Snow and Homework dependant, I'm hoping to bring Albert down again this weekend for work on the bulkhead/bonnet hinge area. The bonnet hinge just needs attaching, and the bulkhead will want some patches over the holes.
Question is, should I remove the engine and gearbox etc.?
It's only the upper bulkhead with holes, so I could probably manage without taking it out, on the other hand it would make life easier with it out, I wouldn't have to worry about setting fire to everything and then I could keep the engine in my nice warm shed and give it a service without having fingers to cold to pick up screws...
I don't have any lifting gear but if I separated the engine and gearbox could they be lifted out individually?

Thanks

yes, they can.

They can indeed
I went perfectly - is that me being exceptionally lucky or just the nature of 2CV's?
Grand total of three problems encountered - the engine was slightly awkward to carry up the stairs, I dropped a washer and spent 2 minutes looking for it, and I got the wiring loom stuck in my hair.
I doesn't seem right somehow! More should have gone wrong!

Anyway, the bulkhead etc. looks much more managable now, and I can give the engine proper attention

Updates soon

Thank you everyone

Well it's very wet out, and I've never really played with a four stroke before, so I'm giving the engine more attention then I had previously planned (There's a lot of high grade compost between all the fins)
I'm slightly puzzled by the points though, I can't see any form of advance mechanism, it looks just like my mobylette points (2 stroke) but when searching it there are loads of references to timing curves, static advance, dwell angels etc. etc...
So is it more complex than just setting the gap with feeler gauge, then timing with multimeter/cigarette paper and hole in the flywheel?
Can anyone explain?
Also, I've got to have a look at how all the valves work etc, as I have never seen them before, but as for pistons, inside the crankcase etc...it works, so shall I just leave be it until it stops working?
thanks

GM5,
maybe have a look behind the sheet metal cover under the points box?

There won't be any 'angels' dwelling there, but there will be a centrifugal advance mechanism.
Worth checking that the springs are in good condition and fitted correctly, also that there's no sign of the mechanism dragging on the rear of the plate...

You can use the pin in hole method, but that won't guarantee that the ignition advance will be correct where it really matters.

ken.

Now that explains a lot!

I think writing an entire essay on Tess of the d'urbervilles, misspelling angel as angle was worse, you would have thought I'd have learnt by now

So how does one check the timing when it's running at speed?
Some very clever multimeter?
Or can you just set it as best you can statically (Is that the correct usage of the word?) and see if it runs allright?

Don't worry - I emailed my boss and asked her for help in the delivary of pubic services

Sam,
isn't there a (subtle) difference between spelling errors and Freudian slips?

ken.

G.M.5,
a strobe 'freezes' the timing marks on the flywheel whilst the engine is running, so by comparing their positions relative to a fixed mark, it's possible to determine how much ignition advance is provided all the way through the engine's working rev range.

Even with the 'all singing, all dancing' fully electronic ignition units available nowadays, I'd recommend using a strobe to check exactly what's going on as regards ignition advance.
Certainly helped with the one I found which was 10 degrees short on its total advance straight out of the box...

ken.

So the strobe is a flashing light, basically, that flashes at the same frequency as the flywheel rotation?
I think I understand now - so presumably the light comes on when the points open, then does it straight away go off again?
Is it possible to make one myself, do LED's light up fast enough?
Or does it have to be a strobe type light to have fast enough reactions?
Finally, how does one check the engine speed? Can you just get a rev counter or something?
There are so many things to learn!
Thanks