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

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 30 Aug 2010, 21:02

Hope all goes well for the rest of the week Dean Very Happy

Well i think its all down hill from here its quite a test for someone who has just given up smoking, just dont like the condition of that return pipe, its a bit stiff, there is plenty of slack to cut away the split (snapped) bit and put it back on the metal pipe but its let me down now, i would like to swap it before i come over to cxm but time is tight now so i will have to just cross something on the drive up

D

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 30 Aug 2010, 21:09

DickieG wrote: Put some brown paper on the windows, sorted

Or bring it bang up to date and black them

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 30 Aug 2010, 21:20

oh and although the kitchen isnt finnished swmbo cant make up her mind what splashback tiles she wants, so since i went back to work two weeks ago i have not had to do any more

she's going in to order some next week though......only another two weekends work and then im free again

CIMG3002 by Deanxm, on Flickr

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 30 Aug 2010, 21:44

That kitchen looks really good Dean

SWMBO must be well chuffed with it...

Unread post by **admiral51** » 30 Aug 2010, 21:49

Deanxm wrote:

she's going in to order some next week though......only another two weekends work and then im free again

Would that be "Free" to start on SWMBO's next project that is already taking shape and getting fine tuned whilst ordering the tiles......................................

Colin

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 30 Aug 2010, 21:54

admiral51 wrote:
Deanxm wrote:

she's going in to order some next week though......only another two weekends work and then im free again
Would that be "Free" to start on SWMBO's next project that is already taking shape and getting fine tuned whilst ordering the tiles......................................

Colin

i think you have hit the nail on the head there Colin, that is exactly whats happening

Thanks Jim, she seems happy with it but of course i have to finnish painting it yet and the tiling of the walls and the woodworm floor and step in the foreground need re-building and......................

D

Unread post by **admiral51** » 30 Aug 2010, 21:57

Decorating is the easy bit, it the accessorising bit that i hate

Colin

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 30 Aug 2010, 22:00

i dont mind the plastering, rendering, putting the lintels in etc but the handles on those doors

what a pita job that was measuring each handle out, drilling the door and fitting them took what felt like forever.
Your right its always the final bits that take the time really, and the money! at least we have run out of money now so i get a small rest

D

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 31 Aug 2010, 20:59

Just been out for a spin in the xm and im glad to say all is well and the steering is lovely, the best its ever been i would say

, turns out that the whole pipe was stuffed in the end and was all brittle, being a large 3 way affair that went over to the FDV and steering rack and resovoir it took a little effort but luckily i had a spare one! .
The lhm soaked exhaust wrap on the downpipe was a little interesting though, a substantial amount of smoke was generated whilst drying that out

Just going to do a bit of fuel line tomorrow and an oil and gearbox fluid change and she is good to go.....................oh actualy ive got to wash it as well i suppose and do something about the lhm marinade in the engine bay

D

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 16 Oct 2010, 21:16

Been a while since i was last here, i keep forgeting i have a blog.

This week i have mostly been having pressure regulator fever after getting a hydraulic test kit from Xmexc and finding the xm's reg was out by some margin. After tuning it i have suspension that doesnt keep switching into sport all the time and the improvement to the whole hydraulic system is unbelievable. SO happy with myself i thought i would check the Activa's as part of its tlc time and it was well down too, only giving 135 bar maximum which is of course 10bar less than the minimum pressure needed, all i need to do now is make some shims as citroen no longer sell them or the seals for the reg either

In other news the XM has passed another mot with no advisories, has been taxed for the winter and is running better than ever now.
Also today i have been offered a Citroen DS for free, not sure what its like but i think its going to be a case of rescue, assess and then re home if its not got brownitus too badly, would be a shame to scap such a lovely car for no reason but more on that as and when it happens.

D

D

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 17 Oct 2010, 09:08

Brilliant news on the XM MOT! I bet they took one look at it and passed it without even going into it. Just on sight it's plain yours is excellent and well loved...

Wow, that's an interesting video Dean!

Pressure looks a bit low there. Should it be nearer 170 bar?

Sad to hear Citroen no longer do shims and seals. What has Pleiades to say about it?

He did my V6 regulator and it does indeed make a difference...

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 17 Oct 2010, 10:19

Hi Jim

I will have to phone them next week and see how much the bits are, if not i will just make some shims out of washers as i have no spare ones now.
My xm reg was only putting out 140bar max, this activa is only pushing 130barmax i think, when they should be sitting between 145bar minimum and 170bar max +/-5 bar, The xm one was about 4 years old from memory and was either not set right in the first place or its been loosing about 8bar a year

and yes the difference was very noticable.

Looking at the condition of the fluid in some areas of the activa hydraulics i think the fdv is going to have to have its filters done too, there seems to be a lot of history suggesting the hydraulics were contaminated as its been hydroflushed 3 times in recent years and in some places of the return system the fluid looks very dirty/orange .

D

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 03 Nov 2010, 22:10

i think the fdv is going to have to have its filters done too,

dont know what i was smoking that day

.

What seemed like the first time in ages i managed to get home early today so decided to pull the passenger side carpet out to try and track down my leak properly and dry it all out, there was plenty of mould under there and the foam was holding a lot of water. Its all drying in the shed now and there is paper towel in the front footwell so i will see if its wet again and where in the morning if it rains tonight.
The ignition switch is working well now as is the fan and i have finaly made some shims for the pressure regulator too so when its not raining and i have some proper daylight i can get that back on aswell.

The XM is still behaving, i changed the auto fluid again last weekend as it was a bit too dirty last time i done it and i like it to stay red

The free DS turned out to be a running but rusty MK1 CX, unfortunatly i had to ovoid it, if i had gone for a proper look i would have taken it home and then i would of ended up dead so i walked away

.

D

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 04 Nov 2010, 20:14

Home early again today so i got the regulator back together and producing 140-180 bar, it took a little bit of fiddling but got tthere in the end, not found the leak yet as i have not really looked but it will take quite a while to dry out first anyway

I am thinking about taking the whole interior out and dumping it now anyway unless someone wants it? the leather interior will be here sometime over the winter and it will make it easier to do the matrix with it all gone.

CIMG3101 by Deanxm, on Flickr

And as its the season

CIMG3102 by Deanxm, on Flickr

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 04 Nov 2010, 22:52

WHHHAAATTT!!

You can't go chucking Activa interiors away Dean, best of the lot these.
Don't skip it!! Any chance it can make it to the mainland to lavish on a
boggo Xant rather than landfill?

Andrew