HELP - '01 Coolant Reservoir Removal and subsequent replacement&#

[Jeff_C]

I am way past the point of no return on this. I've disconnected the sensor switch, the 3 coolant hoses, the 3 fuel lines connections, pushed the fuel filter to the rear and have dropped the CR out of its rails. However, I can't get the thing out of there!!!!!!!!! Has anyone with an '01 done this themselves? Do I have to drop the engine and does that move it out of DIY land?

Any and all thoughts would be appreciated.

TIA

Jeff

I usually don't double post but I will be posting this to rennlist too so excuse me if you see it there too.

[Loren]

Did you move the air pump out of the way? and the two fuel lines? Then move the tank towards the engine?

[Jeff_C]

Did you move the air pump out of the way? and the two fuel lines? Then move the tank towards the engine?

OK...here's where double posting sucks:

Yes. The airpump has been removed and all (I believe) hoses and lines are disconnected or removed (which will bring me to a question later about how to route the fuel line when I reinstalled it )

It just doesnt seem to be able to make the turn even though it is loose in the cavity.

Thanks,

Jeff

Edited September 2, 2006 by Jeff_C

[Paul Grainger]

I did this job last weekend on my 1999 C4 (UK Spec)

On my car the bracket that locates the header tank was broken, the tank was not secure and made a rattling noise that could be heard when driving.

I disconnect all the hoses from the tank, and removed the fuel filter (mounted next to header tank) and hoses.

I did not remove any other equipment, or lower the engine to make more room. My dealer who supplied the bracket said that it is not essential to remove the air pump, there may be a difference with UK spec cars.

Getting the header tank in and out is very difficult, but believe me it is possible. The tank will only go in and out when it is in a specific orientation, and even then it has to be 'forced' into position. I was concerned that I could have damaged the low-level switch when the tank was replaced, but fortunately there was no damage or leaks.

I figured that this job would only take an hour. It ended up taking four hours, purely because of the difficulty getting the tank in and out.

Anyone who has a broken header tank holding bracket should beware when replacing it. There are two fixing bolts for the bracket that screw into 'captive nuts' above the tank. These captive nuts break free very easily, and 'turn' with the bolt preventing removal. Unfortunately, the captive nuts are located in a void area between metal skins to which there is no access. This was a real puzzler to me. I ended up destroying the broken bracket and 'pulling' the nuts through the steelwork. I did not want to butcher the car in order to get access to the area above the nut - I ended up using spring toggle cavity fixings (stainless steel from local DIY store) in order to fix the new bracket in position. It's made a perfect job at a very low cost.

Paul G