand...OS front wheel removed:-
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Am sure most of you know what this is but:-
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Where the steering column UJ connects to the rack, there is a white plastic (nylon?) seal, similar to the lid of a tupperware pot approx 1 1/4" diameter.
If I lightly press this sideways, LHM will weep out.
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This seal spins with the UJ/column, and will weep more when steering exercised.
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This seems to have only just ocurred (wonder if Hydraflush is less viscous, and has crept round some seals inside that would have stopped LHM??)
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Anyhow, I would be really grateful to know the cheapest/least involved (in situ?) way of rectifying this, as it seems a shame after all the other work/expense on the car so far.
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MANY thanks, Steve
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Deanxm
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Post by Deanxm »

Hi Steve

It will be the top oil seal has failed on the pinion valve, a refurb kit for the pinion can be purchased from cit at a reasonable price (£20 ish) and the top oil seal can be replaced easily but, i dont think your going to be able to do it in situ although you can do it without removing the pinion valve from the steering gear.
I will stick a couple of piccies on for you in a sec

D
XM Prestige PRV6 92
Talbot Express Autotrail Chinook 89
Mitsubishi L200 Trojan 14
Xantia Activa 95, sold (missed)

Service Citroen is awesome, it shows me pictures of all the parts i used to be able to buy............
Deanxm
Posts: 3327
Joined: 18 Dec 2008, 17:57
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My Cars: Citroen XM
x 87

Post by Deanxm »

I cant find my pictures that concentrate soley on the pinion stripdown but here is one of a complete steering assembly, yours must be original as it has the old style white dustcap on it but the later ones are changed and are coloured
Image

You should be able to take the dust cap off the top and under that will be if not another metal dustcap :roll: a circlip, remove the circlip which hold the top oil seal in and wind a couple of self tapping screws into the seal and pull out with pliers, then put it back together.
If your mad or brave or both you could recon the whole pinion but it is not for the faint hearted
Image
Found one!

Good luck
D
XM Prestige PRV6 92
Talbot Express Autotrail Chinook 89
Mitsubishi L200 Trojan 14
Xantia Activa 95, sold (missed)

Service Citroen is awesome, it shows me pictures of all the parts i used to be able to buy............
StevieM
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Post by StevieM »

Dean,

Many tks for this info......much appreciated.
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I'll order seals and maybe just try to fit top one.
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Rgds, Steve
Deanxm
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x 87

Post by Deanxm »

A few more things, a pinion overhaul is not something to be undertaken lightly, although it can be done without the special too citroen use to compress the seals on the core as it is inserted back into the housing it is a proper, proper pita and its handy to have 2 sets of seals if thats what you intend to do as they stretch very easerly when fitted and make it even harder to reasemble.

Here is the core with the bearing still on it. the bearing will have to be removed to reasemble without damaging the bottom oil seal
Image

Here is the old style dust cover and the new saftey type
Image

And this is the kit you should get
Image
The three seals are for the core, thee large oil seal is the bottom one and the small is the top one, i have no idea why you get so many different colour covers they are all the same though............

Good luck
D
XM Prestige PRV6 92
Talbot Express Autotrail Chinook 89
Mitsubishi L200 Trojan 14
Xantia Activa 95, sold (missed)

Service Citroen is awesome, it shows me pictures of all the parts i used to be able to buy............
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

The different colour plastic protectors are to match the original plastic protector cap in same colour.
The protector colour instantly tells the service guys which variant pinion valve they should get from stock.
The colour is the only immediate outer difference on the various pinion valves for BX, Xantia and XM variants.
As you wont otherwise notice any small differences in the pinion cut ...

The repair kit 4048.Q8 covers all models using this type of pinion valve.
Anders (DK) - '90 BX16Image
Deanxm
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Post by Deanxm »

Thanks for that, do you know which colour the old white cap should be replaced with?

D
XM Prestige PRV6 92
Talbot Express Autotrail Chinook 89
Mitsubishi L200 Trojan 14
Xantia Activa 95, sold (missed)

Service Citroen is awesome, it shows me pictures of all the parts i used to be able to buy............
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Deanxm wrote:Thanks for that, do you know which colour the old white cap should be replaced with?

D
You did'nt find it on the service net then :D

Let me try if I have better luck ... :lol:

I'll be back ...

EDIT :
brown cap : BX & XM 1 both LHD & RHD
orange cap : XM 2 (DTS - 3.1L) both LHD & RHD
black cap : XM 2 (DTS - 4L) both LHD & RHD
Blue cap : Xantia 1 UNTIL OPR 06778 both LHD & RHD
Red cap : Xantia 1 RHD UNTIL OPR 06778
White cap : Xantia 1 & 2 SINCE OPR 06779 UNTIL OPR 07126 both LHD & RHD & LHD SINCE OPR 07511
green cap : Xantia 1 SINCE OPR 07127 UNTIL OPR 07510 LHD
opaque yellow : Xantia 1 & 2 SINCE OPR 07127 UNTIL OPR 07510 RHD & RHD SINCE OPR 07511

NOTE : this is the main information only. There is a HUGE listing of different mnodel, engine & body variants whiuch uses several different pinion valves. You'll need a couple of hours to get an overview of all possible variants ...

There is no mention to replace a white colour cap with any other colour.
But I did notice there was no white cap in the kit I purchased some 3 years ago, because I'd already been studying service net at that time before purchasing.

Cant you just find a white "3-in-1" oil tube or similar small plastic tube/bottle and cut off the bottom section ?
Anders (DK) - '90 BX16Image
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Clogzz
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Post by Clogzz »

My leaking pinion was repaired at a power steering place a few months ago, and they put the original white cap back on.
2002 C5 2.0i AL4 230,000 km 76372389
citroenxm
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Post by citroenxm »

This is interesting! A pinion leak after a Hydraflush....

Ive a Xantia 1994 L reg, Anti sink, with 208,000 uk miles on it, just before I got it I did a hydraflush on the system for 5k miles then changed back to LHM... some 800 miles later, a weep, or what looks to be a weep on the steering pinion ...

Does the hyraflush do more harm then good to certain seals, or is it coincidance!??

Paul
Sharing a pug 207 1.6 hdi Sw 16v.
M reg Xm 2.1 td auto exclusive S2 269k and rising
L reg XM V6 12v SEi auto .. Light project

A very sad...
1994 XM 2.1 d auto
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