Would it be possible to build a plain english repair manual on this site. I keep a how to record of some of the things I have done on Citroens and will add it as a starting point.
Alternator
To take the alternator off a cx
Remove the battery to make a bit of room
Use an 11ml spanner to undo the nut on the tightening strap,get it from the top.
The alternator is held by a bolt with a 21ml head. This bolt can be undone from the front or the back but is bloody slow as an open ended spanner is needed & is only turned a very small amount each time.
The bolt is screwed into a nut in the alternator bracket & as soon as the nut is freed the alternator can drop down as the hole is slotted.
After the alternator is freed it is forced over to the battery box by bending the water hoses & the wires can then be removed.
Before replacing I undid the hydraulic pump. 2 11ml nuts on the strap & a 14ml bolt. This allowed the pump to be moved a bit so I could get fingers on the head of the big bolt. To stop the nut falling out of the Alternator bracket I wound black tape around it.
CX2400
To take the starter motor off, first remove the compressor for the air-cond
by removing the 3 bolts that hold it. They are 15 & 16 mm.
The starter motor is held by 3 11 mm bolts. It only takes about 1 hr
There are 2 washers as spacers between the frame and the compressor on the
bolts nearest the mudguard. They move the pulley towards the motor to line up
the belt.
11/06/96
In the solenoid the contact bar was not going forward far enough to complete
the circuit. The bar is on a small shaft with a spring under the bar to hold it
forward. The spring either got weak or broke so I wrapped a few turns of copper
wire round the shaft to force the spring further forward.
There is a plastic nut on the other end of the shaft to adjust the length the
drive cog goes forward.
To remove & replace the front crossmember (rack carrier).
Jack up the front of the car & prop each side. I used 2 hydraulic jacks as props under the
front jacking points, & remove the front wheels.
There are 2 13mil bolts each side holding the cross member in place. Hold the nut with a 13
ring spanner and undo the bolt with an open ender. Could probably use a little socket instead
of the open ender but because the bolts only have a very thin head the socket would need to be
a good one. The nuts are hard to get at but it can be done. To get the inside one the ring
spanner needs to be horizontal.
There are 4 13mil bolts holding the rack on the crossmember. 3 of them are easy & can be undone
with a socket and a long extension but the top one on the right side is bloody hard. From
under the car put the left arm in front of the member and the bolt can be just touched.
Use the fingers to guide a bent open ender in the other hand at the back of the member &
the bolt can be undone very slowly.
When all the bolts are out the member can be slid out the right-hand side.
Replace the same way.
To remove an upper balljoint
Take the nut off the tierod end (21 or 22 mil); remove the tierod from the hub
Undo the nut inside the wheel for the upper balljoint. Have to use an open ender 24m
Tap the joint & it should fall off
The upper balljoint has a flange on the bottom (under the top arm); use the
anglegrinder with a cutting disk to grind a piece off each side of the flange
so the puller can get a grip.
Use the puller with only 2 legs to drive the joint out the bottom. I used a nut
off a gutter bolt under the point of the puller. If the puller moves sideways
hit it back with a hammer.
To fit a new upper balljoint
Put the new joint in the freezer for 12hrs to reduce the diameter.
Use the puller with 3 legs to force the balljoint into position.
Use a 1in 3/4 drive socket over the bolt on the bottom of the balljoint to force the balljoint
in. Use a plate over the top of the joint and a nut to put the point of the puller in.
To remove the front axles.
Loosen the nut holding the bottom balljoint to the lower arm. Do this while the
car still has weight on it so the balljoint does not turn.
Loosen the nut holding the wheel on. To do this use the 35m socket & a piece of
pipe on the big ratchet handle.
Jack the car up. Put the lever in the low position to lift the wheel. Let the
pressure go.
Undo & remove the tierod
Undo the lower balljoint & remove it from the lower arm.
You can now move the wheel out far enough to push the axle in to clear the wheel
To remove the triaxe from the driveshaft
Take off the top spring clip
Use the cutting wheel on the anglegrinder to cut a small notch on the three
sides of the underside of the triaxe; this lets the 3 legs of the puller get a grip.
To ajust the handbrake
Take the front wheel off.
On the caliper housing there is a 11/16 bolt. Slacken it & then turn the slotted head in side the caliper housing. I think anticlockwise tightens the brake. Changing the length of the cable with the ajusting nuts doesn't seem to do anything
Alternator
To take the alternator off a cx
Remove the battery to make a bit of room
Use an 11ml spanner to undo the nut on the tightening strap,get it from the top.
The alternator is held by a bolt with a 21ml head. This bolt can be undone from the front or the back but is bloody slow as an open ended spanner is needed & is only turned a very small amount each time.
The bolt is screwed into a nut in the alternator bracket & as soon as the nut is freed the alternator can drop down as the hole is slotted.
After the alternator is freed it is forced over to the battery box by bending the water hoses & the wires can then be removed.
Before replacing I undid the hydraulic pump. 2 11ml nuts on the strap & a 14ml bolt. This allowed the pump to be moved a bit so I could get fingers on the head of the big bolt. To stop the nut falling out of the Alternator bracket I wound black tape around it.
CX2400
To take the starter motor off, first remove the compressor for the air-cond
by removing the 3 bolts that hold it. They are 15 & 16 mm.
The starter motor is held by 3 11 mm bolts. It only takes about 1 hr
There are 2 washers as spacers between the frame and the compressor on the
bolts nearest the mudguard. They move the pulley towards the motor to line up
the belt.
11/06/96
In the solenoid the contact bar was not going forward far enough to complete
the circuit. The bar is on a small shaft with a spring under the bar to hold it
forward. The spring either got weak or broke so I wrapped a few turns of copper
wire round the shaft to force the spring further forward.
There is a plastic nut on the other end of the shaft to adjust the length the
drive cog goes forward.
To remove & replace the front crossmember (rack carrier).
Jack up the front of the car & prop each side. I used 2 hydraulic jacks as props under the
front jacking points, & remove the front wheels.
There are 2 13mil bolts each side holding the cross member in place. Hold the nut with a 13
ring spanner and undo the bolt with an open ender. Could probably use a little socket instead
of the open ender but because the bolts only have a very thin head the socket would need to be
a good one. The nuts are hard to get at but it can be done. To get the inside one the ring
spanner needs to be horizontal.
There are 4 13mil bolts holding the rack on the crossmember. 3 of them are easy & can be undone
with a socket and a long extension but the top one on the right side is bloody hard. From
under the car put the left arm in front of the member and the bolt can be just touched.
Use the fingers to guide a bent open ender in the other hand at the back of the member &
the bolt can be undone very slowly.
When all the bolts are out the member can be slid out the right-hand side.
Replace the same way.
To remove an upper balljoint
Take the nut off the tierod end (21 or 22 mil); remove the tierod from the hub
Undo the nut inside the wheel for the upper balljoint. Have to use an open ender 24m
Tap the joint & it should fall off
The upper balljoint has a flange on the bottom (under the top arm); use the
anglegrinder with a cutting disk to grind a piece off each side of the flange
so the puller can get a grip.
Use the puller with only 2 legs to drive the joint out the bottom. I used a nut
off a gutter bolt under the point of the puller. If the puller moves sideways
hit it back with a hammer.
To fit a new upper balljoint
Put the new joint in the freezer for 12hrs to reduce the diameter.
Use the puller with 3 legs to force the balljoint into position.
Use a 1in 3/4 drive socket over the bolt on the bottom of the balljoint to force the balljoint
in. Use a plate over the top of the joint and a nut to put the point of the puller in.
To remove the front axles.
Loosen the nut holding the bottom balljoint to the lower arm. Do this while the
car still has weight on it so the balljoint does not turn.
Loosen the nut holding the wheel on. To do this use the 35m socket & a piece of
pipe on the big ratchet handle.
Jack the car up. Put the lever in the low position to lift the wheel. Let the
pressure go.
Undo & remove the tierod
Undo the lower balljoint & remove it from the lower arm.
You can now move the wheel out far enough to push the axle in to clear the wheel
To remove the triaxe from the driveshaft
Take off the top spring clip
Use the cutting wheel on the anglegrinder to cut a small notch on the three
sides of the underside of the triaxe; this lets the 3 legs of the puller get a grip.
To ajust the handbrake
Take the front wheel off.
On the caliper housing there is a 11/16 bolt. Slacken it & then turn the slotted head in side the caliper housing. I think anticlockwise tightens the brake. Changing the length of the cable with the ajusting nuts doesn't seem to do anything
:banana: 
