The BORA

Does that mean the reservoir can sneak out the top. Without further dismantling (other than the carpeted panel)?

 

Yes I beleive so.

 

the choke cable is indeed broken (the inner sliding wire). It cannot reach the attachment now.

Solutions?

-slide a new inner wire all the way from the dash to the carb through the existing sleeve?
-install a whole new choke cable assuming its not NLA?
-using a clamp add a small extension onto the broken cable?

I know I don't need a choke in central Florida but that looks tatty having a broken cable right there.

 

Here's one ... don't make this a priority. Get the serious stuff fixed, sorry that you're having a rough go, enjoy the car for a while. Since you are in FL you might want to look into what it's going to take to fix the AC, the stock system absolutely sucks. But winter is almost here so enjoy driving the car a bit before tackling that. It's a big project to make it right but it is possible.

 

Understood. I'm not actually working on the car during the week. Just planning for the battles ahead. First thing I have to do when I get started in earnest is sweep up a bunch of oily kitty litter.

Honestly I didn't even turn the a/c between where the truck dropped it off and my house, less than a block. It was smoking so much from the LHM I just wanted to get home. Looked like one of those mosquito control trucks spraying poison as they drive around.

You reminded me: My mom really didn't like my dads Bora, mainly because the a/c was terrible. She likes it frigid, apparently the Bora was not up to the task in the South Florida Heat.

I did stick up my Maserati sign after work yesterday. Behold the Maserati shrine:



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This part of the delivery was a bit scary
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Congrats to you! Dig the wall

 

Another photo of that southern California junk yard.

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MIght be good for some body panels, but they are estimating 20-30,000 for this one:

Just not sure there's that much money in parts on this poor soul at this point.
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some questions for the group:

I plan to R and R the LHM reservoir tomorrow to fix my leak. , If I drain the fluid into a clean container can it be reused?

I believe the two hoses attached to the reservoir are not pressurized so I can cut what are likely old leaky hoses and replace, correct? What I'm really trying to ask is, if I put a hose clamp on the hose that seems to be leaking and cut it kind of long, I can run it down and collect that fluid, but the other side of the cut end which goes to the pump or regulator/accumulator - will they really bleed oil or just drip slowly?

Lastly, the carpets in the engine bay have shrunk and pull back about half inch from some edges. Can this carpet be stretched and reglued? Anyone know how to stretch them? Maybe with steam?

Thanks again.

 

Wrt replacing LHM tanks, beware of used "refurbished" ones.
Only NOS would be secure.

I had recurring leaks on my LHM tank (Indy 4900), coming from the external tube inserts and/or from the bottom of the tank.:

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My mechanic attempted repairing it (gluing the tube ends, soldering the bottom, etc.). No go...

Issue of these tanks is that they are made of steel.
LHM being hydrophobic, one may think that it does not absorb water and that internal corrosion is avoided.
But any water ingress (e.g. vapor condensation) will directly go to the bottom of the tank as water is heavier than LHM.
Then corrosion starts invisibly from the inside until it goes through the sheet and seams.
Repairing that with soldering is impossible...

At the end of the day we decided replacing it with a full alloy tank made on purpose:



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Now fixed!

 

Fyi McGrath Maserati in the UK sell new bespoke tanks, very nicely made but pricy.

 

"But any water ingress (e.g. vapor condensation) will directly go to the bottom of the tank as water is heavier than LHM.
Then corrosion starts invisibly from the inside until it goes through the sheet and seams." Thats an interesting factoid that makes sense of the bottom of these rotting out.

"McGrath Maserati in the UK sell new bespoke tanks, very nicely made but pricy."
Thanks, I've seen pics of one of their tanks, rectangular for maybe kamsin or indy, I haven't seen the round coffee can style at McGrath.

I have found an NOS Bora tank but also pricey, no need to buy if its just a bad hose.

Dean

 

Well, yes I know, at a PRICE!
GBP 825 + VAT + Import duties + shipment...

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It's not even OEM.
I preferred my ten times lower price approach

 

"But any water ingress (e.g. vapor condensation) will directly go to the bottom of the tank as water is heavier than LHM.
Then corrosion starts invisibly from the inside until it goes through the sheet and seams." Thats an interesting factoid that makes sense of the bottom of these rotting out.
thinking about this now.....I think I will use a fluid extractor to remove the oil from the top of the tank and discard the last inch or two in case its contaminated with water.

 

I have seen many Khamsin rectangular tanks go bad since the metal is very thin but never the round one on the Bora which has a heavier duty tank. I see that the tank on this Bora is missing its green paint, which is very unusual for a Bora, so it appear someone has been messing around with it.

It looks like the Citroen DS used this round tank.

Ivan

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i know my reseviour is filled up to the word "attention" on the decal. and thats after the exon valdez oil spill, I'm wondering if its grossly overfilled and if that is the mail source of the oil leak? Most dealers know nothing about these hydraulics. some shop guy could have just completely topped of that tank.

 

Guys. I need input. I have the return hose from the regulator/main accumulator to the reservoir in this milk jug. The pump feed hose/filter assembly is out and the main cap is off. So it’s a strait shot from the reservoir to the milk jug. Why isn’t it draining? The reservoir is filled to about an inch of the top. Is that hose plugged internally? I’ll have to syphon off the LHM before I can unplug the other return hose. Also that regulator to reservoir hose is not standard it has like a nipple at the regulator end. Is that required or can a plain hose be substituted? Thanks.
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Hi Cepat,
Inside the reservoir is a pipe which goes to the top of the reservoir. This is to avoid foam inside the reservoir.
The later DS have a hose beside the reservoir to empty it. I think you need a pump to remove the LHM or you use a transparent hose, suck with your moth and put the milk jug on a lower level.
Here is an explanation of the Citroen hydraulics: http://ckc.dk/pubs/Hydraulic_course_notes_844.pdf I think this could help you to understand the system. On page 13 you see the pipes inside the reservoir.
How old is your LHM in the system? Normally you should exchange it after 5 years otherwise you damage the hydraulik components.
BR
Daniel

 

Using a 500cc fluid extractor I sucked a gallon of LHM out of the reservoir. It looked something like this Austin Powers tool.

If I’m to believe the min and max marks on the reservoir….thats about 3L overfilled?!?! Someone who knows please opine. I still plan to remove the reservoir to check for leaks. Maybe the dealer it was at knew there was a leak and thought the best solution was to top off the reservoir?
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thats a great article. thanks.

 

reading through all receipts, these are the works I can document:

Hydraulic works:

2014

Rebuild headlight cylinders


2022:

Both brakes spheres replaced

Two new front brake hoses

Brakes bled

No mention of main accumulator or pressure regular being looked at. So no idea how olds those are.

I did check that the brake pedal releases fluid audibly more than 35 presses of the brake pedal after th engine is stopped. The pressure warning light does not come on when I drove it that short distance upon delivery.

 

Reservoir is out. Clear evidence of soldiering in the past. Will clean it up and leak test it. The trick of putting a bigger hose over a smaller one at the connection - is actually original or a short cut because someone didn’t have the correct hose clamps?
The hose from the reservoir to the pressure regulator was not clogged as I could push a brush all the way through it.

Will clean up the resevior and see if it’s leaking another day.
There was an MSD ignition module right under the reservoir but luckily not soaked. I did have to remove it to get the tank out the bottom. Also removed the heat shield there. Perhaps 4mm of wiggle room. There no way to take it out the top.
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The second hose over the primary one, under the clamps, are original. The Min and Max markings on te tank for a Citroen DS are different since that car has hydraulic suspension. Notice that the DS instructions on the tank indicates to check the level with the engine running and the car set to the highest position. This is so that the spheres are all full. Once the engine is off, and the system comes to a rest, all that fluid will flow back to the tank.

The Bora has spheres but not as many as the DS so the amount of fluid going out and coming back is much less. I checked the location of the Min and Max markings on my Bora and indicated them on the photo below. You should check the fluid level with the engine running so that the spheres are at normal pressure.

Ivan

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Gracias Ivan. When I plug in the main suction hose to the pump will I have to prime that with the engine running like I see on a you tube video of a Citroen with the same reservoir or will our pump prime itself? My tank still has min and max marking sticker with the levels where you indicated.