Hydraulic pipes,.... Unfortunately leaky ones!

[oilybox]

Ok, my lovely BX Meteor 1.9 Diesel, has developed a leak of the famous green 'Vulcans Blood', the leak is from what looks like the lower-most, and 2nd lower-most steel pipes in the n/s sill area, just in front of the rear wheel. The pipes are 'weeping', slightly. The Haynes 'Book of Lies' doesn't seem to indicate what the individual pipes are, whether they are brakes or suspension etc. Can anyone indicate which pipes are which?
I know I have to replace the rusty ones, (ideally, all the steel ones!), I need to know the overall lengths of the various pipes, particularly the lowest two.
I have found a chap on eBay who calls himself 'The Citroen Hydraulic Pipe Man', and makes new pipes from 'Kunifer' pipe, with brand new Citroen 'ends' and sealing rubbers, for approx £2-£3 per 1/4 metre.
He recommends taking the pipe off and measuring it, or measuring it on the car, and ordering the relevant length of new pipe.
I need to use the car all the time, so at present I'm topping up the fluid as necessary, which seems to vary in the amount of topping up needed. Does anyone have the lengths of these pipes, from where they've already replaced theirs?

This is now quite an urgent matter as my BX sometimes leaves a little pool of green fluid.....when parked. The brakes are as ever excellent, and don't appear to be affected by the leak.

Thanks very much.... in advance

Matt

[oilybox]

Just thought I'd add that the leaking pipes are the ones that curve up and over the rear suspension cross-member.....

[ken newbold]

The lower-most pipes from memory go to the rear height corrector, the bottom one is the return pipe to the tank, the other one I think is the shortest of the front-to-rears and goes to the safety valve mounted of the nearside front subframe.
Third one from bottom is the rear suspension feed and the top one is the rear brakes feed, this is assuming they've not already been replaced and put back in the wrong order.

[oilybox]

Thanks for that Ken!, that was quick!, they look like they are probably the original ones, and don't look like they've ever been off the car. Oddly they are only rusty just near the clip securing them to the sill.
I just need to know their lengths now, but thanks for your answer, at least now I know which is which!

Kind regards

Matt

[ken newbold]

Big problem is changing them without damaging the others, I'd make sure you have all 4 ready to hand before you start.
You used to be able to buy them ready made up, but no idea if that's still the case. Give Malcolm Lockwood a ring on 01274 640590 and ask him, he might even have some in stock, he did buy a load of obsolete spares a short while ago.

[sdelasal]

The guy at pleides made me up a full set when I replaced them year before last - he was very helpful. I'd recommend changing the set if you plan to keep the car for any length of time - they are probably close to leaking too and in working in that area you may just disturb them enough to fracture any rust weakened pipes. Steve

[citronut]

and the only way to replace the front to rear pipes is drop the rear sub frame,

also if it is a suspension pipe it will leak all the citro blood away in minutes if not seconds,

if its a the brake pipe this will only leak as you press the brake pedal

Martin at Pleiades on
01487 831239
will probably know the length of the pipes, if so this will save you dismantling till you have the new ones to hand

were are you located

regards malcolm

[rutter123]

i had the same prob on my tzdt for the last mot, only light corrosion on the pipes where it clips in the plastic, i managed to borrow a pipe flaring tool and got some new pipe and fittings, all i replaced was about 6 inches of each pipe (1 return pipe and 1 h/p rear susp supply pipe) basically just cut out the corroded part of the pipe and replaced with new as the rest of the pipes were in good cond, this saved a lot of messing around and is acceptable for mot, and a permanent repair, all good since tho i guess there wil be more to do next mot.