Jakbop the Xantia

[Sid_the_Squid]

Just noticed you snuck a post past me there

Having a lexia does help to get the temp correct, but its not 100% essential.
Give the car a good warm up run before should be good enough, and a good tick over warm up after refilling.
Calibrating the gears?? they must be referring to a "auto adaptive reinitialize", that's only required if some actual work is done on the box, defiantly not for a simple oil change.
What is important is to get the lexia to reset the 'oil counter', its not something that must be done immediately as it has no direct bearing influence on the oil, what it does is try to count the life span of the oil, if it reaches a predefined number it will put the box in limp home mode. so if you change the oil its advisable to reset the counter.

No need for ramps, with the car on high there is enough room underneath, just make sure the ground is flat.

[John Plum]

To remove the driveshaft oils seal, Haynes manual gives explicit instructions for the manual gearbox transmission. It looks like th eaito AL4 , you have to remove a differential bearing stop plate, to remove the seal, as per manual MLT5.
If anyone is able to confirm this, please do so.

EDIT: no that was incorrect, looking at it for real, its got no stop plate, and its not like the other version they show, the Haynes manual is misleading just here..anyway the seal pulls out from the diff housing.

[CitroJim]

John,

I'm quite happy to make my Lexia and workspace available to you for an oil change at a mutually convenient time.

I've missed a sailent point on the driveshaft seals somewhere. Are yours leaking? On the AL4 (and 4HP20) they are totally different to the manual 'boxes as the driveshafts run in dry splines so they can be removed without spilling gearbox oil (all part of the sealed for life myth).

They are however totally conventional and can be removed using the self-tapping screw and claw hammer trchnique. Fro the installation of new ones, strictly a tool is needed but it's one easily made on the lathe.

It's easy to confuse the LH seal leaking with LHM dripping down from the reservoir above...

[John Plum]

hi jim, thanks a lot. no they're not leaking, i was going to replace the seal as a matter of course.

[mark21td]

John I know what you mean about throttle control, I used to ride a 1200 bandit all year round, can be scary in the snow and ice, but great fun in the dry.

[John Plum]

Hey mark, gosh. i hope you didn't go past too many pain barriers in the cold and ice...I did , but it was bad when I got off and couldn't walk, because my knees were frozen. I used to tell myself I was hardening myself up and went on for maybe 200 miles no fairing on my Norton fastback 750cc in hail storms, torrents, icy wind, snow and ice! I seemed to think I was immortal when I was 18. I may be , but this body isn't! I wasn't hard I was foolish I suppose. BUt I still have to sleep with a window open, and don't like central heating much at all.

I did a University Study pain test once and they stopped the test saying I had gone past the limit they consider safe (irrepreable damage) for permissible tests. Interestingly they said some few people do go beyond that limit, (2% I think), and that the most frequent group are ballet dancers!
Now I don't like unnecessary pain , in fact I can't stand it - it really hurts more when I don't have to have to have it; I'm older and more fragile!?? Maybe not - sensible I like to kid myself.
I still love to ride a decent motorcycle.

[mark21td]

I gave up bikeing 2 1/2 years ago, something to do with getting old, staying alive and keeping my licence, I had a real self control problem.
I had some devals horns that grew every time I swung my leg over the sadle
One day I'll get another bike .

[John Plum]

@mark21td :

Progress:
Made some progress this weekend, n/s driveshaft overhauled, along with brake caliper and balljoints. Abs warning light-on Cured!
I'll post a little more on that along with a photo later, to show off my cleaning. Been delayed by getting parts, which has also been time-consuming: The main order was delayed for six days, with a note "contact the customer", because they had run out of one particular radiator. I found out when I contacted the last Thursday. Now I must wait until Tues or Wednesday for the other parts, and yet to order a radiator and rear silencer. Bit weary of the ordering process.

[John Plum]

Here are pictures of cleaning up the brake and suspension, to refit a driveshaft. The guard was well-coroded, you see it after application of rust inhibitor. The outer cv joint was coroded too. In the picure some rust remains around the abs cog. I removed that too , and re inspected with light taps from a metal hammer. All parts were de-greased, wire brushed and chipped with a welders' chipping hammer, then brushed with inhibitor before wiping down again and then coating with red oxide. After a quick test drive, I did the driver side afterwards, but that was less greasy and I didn't remove the drive shafts or replace the balljoints.



The nearside lower strut balljoint had to be drilled out slowly at the local engineers. Tiplers' is an old family firm, but now retired, it still goes on run by its staff of 25 plus years, though still owned by the family. It cost me £40.00, adding to the expense. It's three times in life I've gone to a garage for drilling out. I appreciate the patient steady a hand and eye, and the workshop tools. It may have taken him up to an hour. I don't know. No way was it going to budge with a chisel, the metal rounded. Two lugs left and Tiplers tried the same , with the same results. I was never defeated by a balljoint myself before, including some tough ones.

Also took the time to degrease the engine under tray and corner bits, clean up the radiator lugs, degrease the engine where necessary, degrease the front wheels. The degreasing and de-rust work took the most time, and was unpleasant with paraffin and a mask even, but was worth it for the future.

The track rod ball joint I got as a replacement was too long! No room for adjustment. Had to return it and replace with a QH version, which was the right length as it turned out. I'm still waiting for some parts. The exhaust downpipe arrived yesterday.
My radiator isn't a common one I found out. Also expecting a wire ratchet crimping tool to arrive, as well as as a butane gas soldering iron.

[John Plum]

Repaired Brake Pad Wear-Limit Wires.
At the point of dismantling my driver-side brake pads, I tore the black wear limit wire which is fixed into the pad. I repaired this successfully with a 4.7mm brass bullet:
I widened the bullet out a little with a punch in the bullet's bore, whilst in the pad hole, and resting against some metal - 2p coins as shims on an anvil. I couldn't get it to fit tight, just almost so, which was enough with some epoxy glue added after soldering in the wire to the bullet first. To seal and strengthen, a blob of epoxy to cover the the wire as it goes into the pad insert hole: I did the last bit of gluing with brake assembled on the hub carrier.

[John Plum]

Name of the Car
I called this blog Jakbop the xantia: Jakbop is a name invented by my son at 3 years old. It reminds me of fun making up words..., as well as a kind of 'Free and Responsible' fun way of being and, dance. Jak could be an enigmatic person - free, innocent yet earnest, like my son at that age. Jack is my Fathers' name. I use it for anything when I need a new name and can't think of one straight way. Whenever I am reminded of it I find it inspiring.
But I'm tempted just call this car Ralph, my sons' name. Which means wolf.

[John Plum]

BX to Go
I have to let go of the BX. In other circumstances, I would have kept it, and welded the sills. Found someone interested in it to run it, in Kent. Shortly to collect. I 'm giving it away, the man was really pleased, and expected to pay I don't know what for it.

[John Plum]

Parts Arrived.. moving toward MOT

Parts on order arrived yesterday, so I can go ahead with the exhaust and wire repair: a nice heavy ratchet crimp tool arrived as well. I practiced a little with the crimping, It's a far better tool than the rubbish that was offered to me a few years ago. I'm glad I am being put onto crimping, because I can see the joints are very good. I have ordered a refillable (proper) gas soldering iron though anyway, in case i need it, ever. Good for heat shrinking as well.

[John Plum]

I dismantled the Exhaust Yesterday, but took the precaustion of asking a few questions first. The thread is here:
http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 638#197638, called 'Removing xantia exhaust front pipe flange nuts'. It gives good instructions if you haven't done it on a xantia before.

[John Plum]

Finished Today:

• The tailgate wires are repaired, using crimps. All works fine now, reverse and stop lights.
  exhaust down pipe and rear box replaced and fitted

Left to DO for MOT:

• I've ordered a pair of anti-roll bar link drop rods. One is in bad condition, probably because i caused it to twist: it just drops off.
  The side airbag warning light is always on
  Replace n/s foglight bulb
  replace fuel return pipes

Shortly

• Replace dripping radiator
  Observe and replace rocker cover gasket if necessary
  replace gearbox oil
  investigate closely and fix blower motor (always on)
  replace some hydraulic pipe seals
  examine cambelt closely
  examine ancillary belt
  get an ipod input to audio system
  clean and wax paintwork

Later on

• replace all spheres - acceptable at the moment.