Dean's Activa/XM/V6 and now Talbot blog

XantiaMan · Post by **XantiaMan** » 03 Aug 2010, 21:08

Baileys do an aftermarket recirc if you cannot find a 406 one. I wouldnt bother, spending time on a cold air feed will gain you power.

Post by **CitroJim** » 03 Aug 2010, 21:11

I'll make you a bush next time I'm in the mood Dean. PM or email me your address at some point and I can then pop it in the post.

Howard said the rear ram was a bit weepy. How bad is it?

I'm sure a good kitchen makeover will do the trick. I'm up to that next week

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 03 Aug 2010, 21:20

well so far as i can see its damp like it was sprayed with wd40 a week ago certainly no drips that i can see, i think the main thing is to get boost and do the matrix and then drive it and pick out the other problems as i go, i noticed today the scuttle panel which i pressume is the one you xant owners have much trouble with is cracked just in front of the passenger window, thee are no wet carpets inside, do xant matrix wee on the floor or does the leak stay hidden if its not too bad?
Will email you my address later Jim.

D

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 03 Aug 2010, 21:31

[/quote]I'm up to that next week

[quote]

Chin up Jim, it could be worse.........

You can probably grasp im not to fussed about getting the bush just yet

D

Citroening · Post by **Citroening** » 03 Aug 2010, 21:36

XantiaMan wrote:Baileys do an aftermarket recirc if you cannot find a 406 one. I wouldnt bother, spending time on a cold air feed will gain you power.

Might look into that, cheers, but it's not struggling for power either way as it's running at about 250bhp

But, every little helps as Tesco says!

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 03 Aug 2010, 21:45

checking the mot history i see 3 years ago it failed on a "front nearside upper top mounting corroded (*DANGEROUS*) went out and checked and after peeling the rubber coating off it seems they are still corroded, they are going to have to come off for a close look, they do seem pretty scabby, thankfully they are cheap for xantia's.....arent they?

d

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 03 Aug 2010, 21:49

Well, hydractive ones are around the £120 mark each, not sure if Activas are different.

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 03 Aug 2010, 21:52

i think Andrew said they were, im sitting down...................

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 03 Aug 2010, 22:00

Yep, if you have friendly Cit Spares guy you'll see one for just the right side
of £100 with the max being that £120 Xac mentions. I've got that Activa dead
strut repair covered here:

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... &start=210

I'm surprised it was tyhe nearside as practically every one I've ever had issues
with is the offside! It was a new strut top Dean, not SH? Does it have a bump
on the front face of the topside rubberised dome under the sphere?

Andrew

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 03 Aug 2010, 22:10

must be original Andrew, they have the same marks as your failed one, both sides are rusty and the O/S one is leaving wear marks in the bonnet insulation but i dont think its about to pop, just on their way, £100 isnt bad at all what i want to know is why the hell is an XM one 4 times that price, someone at citroen is having a giraffe surely?

D

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 05 Aug 2010, 21:42

Thanks gents.

Right Update time, after not having a half our look over the car while my good lady was out this evening i have not at all found the flowing problems, shhhhhh!

I will start with the good though, there is a brand new rad on her and a brand new nissens intercooler, new sony head unit, amp and sub. also chrome dial surrounds which i think look very nice....ok now the bad, the rear activa ram has a goosed bush, the front ram has a leak, not bad but there is a drip of lhm hanging on it (none on the drive) the turbo is seized more solid than a very solid thing which was worst case but expected, the O/S strut gaiter has come adrift from the top and the stut top itself is leaving rub marks on the bonnet lining, the top is rusty underneath and above so i think its dead, the N/S strut is leaking, not something ive come across before but theres always a first time

and the top is again rusty, it would give great peice of mind to replace both though i think, no wet carpets so not sure about the matrix but the scuttle trim is cracked, i wonder if the steaming up was a result of wet coming in from the leaky scuttle and evapourating off the carpet? will have to break the hose out i think.....
the exhaust bracket welding is a bit um, well pigeon s**t springs to mind so that could do with beefing up and the oval gromets missing in the front arches letting muck spray into places where it shouldnt do that needs sorting.
Also no cold air feed to the intake and there is the odd bit of insulating tape around the engine bay which could use the carefull touch of a soldering iron and shrink wrap and last but not least the rear bump stops are..........gone

So are front rams and strut tops the same on an activa as on any other hydractive xantia and are MK1 and MK2 strut tops interchangable or is there strut diameter differences like there is on the XM?

D

Post by **CitroJim** » 05 Aug 2010, 22:26

That was a very productive half hour Dean

Right, rear ram bush. Easy. I'll make you one. Front ram, see my website.

Strut tops sound in a very bad way. They're standard Hydractives. MK2 ones can be made to fit. Unusual for a strut to be leaking. Where from? It's not just a perished leakage return pipe is it. They go where the moulded pipe joins the "foot" attached to the strut with a stainless steel band around it. Are XMs not the same?

The NS strut is Activa specific as it has the special bracket for the top ram balljoint and this is different to the bracket that holds a straight droplink.

I has steaming up problems in my Activa and that was because the plenum drain was broken and when the aircon was used condensate ran down under the carpet. A split in the scuttle panel may let water run in and straight under the carpet. To check, just lift off the door seal so that the edge of the capet can be raised enough to slip your hand in under. Feel around and if you feel damp then this is the cause. Dead matrixes tend to wet the top of the carpet and flood the footwell, scuttle leaks are much more insidious as they are not immediately obvious.

A dead matrix will give the game away by smelling of curry when you call for heat.

A bit of work there to make a really lovely car and it will be. It's a damm good basis and will be well worth doing. Better get that kitchen done first though so that SWMBO is kept happy and aloow you some Activa playtime...

Shame about the turbo. Have you a spare?

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 05 Aug 2010, 22:37

That was a very productive half hour Dean Smile

Well im very keen

Unusual for a strut to be leaking. Where from? It's not just a perished leakage return pipe is it. They go where the moulded pipe joins the "foot" attached to the strut with a stainless steel band around it. Are XMs not the same?

Yes xm's are the same but the leak is coming out from under the gaiter, not heavy but its wet so this could be expensive........

I has steaming up problems in my Activa and that was because the plenum drain was broken and when the aircon was used condensate ran down under the carpet. A split in the scuttle panel may let water run in and straight under the carpet. To check, just lift off the door seal so that the edge of the capet can be raised enough to slip your hand in under. Feel around and if you feel damp then this is the cause. Dead matrixes tend to wet the top of the carpet and flood the footwell, scuttle leaks are much more insidious as they are not immediately obvious.

A dead matrix will give the game away by smelling of curry when you call for heat.

Ok i will have a look into that when i next get the chance Jim, there is a very strong air freshener in there so i cant rule out the matrix i guess.
Turbo wise i do have a spare but it is stripped down to its component parts, i will just get a refurb kit for £50 and make a good one, ive been itching to see if i can successfully build a turbo with my very home made ballancing setup

looking at it i still think there is hope for gettingthe turbo out witht the engine in place albeit rocked forwards but we shall see.

Post by **CitroJim** » 06 Aug 2010, 06:38

Well now, it's still an open question if the turbo will come off with the engine in-situ.. One or the other of us will find out soon

Interesting the turbo is seized. It just may be co-incidence but others I've known suffer this fate have been running open dump valves.

I wonder

KP · Post by KP » 06 Aug 2010, 08:34

Dean is it maybe worth seeing what price Gareths friend would uprate it for if its not much more than that?

IIRC he paid around £100 for his.

I too am interested in the turbo. coming off without the engine coming out.

I think like has been said before, dropping the exhaust off and then rocking the engine forward will be the way to go as i certainly am not taking the head off with the turbo and manifold still attached as my back just isn't upto it