Citroen XM Forum

Just come back from a swim and a jog around the block and all before breakfast and work...

I am so unfit. Two lengths of the pool is my limit at the moment... I will get fitter... And loose the gut...

Amazing how many are at our pool at 06:30... All oldies like me and I guess there for much the same reasons...

Feel free to borrow the captain some time and I'll promise I will go and work even harder or go for a jog

Cor Jim.... talk about action!

captainhaddock wrote:Feel free to borrow the captain some time

I'd be really happy to take the captain for some long walks Jaap but the distance between us is a bit of a problem.. Next time you're over here perhaps!

russ92xmsed wrote:Cor Jim.... talk about action!

Action not a word I'd use Russ, if you saw me in action (or lack of it) nor would you My swimming and running (more a fast walk really) is very sedate..

From little acorns though and if it helps me play cars better then all is good...

Precisely...little acorns. But well done for starting straight away. Ha..making me feel guilty for not doing more.

Get a pushbike, Jim. The advantage over walking is that you can actually use it to get to somewhere.

Very good point. Bike riding is the best all round form of excercise. Worked for me. Lost 2 stone cycling. ......need to do it again.

Yes, I think a bike might be a very good idea... I shall be investigating...

Had quite an interesting weekend car-wise. Chris570 visited to replace my failed Activa wishbone bush and that really was failed!

He then did some work on his Xantia that involved replacement of the nearside inner track rod end. These are a sod normally but nothing like this one. It just would not move and we knew it had been replaced before. We tried all the tricks and none would work, not even a hammer and punch. In desperation he chopped off the trackrod with an angel grinder and hammered on a close-fitting socket. Still no go, even with a rattle gun. Loctite was suspected.

Thine for the serious stuff. I dragged out the oxyacetylene and carefully heated the joint. After plenty of heat it finally and very reluctantly let go....

That hot spanner has saved the day on many occasions now.

On Sunday he came back for part II - Exhaust replacement. Whilst he did this I replaced his instrument pod (intermittent gauges) and looked in to why his clock fades out and resets on a regular basis. Supplies were OK but the earth was dodgy. When I looked at the wiring diagram I saw where the clock gets its earth. Yes, that's, right - in the engine bay To get there it has to go via the bulkhead interconnect and the infamous loom under the rad that is well-known for rotting..

Now who on earth would do something as mad as that? Must have been something done by one of the former XM designers on the Xantia project as that is almost worthy of an XM The same muppetry is present in both the S1 and the S2.

I gave the clock a new earth and touch-wood it's now good.

The exhaust didn't go smoothly - the company gave him the wrong centre-section. Whatever it was it was not an HDi one. I happened to have a brand-new 2.1TD centre-section that I'd had for years and couldn't get rid of. I nearly dumped it once but couldn't bring myself to do so and then lo and behold we find they're identical to the HDi one day saved and finally go rid of something cluttering my workshop

Good exercise Jim dragging along oxyacetylene burners:) You have some serious equipment. I've never heard of a track rod not coming off, life is full of surprises. I'll know where to go now whenever I need some serious work done on my car!

Excellent Jim, sounds like you had a good weekend too!