Citroën BX – XPO – Mi16 Engine Assembly and Cambelt
8 min read With the head and bottom end restored, I could finally complete the MI16 engine assembly. But it wasn’t going to go completely smoothly! Continue Reading
G553 XPO Restoration
This is the story of the return to the road of G553 XPO. A Citroen BX 16Valve that has been off the road for 13 years.
At the start of 2021, perhaps in a fit of Covid boredom, I took on my biggest automotive project to date. A full restoration of G553 XPO. A near immaculate shell that hasn’t been on the road since 2008! The road to success is paved with previously made bodges and unexpected pitfalls.
Citroën BX – XPO – Building The Mi16 Bottom End Continued
9 min read After the disaster of fitting piston rings last time, will new rings go on any easier? Will this bottom end ever get rebuilt? Continue Reading
Citroën BX – XPO – Building The Mi16 Bottom End
6 min read A month since building the cylinder, I had to get on with building the bottom end. A few parts to clean and put together. How hard can it be? Continue Reading
Citroën BX – XPO – A Crank For The D6C Engine
7 min read In March I found a crank journal measuring undersize, creating quite a quandary. I’ll try to share my learning, ups, and downs, with you. Continue Reading
Citroën BX – Mi16 Engine History
4 min read The XPO project came with a donor engine and a folder of history. Lets have a look through the engine history and see what we can learn. Continue Reading
Citroën BX – Building the Cylinder Head
6 min read With all the cylinder head parts cleaned and camshafts polished, I could begin the therapeutic process of building the cylinder head. Continue Reading
Citroën BX – Refurbishing The Cylinder Head Parts
9 min read Having previously overhauled the cylinder head, it was time to prepare the rest of the parts and start putting the engine back together. Continue Reading
Citroën BX – Bottom End Teardown
7 min read Having found a leaking piston ring, it was time to go all in on this XU9J4 engine and teardown the bottom end. What disasters await? Continue Reading
Citroën BX – Cylinder Head Overhaul
6 min read Can I find the reason for the leaking pressure we previously found? Can the leak be fixed with a cylinder head overhaul? Continue Reading
Citroën BX – Cylinder head leak testing
6 min read The running engine has arrived up with ~25 BHP missing. Can I find the missing ponies with some cylinder head leak testing alone? Continue Reading
Citroën BX – MI16 Engine Strip
5 min read While cleaning the engine I started to strip the ancillaries and found a multitude of poor engineering practices, and 10mm sockets! Continue Reading
Citroën BX – Cleaning the Engine and Gearbox
5 min read I don’t think I’ve ever ever seen such filth under the hood of a car. Its time for cleaning the engine, before tearing it down. Continue Reading
Citroën BX – The Mi16 Engine Removal
4 min read Perhaps not a conventional start, my first task on this restoration is the removal of the engine so I can work on it in the warm garage. Continue Reading
Citroën BX – The History of G553 XPO
4 min read Having recently bought a new Citroën BX 16Valve project, I’ve had a look back over its 31year history. XPO certainly has a story to tell. Continue Reading
Citroën BX – A New Restoration Project
7 min read Ready for the next Automotive Adventure, an opportunity came about I couldn’t resist. Now I have a new Citroën BX 16Valve restoration project Continue Reading