Photo of the Octopus ?

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ellevie
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Photo of the Octopus ?

Post by ellevie »

Does anyone know where I can see a photo of the Octopus in the flesh, either a new or a used one ? I've seen various schematics but it's not quite the real thing. Is the native variety the same as the Continental one ? After much shining of lights and torches I still can't see exactly where its head is located. It must a very furtive creature indeed !
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Stewart (oily!)
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Post by Stewart (oily!) »

They look like a heap of liquorice :) , very few clues really, about the best strategy for replacement is to remove the bolt from the bottom engine mount, swing the engine forward and get a block of wood between the sump and the crossmember, this will give at least some room, the bigger end of the octopus lies on the drivers side, a final tip is to cut the two returns from rear suspension (plastic pipes) where easily accessible alongside chassis and fuel lines in the region of behind the crossmember, drivers side so that about eight inches is removed with the old octopus, these bits can then be easily plugged into the new octopus before fitment and joined using some rubber from the old one, not a toally bad job. I did mine when the engine was out.
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ellevie
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Post by ellevie »

Thanks Stewart.
The tip about swinging the engine aside sounds really good. I think I saw your post recently where you said it took you 4 hours with the engine out. Thanks also for the tip about cutting and joining two rearward pipes. It's for a very cheap BX I bought recently with a view to salvaging the struts etc, but the bodywork is really good so I'm going to have a go at getting her fit for the MOT when the weather gets a bit warmer. I also got two kits of rear arm bearings very cheaply from eBay, so this will be my first attempt at changing those as well. I have very little heavy duty mechanical experience so this should be a good way of getting some. I've got one of those telescopic inspection mirrors on order so hopefully I will be able to see the octopus a bit better. It sound like some kind of PC based inspection camera would come in useful, perhaps even based on a webcam.

Thanks again,
David
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ken newbold
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Post by ken newbold »

da dar


Image
Image
Image

Hope this helps :D

The chances are it's the very short return pipe from the height corrector thats split, it has a 180deg bend in it and they often brake off where it joins the main junction of pipes, you can sometimes repair them with a piece of brakepipe but if its a car you intend keeping, it's worth doing the job properly.

I've usually changed them in 2 - 2.5 hours, some people take the drive shaft out to give better access but I've always managed with them in.

Stuarts idea with the engine mounting sound good.
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Post by ellevie »

Thanks Ken,
Brilliant pictures, David Attenborough would be proud of them. What an extraordinary looking creature ! Thanks also for your sound advice. I think I've managed to identify the HC ; looks like a small alarm clock just below the steering wheel, deep down, and there is oil collected on some kind of round bolt/joint just below it. If I can find this short pipe and verify that it is the culprit then I will try a temporary repair like you suggest and go for a complete replacement if the car turns out to be a good one. I wonder if some form of oil resistant silicon sealant would work as a temporary repair ?

Many thanks again,
David
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ken newbold
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Post by ken newbold »

The pipe usually breaks/splits just at the point where it leaves the HC. It is a tight fit over a brass tube extending from the HC only about 1 inch long, it usually has a small pipe clip on it.

The split might not be obvious and you may need the engine running in order to find it. Beware of the obvious dangers.

I think all of the ones I've come across have had this same problem.

The "temp" repair, take a piece of BX brake pipe and a piece of BX return rubber pipe, bend the metal pipe into a semi circle, push the rubber pipe onto one end, then cut the metal pipe to the required length, and attempt to insert the metal pipe into whats left of the rubber pipe which is still attatched to the octopus. If this breaks off dont worry too much, but you will have to insert the metal pipe right down into the octopus itself at the point where the old one broke off.

I did such a repair on one that lasted three years untill the car was scrapped.
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Post by Mike E (uk) »

Octopi are a pain to replace. It is cramped, dark and dirty where they live.

Be systematic, and mark each leg as you go.

I found it helpful to extend the 2 legs that connect to the rear of the car under the drivers footwell, this made it far easier to position the body.

I used 4 fuel pipe clips, a short length of old octo leg and some of that transparent thin return pipe to do this.

The diagram of the octopus in the bx microfiche is helpful, but it is not to scale.


Mike
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Post by ellevie »

Ken,
Thanks again Ken for what sounds like a really neat solution. The leak is indeed quite significant only when the engine is running. I put it up on my neighbours ramps last week and could only see a very slow drip from two places on the cross member with the engine off, but with the engine running the dripping increased quite a bit. I still couldn't make out exactly where it was coming from, but must put this down to lack of experience. Now that I know what to look for I feel confident that I will be able to sort it out by hopefully applying your method.

Thanks also for your safety warning which is very welcome. Last week was the first time I have ever been under a car with ramps and I have never been under one at all with axle-stands. Fortunately my neighbour, who is retired, seems to be fairly knowledgeable about cars and hopefully will keep an eye on me, but I think I need to have a serious think about safety. I presume you are referring to the risk of the car falling if pressure is suddenly lost, especially when working around the HC. Also the axle-stands look as if they could topple if the car is able to roll, so I suppose it's a case of chocking the grounded wheels with something like bricks in front of and behind the grounded wheels. I will be having a go at replacing the rear arm bearings and I expect some serious force may be required to shift the bolts. It might be an idea to put something other than the stands under the car just in case they do topple.

Many thanks,
David
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Post by ellevie »

Mike,
Thanks Mike, changing the octopus seems almost to be a coming of age ritual for budding BXers like myself. They seem to be really well hidden as I am finding out. Hopefully I will be able to apply Ken's brake pipe temp repair if it turns out to be the short pipe. I have printed out the diagram you suggested and I agree it is really useful, in fact that whole parts list has some really useful diagrams. Your extension method sounds really good and I will look to it if I eventually end up replacing the whole beast.

Many thanks
David
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Post by Gareth Wales »

It might be an idea to put something other than the stands under the car just in case they do topple.
David[/quote]

I share your caution - I put similar sized tree stumps under each side of the car. Axle stands always seem so frail to me but of course they're not - its just my nervousness. Good luck on the rear susspension too
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Post by ellevie »

Thanks Gareth, I don't have any tree stumps but I was thinking of some hefty concrete blocks of such like.

David
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Post by Vanny »

I've done the job in a sports centre car park and it took (start to finish) about 2 hours, so i guess it's not too hard? This was however on a non power steering model and the job seemed to go according to plan (unlike most jobs on the BX that seem to lead to 10 more!). I didnt swing the engine out of the way (which i guess might have been useful) but i couldn't have done it without taking the drive shaft out.

Having had many fears about the octopus i have had my doubts as to how difficult a job it is my advice is this, it's NOT difficult, but it is very fiddly and at points out right frustrating! The best way to tackle it is to do it systematically and slowly and if things go a little stray walk away from it for an hour or so and come back to it!

I might add the one i did in the car park was easy largely due to it being stupidly sunny and i swear i fell asleep under the car at one point ;)
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Post by ellevie »

It's pretty cold here at the moment, not at all the kind of weather to be fiddling about with freezing fingers. I can afford to wait for warmer weather . The BX does unfortunately have power steering, in fact I thought that might have been at the root of the problem as I had to push it backwards with the engine off and I had an unmerciful fight with the steering wheel; I thought I might have burst something in the ram or the pinion valve. But hopefully Ken's suggestion about the short pipe at the HC will be the culprit and I will try his brake pipe temp method.

David
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Post by stuart_hedges »

Scary thread, this - octopi scare the willies off me.

One started to leak on me when I was running a CX on a very tight budget. When I realised what the job would involve I just patched the leaky sections using hose off the GSA I was about to sell - with the buyer's permission!
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Post by ellevie »

I wonder what's the equivalent of Arachnidphobia for octopus phobia. The French call them spiders don't they ?
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