BXProject

[David]

Yes. The bastard one between the rack body and the PAS ram mounting

I understand it's possible to use a Xantia rack boot (which is softer rubber) and stretch it over the stub for the PAS ram to fit one, rather than the BX specific one which is a harder plastic/rubber which won't, and would need the rack to be removed and dismantled. This am correct?

Stuart's TZD turbo estate has just failed on the tinyest of tiny splits in that boot, and so I now need to change it...

Tits.

[Philhod]

There is a universal one that is supposed to stretch over most obstructions!!

I managed to ruin 2 before I got the 3rd one on!!!

But I was cold and tired and my fuse had ..err..burned down quite a bit

[docchevron132]

Correct David. A Xantia boot will stretxh quite easily over the stub for the Ram.
Lube the inside of the boot well and it slips in like a woodbine in a $20 crack whore.

Obviousley you know that even though the holes either end look the same one is larger than other, JUST, but it makes all the difference.

If you cut the old one off it takes no more than 30 minutes start to finish, and thats working at my speed, which after yewars of smoking is SLOW...

[David]

Obviousley you know that even though the holes either end look the same one is larger than other, JUST, but it makes all the difference.

I did know that, but had forgotten, and I'm glad you reminded me!

One Xantia boot bought. I might even change all three parts while I'm at it, as the thermoplastic boots don't seem to be much cop really.


(nice that something from a xantia is usefull, eh, Doc? )

[docchevron132]

Tis the only bit mate!

Sadly, I too knew about the odd sized holes, and despite this failed to check the last two I've done.. Moments after fitting them, I removed them, then re-fitted the right way round....

I blame the beer...

[Philhod]

I blame the beer..

You'll have to get that computer fixed Doc....it's missed "drinker" off the end of that

[docchevron132]

[David]

Well, got it fitted, but the boot as it came from the pack had equal size ends on it.

Only issue was that the width of the bits that sit over the ridge on the rack body and on the ram mounting bit were too wide (there was about 9-10mm of rubber to sit on an 8mm land) so they had to be reduced a bit. Grinding rubber is a wierd effect, but it worked well!

Also, once fitted, when you steer left, rather than collapse down like a concertina as the boot should, it is of course deciding to collapse in large flat folds, despite all attempts to make it collapse correctly. I blame cheaply manufactured rubber components.

[docchevron132]

odd? Was it a genuine boot??

[David]

Nope, it was a pattern part as far as I can see. I'm not complaining though, as it stretched on OK (was a bit of a bitch to work it over, but thankfully didn't split) and appears to work.

MOT man's method of "retesting" the car was to look in the wheelarch, see that some work had been done and then issue a certificate.

Lovely.

[Philhod]

look in the wheelarch, see that some work had been done and then issue a certificate.

That's fair enuff David if he knows you.
I go to the same place every year and if it's something relatively straight forward that needs doing, he actually issues me with a certificate coz he knows I will do it straight away.
TBH it's only happened twice, I generally have them right before I go, but you can't win em all

[docchevron132]

My sort of tester that..
The dude I've been using for years is much the same, although he's going in March, and I'll have to find a new test centre and train them from scratch..

Bummer.
It's so hard to find a decent MoT bloke these days, especially one I trust with my car.

[Vanny]

I'm screwed when i next get a test for much the same reason, the phone call to tell me i've passed the MOT usually goes like this;

Him 'Mr Vanny, bad news i'm afraid, your car has failed its MOT'
Me 'What this time??'
Him 'In your garage of spares, do you have any spare tyres?'
'Yes of course i do, is there a problem'
Him 'Yes, front near side is fucked, will you be replacing it the second you get home'
'Yep, then i'll run it straight back'
Him 'The hell you will, the car has passed, come and get it in a half hour, and if you don't change that tyre, remember i know where you live!'
'Okay, see you soon'

[Philhod]

I get the same.

Mine was one of my first apprentices and his dad owns the garage.
He was 21 then, which makes him 35 this year, so, barring accidents, I should be sound for the foreseeable future

[Bx Bandit]

I've 'just' got to that point with my local MOT, he let me off on a leak from the first 'box' on the 16v exhaust, requesting I put some paste on it.............that was last April

But he did incorrectly adjust the headlamp, as although it was undoubtedly shining too brightly into the old doo-daa box, but he had the susp on high!

[Philhod]

but he had the susp on high!

That's par for the course for non Cit mechanics

[docchevron132]

much like the twat that failed my car years ago for a non working park brake..
Yes, you guessed it, the pillock was testing the rear axle..

[Way2go]

Correct David. A Xantia boot will stretxh quite easily over the stub for the Ram.
Lube the inside of the boot well and it slips in like a woodbine in a $20 crack whore.

Obviousley you know that even though the holes either end look the same one is larger than other, JUST, but it makes all the difference.

As GSF & Euro have been dry of Gaiters and can't even tell me when they will be getting some in , I've finally succeeded in getting the Xantia boot from elsewhere!

Which then, is the correct way of fitting them? Narrow or wide towards the wheelarch?

The ends do look the same but you're right, the rubber is probably 2mm different in diameter one end.

[docchevron132]

From memory the the narrow end goes on the Rack body. Of course you have the added advantage of being able to sit in the engine bay and do it on yours!

[Way2go]

Well I was psyched up to tackle this n/s rack gaiter but having got the ball joint off the hub and the bolt out of the ram coupling, there was not enough spring in the thing to get it off the stub. (I had evisioned in the absence of anything from Haynes on the subject that there would be sufficient play to get it off the stub and push it in while the Gaiter was fitted over the first end of the rack). Looked from the other side undeneath and saw the big fuck off Torx bolt and thought " I bet I need to undo that but guess what......my tool kit didn't have a Torx driver that huge. It seems no matter how many tools you have you, theres always something that requires an additional!
A call to Doc confirmed that this Torx bolt does indeed need to be loosened, with the added information that it was a T5.5 (Thanks again Doc ). Miraculously BiL had one and has dropped it round so I can continue tomorrow.

Question though, are new gaiters also available for the ram as the black plastic bag one over it has a long split too Is this an MOT issue