BXProject

Bloody bollocking arse monkeys. I hate cheapskate French designers.

The leak was fixed, but we forgot to bleed the thing so occasionally the low-water warning light comes on and the temp gauge acts weird as the airlocks work their way around the system.

I actually saw the car in daylight for the first time since the fix today, so I went to bleed the system.

I located one screw and turned it. Coolant started coming out, all nice and as it should be. So I tightened it up - and I swear I was extremely gentle. I felt something shift under the screwdriver and sure enough - the head had come off the fucking PLASTIC bleed screw. Fortunately there was enough poking out that I could get the rest of it out with a pair of pliers.

And of course the car's parked in a residents only bay for which I don't have a permit, so I'm going to have to move it about a mile with coolant pissing out everywhere. Would it help to drive without the rad cap on so that the system doesn't pressurise and force water out of the hole?

Anyone know if these screws are a standard part, or unique to Citroens? Will my local motor factor have one, or will I need to get one from GSF or the like? I really need the car on Wednesday so it would be nice to get one locally...

Just use a bolt for now, M6 I think.....go for stainless or brass if you can

Forgot to say, I have a stainless one I can bung in the post, pm me your address mate....

Yep Ive had a stainless screw in the one near the the fuel filter, on the BX for about 12 months now <muttering> must get a decent screw... must get a decent screw......

Same part is used on one of the hoses on later 405's and most 306's. They are often sheared in two like yours as there's a steel insert in the rubber hose that corrodes, and closes the thread up. The threads grip the bolt and then the next time you try to move the plastic bolt, it shears off.

There's a neat little fix you can do with some copper pipe and a brass bleed cap.

i've probably got one at the farm if it's needed!

Like I said, I was extremely gentle with it. The thing was ready to let go the next time anyone even poked it.

Waxing philosophical for a moment, it's amazing how fragile cars are. One piece of 15-year old plastic goes brittle and shears off (surprise surprise, given the conditions it's been living in) and the next thing you know you have a cooked engine and an enormous garage bill.

The drive to the free parking was short enough that I didn't lose any water through the open bleed hole; the system probably never pressurised.

BXBandit is very kindly sending me a correctly-sized bolt to fill the hole so that I can at least use the car on Wednesday, as I need to. David's answer is reassuring and suggests that I will be able to get hold of the right part locally. I have an excellent motor factor practically opposite my house; unfortunately, as I work so far away, I won't be able to get there until next weekend. If I can't then I'll say "yes please" to Vanny!

Re-reading David's post... should I also be replacing the housing? Looks like cooling is going to be something of an issue on this car.

stu wrote:Re-reading David's post... should I also be replacing the housing? Looks like cooling is going to be something of an issue on this car.

Ah... if that was in a housing, then forget my comment about the steel insert. On the 405/306, that screw goes into a bleed point halfway along a pipe, hence the insert.

Just a new screw should do it.

stu wrote:Bloody bollocking arse monkeys. I hate cheapskate French designers.

The leak was fixed, but we forgot to bleed the thing so occasionally the low-water warning light comes on and the temp gauge acts weird as the airlocks work their way around the system.

I actually saw the car in daylight for the first time since the fix today, so I went to bleed the system.

I located one screw and turned it. Coolant started coming out, all nice and as it should be. So I tightened it up - and I swear I was extremely gentle. I felt something shift under the screwdriver and sure enough - the head had come off the fucking PLASTIC bleed screw. Fortunately there was enough poking out that I could get the rest of it out with a pair of pliers.

And of course the car's parked in a residents only bay for which I don't have a permit, so I'm going to have to move it about a mile with coolant pissing out everywhere. Would it help to drive without the rad cap on so that the system doesn't pressurise and force water out of the hole?

Anyone know if these screws are a standard part, or unique to Citroens? Will my local motor factor have one, or will I need to get one from GSF or the like? I really need the car on Wednesday so it would be nice to get one locally...

Stu, I know your pain. This is exactly what happened to my BX last winter... except that it undid slightly then broke off flush with the hole ... I knocked it with my ratchet while undoing the battery clamp!

No hope of me being able to extract the thread with the tools I had, so I had to bodge it: 1x rubber bung off a clothes airer + 1x jubilee clip = job done! (see bottom left of photo)



It's still holding!

Mark.

Wheeee BXBandit wins BXProjecter of the week

This generous bloke actually made me a bleed screw and posted it to me. Cheers Bandit! All is well in my cooling department for the moment.

Glad mate, didn't hold faith in the Royal Mail TBH but good stuff!