[Simon Lewthwaite]

I have heard back from Darrin. He strongly advises changing the whole pipe as cupronickel is inappropriate for this application. Needs to be steel or stainless.
Because my regulator is in a non-standard position (wonder why?) he can only make the correct length and for me to bend to correct shape.
I now understand why the route is tortuous. If it was direct, it would be relatively unsupported and prone to failure. I’ve got hand held bending tool so should be OK……

As a slight change of topic, I have changed all of my 4 suspension spheres. I wonder if I should also change out the main accumulator sphere whilst I’m here?

[Simon Lewthwaite]

Oh, and the pipe passes over the gearbox to the drivers side (its LHD) under the steering rack, behind the radiator and must then cross back over towards the Pump, which seems quite a tortuous route. Why not just go under the rack and radiator, straight to the pump as they are on the same side?

[Simon Lewthwaite]

All went well. Half the boot space was occupied with various tools and fluids but none needed. A nearly 500 miles round trip in blisteringly hot weather. No temperature issues and oil crystal clear at the end. Ironically, on getting home, I dropped the spare wheel against the radiator intake and it has damaged a hydraulic pipe!!! I will post in a separate thread on this.
Caffeine and machine was good. It was free to park as I had pre-registered with Citroen UK and we had 2 complimentary coffees which were very good. It is a well set up and organised place and the stewards are nice people. Talking to a few folk, it is usually a free for all and its somewhat unusual to have a club organised event. I would definitely drop by if I’m passing again. A good turn out from Citroen. I arrived near the end but I counted 10 DS, an SM, Several CX, lots of 2CVs and a few others. Main carpark fairly full with other stuff.

[Simon Lewthwaite]

Will do and thanks all.
I’ve just come back from an alpine charity trip in a Saab 9-3 bought specifically for the trip. 6 cars in total, all bought for under £2k. Over 5 days, we had 3 breakdowns – a blown off turbo charge pipe (Saab); A bad earth that stopped the car dead (BMW 320d) and the Volvo had a piston ring failure that caused oil debris to block particulate filter and a failed AC pump that stopped all electrical power since the Alternator belt came off. 2 road side fixes and one recovery once back in the UK. Its what makes a trip an adventure. Plus we raised nearly £7k so far. The cars will now be sold, with any profits over original £2k adding to charity total, but I dont expect there will be much profit anywhere!
Anyone fancy a Saab 9-3 Aero V6 Convertible???

[Simon Lewthwaite]

I have the replacement (smaller) standard spheres. Really rolls around corners – I wouldn’t want anything softer!

[Simon Lewthwaite]

I was also surprised how the glass doesn’t seem to match the wing opening until the clamps start to take effect.
It also took me several goes to get to a reasonable fit for all these seals and I’m still not convinced they are quite right.

[Simon Lewthwaite]

Looking lovely Paul

[Simon Lewthwaite]

Furthermore, Matt, I can’t see how you might have broken something doing what you did. Exception being an overheat and head gasket failure, but you have checked for that.

Mine puts out water, something I only noticed after my head gasket replacement – I thought I had done it incorrectly.

[Simon Lewthwaite]

Is that bit of wood straight?
I might be screwing some angle iron on the back of it……:)

[Simon Lewthwaite]

With the cotton mops, its the centripetal(fugal) forces of the spin that makes the working edge firm, as it were.
You can get a mop mandrel for a drill but I wouldn’t fancy my chances with it – its so easy to catch an edge and the piece to flip. I would worry if it were the drill to flip.

A bad scratch needs sanding out though. This is where solid mops, made of leather like material, and grinding paste bars are used. I had 3 grades that took you from plain metal to a matt finish that can be then polished.
Frost A.R.T used to sell them but didn’t last time I looked.

[Simon Lewthwaite]

Paul Burridge wrote:

a big challenge is polishing. i don’t want to go and buy 20 tubes of autos from Halfords so need to work out an industrial scale way to polish everything that needs polishing. Bumpers would probably benefit from minor scratches being removed too.

I used to make reproduction medieval armour so had to get hammered mild steel up to a mirror finish.
A heavy duty polishing kit with mops and compounds that you use with a bench grinder did the trick.
You apply the solid bar to the mops, kind of making a bespoke grinding wheel of differing grades.
You then use softer mops, again with compound bars that get closer to liquid compounds as you go.
I have used this to repolish some of my DS parts and although it certainly works, its a lengthy process and I would expect to pay £££ for someone else to do it.

[Simon Lewthwaite]

It looks amazing Paul.
Gris Nacre?

I’ve gone for the that colour but with a black roof. A little anachronistic for a ’73 car perhaps but I dont care.

[Simon Lewthwaite]

One way to mask the tyre is to use playing cards. Poke the cards between the tyre and rim, overlapping the cards.[/quote]

This is exactly as I have done, but using index cards.

[Simon Lewthwaite]

Thanks everyone.
Great pointers as to an order of work and where to go.
I’ll get on it

[Simon Lewthwaite]

Thankyou both
Cripes, lots to do!

I do have a compressor so will look to getting the Sealey kit

[Author]

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