Transmission

First of all, shop around for the clutch--the original Citroën ones are very expensive (exceeding 500 EUR), so I actually went to the shop and opened up a clutch kit. It turned out it had parts from Valeo and Sachs (I have been told some also have Luk parts). I looked up the suppliers, and found an XM kit from Sachs with a three year warranty. When I checked it out it turned out to be exactly the same kit down to the Valeo parts. The only difference was that it cost less than half the price.

With the roadwheel still in place, remove the wheel nut securing pin and the crown, then loosen the wheel nut (the one on the CV joint) about a quarter of a turn or so, just enough to get it going. Applying the park brake or even the foot brake (assuming the system is still under pressure) will help. Loosen the wheel bolts slightly, then release the park brake.

The commonest problem is missing gearbox oil. Oil can leak out through the worn-out driveshaft seals. Check the oil level regulairly and if it's found not to be leaking anywhere but oil is still missing, it's time to check the driveshaft seals. This is a very common problem, especially on Series 1. Another, far less problematic, typical problem is the oil leaking through the plastic part where the gearchange lever enters the gearbox; however, this does not decrease the level signifficantly.

Although synthetic oils are perfect for the engine, don't use them in the gearbox. Citroën gearboxes (the synchro rings, actually) seem to rely on mineral oil which is thicker than its synthetic counterpart. I committed the same mistake: trying to be smart and go for the best, I chose Mobil Mobilube 1 synthetic. Although it worked, changing gears became harder. A couple of days later I went back to the originally specified oil (Total BV 75 or EP 80 are mentioned in my instruction manual, Castrol also manufactures the second) and it's as smooth as you can get.

The speedometer cable is split into two parts but that doesn't mean you should replace only one part, unless you are positive that only either the upper or the lower part is failing. But even then, the other part may follow its counterpart in a short notice...