BXProject

[Bx Bandit]

Err, right, something like the Xantia uses a 'bitron' box of tricks to control engine cooling fan speed (is that all??)

What I'm getting at, and I really need Docs and Vannys input to a point as they have done this, is using the more modern Hyd pump (6+2 is it?) and ditching the FDV.

Is the plumbing simple?
I understand one of the major problems was the pump or possibly alternator hitting the cooling fan switch. So............if I could find/make/cobble a blank, there should be a way to use the Bitron I saved from the Xantia and use the sensors located in the fuel heater housing (later model labrynth type). I can't imagine this being that complicated at all, I just can't locate my Bitron box, or understand it's pin outs and ALL the implications of doing this....

yours...........confucious

[docchevron132]

you really dont want to fit a bitron unit to a car that doesn't have it mate. Infact people with sense ditch bitron units and replace with a man rad switch that bypasses a lot of pointless "more to fail" elektrickery.

I've never fitted a 6+2 pump mate, but I do believe that Vanny had some issue with it hiiting something..
Depends how you mount it, where you mount it and how you drive it really.

Plumbing wise it's not hard to do save for the stepper you need for the PAS pinion, alhtough Vanny made a pipe I believe IIRC.

[Bx Bandit]

Stepper for the PAS? WTF

Vanny did enlighten me, to the tune of what you've been descriibing.

[docchevron132]

stepper as in changing the pipe size since the pipe from the pump doesn't match the pipe size at the pinion.

[Philhod]

2/3 different sizes of pipe welded together to form a step?

[docchevron132]

I think Vanster welded / brazed / soldered two different size pipes together yes, but I really cannot remember the exact details now!
I have seen the pipe though!

[Philhod]

That bad eh!

[docchevron132]

yeah, at my age memory is a thing of the past!

[Philhod]

What's memory?????

[docchevron132]

chips on a PCB I reckon..
Or is that chips with salt and vinegar?
I forget now..

[Philhod]

Fish...there's gotta be fish!........oh and mushy peas.


Bollocks, I'm hungry now

[docchevron132]

mmmmm, mushy peas..

[Bx Bandit]

Don't like peas me!

Ah, I get you about the stepper.

It was the alternator hitting the radiator thermal switch thingy, so he had to fit another radiator or something. I want to keep the original rad but thought if I can bypass the mahoosive elektrickery of the thermal switch with stuff I raped of the Xantia then problem solved. But that means Bitron. Never had an issue with the unti though Doc, are they that bad?

As an alternative, surely it's not that hard to mount a switch in the thermostat housing and feed that to a relay to do the fans????

[mat_the_cat]

I've just bought a new door interlock switch for the washing machine; that has Bitron on the casing. Any use?

[Bx Bandit]

useful so and so you are!

[Vanny]

Right then, i was going to bed but fuck it.

Bitron is an electronics manufacturer. Saying 'Bitron Unit' to me means rather little as it could be any old black box of tricks made by Bitron. I believe even the latest LandRover products have inocuous black boxes with Bitron written on them (and i bet no one knows what they do either!).

On the pipes front. The feed to the PAS on the BX is a 3.5mm pipe, the feed on the xantia PAS is a 6mm feed. What i did was use the Xantia pipe and adapt it down to 3.5mm whihc is a lot easier than it sounds. I catually paid Pleides £35 to make an adapter which was no where near as good as the one i bodged together, and i never fitted there fancy bloody thing either. It is made as follows.

Early Xantias (anything pre S-reg i believe, but not related to face lift) have an adapter already in the PAS rack which goes from 6.5mm inlet to erm 6.5mm outlet. Fuck only knows why, but it makes getting a piece of metal with 6.5mm female threads in VERY easy. I then took a normal 3.5mm union and welded the two together. Drilled the hole back out to accept a piece of 3.5mm pipe, and screwed it all together. As i write this i realise i need to make a picture to explain, which i will do tomorrow as there is a hot bird in my bed right now, so duty calls.

[Vanny]

Oh shit, forgot, alternator. Erm, this was only a problem because i had an engine from an AC model which from the bottom goes AC Compressor, Alternator, HP Pump, Fuel Pump. I believe if you don't want AC then you can go HP Pump, Alternator, Fuel pump and you wont have the problem. Basically the alternator rests on the connections for the rad temp switch. Not a big problem until you stall or have a ruff start and bounce the alternator through the switch and snap the end tank.

I used a Pug 309 DTurbo rad in mine. Almost identical size, but the switch is the other end. I still have one, its done 300 miles since it was bought new at a cost of £90. I'm not going to be using the rad again as i';ve gone to a proper 16v rad now that i have the 16v engine!

[Philhod]

there is a hot bird in my bed right now, so duty calls.

Eating turkey dinners in bed again Vanny?

[docchevron132]

bandit, the boys down the garage spend a lot of time arsing around with the bitron unit on many many cars. Although it's usually not the unit itself but the wiring to it, or the multiplug.

That said, yes, it's easy to use a switch in the stat housing to fire the fans through a relay, which dad did on the old XM we had, and we've done several times down the garage to bypass the bitron.
As an added bonus of this, the fans trigger when the actual engine is at a set temp rather than the rad being a set temp, and that always has to be better!

[Bx Bandit]

Right then, i was going to bed but fuck it.

Bitron is an electronics manufacturer. Saying 'Bitron Unit' to me means rather little as it could be any old black box of tricks made by Bitron.

I knew, I just knew you'd say that! Fair point and I know what you mean cos even the sensor itself says Bitron, but it seems to be referred to so often as 'the bitron' that at least you lot knew wot i was on abart!

So, it's a no for the added Bitron black box of shenanegins then!?

Got you about the steering and yes piccy would be great - no rush mind. But, was it worth it? Why did you do it rather than use a standard BX set-up?

Hot bird in bed - but he had time to explain about the alt! A petrol head at heart so he is!

Erm, well yes it'll have aircon as it's the TZD. I only started down this route as after reading about youe boys getting your 80 amp alts I thought "Well I could strap the Xanti 80amp (or is it 90 even???) on" which explains why I started this thread really.