Life on the edge - the Diary of a C5

[CitroJim]

What.
On earth.
Are NACRO kids????

National Ancient Citroen Restoration Organisation

[Xantianut]

What.
On earth.
Are NACRO kids????

National Ancient Citroen Restoration Organisation

Ay up, CJ!

I like that one!

I don't know what the letters stand for but they are a charity dedicated to preventing Convicted Criminals fron re-offending. They also provide training courses for kids from deprived backgrounds. We've got two groups of 'em doing Modern Apprenticeships with us before they go out on placement.

Still no joy. Had to take a class of 14-yr olds because the "proper" tutor has 'flu and then had to see someone about financing a business initiative (fleabay shop account) in the afternoon.

The tools are still ranged, ready for action!

[Junkman]

For some inexplicable reason, I prefer CitroJim's explanation.

Now what do I have to envision by a 'Modern Apprenticeship'?
Would some good old fashioned apprenticeship not be much more efficient to straighten up criminal juveniles?
I mean, I still had to go through the old fashioned apprenticeship and therefore never had any energy left for doing any mischief.

[Xantianut]

Ay up, junkman!

For what it's worth, I prefer CitroJim's meself!

From what I know of it (they bring their own tutor) they cram into 18mths what used to take 5 years. That's why we have a lack of any decent tradesmen......

[Junkman]

Would Fifi's back end come down if a few of those juveniles sat in the boot?

Oh, and if you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem...

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

The dog bone has indeed come adrift but there appears to be a rivet that's pulled out of the corrector.

Wot?

EDIT:

It is the actual ball part of the joint that's come adrift. Would a welded repair sort it?

[CitroJim]

That's not an uncommon failing. The can often be re-riveted back in place and a quick dab of weld will see the job's a good 'un.

But before you do that please ensure the whole mechanism is not seized up and is free to move. Kev (Red Dwarfers) did a good write-up on how to clean and sort height corrector mechanisms a while back.

[Xantianut]

Ay up, Jim!

Funnily enough, the attempt to re-attach the balljoint last night using a crowbar (!) resulted in the glued joint failing (no surprise there, then) and the suspension refusing point blank to rise at all. So she had to sleep over in the workshop while I had to walk. It's a long way from home to the 'shop when you got arthritis and a double dose of sciatica! However, here's some piccies:

The balljoint.JPEG (133.62 KiB) Viewed 43 times

And the bracket.JPEG (126.89 KiB) Viewed 43 times

One was attached to the other with a dollop of weld, followed by a grind back to clean it up. Result - a smooth ride again. Now I CAN hit those dossing coppers at speed again!

I did read Kev's guide and found it very useful indeed, many thanks for posting. What appeared to have caused the primary problem was wear on the balljoint from the bone! There was a shiny, flattened area, familiar from previous days at a Citroen specialist. Re-lubing the bones will become part of the annual service. I did give eveything a wire brush but found that it was bright metal beneath the gloop. That is just muck from over the years with a goodly coating of penetrating oil to try and free everything off on the roadside. In the rain.

[CitroJim]

Excellent Delighted that's all nicely sorted XN!

I had the same happen years ago on a front height corrector on an Activa. Now they're not so much fun especially when it's -5 degrees outside and you're lying on your back outside on cold concrete to do the job

[Xantianut]

Ay up, CN!

I've done all that. Changed the wheel bearing in the snow on my ol' BX14 of loving memory in the back garden, the starter on the same motor on the roadside which included removing the engine mount, unblocking the carb on my BX16 of fond memory at 2am in the pictch black that can only exist in rural North Wales......

I'm lucky with the facilities I have available and my mates. D'you know Carl fixed a breather pipe while she was waiting for brake parts? Ain't that decent!

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

As Mrs XN would say - Typical man! There I was with a car that was slightly tatty and a bit rusty in places, so what do I do? Stick some new chrome on! Still, with Fifi booked for "ceremonial" duties this weekend, it seemed a good idea. 'Cept the chrome didn't arrive till we got back!

However, this is my little girl with some decent chrome for the first time since I bought her:

New Chrome.JPG (142.95 KiB) Viewed 25 times

Looking good! Now, to get some paint and rust-removing chemicals

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

Ever since I got those Everest alloys of a Xsara, the re-fitting of the wheel has been an absolute pain, to the point where I called the RAC to sort a puncture! I played on the disability ( I walk with a stick) but it had nothing whatsoever to do with not wanting to be squatting on a road in pee-ing down rain! OK, it had everything to do with that, BUT as I watched the tyre chappie struggle to locate the wheel correctly after fitting a new tyre, I thought to meself there's gotta be a way of easing this.

There was.

And here it is:

Wheel Tool.JPG (107.6 KiB) Viewed 19 times

Simple, really. Take two old wheel studs, cut off the heads then weld a pice of rod (I had to use threaded bar) to the threaded part of each stud, grind to taste and there ya go. You can make the extension long enough to grip with Mole grips or similar but I made mine to go in the ashtray beside the locking nut key so cut a slot in the end with a hacksaw.

Dunno why I didn't think of it earlier, really....

[Xantianut]

Ay up!

One thing's for sure.

Someone, somewhere, is always waiting to deliver the knockout blow.

My wheel locator received the comment over on Practical Classics "Get thee to the Dragon's Den!" The response - I seem to be the last bloke on earth to think of it.

Ho hum.

Now to examine why the left rear keeps deflating.

[CitroJim]

My wheel locator received the comment over on Practical Classics "Get thee to the Dragon's Den!" The response - I seem to be the last bloke on earth to think of it.

No you're not. I am I keep cussing Citroen wheels, especially back ones, and now I see a nice, easy cure for that. Thanks Xantianut

[red_dwarfers]

Looking good! So basically you sit the wheel on the round dooby doo on the hub, stick the tool into one of the bolt holes and spin into it slips in? That's a very simple but good idea!
I had a similar moment of genius the other day. My mattress is one of those which needs rotating and flipping over every so often but I kept forgetting whether I flipped or rotated last time. So I drew simple symbols on it to remind me which one I need to do next when I change my sheets I was well chuffed with that, almost as much as when I decided it would be a good idea to put sticky labels on my plugs to tell me which was which