To minimise starting difficulties, service the carburettor by taking the lid and entry filter off and clean out the fuel and sediment. Use compressed air to blow out dirt from the jets and all linking channels and chambers. Remember the lid as well and replace the gasket between the carburettor and the lid if needed. Check the needle valve, sometimes sticky and adjust the float to Citroën’s specification. Inspect the 4 nuts and spacer holding the carburettor to the manifold. Over time the base of the carburettor becomes warped, taking in false air, upsetting the fuel and air mixture, making the idle and overall performance difficult to adjust. Adjusting the carburettor without adjusting engine valves, timing etc. will achieve a poor result. Wrong engine vacuum, old air filter and incorrect ignition will compromise the performance. Secure all bolts, any loose bolt or nut will be lost

Air filter
The original Citroën air filters are not very good in dusty conditions, allowing fine particle to reach the carburettor and further in to the engine. Blocked and dirty air filters belong in the rubbish bin. Often the carburettor is full of dirt, due to worn out air filters and not from the petrol side. Secure the goose neck hose connecting the air filter to the carburettor using solid clamps. If the goose neck is cracked replace it. The air filter lid is often worn, causing the air filter to come undone. If the lid and housing catches are beyond repair drill a 7mm hole right in the middle of the lid and in the centre of the housing and fit a 7mm threaded rod with two 7mm nuts + washer underneath the housing and same on top of the air filter lid. Inspect the hose from the oil breather to the air filter housing and secure with 2 clamps.
Most importantly stay away from dust, don’t drive in a cloud of dust. Keep a good distance from the car in front of you.

Inspect the exhaust manifold nuts on the cylinder’s heads, sometimes loose other times rusted away. Also check the bolts holding the inlet manifold, if loose false air can enter here. The exhaust clamps on heating boxes front and rear are often lost during the raid due to the famous corrugations. Any loose clamp, nut or bolt on the entire exhaust system should be checked to prevent them from falling off. Make sure the front muffler is in good condition and is placed correctly on the two bolts on the gear box side. The same for the torpedo muffler under the body. If not secured properly the swan neck pipe through the left mudguard can break in 2 pieces. Fix 2 heat outlet hoses on the heating boxes to get rid of heat from the engine compartment.