Citroen XM Forum

Dean wrote:Your link isnt going anywhere useful Neil

Bugger. I forgot that when I logged out the page wouldn't be available. (Going to have to learn how to post a capture of the page)

The first "THIS" looks promising. I've sent my VIN to see if it's compatible but it isn't that one which is poorly. It's the long one that stretches across from the gearbox end to behind the exhaust manifold. (Part no. 96043494). It has gone on that end.

That proved to be unproductive. I need a gearshift link (96042494) pretty quick as this one is buggered. I also wouldn't turn my nose up at the other two linkages (2454 F9). They would keep for a rainy day.

If the bushings are the same could you alter the rod length to suit? Very easy with a welder it are they completely different in every way?

D

Possible. The length of this rod is approx 270ml and THIS one is similar in style at the ends. Worth looking in to.

I think the ones I linked were £10 each I would buy and splice in some tube or cut the bushes off and weld to your rods, finding the real deal is going to be problematic to say the least.

D

Oh sods law says that the day after I sort this out the real deal will appear for sale.

As the rod on the car is no use nor bloody ornament at the moment I may take it off to see exactly what kind of bushes are in the ends and what state they are in.
Then see how easy it will be to callifudge summat.

As is the way, a promise of little work and a quiet week turns into all hell let loose at the end of the week with three big days thrown in.

I managed to have a quick look at the gear linkage in the dusk but try as I might I couldn't get one end to clamp on and I couldn't get the other end to come off.
The rubber on the linkage looks to be in decent nick but, obviously, that's no guarantee that it will actually do its job. So I resorted to getting underneath yesterday, after work, with a set of large multigrip pliers and squeezing that hard until I thought the veins in my neck were going to burst. Nothing.

I slowly pulled myself out from under the car, moaning and winging, and with my back crippling me eventually stood up - well bent over half crippled - to see my younger brother stood there in tears sniggering at this decrepit old git (his words). He asked what was wrong, I told him, he got underneath the car with the multigrips, and was back out giving me the damn things back in no time at all. "There you go, old man, done! All clamped up and ready but how long it'll last who knows, cause it's knackered - and the other two don't look too good neither." I didn't know whether to thank him or smack him round the head with the bloody multigrips. Cheeky sod . . . me . . . old!

Took her out for a short drive this morning and they have held together but only time will tell. Making up a new rod is still the plan but finding the right rod to marry up is the priority.

The test is due at the end of this month so I'm going to try to get her in this week. She should pass - but you never know.

Goldie now has a shiny new MOT certificate. Unlike last year when she failed on a fair amount of welding needed to the inner sills this year she sailed through. The only advisory is towards the rear subframe which has excess rust and really does need seeing to this year. It needs removing and cleaning up, along with the entire underneath.

If you're going to drop the subframe, it might be worth trying to find a good replacement to fit in its place.

I'm very much tempted to have a good quality solid spare to clean up prior to fitting as I can't be sure of the quality of the one on the car until after it's cleaned up.