The joys of Citroen ownership - leaks...

[Rhothgar]

Yesterday was yet another stressful day in my life as a Citroen owner.

The Xantia HDi sprang a hydraulic leak.

The offside of the car was on the kerb when I limped backwards in reverse with no steering into my parking space. Looked underneath. A waterfall.

As always, could have done without it but it's added another leaf of knowledge to the expanding volume of the pitfalls of Citroen ownership yet for me the suspension and ride is my heroin. I simply don't think I could live with a non hydrapneumatic car, EVER! Certainly, it wouldn't be long before I was crawling back to its warm embrace.

So I gingerly added a litre of LHM and drove the 15 miles to my mate's to get it up on his ramp.

Scratched my head and thought at one point that it was coming from the RH steering rack gaiter so I removed the offside wheel and could see it coming past the nipple on the power steering supply pipe.

Now this pipe is one I had to get made because mardybum went AWOL from the forum and was not able to be resurrected from the dead.

I think I distinctly recall asking the supplier if they could make it in COPPER!!!!

So over the last few years with VERY little mileage it has failed.

I thought that the pipe had fractured. I tried tightening the nipple and the leak became worse. Probably because I had splayed the fracture more.

Anyway, I've reformed the end with an OP1 3/16" brake flare.

CURED FOR NOW!

Maybe next week I will redo the copper pipes in cunifer and try to cure the resonating steering!

[CitroJim]

Oh dear

That pipe lives a hard life Roger... When you had it made did you put plenty of coils in it?

[Rhothgar]

When you had it made did you put plenty of coils in it?

No they didn’t but I’m pretty sure the original didn’t have colis but then again the pipe was excessively long on the rack side of the rubber hose. They made the rubber hose too long.

One of the joys of being a hoarder is that I saved the two pieces of the original pipe for posterity so I am going to miss that as my template anyway.

I intend to put 7 coils of about 45 mm diameter in it in the pump to gearbox section. I may well even put some in the gearbox to rack section.

I reckon that will dampen out the pulses a bit. Plus the gearbox to rack section clips to the nearside wheel arch as you know so that does need dampening.

Have you any wise words?

[CitroJim]

The original should have had at least 6 turns of coil Roger - and the rubber section...

Any replacement must have the coils and the rubber bit or it'll quickly succumb to metal fatigue again...

So your plan is a good one... Without a rubber section you'd find the steering would vibrate like a Harley Davidson...

[Rhothgar]

The original should have had at least 6 turns of coil Roger - and the rubber section...

Any replacement must have the coils and the rubber bit or it'll quickly succumb to metal fatigue again...

So your plan is a good one... Without a rubber section you'd find the steering would vibrate like a Harley Davidson...

It does have the rubber but they made it too long and the steering does vibrate slightly.

Found most of my original pipe but no coils…. Think it’s buried in the S1 somewhere.

Have the section from the pump up to and including the rubber pipe. Only a piece of corroded pipe which I think was for the wheel arch section so I must be missing a big piece.

[Rhothgar]

Here is a picture of the original pipe I believe so no coils. Might still add some to damp steering.