BX bringing you down? just don't have the right spanner? perhaps our counselors can help . . . actually i doubt it, but ask anyway!
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mat_the_cat
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Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 18 Apr 2012

Noticed last night a small crack on the throttle pedal side, so it'll have to come out and be welded up. Question is, how fiddly is it? I.e. does it take less time to take out and replace than that bastard heater tap? If so I'll do it one evening but if it's worse (clutch cable a pain?) I might leave it till a weekend (although they're getting quite booked up now!)

The actual welding will be piss easy but I'm also wondering about improving the feel of the brakes - anyone took out the spring on an ABS equipped BX and how did it feel afterwards?
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Re: Pedal box

Post by Vanny » 18 Apr 2012

I have always found the original bolt heads a complete cocking disaster, and the hardest part of getting the pedals out. The replacements you buy from Cit are 1000% better!

Other than that its usually a bolt on bolt off affair. Accel cable is scarily easy to remove, clutch is fidly but not difficult.
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docchevron132
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Re: Pedal box

Post by docchevron132 » 19 Apr 2012

the clutch cable can be an utter ballache if it's got the stupid top hat clip... in as much as, easy enough to undo, but they tend to be a fit once part and rarely snap back together on reassembly..

the other slight cock about it being the bolt on rubber cover on the engine side of the firewall.. but not too bad with the turbo trunking fucked off out the way.

I removed the stupid spring shit on the TD and replaced it with some cut down bar welded in, makes it a proper Citroen in my opinion, why they dumbed it down to feel more like "a normal car" I have no idea..
1989 BX 17TD P2 Hybrid
1990 BX 16V It's got big hairy bollocks
1971 BL 350FG ambulance
1993 Dennis Lance 132 It's got mahooosive hairy bollocks!


Euthenasia, because enough's enough already.

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mat_the_cat
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Re: Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 19 Apr 2012

I have a spare new clutch cable, so could always fit that if too much of a hassle to get the old one back on. I remember Mr. Rutherford saying it wasn't an easy job to change the clutch cable due to the pedal end, which kind of put me off a little, given he's fairly handy with the spanners.

I suppose I could just loosen the pedal box, put some plumber's mat underneath and weld sort of in situ if I lose the will to do it properly.
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Re: Pedal box

Post by Vanny » 19 Apr 2012

My 19rd had the pedal box welded in situ, fire insued, wasn't pretty, but when we put the carpet back over, you could hardly tell save for the smell.

It was a shit weld though and didn't last long (long enough to go to work though)


If you take the box out you can always add some ribs at the same time!
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Re: Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 19 Apr 2012

Mmmmm, ribs. Was thinking of putting some kind of reinforcement in, maybe even a couple of rods to make a triangle.
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Re: Pedal box

Post by jayw » 19 Apr 2012

OOOh, ribs and rods... :lol:
Almost BX-less

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mat_the_cat
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Re: Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 19 Apr 2012

Not to mention triangle... [drool]
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Re: Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 19 Apr 2012

Now wondering about just welding in place the button which goes over the spring on the pedal. Less of a reversible mod, but I can't see how to get the spring out easily anyway!
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docchevron132
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Re: Pedal box

Post by docchevron132 » 20 Apr 2012

I removed mine in a vice using a hammer.. But they can be an utter bitch to get out..
Oh, sorry I missed your call too, the law and my company dont like drivers using mobile comminaction devices whilst at work, no word of a lie, if you answer your mobile walking across the yard now, you MUST stop and stand still until the call is finished. Anyone seen walking and talking is dismissed!
1989 BX 17TD P2 Hybrid
1990 BX 16V It's got big hairy bollocks
1971 BL 350FG ambulance
1993 Dennis Lance 132 It's got mahooosive hairy bollocks!


Euthenasia, because enough's enough already.

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mat_the_cat
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Re: Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 20 Apr 2012

Welded the original button in, but the job went to shit round about half 10 so only just finished.
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Re: Pedal box

Post by Vanny » 20 Apr 2012

Pictures per chance?
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mat_the_cat
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Re: Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 20 Apr 2012

A crap picture below:
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But after what you wrote on the other side I'm wondering whether I modified the wrong thing! Were you on about taking out the plunger from the doseur and removing a spring behind that?

Pictures of the welding:
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And a little bit of reinforcement.
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I didn't drill out the end of the crack, but I turned up the current so it was almost blowing through, and then repeated the other side. I went past the visible end of the crack, so am confident I've got it all. Then ground back where the throttle pendal pivot bolt sits.

After I struggled for a while getting the old cable back in I thought I may as well replace it with the new spare I had. Only to find that (after I had put the pedal box in and hoses etc back) the new one was about 2" too short. I was absolutely fucked off at this point, but stupidly I'd managed to park the BX on ramps blocking in all other roadworthy vehicles, so had no choice but to do it all over again.

Brake pedal feels better, but still more movement/effort required compared to the Mk1 BX I sampled recently.
Last edited by mat_the_cat on 18 Feb 2013, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Pedal box

Post by Vanny » 20 Apr 2012

I thought the spring was in the doseur under the rubber plug and NOT in the pedal.
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Re: Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 20 Apr 2012

There is a spring in the pedal, but whether that's the only relevant spring, or the right one I dunno :oops: In the second picture it's in the cylinder under a button, which I've now welded to the cylinder. Hold on a minute, rubber plug? WTF?

Image

There's a stubby pushrod protruding out of it, but no rubber plug I can see. I think I need to adjust the pedal rest position, as there's now a small gap between it and the doseur pushrod. So I can move the pedal a short distance, then a click, then braking. I may leave it for tonight though...

If I'd know about this and the heater tap, I'd have just taken the engine out when I did the gearbox swap!
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Re: Pedal box

Post by Vanny » 20 Apr 2012

that piston, in the picture, i thought there was a rubber cap over it? and the spring is behind that

Every where i've heard of taking the spring out they have all replaced it with a 15mm hollow spacer, usually copper pipe, so under that pedal damper would make more sense!
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Re: Pedal box

Post by docchevron132 » 21 Apr 2012

no no, you welded the right bit! The rubber cover is nearly always missing on the pushrod so I shouldn't worry about that. There is indeed a spring in the ally casting containing the pushrod, but you dont want to remove that, it returns the pushrod to "off" position. You will want a small ait gap between the pushrod and the brake pedal, touching would be bad!
1989 BX 17TD P2 Hybrid
1990 BX 16V It's got big hairy bollocks
1971 BL 350FG ambulance
1993 Dennis Lance 132 It's got mahooosive hairy bollocks!


Euthenasia, because enough's enough already.

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mat_the_cat
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Re: Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 21 Apr 2012

Ah, cheers for that. No worries about the phone call, I wasn't expecting you to answer seeing as it was before midnight. I was wanting to ask you if you wanted an ABS driveshaft - my local factors can get one apparently for ~£57.
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Re: Pedal box

Post by docchevron132 » 21 Apr 2012

oh, OS??
1989 BX 17TD P2 Hybrid
1990 BX 16V It's got big hairy bollocks
1971 BL 350FG ambulance
1993 Dennis Lance 132 It's got mahooosive hairy bollocks!


Euthenasia, because enough's enough already.

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mat_the_cat
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Re: Pedal box

Post by mat_the_cat » 21 Apr 2012

Yes, the long one with the bearing. Want me to try and order it in?
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