Mayonnaise calamity season ...

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AndersDK
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Mayonnaise calamity season ...

Post by AndersDK »

... is here [B)]
This friday my wife had the reputed oil dipstick Geyser problem - what a mess in the engine bay [:(]
The problem is prone to happen on XU engine types as found in many Citroens - especially after y's of service.
The victim in this case was my '89 BX16 carby.
The cause for this dreaded problem is the plastic filter meshes in the oil filler neck - and in the filler cap types which have fume hoses connected. These filtermeshes gunk up with carbonised oil - and the ventilation is then decreased - making for easy absolute blockage by oil & water mix - the welknown mayonnaise.
No problem as long as weather is above freezing point.
As soon as you have a couple of days with daytime below zero - it indeed becomes a problem - as the mayonnaise freezes.
Then the engine oil sump becomes pressurised - and the oil geyser's out the dipstick hole [:o)]
Just had all the fume hoses & filler neck removed - sure enough - frosty mayonnaise poured out - like dirty sand as it was frozen.
An electric room heater in my workshop - and 1/2 an hour later all the hoses and filler neck suddenly seeped out nasty black oil/water fluid.
Of course the lower filler neck hose was a rotten mess - and crisp by the frost. It literally crumbled in my hands when trying to remove it. Luckily I had a spare on stock.
Removed the dreaded filtermeshes in the filler neck & cap - they were indeed a nasty swampy mess. All bits cleaned with rags and refitted - yuk - even after 3 times cleaning - my hands are still stinking like old engine oil [xx(]
Kered
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Post by Kered »

Anders
Not only is your technical advice freely given and unparalled in quality - a technicians view of the problem in hand BUT your English is also unparalled. You put many of my compatriots to shame!
Happy New Year
and long may you continue to grace these pages.
Derek
Kered
Posts: 127
Joined: 03 Sep 2002, 03:54
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Post by Kered »

See I can't even spell unparalleled!!!!
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