C5 rear suspension cylinder gaitor- how to do up the bloody clip?!

[wurlycorner]

A day on the c5 today, intending to tackle a multitude of 'little' jobs, including both rear suspension cylinder gaitors.
Was going well, but have now spent nearly an hour on the last step of the job - trying to do up the bloody clip again!


That bastard!

Anyone have any miraculous solution please? I've tried pulling one side with a pair of pliers (doesn't work because of the uneven pull)
Mole grips up the inside of the hooks, a la the "pump pliers" that Haynes recommends (works to a point but not really because the width of the mole grips spreads the main hoop of the clamp so the two small hooks you're pulling over, pop out sideways)
A pair of pin nosed pliers stuck inside the small hooks and then a pair of mole grips on the back of them and the main hoop to try and achieve similar to above but avoid 'spreading' the main hoop part (doesn't work because the mole grips are at a funny angle and just immediately slip off, plus I only have 2 hands, not 4)

So... any pearls of wisdom please? To save me from killing something?

Thanks



At least this is nice to look at!

(Does look so good in black...)

[RichardW]

I recall getting this back on to a Xantia ram being a bit tricky - and at the time thinking I was glad I was doing it off the car. Can't remember how I did it - I think perhaps my mate was here and we had a couple of screwdrivers each!!

[white exec]

I know this must be wrong, but isn't that double-wire gaiter clip simply an "over centre" device that 'just' needs the operating (stepped) lever swung over? Can't be, surely...

[wurlycorner]

No, unfortunately it's not an over centre latch - it does look like one though, agreed.
If the hoop was bent back, that would be it - it would either snap, or never return back to where it should be with any remaining strength/pull on the other 2 ends.

[white exec]

Might have to resort to cable-ties or hose-clip (the old double-wire variety).
Also probably wrong again, but shouldn't the gaiter drain-back pipe be at the bottom?

[civvie]

If I remember I broke mine when I did the seals on my old C5 a few years ago so I purchased the double wire type and used that, (the proper one from Citroen was too expensive) Can't use a normal jubilee clip as the clamp has to pass either side of the breather pipe. Wouldn't guarantee a cable tie would stay on for long

[wurlycorner]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Yep, I had thought of cable ties, but I can't see them working here (not enough space for them and they wouldn't be retained in a groove, so would just slip off I reckon).

Double wire type? What do you mean by that?

That has given me a get out jail idea though - if I can't get the clip done up today, I'll just use locking wire, which will achieve the same result

Just got back too the barn after throwing money at toolstation (3 different sized pump pliers )

Come on then you ungrateful bitch, let's be having you now!

[wurlycorner]

Right, well that was a piece of p**s then, with the right tool!


Turns out Haynes isn't lying...
What you need is one of these, which I bought from toolstation;


First side I did at the second attempt, other side I did first attempt. The tool fits perfectly, though I found you do need finger and thumb with gentle pressure on the outside of the hooked ends, to stop them spreading and slipping off.

Second side took a whole 30mins from start (I.e. including strip down) to finish
It would have been even quicker if the push rod wasn't seized in the trailing arm and it wasn't so filthy inside that it needed a through cleaning.

[lexi]

I thought everybody had those pliers Iain

My favourite is to grind bits out of them,or weld bits on for a "special".

[civvie]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Double wire type? What do you mean by that?

http://www.ciponline.co.uk/power-tool-a ... 0wodcooOtw

[white exec]

That's the one.
And I thought everyone had some of those pliers, too. Commonly known as "gnasher-grabbers"...

Can't beat a bit of brute force, aggression, and an open wallet!

[wurlycorner]

Cheers civvie, know what you mean now... yep, like the original type fitted to the gaitors on lhm Citroen's then.


And nope, didn't have a set of those grips before - I'm more a precision tool kind of guy, as a rule however, they were absolutely spot on for that job

[civvie]

Glad you got it sorted. I'll swear there is a unit at Peugeot/Citoen that spends its times trying to design clips etc that can be impossible to fit unless you have the dear pukka dealer tools. Suppose other firms have the same unit.

[Gibbo2286]

Glad you got it sorted. I'll swear there is a unit at Peugeot/Citoen that spends its times trying to design clips etc that can be impossible to fit unless you have the dear pukka dealer tools. Suppose other firms have the same unit.

Car designers have little interest in how we fix the damned things when they go wrong, they just concentrate on how quickly they can be put together on the assembly line.