Xantia rear strut clip removal

[citronut]

RW 1.5 ; Xantia 0.5

Pin out, and pushrod liberated from the arm . Having received new pins from Chris Morewood I can see why they are so difficult to drive out from the outside - the end isn't flat! Cut the other end off mine and filed it burr free, a couple of good whacks and it dropped out Push rod was then liberated from the arm with a bit of cold chisel action and a good wiggling My colleague is having a look at fixing the ram, so hopefully it will go back together at the weekend (hence Xantia still rating 0.5 ).

I think in fact this is probably the best way to attack them on the car - there is probably access from the in board end (although not generous!) and then you can make sure are hitting the pin square on.

me thinks mushroom and cloud come to mind

end of clip mushroomed and clouded vision

You've got a lot more determination than me I think,

loads of PERCY WHAT SIT and

[NewcastleFalcon]

Richard

Well done

Richard W wrote
I used to think that the clutch clip had the highest ratio of time required vs cost of the part, however, I now see that that is woeful by comparison. Clip is £1.20 and so far 10 hours expended, and it is STILL laughing at me!!!!

Maybe the rear strut clip job should be entered in the Xantia Hall of Fame sitting alongside the clutch clip, the heater matrix, the ball-joint, rear caliper bolts, and fixing the fans.

I like your ratio of time required vs cost of the part

Keep us informed of your progress re refurbishment of your strut. I haven't seen a post on the forum of this process as yet reaching a successful conclusion. I have thought about it but not done it as yet. The function of the rim is probably to stop the rubber sealing ring spreading as it meets the mating face of the sphere and is compressed. I presume that the engineering required needs to be reasonably precise so that the sphere as it is screwed on exerts the required pressure on the sealing ring, and is not prevented from doing so by too deep, or too shallow a recess.

Regards

Neil

[RichardW]

My friend got the ram cleaned up last night, and tried to get some weld on it, but it wasn't really keen, so we are not overly optimistic. The area of damage extended quite a long way below the seal face, so although the seal face could be re-cut in theory a bit lower down, it would need quite a lot taking off it to make this a success. I phoned round the local breakers but no joy - given that I (OK, SWMBO ) need it back on the road, I suspect a new one will have to be procured.... will get the arm back in tomorrow, as then just the strut to refit which shouldn't take long at all in comparison to getting it off

[CitroJim]

Richard, excellent work. delighted to see this job now happily doe and I have a feeling that this thread, as a lot of yours are, will become a reference for this job in the future

[NewcastleFalcon]

Richard

No doubt you are already following Chris's (C Morewood) post on his Rear LHM Leak

Strut Refurbishment

It makes horrible reading, Ouch

I have two struts sitting on my windowsill at the moment. Both are from hatchback Xantia Turbo Diesel of 1994 vintage.
One is the one with the chewed edges in my previous pics in need of refurbishment, the other looks to me to have a serviceable rim which would probably seal.

From reading other posts I don't think it would be appropriate for your car, but I am always willing to help.

kind regards

Neil

[RichardW]

RW 2: Xantia 0

We have suspension

When my friend eventually got it hot enough, the cylinder took some weld. He was then able to re-cut the seal face - had to go deeper as there was quite a bit of corrosion all round once it was properly cleaned up. Dressed up the top with a file so the seal was just proud. Put it back together and it is oil tight so far.

Some notes on putting it back...

Make sure the ABS cable ends up on the outside of the brake pipe as you put it back in, otherwise it's difficult to get the brake back plate back on (I elected NOT to take the arm out to correct it!).
Getting the pin back in is not easy, but once the alignment is right it can be levered back in
Getting the vent pipes back on the strut is nearly impossible, unless you have very small thin hands!

ABS light has gone out on static test, hope it is OK when driven - I don't fancy changing the sensor - getting the grommet in and out with the arm lowered is hard enough!!

Let's hope it goes for a bit before something else breaks!!

[CitroJim]

Excellent Richard

Amazing how corrosion eats away the cylinders

Just reading through Chris's thread and his experiences, I'm wondering if the bad bits might be able to be built up with something such as Chemical Metal or the like or is the amount of pressure, both mechanical and hydraulic, just too much?

I'm wondering too if perhaps an aluminium collar could perhaps be turned up and shrunk on much in the way I made a repair (as yet untested) to a hydractive electrovalve suffering similar corrosion?

[Mandrake]

Fantastic news Richard!

I'm surprised it seals properly with the outer face just filed rather than machined, but I guess the purpose of it is to contain the seal rather than actually seal the joint. As long as it puts the seal under the right amount of endwise compression and prevents it from splaying out sideways as it was before it should be ok.

You missed the most important thing - how does it ride now ?

[CitroJim]

As long as it puts the seal under the right amount of endwise compression and prevents it from splaying out sideways as it was before it should be ok.

That, as I understand it Simon, is correct...

[Xantidote]

Well done Richard. Glad you managed to fix it. Have been reading your every posting, waiting for your report of sucessful repair. Maybe these rear cylinders, like strut tops, need to be rescued from any scrap car.

Following your problems with the corrosion (& Chris), I've painted a bit of old oil around the cylinder ends on my car. Shall include this in my annual oiling of the underside pipes etc at rear of car.

[c.morewood]

Me too Richard.. I have suspension.. although with a tiny leak.. which is not surprising...but hey, it could have been a lot worse.. I was waiting for the flood of hydraflush on the floor... but someone was smiling today.

I also found getting the 2 small pipes impossible.. I had to get my wife to help and even then it took 3 hands!! I must admit I put the rubber seal on at a slight angle, (towards me) thinking that it would be easier to push in the pipes... wrong.. they ideally need to be vertical .. we spent ages just pushing the rubber pipes sideways/ downwards with the pipes as we couldn't get our fingers in a position to hold them against the pressure of the small pipes.... its difficult to describe, but Richard will know what I mean.
There's also a technique for getting the pin in as well line it up using a 2.5mm allen key from the higher side then use a 3mm to complete the line up on the opposite side, remove the 2.5mm key and replace it with the end of the pin and using pliers you can push the pin home.. that took an hour alone!!
The small pipes must've been about an hour and a half and getting the cylinder back in at least half an hour... and you know that little ring... what a B****er that was. I should have located it when the cylinder was on the bench, but I didn't want to lose it .. so I tried to fit it in situ .. but gravity kept taking over!!!
So after an afternoon of citaerobics and bleeding brakes I have 1 drip every hour or so.. I'll take her out on small runs tomorrow just to make sure .. b ut hopefully the temporary repair will last till the beginning of next week... when hopefully I'll get the "new " secondhand ones and I'll do it all again!!!!

Thanks to all the helpful posts.
A very grateful,
Chris

[CitroJim]

Chris, excellent stuff Very pleased and yes, I know all the fun of getting those pipes in

Following your problems with the corrosion (& Chris), I've painted a bit of old oil around the cylinder ends on my car. Shall include this in my annual oiling of the underside pipes etc at rear of car.

That's a good idea Martin. I've been liberally oiling around hydractive electrovalves for a while now as they are terrible for corroding but now I'll do cylinders too...

I have a scrap rear subframe growing in the garden with a pair of good (V6) cylinders on there. Only reason they never came off when the car was broken was because the pins are stuck. Now knowing the potential problems I shall redouble efforts to rescue and store them.

[RichardW]

Gareth (My friend with the machine tools) has small hands and he dealt with the pipes The boot vent pipe is only pushed in as far as the swage - if it weeps it will get a cable tie on it

I'm pretty sure you could turn the top of the cylinder down, and fit a sleeve Jim - as you said, it is only retaining the seal, so a new collar fitted with bearing lock would probably be enough to seal it - you are only preventing the leak off past the sphere threads. Which actually got me thinking earlier on - a couple of turns of PTFE tape on the sphere thread, and then a build up at the base of the thread will probably be enough to seal it - I will certainly be trying that on the other side if it lets go! Gareth did mine on the milling machine, as he thought it would be difficult to centre on the lathe, but if you were doing a few making up a mandrel out of old sphere would probably work.

I would get a look at those cylinders, Jim - the corrosion is the same as the back of the calipers - it goes all porous. Don't even bother trying to drive the pins back out, just cut the ends off, and drive them through the way they went in. Then you've still got to get the end of the push rod out of course....

Haven't been out in it, but there is definitely more travel in the rear suspension, although it sits pretty low - I am loathe to play with the height corrector though after this week's debarcle!!

[CitroJim]

Good stuff Richard. Right, I need a scrap cylinder, some suitable ally and a session on my lathe Anyone have a scrap cylinder they might wish to donate?

I would get a look at those cylinders, Jim - the corrosion is the same as the back of the calipers - it goes all porous. Don't even bother trying to drive the pins back out, just cut the ends off, and drive them through the way they went in. Then you've still got to get the end of the push rod out of course....

I shall go and have a play today if the weather improves as the subframe is getting in the way of a planned garden makeover and I've failed miserably in thinking how it might be incorporated into the new garden scheme - a sculpture perhaps...

[myglaren]

I thought growing subframes in your garden was a good plan.