Sunk Suspension, Seized Engine, Can it be raised manually??

I have just bought an XM for spares on Ebay and was going to tow it home before I realised that the suspension had sunk so low that the car had about 2 inches clearance, and wouldnt clear the previous owners kerb, let alone a speed bump.

Before I set to arranging a towing dolly etc. can the suspension be raised manually without assistance from the engine ? The car won't start due to a seized engine.

It is a 93 2.0i saloon, so if anyone needs any spares, let me know also.

Cheers
Neil
neil.cox@dsl.pipex.com

Hey Some ones got big problems haven`t they !!

Yes it can be done not very easy you will need to use maybe a stille saw with a pulley fixed to it or a strong motor with a pulley

Then you can take off the belt & use it to drive the pump with the motor Etc.
Not very easy job to do but it can be done !!

The hard part is keeping the belt tight and on at the same time
You get the idea once you try

If you are going to tow with a rope then remember you only have a small amount of breaks that is if the front sphere is fully charged
(not recomended to use a rope!! use A Frame safer all round)

Let us know how you get on
M8

neil,

This may already be too late but how do you know the engine is siezed (I'm not trying to be cheeky - honest) Could it be a siezed starter motor for example?

Take the plugs out and give it a bit of a tow in gear, you never know it might loosen off just enough to get the engine turning over. If so, tow it around a car park in gear for 5 minutes to get the system pressure up.

Probably too late but worth a try.

Cheers

noz

Hi Noz

I never actually thought until after I had tried towing it to see if it would turn on the key even (I fitted a new battery for indicating & hazard lights), however the good news is I have arranged a proper recovery truck tow thru a mate at a v reasonable cost.

I did have a rigid towbar, but the U hook was too small for the eye on the back of my xm. doh

I'll keep ya posted.

Neil

After all the hassle of the last 2 weekends, and despite the car having stood for 9 months, with a freshly charged battery, would you believe it actually turned and amazingly fired up!

It was noisy as hell, but the suspension went up and we drove it on the back of the recovery truck, and off again at the other end.

The dismantalling starts tomorrow

Neil,

Glad to hear it started. Its got to have been the easiest way to get the suspension to rise. Any other method would have entailed a lot of mucking about.

You have a steep but very enjoyable learning curve ahead. Having only recently scrapped an entire 2.0CT I can thoroughly recommend it.

Scrapping a car means being able to take apart those things normally you wouldn't dare. For example I know now you'd never be able to get the heater unit out of the car. It's the first thing which is fitted after the carpets and evrything, and I mean everything, is built around it. I also found out how to dismantle the steering wheel and column. I now know how to get the sunroof out.

etc etc

It might be worth taking a few photographs as you dismantle. I thought of it once I'd finished when it was too late. After all the memory's not what it used to be.

Best of luck and have an enjoyable few weeks.

Cheers

noz

Neil,

Glad to hear it started. Its got to have been the easiest way to get the suspension to rise. Any other method would have entailed a lot of mucking about.

You have a steep but very enjoyable learning curve ahead. Having only recently scrapped an entire 2.0CT I can thoroughly recommend it.

Scrapping a car means being able to take apart those things normally you wouldn't dare. For example I know now you'd never be able to get the heater unit out of the car. It's the first thing which is fitted after the carpets and evrything, and I mean everything, is built around it. I also found out how to dismantle the steering wheel and column. I now know how to get the sunroof out.

etc etc

It might be worth taking a few photographs as you dismantle. I thought of it once I'd finished when it was too late. After all the memory's not what it used to be.

Best of luck and have an enjoyable few weeks.

Cheers

noz

oops, how did that happen?