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

Unread post by **RichardW** » 24 May 2011, 12:40

Check the wheel nuts are tight.... mine come loose after banging through a large pot hole (miles from anywhere up a single track road) was convinced I had broken something and was going to need a recovery when I had the wheel nut flash. Nipped up again and all was quiet!

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 28 May 2011, 19:48

Thanks Richard

I did have a check of my nuts after you suggested it but they were fine.
The culprit turned out to be a droplink that had come loose, i think its the wrong one though as they usualy have a shouldner that engages into the cutout on the strut bracket if you know what i mean, well mine does not have this shoulder, it just clamps up face to face and had been being pulled about in thew hole untill the nut came loose, a new droplink with the shoulder and all is now fine.

I have not looked into the creaking as a stop/pull away yet as it kind of sounds like me when i get up in the mornings

.

What i did do was make up my widget for the wastegate signal pipe, mine has always supplied to much volume of air for the bleed off boost controller to bleed away and at maximum setting i could only must 10psi on the guage which turned out to be 8psi as ther guage was not zero'd correctly, i zero'd the guage and cut 20mm long bit of m8 threaded bar and drilled a 1.5mm hole down through it and inserted it into the boost line and i could now reach 18psi no trouble (thought they would only boost to 14psi before injection was cut and eml brought on????)
Ive set it to a true 14psi though and the extra 4 makes a big difference to performance.

All i need now is the standard air box and cold air feed as with the cone filter the recirc valve is fairly audible still and at near double stock boost i want to be pulling in nice cold air, i dont believe there is any performance enhancements to be had from those damn induction kits anyway.

D

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 28 May 2011, 22:00

Dean, delighted it was just a drop link.. Gosh can they make a racket

Must have been one of those horrible, cheap ones...

I might be able to help with an airbox although sadly I can't help with the rubber concertina between the box and turbo pipe

I quite agree with your comments on after-market induction kits... If the standard one is good enough for a V6 (and they're nearly identical with the same element) then they'll be fine for an Activa. I believe...

KP · Unread post by KP » 29 May 2011, 18:16

Deanxm wrote:Thanks Richard

I did have a check of my nuts after you suggested it but they were fine.

I love that quote

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 31 May 2011, 09:47

Gota check your nuts

Alas the Activa clutch is dying, if i keep off full power its fine but sometimes if you give it the beans going up hill the clutch will slip.
Ive had a quick look on GSF and they do a clutch kit for £150, doesnt say who makes it or whats in it which is helpfull, best off just giving them a ring now anyway but they only seem to list one clutch for the turbo.
Anyone else know if this is a good price, would prefer a named brand when it comes to clutches tbh so if you have any recomendations let me know.
I may put it off untill the winter as i dont really have the time at the moment as any spare time goes into the XM and its no real problem to drive as it is.

Also any hints about doing the job with the hydraulic puller clutch its got would be helpfull too.

D

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 31 May 2011, 12:47

Sorry to hear about the clutch Dean

Apaer from the 'box being a bit heavier and a bit bigger, the job is basically as for a BE3 pull clutch but easier...

Take great care when removing the slave not to dislodge the pushrod and ensure the clutch pedal cannot be operated.

The 'box then comes off with (relative) ease. Replace the clutch assembly and hang the new release bearing on the end of the release arm.

Offer the 'box bacxk up and tighten the bellhousing bolts. Using a special cranked rod through the slave hold, pull the release arm until the release bearing clips home in the diaphragm.

Reinstall the slave, being careful to keep the pushrod true and ensuring the end of the pushrod sits in the cup on the end of the release fork.

That, very briefly, is it... No sodding about lining up the forks onto the release bearing as there is on a BE3 pull clutch...

I'd recommend an engine crane to hold and support the gearbox. You may need to move the LHM reservoir and ABS block to get at the gearbox top mount...

Hope that helps a bit Dean...

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 31 May 2011, 22:08

Thanks for all that Jim, very helpfull as always.
Although the clutch assembly cannot be bled does it have a resovoir hidden away somewhere or is it pre-filled with no way to fill it? im guessing it is the latter as ive not seen one anywhere, and hence your emphisis on not alowing the slave to pop out whilst working on the car.

I have been working on my brothers Prelude this week and the clutch setup on that is lovely, proper resovoir, bleed point and the slave is mounted outside the gearbox from where it actuates an arm like a cable setup would, never mind, i can dream.

Thankfully i have an engine crane, do you think i could slide the gearbox off of the O/S driveshaft leaving it in situe?, i usualy leave the shafts in and pop the n/s bottom ball joint and swing the whole gearbox/strut leg out together but i wonder with the support bearing holding the o/s shaft if it may damage it.

..........................far rather do a stator seal or valve block change than a clutch these days:lol:

D

robert_e_smart · Unread post by **robert_e_smart** » 31 May 2011, 22:49

Hi Dean,

The reservoir for the clutch hydraulics is hidden on the bulkhead, in the vicinity of the drivers side sphere.

Autos all the way

However, having driven a couple of 2.5s this weekend, I can still make one exception!! Then again, the automatic risks are less than the 2.5 risks

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 01 Jun 2011, 19:38

As long as you're very careful with the slave Dean, you'll not need to touch the wet bits of the hydraulics

In any case they're sealed for life and a bit of a game to bleed... So long as you're careful with the push rod and don't allow the clutch pedal to move whlist the slave is out then you'll have no worries at all.

Remove BOTH driveshafts complete. The bit of extra work will make the whole job ten times easier...

This is a diagram of the clutch, the green circle shows the cup in which the slave pushrod sits:

This is my special tool for re-engaging the release bearing:

And here's a picture of the slave showing the pushrod...

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 03 Jun 2011, 22:55

Thank you Jim, the pictures are great, i think i will buy a clutch kit but see if i can put it off a bit.
really i need the XM all done and out of the way first so i can do the job on the hardstanding, will let you know how it goes.

D

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 19 Jun 2011, 20:04

At last i had a few hours to get back on with the xm today, first port of call was to break out the rotary brushes and other abrasives to clear off all the old stonechip and surface rust forming underneith, there was plenty of new rust just starting even though the top coat was unbroken and clean, particular attention was paid to the front of the cills where a lot of panels meet, rustcure was then applied and the areas primed ready for stonechip.

first attempt2 by Deanxm, on Flickr

first attempt4 by Deanxm, on Flickr

first attempt5 by Deanxm, on Flickr
Then i sprayed 3 coats of stonechip on (about half a litre) and the finnish is pretty good, it will tie in well by the time ive done all the cills too.

first attempt6 by Deanxm, on Flickr

first attempt7 by Deanxm, on Flickr
Ive got some dinitrol 3125 coming to do inside all the cills and box sections, only 3 litres for now as its bloody expensive but looking round its the best stuff for the job, this will be applied before spray waxoiling the underside to seal the cavity plugs, the exhaust is already off along with all the heat sheilds ready for application.

Got the engine mount changed back to the correct one too, it hopefully will transmit far less noise, i was never really happy with the doughnut style mount used on almost all other psa cars.

first attempt3 by Deanxm, on Flickr

And finaly i have been applying lots of sound deadening mat, i will be doing so to the boot especialy as with the seats down a lot of noise is transmitted from there. Also i have found some nice felt matting and i notice a lot of cars have this applied to the wheel arch liners nowdays to reduce noise so i will be applying some of that too.

first attempt8 by Deanxm, on Flickr
just got to make up a nice plate for the rust hole on the drivers side now

but at least it feels like things are moving with the car again.

In Activa related news i have pulled the wheels off it ready to take them in to have my £25 bargain pair of tyres fitted, the old ones where pretty shot, thats for a pair of 215/40/17's on a W, if there was a dancing smilie, i would be using it right here

first attempt9 by Deanxm, on Flickr

D

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 19 Jun 2011, 22:52

I still can't believe you got a new pair of tyres for £25, however unbranded they might be

You look to be having good progress with the XM too, it'll be like new once your done with it!

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 20 Jun 2011, 14:24

Just picked them up, one didnt even need ballancing the other only had 5g on it. In fact i will be interested to compare them to the P-zero nero i last bougt for the xm, they were a little over £110 each, the sinfull ones i have just bought retail at just under £40 each in the same 215/40/17 size, i wonder if the grip really is as different as the price.........

D

Unread post by **RichardW** » 20 Jun 2011, 15:08

Deanxm wrote:.. i wonder if the grip really is as different as the price.........

D

Probably... Many's the time I slid round the roundabout at the end of Ryde Esplande on cheap tyres

should provide a good proving ground in the wet - if it's still there these days

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 20 Jun 2011, 15:25

yep its still there, in the wet i would expect a difference but in the dry im not so sure, they arent going to be no Toyo R888's but should be ample for what i want.

P.s the whippingham roundabout is the best on a greasy day imo

D