Wow, in Victoria Australia we cannot sorn vehicles as in take them off the road for a month. We pay vehicle registration ( road tax equivalent) for 3 months at a time. Also if your vehicle is off the road for more than 30 days you need a new MOT certificate so it can be re-registered. It costs us £40 per month per vehicle. Plus an MOT costs another £75 per test if required.
Good to see the battery seems to have survived but it still may have boiled a bit so worth checking the electrolyte level plus washing the outside with soapy water & the seating area which may have had a few acid splashes that you don't want to rust... Actually finding the graunchy alternator bearing early before it became a breakdown means that this work has actually proved to be beneficial.
It's great to see a not so down in the mouth waiting for in coming COVID version of Ian again. What I love about the channel is the perseverance and the Hubnutters have a complete shed full of that. Progress may be slower than anticipated but there is a way forward. The alternator is off the car so things can be diagnosed and decisions on repair/replacement can be weighed up and taken. Many thanks for sharing Ian, we look forward to the next one.
Good chance of getting a regulator/brush pack for Paris Rhone alternators. Many Valeo models use the same parts (I mistakenly said "Velo" in an earlier video). With digital calipers and a good bearing factor, you should be able to sort out the noisy running. I turned a wooden bearing to get me from Mull to Glasgow which did a fine job for that distance. Next day, I found a shop that sold diode/brushes/regulators for Valeo alternators and got bearings from a factor. The alternator lasted for the rest of the life of the car (over ten years). It's those nasty clutch things that later alternators have that can be a problem.
I feel your frustration. I remember the first time I changed a clutch on a Renault 5...on an uneven, crazy paved drive...in the snow. Bonnet off, rad out, washer bottle out, gear shift rod off, steering rack off, front wheels off, dismantle the front wishbones etc, drive shafts out, camshaft pulley off, then, and only then could you begin undoing bell housing bolts and think you might be getting somewhere. My mother kept me topped up with tea, but kept asking 'how're you getting on?' To this day she doesn't know how close she came to getting a ratchet handle thrown at her.
Reminds me of working on my mini van. For any job the Haynes manual said start by removing the radiator grill, but on the van it was welded in place. Every job was a nightmare.
Worked on a Renault once where the alternator was on the back of the block, beneath the exhaust manifold. The only way to remove it was to remove the office getting wheel, take out the wheel arch lining, this revealed a hole that you could get a series of extensions through to get a socket on to the alternator pivot bolt. Because French.
On a unit I had with doors like yours, I got myself a tarp and attached it above the inside of the doors by screwing a length of wood to the frame through the tarp and had a long pole zip tied to the other end. When I had both doors open I put the pole across the top of the front of the open doors to make a sun/rain canopy and had a couple of small bungee cords to hold the pole in place. When not in use I rolled it up on the pole and bungeed it up inside above the door frame. Might work out for you. It’s not for really windy days but I used mine quite a bit without problems. 👍🏻
Good luck with the alternator, they are fairly easy to rebuild. The front and rear bearings are cheap normally less than £5 each and the regulators are usually between £20-£50. Would love more busses.
Some years ago I had a 2002 Citroën Xsara Picasso with the 1.8 16v engine running on LPG and did last a long time despite being used as a beast of burden. Fell apart after 14 years of intensive usage. It was a good car all around.
Ian, I hope you can get the alternator repaired. I used to have a Xsara Picasso back in 2016. It had the 1.8 petrol engine and was in Exclusive trim. My good lady loved that car as it was so easy for her to get in and out of. It cost me the princely sum of £60 and it had a current MoT when I bought it but it needed a new clutch and some welding on the sills. Unforunately, it didn't appear on the channel although it could be seen in the background in at least one of my videos. It only needed a pinchbolt on a front bottom balljoint to get through the next MoT.
it is always the "small" stuff that keeps you down- I replaced the starter motor on my Volvo PV544 and one of the bolts was put in there from the wrong side when the engine had been separated from the gearbox... had to dremel the bolt.. the car didn't start with the new starter because I had touched a fuel line with the dremel... and after I had that sorted it turned out the entire fault of the breakdown was a broken battery that I ruled out previously because it was only 2 months old and measured over 13 Volts...
New subscriber to HubNut here. I passed my driving test in 1975 in the family GS 1220 (I think it was a Special), and I remember the fierce brakes ! So I am catching up with the backlog of your GSA vids now, from 2 years ago. Good luck with alternator problem shown in this vid. Getting alternator refurb'd is a nice idea. Atb, Dave. (SE Wales)
This is exactly the reason why I now buy new cars. I now have carpal tunnel and a bad back,partly due to car repairs. Brings back memories of being stuck under an 1100 hammering out king pins in East Anglia in the winter , trying to remove a Nissan Bluebird exhaust on my drive with inadequate access and constantly having bleeding and hacked up hands most of the time due to ongoing car repairs. I much prefer watching Ian try to do similar tasks and swearing about it:-)
Great video, thanks a lot Ian. Applaud the perseverance and also the desire/economic necessity to repair the alternator if at all possible. You'll get there, as with all things automotive, it always takes longer!
It's nice to see this video at last as it feels like a long time since you posted the tease. French cars seem to be designed in such a strange way. My 306 was the same.
They are. My Peugeot 206 had a great design fault with entry level petrol engines where they decided that putting the power steering header tank and pump above the alternator without considering fitting any leak protection when the pump starts leaking and gums up the alternator.
If it's any consolation I had a Ford Laser (Mazda 323) that needed an alternator as well. But the removal process involved taking out the exhaust mid-pipe under the engine. All that to open up a hole big enough to slip it out. That made me sad, as otherwise it was a nice little car which provided necessary transport until I could afford something more up to date.
Lovely Jubbly, a Citroën Xantia always liked one of those new, just a little out of my price range back in the 1990's. Fro memory I think this is why people didn't buy Citroën cars in the 1970's Mr HubNut, they were just a ball ache to work on, unlike your Ford Escort or Vauxhall Viva.
"A fistfight with Edward Scissorhands". That describes precisely how I remember working on my Mini's back in the mid 70's. Particularly the gear linkages at the rear of the engine. 😖
So happy you're feeling better. All cars have components like that really, that are slightly out of reach or in a weird location. Years of rust, dirt, moisture, wear and heat/cold doesn't help either of course heh. Only makes it harder. I personally hate how VW often places turbos in the back or attaches them to manifolds directly (AKA non removable unless you take the entire manifold off. And if you consider that it's on the back of the engine? You can guess how much of an issue that can be heh. I'm happy you're feeling so much better though :) . Great to hear that. Sorry for the part that is the hardest to reach breaking down. But then, isn't that always the case? As mentioned above? And hehe,they would be the part people replace the least as it's the longest job. I really do hope they can rebuild the alternator for you, as that would also keep it all more original and she truly is a LOVELY GSA :) .
Dear Ian, so happy to hear that you will be keeping Giselle, and I hope Covid wasn't too persistent (maybe it came out of a lab in Rennes in France?). Impossibly located alternators have a strange affinity for you - that transverse engined Rover nightmare comes to mind! Regards, Arnon
when you come to re fitting the alternator, please along the mrs she has little hands to reach between the fan blades to re apply the belt on the pulley....how do i know , well after messing about for close to two hours and failing my mum came out and did it in 30 seconds (on a GS )
Trace the leak yourself using a hose pipe on the roof of the car moving it around periodically then check out were the water is ingress inside then you can use some water seal silicone to fix it
Glad to see you getting on though and I hope Giselle is up and running beautifully. I’d absolutely love another GS - it’s the best car I’ve ever driven.
At least the advice worked out well - someone once told me I could remove the alternator from my Peugeot Expert without removing anything else, and I wasted a stupid amount of time trying to do it, and nearly got it stuck in the engine bay at a weird angle. Once I realised I needed to remove the power steering pump and swing it out of the way, I had it removed in 5 minutes. Grrrrr.
Tbh Ian, some of us (myself included) really enjoy your mechanical /workshop videos even though they might mean it's tricky troublesome times for you but we really do appreciate your sharing these exploits worts & all.
Hope alternator fixable i used to work at Lucas alternator and starter plants at Marshall lake road and transfered to Shaftsmoor lane sadly now pulled down ... we used to strip off the brakets of old alternators covers and put new inards in and they were fixed by fitters in factory as old brackets used ...no charge i used ro make the statir packs and rotors ,great place to work as with lucas only a great memory was a fantastic place to work now Lucas gone 😭
I can change the alternator - original from Citroen Valeo - on my GS without unscrewing the front mask and other things. I learned at Citroen and have never seen so much to unscrew!😅
Oh the alternator on a GS fun fun fun, I got mine out, fiddly thing but managed to do it, pity that Citroen did not make this more accessable, I am talking back in the 80s. I had a GS semiauto that needed the power to change the gears, somehow I hooked up the fan belt and got the alternator out, Ian get some of those cheap blue tarpaulins and make a cover so your bum does not get wet
Oh you brought back the memories of me twatting my head on the bonnet of my old BX, at 6'3" it was fine when the suspension was right up and then I went in for my tea. Back out later in the freezing cold I remember a fair bit of swearing and blood as the car had sat down. That was the catalyst to me buying a 3 year old Rover 414SLi M604 BEG, kept that for 10 years and one of the most reliable cars I have owned that cost peanuts to run.
Having owned a GS in the distant past, and done most of my own maintenance, can I suggest the following, Ian... working on the engine of a GS, and I assume a GSA, ALWAYS requires removing the headlights, blinkers and that front panel. The headlights come out really easily, just two clippy nut things for each headlight and two spring clips for the blinker/parker lights. It's actually about the only genuinely easy job on a GS. Then that black sheetmetal above and between the headlights comes out - two screws each side, plus a few into the bumper, isn't it? Once that is out of the way, it's plain sailing.... This assumes that GSAs dismantle the same as a GS, though it is entirely possible that Citroen made the GSA even more horrible to work on than the GS.
Glad to see you're on the mend Ian. The brain fog and fatigue are the worst. I bet the alternator on the Routemaster and Fergie come off easier. I've never been a French Car person, I'm more into Eastern European oddities where you can remove parts much easier and said parts are dirt cheap.
I do admire your stamina, Ian. Keeping at it, at all those faffs - some of them admittedly of your own making - and strong in your belief (I think) that it will all work out somehow, which it often does. I'd have given up on some of the cars a long time ago, as I would like the time to really enjoy them in uncluttered motion as well. Still, that accounts for all the marvellous vids! Oh, and it wouldn't be HubNut either if the lighting on your tinkering was any better 😉
This brings back the distant memory of my GS. My second car, bought cheap off my Grandfather when he gave up driving. Anyway, it was a Sunday, I was supposed to be working and it was supposed to be a double time shift, so good money. I drove as far as the big hill on the way to work then spotted the charging light had lit. Turned round and headed back home while I still had some battery. Part way home the exhaust parted and the main pipe plus rear box dropped, so I got that bit home by holding it on the roof of the car while driving slowly. Once home I had a look to see if I could see why it wasn't charging- broken fan belt. Again, there didn't seem to be any way to fix it without removing the front of the car. Unfortunately that was more than my fragile temper could take and I can remember walking round the car kicking each panel and door in as I went while probably swearing profusely, that was the end of that car. I hate to think what the neighbours thought! The only other car I owned that met the same fate was a Yugo, that one really deserved it!
Know how you feel here. My Ford Capri (Dud from Downunder) Turbo convertible, needed a New Alternator. I tried to Pull it out. I Couldn't, took it to a Garage, they had to remove the Brake Master cylinder..! Took them Hours and Cost me a Bomb. The joys of Engines stuffed into Small places..! Yipee..!!! Cheers All. 😎
My son has three cars and yet still has to borrow vehicles to maintain his mobility. More is sometimes less!😂 It will be interesting to hear your take on the Picasso. I find them very dreary and uninspiring but practical I suppose.
Sadly neither are here to ask any more, but I’m sure the reason my mum and dad got rid of their GS Club Estate was because it needed to have the exhaust manifold repaired/replaced which entailed removing the entire engine, at which point they said “Enough already”. We loved the car and they said it was the best they had ever had in every other way … but the repairs did it in the end I think.
I'm guessing that if you'd started this job with a swear box you could have funded the Chevronics alternator by the end. I hope you never have a problem with the starter motor. Spring will be here before we know it!
I think you'd have a much happier fleet if you took your cars to someone who knows what they are doing instead of bodging them up yourself , and if money is an issue why not just keep a couple of cars in good repair rather than 6 cars in various states of disrepair.
Easier than a Rover 75 though! I'm looking forward to that job on mine, at 160k it's getting to the point where I'm just waiting on the battery light coming on... Well either that or the clutch, or injectors, or turbocharger, or... OK, I'm just depressing myself now!
Glad you’re feeling better, it was obvious you weren’t right and thought for a second you’d hit a wall, blimmin cars hey. I managed to shear off every single front caliper bolt off my Land Rover by confusing lefty loosy with righty tighty, I was convinced they were seized and attacked them appropriately, just in the wrong direction. Turns out I was in the early stages of flu and post night-shift ‘dazed and confusedness’ 🤦♂️ Would you ever ‘do’ the LeMans Classic in Giselle? Because French. I did it in a sprint engined TR7 In 2010 having only covered run-in miles before setting off. I recommend the LeMans Classic, I do not recommend doing it in a newly built car.
Interesting 🤔. We have two Shops around here that do nothing but Alternaters. You can even get Diode Packs or "Kits" for the older American and some Asian/German Applications IF you know where to look. #Becausefrench
What a difficult job to remove the alternator from the GSA you got it out and another Citreon well borrowed it the Picasso a people movrr and eith 500000 miles on it wow looking foward to the review
Just a quick video editing thing, which was also evident in the previous GSA video, it is not really necessary to add that text like "It isnt..." about not being the voltage regulator. We will find out eventually, and it just makes us feel bad for past you not knowing something. I'm not sure if others agree though
Nothing wrong with blaming the car for your own failings, I do it all the time, you can't hurt their feelings. But my god they always seem to get their revenge in the end.
Arh you gotta love French design... Speaking of French, Ian i went to order the Multi Ace Tee and the classic Mug and more but they're out of stock and limited sizes etc. Do you know when you will be re stocked again?
Gawd. Sorry. We've been out of it lately - can you drop me an email to hubnutmerch@gmail.com with everything you'd like and I'll check it all on the website.
Giselle will be tax free in a couple of years. She seems more like a summer show car to me anyway. I’m sure I’ve seen an alternator refurb in Practical Classics and it wasn’t incredibly hard. You dismantle it all, clean it up and change the bearings, then buy a new regulator. It’d make some interesting content, which you could do at home maybe? Some years ago you took a speedo apart and fixed it which I thought was very impressive.
That alternator definitely on the crunchy side. Giselle will be pleased that that is being replaced. I can't believe that Picasso has done half a million miles, but then it isn't as complex compared to more modern cars.
So there's too much salt on the roads in Wales. Have you watched South Main Auto Repairs, Watch Wes Work or Mustie1 as they struggle with the results of living in the USA's rust belt?
I hear if you stand in front of a mirror with the lights of and say Picasso 3 times , ronnine pickering appers and offers you a bare knuckle fight. Lol
I like 1960's and 1970's cars - they are so simple and there's always lots of room to work on them. More modern cars have so much tech everything is crammed into the engine bay and there's no room. just my opinion
Can't wait to see the video about the Xsara Picasso, previously the highest mileage Citroen I'd seen was a ZX automatic 1.9TD with 400K miles on the clock, 509K must be some kind of record! I know of a Pug 405 1.9D with over 1M miles on the clock too, there's an article online about it. What engine is in your XP? 2.0HDi?
The sound didn't go wrong at 8 mins in, it was because there was too much swearing 😂. Car design is a fine art but oh do they get it wrong sometimes for what should be easy jobs!
I'm not superstitious but some cars are fighters and every job is harder than it should be and some always go well. It's as if some want to work and some just want to be difficult. Can't explain it but I'm convinced of it. It seems Giselle is a fighter to work on.
Thanks. A little contribution towards the alternator and to congratulate you on 100K. Thanks for the great content!
Thank you!
Wow, in Victoria Australia we cannot sorn vehicles as in take them off the road for a month. We pay vehicle registration ( road tax equivalent) for 3 months at a time.
Also if your vehicle is off the road for more than 30 days you need a new MOT certificate so it can be re-registered. It costs us £40 per month per vehicle. Plus an MOT costs another £75 per test if required.
Good to see the battery seems to have survived but it still may have boiled a bit so worth checking the electrolyte level plus washing the outside with soapy water & the seating area which may have had a few acid splashes that you don't want to rust... Actually finding the graunchy alternator bearing early before it became a breakdown means that this work has actually proved to be beneficial.
It's great to see a not so down in the mouth waiting for in coming COVID version of Ian again. What I love about the channel is the perseverance and the Hubnutters have a complete shed full of that. Progress may be slower than anticipated but there is a way forward. The alternator is off the car so things can be diagnosed and decisions on repair/replacement can be weighed up and taken. Many thanks for sharing Ian, we look forward to the next one.
Well done for persisting and getting the alternator out. I hope it proves repairable.
Good chance of getting a regulator/brush pack for Paris Rhone alternators. Many Valeo models use the same parts (I mistakenly said "Velo" in an earlier video). With digital calipers and a good bearing factor, you should be able to sort out the noisy running. I turned a wooden bearing to get me from Mull to Glasgow which did a fine job for that distance. Next day, I found a shop that sold diode/brushes/regulators for Valeo alternators and got bearings from a factor. The alternator lasted for the rest of the life of the car (over ten years). It's those nasty clutch things that later alternators have that can be a problem.
I feel your frustration.
I remember the first time I changed a clutch on a Renault 5...on an uneven, crazy paved drive...in the snow. Bonnet off, rad out, washer bottle out, gear shift rod off, steering rack off, front wheels off, dismantle the front wishbones etc, drive shafts out, camshaft pulley off, then, and only then could you begin undoing bell housing bolts and think you might be getting somewhere. My mother kept me topped up with tea, but kept asking 'how're you getting on?' To this day she doesn't know how close she came to getting a ratchet handle thrown at her.
Absolutely brilliant video Ian ❤️ 👍 at least you got it out without slicing your hands open brilliant 👏
Just about!
"Fist fight with Edward Scissorhands," love it!🤣🤣🤣
Glad you got the alternater out. Hopefully repairable.
Wow the Picasso with half million miles that is some acheivement.
Reminds me of working on my mini van. For any job the Haynes manual said start by removing the radiator grill, but on the van it was welded in place. Every job was a nightmare.
Worked on a Renault once where the alternator was on the back of the block, beneath the exhaust manifold. The only way to remove it was to remove the office getting wheel, take out the wheel arch lining, this revealed a hole that you could get a series of extensions through to get a socket on to the alternator pivot bolt.
Because French.
On a unit I had with doors like yours, I got myself a tarp and attached it above the inside of the doors by screwing a length of wood to the frame through the tarp and had a long pole zip tied to the other end. When I had both doors open I put the pole across the top of the front of the open doors to make a sun/rain canopy and had a couple of small bungee cords to hold the pole in place. When not in use I rolled it up on the pole and bungeed it up inside above the door frame. Might work out for you. It’s not for really windy days but I used mine quite a bit without problems. 👍🏻
Good luck with the alternator, they are fairly easy to rebuild. The front and rear bearings are cheap normally less than £5 each and the regulators are usually between £20-£50.
Would love more busses.
Some years ago I had a 2002 Citroën Xsara Picasso with the 1.8 16v engine running on LPG and did last a long time despite being used as a beast of burden. Fell apart after 14 years of intensive usage. It was a good car all around.
Ian, I hope you can get the alternator repaired. I used to have a Xsara Picasso back in 2016. It had the 1.8 petrol engine and was in Exclusive trim. My good lady loved that car as it was so easy for her to get in and out of. It cost me the princely sum of £60 and it had a current MoT when I bought it but it needed a new clutch and some welding on the sills. Unforunately, it didn't appear on the channel although it could be seen in the background in at least one of my videos. It only needed a pinchbolt on a front bottom balljoint to get through the next MoT.
Wow that was a tricky alternator extraction, hope to see the lovely GSA back to good health very soon❤.
Glad to hear your getting better keep up the good works.I cant wait for warmer brighter days.All the best to you all.
it is always the "small" stuff that keeps you down- I replaced the starter motor on my Volvo PV544 and one of the bolts was put in there from the wrong side when the engine had been separated from the gearbox... had to dremel the bolt.. the car didn't start with the new starter because I had touched a fuel line with the dremel... and after I had that sorted it turned out the entire fault of the breakdown was a broken battery that I ruled out previously because it was only 2 months old and measured over 13 Volts...
7:11 I thought you had a Reliant Rialto behind you for a split second before realising it was Bella.
Looks suprisingly similar from that angle!
Thanks
Thank you!
That rain sounds fantastic! It hasn't rained here since 18/11/2022. Send some over.
New subscriber to HubNut here. I passed my driving test in 1975 in the family GS 1220 (I think it was a Special), and I remember the fierce brakes ! So I am catching up with the backlog of your GSA vids now, from 2 years ago. Good luck with alternator problem shown in this vid. Getting alternator refurb'd is a nice idea. Atb, Dave. (SE Wales)
This is exactly the reason why I now buy new cars. I now have carpal tunnel and a bad back,partly due to car repairs. Brings back memories of being stuck under an 1100 hammering out king pins in East Anglia in the winter , trying to remove a Nissan Bluebird exhaust on my drive with inadequate access and constantly having bleeding and hacked up hands most of the time due to ongoing car repairs. I much prefer watching Ian try to do similar tasks and swearing about it:-)
Great video, thanks a lot Ian. Applaud the perseverance and also the desire/economic necessity to repair the alternator if at all possible. You'll get there, as with all things automotive, it always takes longer!
Well done Ian, cheerful persistence wins. Another thoroughly enjoyable video 👍👍
It's nice to see this video at last as it feels like a long time since you posted the tease. French cars seem to be designed in such a strange way. My 306 was the same.
They are. My Peugeot 206 had a great design fault with entry level petrol engines where they decided that putting the power steering header tank and pump above the alternator without considering fitting any leak protection when the pump starts leaking and gums up the alternator.
If it's any consolation I had a Ford Laser (Mazda 323) that needed an alternator as well. But the removal process involved taking out the exhaust mid-pipe under the engine. All that to open up a hole big enough to slip it out. That made me sad, as otherwise it was a nice little car which provided necessary transport until I could afford something more up to date.
Lovely Jubbly, a Citroën Xantia always liked one of those new, just a little out of my price range back in the 1990's. Fro memory I think this is why people didn't buy Citroën cars in the 1970's Mr HubNut, they were just a ball ache to work on, unlike your Ford Escort or Vauxhall Viva.
Nice one, Ian, persistence pays off. I'd have chainsawed my way through to the alternator by now.
Great little tinkering video Ian, looking forward to the future Citroen Content coming up especially #passthepicasso
I hope it goes to Llanelli for a rebuild... and at least it seemed easier to change than the alternator on the Rover 75 Diesel...
Ebay has loads of Rebuilt altenators
...I got a Rebuilt Denso for my Lexus Is 220d....
"A fistfight with Edward Scissorhands". That describes precisely how I remember working on my Mini's back in the mid 70's. Particularly the gear linkages at the rear of the engine. 😖
Looks like the arrival of that Picasso was beautifully timed!
So happy you're feeling better.
All cars have components like that really, that are slightly out of reach or in a weird location. Years of rust, dirt, moisture, wear and heat/cold doesn't help either of course heh. Only makes it harder. I personally hate how VW often places turbos in the back or attaches them to manifolds directly (AKA non removable unless you take the entire manifold off. And if you consider that it's on the back of the engine? You can guess how much of an issue that can be heh.
I'm happy you're feeling so much better though :) . Great to hear that. Sorry for the part that is the hardest to reach breaking down. But then, isn't that always the case? As mentioned above? And hehe,they would be the part people replace the least as it's the longest job. I really do hope they can rebuild the alternator for you, as that would also keep it all more original and she truly is a LOVELY GSA :) .
cant wait for the Xantia ( a 1.6 HubNuxe I presume)
lovely job on the dismantling
Looks like fun to try and get that back in thinking that it will not go back in the same way it came out
Dear Ian, so happy to hear that you will be keeping Giselle, and I hope Covid wasn't too persistent (maybe it came out of a lab in Rennes in France?). Impossibly located alternators have a strange affinity for you - that transverse engined Rover nightmare comes to mind! Regards, Arnon
I’ve always had my alternators and starters re bushed and new bearings etc where possible 👍👍🇬🇧🏴
We opted to buy a recon one, due to parts concerns, though of course, that means someone else did do all the work you mention...
when you come to re fitting the alternator, please along the mrs she has little hands to reach between the fan blades to re apply the belt on the pulley....how do i know , well after messing about for close to two hours and failing my mum came out and did it in 30 seconds (on a GS )
Trace the leak yourself using a hose pipe on the roof of the car moving it around periodically then check out were the water is ingress inside then you can use some water seal silicone to fix it
Lol Giselle throwing back the lack of love. Days getting longer now, Spring is sprung..
Glad to see you getting on though and I hope Giselle is up and running beautifully. I’d absolutely love another GS - it’s the best car I’ve ever driven.
I'd be throwing hammers and setting things on fire by then.....you're patience knows no bounds Ian! 🤣🤣🤣
At least the advice worked out well - someone once told me I could remove the alternator from my Peugeot Expert without removing anything else, and I wasted a stupid amount of time trying to do it, and nearly got it stuck in the engine bay at a weird angle. Once I realised I needed to remove the power steering pump and swing it out of the way, I had it removed in 5 minutes. Grrrrr.
The GSA is certainly not the most accessible of car to work on. I would still love one though.
Tbh Ian, some of us (myself included) really enjoy your mechanical /workshop videos even though they might mean it's tricky troublesome times for you but we really do appreciate your sharing these exploits worts & all.
Hope alternator fixable i used to work at Lucas alternator and starter plants at Marshall lake road and transfered to Shaftsmoor lane sadly now pulled down ... we used to strip off the brakets of old alternators covers and put new inards in and they were fixed by fitters in factory as old brackets used ...no charge i used ro make the statir packs and rotors ,great place to work as with lucas only a great memory was a fantastic place to work now Lucas gone 😭
I can change the alternator - original from Citroen Valeo - on my GS without unscrewing the front mask and other things. I learned at Citroen and have never seen so much to unscrew!😅
That looked really miserable, at least you somehow got it out. Hopefully the dash bulbs will be easier.
Looking forward to that day my golf tdi qualifies for hub nut. 2014 blue motion 1.6. Free tax doesn’t have a single extra or even steering controls !
Oh the alternator on a GS fun fun fun, I got mine out, fiddly thing but managed to do it, pity that Citroen did not make this more accessable, I am talking back in the 80s. I had a GS semiauto that needed the power to change the gears, somehow I hooked up the fan belt and got the alternator out, Ian get some of those cheap blue tarpaulins and make a cover so your bum does not get wet
Oh you brought back the memories of me twatting my head on the bonnet of my old BX, at 6'3" it was fine when the suspension was right up and then I went in for my tea.
Back out later in the freezing cold I remember a fair bit of swearing and blood as the car had sat down.
That was the catalyst to me buying a 3 year old Rover 414SLi M604 BEG, kept that for 10 years and one of the most reliable cars I have owned that cost peanuts to run.
Having owned a GS in the distant past, and done most of my own maintenance, can I suggest the following, Ian... working on the engine of a GS, and I assume a GSA, ALWAYS requires removing the headlights, blinkers and that front panel. The headlights come out really easily, just two clippy nut things for each headlight and two spring clips for the blinker/parker lights. It's actually about the only genuinely easy job on a GS. Then that black sheetmetal above and between the headlights comes out - two screws each side, plus a few into the bumper, isn't it? Once that is out of the way, it's plain sailing.... This assumes that GSAs dismantle the same as a GS, though it is entirely possible that Citroen made the GSA even more horrible to work on than the GS.
Cheers. I worry about the plastic cups that hold the headlamps in. They get brittle with age.
another good blog ,,,,, can you offer info on battery chargers/trickle thanks
Glad to see you're on the mend Ian. The brain fog and fatigue are the worst. I bet the alternator on the Routemaster and Fergie come off easier. I've never been a French Car person, I'm more into Eastern European oddities where you can remove parts much easier and said parts are dirt cheap.
I do admire your stamina, Ian. Keeping at it, at all those faffs - some of them admittedly of your own making - and strong in your belief (I think) that it will all work out somehow, which it often does. I'd have given up on some of the cars a long time ago, as I would like the time to really enjoy them in uncluttered motion as well. Still, that accounts for all the marvellous vids! Oh, and it wouldn't be HubNut either if the lighting on your tinkering was any better 😉
Hope it can be repaired, that is a nice original unit
This brings back the distant memory of my GS. My second car, bought cheap off my Grandfather when he gave up driving. Anyway, it was a Sunday, I was supposed to be working and it was supposed to be a double time shift, so good money. I drove as far as the big hill on the way to work then spotted the charging light had lit. Turned round and headed back home while I still had some battery. Part way home the exhaust parted and the main pipe plus rear box dropped, so I got that bit home by holding it on the roof of the car while driving slowly. Once home I had a look to see if I could see why it wasn't charging- broken fan belt. Again, there didn't seem to be any way to fix it without removing the front of the car. Unfortunately that was more than my fragile temper could take and I can remember walking round the car kicking each panel and door in as I went while probably swearing profusely, that was the end of that car. I hate to think what the neighbours thought! The only other car I owned that met the same fate was a Yugo, that one really deserved it!
Know how you feel here.
My Ford Capri (Dud from Downunder) Turbo convertible, needed a New Alternator. I tried to Pull it out. I Couldn't, took it to a Garage, they had to remove the Brake Master cylinder..!
Took them Hours and Cost me a Bomb.
The joys of Engines stuffed into Small places..!
Yipee..!!!
Cheers All. 😎
My son has three cars and yet still has to borrow vehicles to maintain his mobility. More is sometimes less!😂
It will be interesting to hear your take on the Picasso. I find them very dreary and uninspiring but practical I suppose.
How many miles? 509 thousand!!! Well done Citroen. Great vid too, oh and we've all shorted out something on a car...... haven't we?
Sadly neither are here to ask any more, but I’m sure the reason my mum and dad got rid of their GS Club Estate was because it needed to have the exhaust manifold repaired/replaced which entailed removing the entire engine, at which point they said “Enough already”. We loved the car and they said it was the best they had ever had in every other way … but the repairs did it in the end I think.
Coz it makes good content Ian!
Despite your rumbling, grumblings , you loved it !
Ian your positive energy is amazing , Iv followed you since day 1 and will keep following you on your journey. Thank you 🙏
Sorry it won't let me edit it for some reason !
Very nicely done, looks like the Rover 75 remains unbeaten in terms of alternator access faff 😂
I'm guessing that if you'd started this job with a swear box you could have funded the Chevronics alternator by the end.
I hope you never have a problem with the starter motor.
Spring will be here before we know it!
I think you'd have a much happier fleet if you took your cars to someone who knows what they are doing instead of bodging them up yourself , and if money is an issue why not just keep a couple of cars in good repair rather than 6 cars in various states of disrepair.
100k subs well done to you and family.
Easier than a Rover 75 though! I'm looking forward to that job on mine, at 160k it's getting to the point where I'm just waiting on the battery light coming on... Well either that or the clutch, or injectors, or turbocharger, or... OK, I'm just depressing myself now!
75 is easy if you don't do it the way I tried to...
Glad you’re feeling better, it was obvious you weren’t right and thought for a second you’d hit a wall, blimmin cars hey.
I managed to shear off every single front caliper bolt off my Land Rover by confusing lefty loosy with righty tighty, I was convinced they were seized and attacked them appropriately, just in the wrong direction. Turns out I was in the early stages of flu and post night-shift ‘dazed and confusedness’ 🤦♂️
Would you ever ‘do’ the LeMans Classic in Giselle? Because French. I did it in a sprint engined TR7 In 2010 having only covered run-in miles before setting off. I recommend the LeMans Classic, I do not recommend doing it in a newly built car.
I do very much still want to take Giselle to France in one form or another.
Interesting 🤔. We have two Shops around here that do nothing but Alternaters. You can even get Diode Packs or "Kits" for the older American and some Asian/German Applications IF you know where to look. #Becausefrench
another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍
What a difficult job to remove the alternator from the GSA you got it out and another Citreon well borrowed it the Picasso a people movrr and eith 500000 miles on it wow looking foward to the review
Totally agree on the salt, vile things that they put on the roads.
Admire your hardcore determination. Keep it up. Love the vids.
VED is a nightmare was paying over £600 a year for 2 cars changed vehicle's now under £200 for 3 cars
Just a quick video editing thing, which was also evident in the previous GSA video, it is not really necessary to add that text like "It isnt..." about not being the voltage regulator. We will find out eventually, and it just makes us feel bad for past you not knowing something. I'm not sure if others agree though
Nothing wrong with blaming the car for your own failings, I do it all the time, you can't hurt their feelings. But my god they always seem to get their revenge in the end.
PassThePicasso is a 2.0 HDI like Bella, is it the same engine version? Does it drive better than Bella, in terms of driveability issues?
Same 90bhp Hdi. Drives much better...
@@HubNut 500k miles?!?! Mind-boggling
@@HubNut Good to know, there is hope for Bella, perhaps with a little expense, as well.
Arh you gotta love French design...
Speaking of French, Ian i went to order the Multi Ace Tee and the classic Mug and more but they're out of stock and limited sizes etc. Do you know when you will be re stocked again?
Gawd. Sorry. We've been out of it lately - can you drop me an email to hubnutmerch@gmail.com with everything you'd like and I'll check it all on the website.
Giselle will be tax free in a couple of years. She seems more like a summer show car to me anyway. I’m sure I’ve seen an alternator refurb in Practical Classics and it wasn’t incredibly hard. You dismantle it all, clean it up and change the bearings, then buy a new regulator. It’d make some interesting content, which you could do at home maybe? Some years ago you took a speedo apart and fixed it which I thought was very impressive.
Well done Ian 👌
That alternator definitely on the crunchy side. Giselle will be pleased that that is being replaced. I can't believe that Picasso has done half a million miles, but then it isn't as complex compared to more modern cars.
So there's too much salt on the roads in Wales. Have you watched South Main Auto Repairs, Watch Wes Work or Mustie1 as they struggle with the results of living in the USA's rust belt?
Well done! 👍
I hear if you stand in front of a mirror with the lights of and say Picasso 3 times , ronnine pickering appers and offers you a bare knuckle fight. Lol
Shorts Auto Electrical in Swansea. One of the best in the UK
What a great victory!
Because French always make it more interesting
Why do Citroens use so much green and yellow wires
Can only assume it was on special offer.
I like 1960's and 1970's cars - they are so simple and there's always lots of room to work on them. More modern cars have so much tech everything is crammed into the engine bay and there's no room.
just my opinion
Can't wait to see the video about the Xsara Picasso, previously the highest mileage Citroen I'd seen was a ZX automatic 1.9TD with 400K miles on the clock, 509K must be some kind of record! I know of a Pug 405 1.9D with over 1M miles on the clock too, there's an article online about it. What engine is in your XP? 2.0HDi?
Yes, Hdi.
Have you considered using the contents of the swear box to buy a new alternator?
You mean Citroen intended for this to happen? Clever!
Paris Rhone alternator. That is a name I haven't heard in a while.
How do you come up with the names for your cars
Not often sure. They just float around in my head until they feel right.
The sound didn't go wrong at 8 mins in, it was because there was too much swearing 😂. Car design is a fine art but oh do they get it wrong sometimes for what should be easy jobs!
I find it quite amusing how the things we used to do in the old days to keep our cars on the road are now quite odd?
I'm not superstitious but some cars are fighters and every job is harder than it should be and some always go well. It's as if some want to work and some just want to be difficult. Can't explain it but I'm convinced of it. It seems Giselle is a fighter to work on.