S2 V6 Auto Gear Lever Wanted

[markysimon]

Have just checked with Citroen here in Velez-Malaga...
2403 H9 NFP (as listed) and no dealer stock in Spain or factory-France
2403 J0 Not shown as NFP, but ditto.

If anyone can lay hands on a decent one, I'm happy to explore re-making possibilities.

If I manage to find one, I'll let you know. This search does raise a couple of issues (in my mind, anyway) namely:

What happens to parts that are not stocked anymore, listed as 'NFP' (which in my ignorance I assume is the same as N/A), but were obviously manufactured for a time after the cars weren't? In other word, NOS ? In the world of olde motorbykes which I also inhabit there are quite a few such specialists, so why not for Citruins?

Are there specialists in NOS and/or good condition used parts for older Citroens likes ours, and if so who? I include breakers in this. There are a couple on the continent that I've tried, but they often take an age to respond and often have nothing. Aggregate breaker outfits Googled online never have anything in my experience.

And so it goes...

[xmexclusive]

Hi Mark

NFP means No Further Production.
There is no record of the date that decision was made so it could be years ago.
Declaring NFP had no direct effect on existing stocks but more about that later.
It is difficult to be certain about the reasoning behind declaring NFP.
It may have been done on an item by item basis when factory stock levels reached reorder level.
Equally it may have been done on a Model/engine basis as the 10 year spares supply rule got near.
Citroen had a UK spares store in Coventry which was cleared and closed about 5 years ago.
All stock was disposed of and most that was not scrapped has already flushed through the NOS market.
A rapid delivery to Dealers was put in place to quickly supply spares from factory stocks in France.
A search facility to source shelf stock worldwide from all Citroen Dealers was put in place.
Many UK Dealer chains limit this search facility to the main branch.
My experience is that many sub-branch staff either do not or cannot get their HQ to stock find.

The other source of small quantities of NOS was UK dealers.
Stock holding guidance was issued by Citroen UK and all little used stock was cleared.
This process took a few years but all that stock was disposed off or in NOS hands some years ago now.
About the time Coventry closed Citroen also withdrew recognition of their cheap brand parts (EUROPAR?).
This meant that all Dealers could no longer fit any of those parts and had to dispose of all shelf stock.
That supply of cheap bits is also well dried up.

Secondhand parts are another minefield.
Demand for XM bits is very low so most scrapyards crush XM's without stripping the day of arrival.
In my opinion it will be the few rare bits that most XM owners will search for as secondhand bits.
The chances of finding those rare items in good condition on a scrap car are quite low.
There are a few French car spares specialists that may hold XM bits but they and their stocks diminish as the years go by.

Some of us set about finding alternatives for the rare bits.
Chris has offered to do this with the gear lever.
Such efforts often fail when the project gets to needing financial support.
Where we succeed with an item it gets listed here.
Strut head rebuild is an example.
Not everyone finds some of these alternatives adequate.

We do regularly talk on here about possible shortages of bits.
Not everyone agrees on the level of risk.
Spheres are a current example as most people see my view as very pessimistic.
I would just prefer to have stock available long term as re-engineering will be difficult and expensive if needed.

John

[markysimon]

Thanks for that very comprehensive answer, John, although I and I imagine many of my XM-loving peers must be somewhat depressed by this state of affairs, certainly when compared with other mainstream car marques and certainly motorcycles which were built in far, far smaller numbers but which NOS (and re-manufactured) parts are still readily available. (I re-built two Hondas from the early 1980s last year and had no trouble buying all the many parts I required). I shall continue my search for a gearlever handle though and right now I'm trawling around French scrappers! At least suspension spheres are still not a problem – see separate thread!

Mark W

[xmexclusive]

Hi Mark

Today I was searching one of the non car bits heaps for steel wool to clean up some copper pipe for plumbing work I was doing.
In one of the boxes I had to shift contained a few XM bits.
One of them was the broken auto gear lever that I had glued back together.
I had intended to recover the head in leather but it looks firm and fit to use as it is.

Now looked at it much more carefully and am not sure it will be any use as it was recovered by cutting the two metal rods with an angle grinder.
The main outer rod releases easily from the head with a couple of T20 Torx screws.
The thin centre rod is my problem as I cannot see any way to release this.

Anyone got a diagram or replaced one so can describe the correct way to take apart.
Then I can tell if it is useable or just junk.

John

[Jan-hendrik]

The thin centre rod is my problem as I cannot see any way to release this.

The centre rod remains connected to the selector mechanism. The replacement lever, the square hollow tube with head, is what is needed.

[Jan-hendrik]

BTW,
Removal and refitting of the AT gear selector is easy if you know how. The procedure is described in the Haynes Manual in Bodywork and fittings >>> Centre console >>> removal and refitting

This is what Dean posted a year ago:
Unclip the boot from the console and pull it up, there are two hex screws (one each side) in the square shaft. You will need to slightly push the detent button and turn the knob 90 degrees to detach it from the detent rod.
Thank you Dean!

I don't know if you need this info, but the gear change lever arrangement is shown on page 368 of the part list.

[xmexclusive]

Hi Jan

Thank you for that description.

I now have a repaired head to send on to Mark.
If he has kept all the bits of his broken one then I should be able to repair that one too.

John

[markysimon]

Sorry John et al, I've only just seen this – I've discovered that XM Forum Notifications go into my Spam File !

If you can post it to me I'll very happily reimburse you and will send you the broken bits of my old lever handle which I do have: will PM you my address in the meantime and once again huge thanks.

Cheers – Mark W

[xmexclusive]

Update:

My original repaired lever handle went off in the post a few days ago.
On fitting Mark found one of the glued bits was lifting.

I have no idea what type of glue I used as it was a year or so ago.
It will have been whatever was handy.

The broken one from Mark came in the post midday yesterday.
I bought a new bottle of Gorilla superglue brush & nozzle.
The results with this seemed good and firm so the handle was posted back today.
Mark will no doubt report what he finds with the repair.

Mark had collected all the pieces of the split plastic cover to his handle.
When I tried them for initial fit I think I worked out how and why these handles shed the outer plastic hand grip cover.
The reassembled bits were not a perfect fit, the shapes all fitted correctly but left air gaps on all the joined edges.

I think that as the outer covering ages it hardens and shrinks a little which starts internal tension cracks.
Hand gripping and useage do the rest until lumps break out.

John

[White Exec]

I idly wondered whether, given a whole one, it might be possible to make a mould, and cast replicas using GRP-resin. Not dissimilar to casting chess pieces, a tried and tested process. Resin could be mircofibre loaded for extra strength, and the result should be extraordinarily tough. Black finish would be an option.
Without seeing one of the plastic 'outers' in the flesh/in detail, it's difficult to tell.