Beaten by Synergie 1.9TD Glow Plugs! AAAARRRGGGHHH!

[Johnny Cogs]

Its only a couple of glow plugs!

HOW can I have been beaten by a couple of simple, meek little glow plugs!

I give in! Can someone please tell me what Magic Spell citroen used when they serviced Synergies and easily changed no1 and no2 plugs???

3 & 4 are out, 2 is barely accessible and starting to chew up and no1..... WHAT? Do I have to take the whole fuel pump out or just bend it out the way with a crowbar!

Please help with advice and sympathy, I'm broken....

[evilally]

I share your pain, I'm out removing the glow plugs from my 406 and it's the same problem. You want to remove as much of the pipework ontop of the engine as possible to give yourself enough access. A decent 8mm and 12mm ratchet spanner will help you out a lot here, and one of those magentic telescopic picker-uper thingies. Unfortunately on a 406 removing the pipe over the top of the engine means I have to take the engine off it's mounts to get it tilted forward enough to reach the bolts

[Johnny Cogs]

Thats insane!!! I do have a set of nut removers I was considering using. Theres no room to gjust et a ratchet on them, but the outside has a collar for a 19mm spanner, might save the day. No1 looks too close to that small coolant housing to get a ratchet spanner on :/ But I'll see what I can aquire tomorrow. Thanks buddy

[citroenxm]

on Xantias and 406's you can get right over the engine and see the plug from the top and behind the pump..

Theres a Little tip here that I found be accident... If your expansion bottole cap has a good seal on it, you can IF FITTED remove the water pipe that goes to the water outet that is just by the plug and you hardley loose any water. You loose about a cup full of water.

Lift the water pipe out the way and you gain a bit more room.

Tools I use and have sucessfully done a few now, A Dog Leg 12mm spanner. An 8mm spanner, telescopic magnet...

Yes its not easy, and I dont think you can get right over the pump on the Sunergye.. Not had anything to do with them yet...

[Johnny Cogs]

Thanks komrade! I will pop that pipe off and see how it goes, it would be a huge help... might even be worth me rubbing some vaseline on the header cap seal as a temporary aide! I've left the two awkward ones soaking in a little wd overnight. problem is I get home from work at half 5, so i get about 30 mins under that bonnet before its too dark!!! You can get down behind the pump, but it just seems like every hose, wire, fuel line and bracket is intentionally bent to get right in the way of where you need to be! ;(

Many Thanks...

[Hell Razor5543]

You might want to get hold of Plus Gas. It is described as dismantling fluid (and that is accurate). I have used it on Xantia bleed nipples that looked dodgy, and after spraying them daily for a week, they came out without any problems. WD-40 is a water dispersant (that is the WD part of the name).

[Johnny Cogs]

I have the plus gas under the sink.... got that for doing my old Xantias front brake hoses! That only comes out when the swearing starts!!! lol... I'll give it a bash.

thanks

[citroenxm]

That only comes out when the swearing starts!!! lol... I'll give it a bash.

thanks

Isn't that every time we work on a french car??

[evilally]

Good news! I have successfully removed plugs 1 and 2. I did ponder removing the water outlet hose but wasn't required in the end. I cable tied the throttle arm fully forward and jimmied the water hose to the side and cable tied that as well. I had to extend the ratchet spanner with a small bar to get plug 1 moving. I know that's not good for it, but I was prepared to risk the tenner to get it out! You want a ratchet with a flexi head so you can angle it forward. Now all that remains is to get the new one in! After a compression test!

[Johnny Cogs]

Ahhh good news Ally! good to know someone's had some success today! I think i will have to definately remove the water pipe... I will try the local tool type places for a flexi 12mm, or a big hammer n chisel!!!

[RichardW]

You need a deep offset cranked ring spanner to get that plug - and fingers about 2 feet long, 1/4" thick, with 5 knuckles

Some (Xantia related) info in this thread: Plug change

[citronut]

i did the glow plugs on my daughters Synergie, not much different to doing them on a XANT really, except the bonnet opening is a lot smaller, and the scuttle hangs over the top of the engine,

i also use a cranked 12mm spanner and disconnect the small by pass hose just by the glow plug at cam belt end as Paul dose,

[Johnny Cogs]

WOOOHOOOO! i did it, I did it!!! Thank you all for your advice!... Cranked 12mm, Plus Gas, broken knuckles!!! But no dropped nuts, no, not even the 8mm's! couldnt get number 2's 8 8mm nut on for toffee, but i forced my hand in there reallllllllllly hard and after a lot of twiddling and panicking it took a bite and the rest, as they say, is history! After being a pig to start since we got it it now starts after a couple of cranks, with no Uncle Buclk esque Smoke Plooms rolling up the street!!! So new air filter in tomorrow and then on with running through the 50 litres of dinosaur juice and half bottle of redex through it =)

When I took the old plugs out 2,3 & 4 were all black and sootie, but 1 looked relatively clean.. is that something I should be concerned about?



Again, thanks for all your help! Next job, blower motor.....

[citronut]

you certainly got your moneys worth out of them there plugs, if you havent already connect them one at a time across a car battery, be carefull not to touch the HOT end

also use a heavy gauge cable elss it will melt in you fingers
i use a length of wire probably a 1/4" of an inch tick with a large crocodile clip at one end, put the crock on the body off the plug and hold the end of the wire onto the negative of the battery, and touch the threaded ens of the plug onto the positive terminal

although looking at them at least three are dead as the tips are eaten away

[Johnny Cogs]

I'll give that a go tonight. I should have plenty of suitable (he says!!!!) clips n cables lying aroung at home.... I think it would be prudent of me to do the old check to see if the plugs are turning off when they are supposed to aswell, I dont fancy changing them again in the near future!!!!

Ive only owned the bus for a few months, and it came with a massive service history... I think I might need to re-visit that paperwork..... I suspect shennanigans!!! lol