or a rare and sought after punter, who'd pay the price?

Running In ....

So just a little update, I've been running in since the engine rebuild, a post it note stuck to the dashboard reading "Gently 'till 151160". Been pottering around, driving as old man like as I ever have going gently and not accelerating too hard, didn't quite follow the advice of an old friend on running in, which was "change up early, don't rev, don't accelerate ever, and put a brick under the accelerator"



All in all the car has been nice to drive, starting easily even if its been left for some time between excursions, and quite a trouble free drive. I've covered about 400 of the requisite 500 recommended gently miles, including a few longer trips on A roads getting up to over 50mph in some places, wow!



A few things to work on though, when it comes to head re-torquing day, last trip out I blew a fuse I think as I ran the wipers, so lost fuel gauge, oil and brake warnings, and of course indicators. Was pleasantly surprised by the weekday traffic's acceptance of hand signals and didn't get any aggro at all as I drove to somewhere en-route to buy some new fuses. I'll take my original 1979 cheesegrater motor apart and clean it up.

I'm definitely getting pinking, a crackling noise when accelerating under load at reasonable speeds, hasn't happened much because I've been driving like such an old fart over the last 400 miles I have been avoiding loading the engine as much as possible. So definitely needs the timing looking at too, will check the advance weights and reset static and see what that does before I try anything further or buy a disco light.

The other thing was a gradual loss in power a few times, the engine not misfiring, but loosing power eventually forcing a stop. Happened on long but not necessarily steep inclines 3 times and once after a more brisk than usual acceleration as I joined the traffic. After leaving the engine idling for a minute (or even less) was able to continue with no problems, so my suspicion is lack of fuel, the flow didn't look that great at the in line filter next to the carb, and the pump is a complete unknown age and condition wise so a replacement of the pump and pipe will be in order as it needs doing anyway and I'll see if that improves matters.



So all looking good, roll on the next 100 then I can re-torque and start giving the engine a bit more of a workout!

Any suggestions or advice greatfully received of course!

Chris

ps. Oh and the jellymoulds are leaking oil, so I've got a scraped and cleaned up set with some new seals to do too.

Chris,
I may not have mentioned this before, but better late than never...

< http://www.citroentuning.de/doc/How_to_break_in.pdf >

For some years, I've been following STP's advice on breaking in new pistons and barrels, which seems to work very well.
The idea of using full throttle to accelerate in a high gear ensures that the piston rings are forced hard against the cylinder walls, so minimising the chances of glazing the bores through running the engine under too light a load.

Doing things the old-fashioned way, you're probably about there by now, but it might still be worth giving the engine some runs from 40kph up to 90 kph in a high gear?

Not to be contemplated before you've adjusted (retarded) the timing, however.
If it's pinking under light load with your current setting, it's going to be rattling its nuts off under full load...

ken

loose wheel nuts? (or over tightened/worn nuts so they tighten on the back of the nut rather than the slug)

Sean

Thoroughly greased up and then correctly tightened by Mr Barbour I'm sure - nuts when he replaced my gaiters at Mot time. Centrifugal made the nice pattern from the grease Well spotted though Sean!

Thanks for the advice Ken and the link very interesting. I'll give the 40-90-40 a go like you say. Have you been doing this in fourth gear when you do it? This is quite different from the "old fashioned way" I've been doing it, as you say I'm nearly there now though.

Will make sure my timing's done before though for certain as you say things could get quite unpleasant.

Cardboard box of nice stuff arrived from Staffordshire today ... I can feel a day at the lockup coming on soon.

Crikey has it really been so long since I last posted on this thread? Well anyway here is an update since the last post, but really its just an excuse for me to put up some photos hope you like 'em ...

As mentioned above, a new fuel pump seemed to be needed with the engine loosing power but feeling ok again after a short break, so in a shiny new one went...

And that soundly cured that problem! Wasn't too expensive either, and the filter is now as recommended on the chassis rail and not between pump and carb as it was.

Next was a retorque of the heads following the running in period and an oil change with nice expensive oil.



Used the "Screwdriver and Big Hammer" method to get the old filter off as I don't have a chain wrench. (Big Hammer not pictured)

Nothing quite beats a night time drive with the roof down and the music up, the heater on full and the engine buzzing. Here you see the car before just such a mojo restoring run



Next up was a trial of a 123 ignition, which lead to a new camshaft end being fitted, and its still holding!

Following that was Registers Day, on the way there you can see I really thrashed the engine:



er - well gently anyway



Note the old skool camping gaz stove - still working and still boils up the hot dogs ok.



Car bumped into an old friend at Registers too. The Veterans of Morocco 1994.



Then before you could blink it was off to Winchester for the InterNational and the setting sun of the summer.



Most recently its been more upgrades, Yellow Stuff upgrade! and my own new 123 fitted. Also pictured - new cardboard tubes (can you spot which one is new - doesn't take long for new ones to look used eh?) and new breather to filter tube.

Great looking car this. Nice to have a random convoy down the A34 with you the other week btw... I was in the front red spesh

Cheers James, yes it was nice to convoy. at first I couldn't believe it, a pair of red speshes just ahead of me after I joined the A34 - Ready made convoy! Although we were all heading towards the Winchester 2CV meeting so maybe not such a huge random co-incidence

Your car was very shiny I think I was blinded by the sun reflecting off it

Chris

Chris, you car has to be one of my favourites on this forum. i think it would look great with some headlamp protectors!