Dear Forum Doctor (s)

Just got the Beachcomber back on the road and I can't drive it more than 5 miles or so without getting a severe headache and nausea from the noise...NO... From what I can only assume is a leaky cylinder head filling the car with exhast gases. The thing is, the car seems only marginally less bad with the heater control off and I have to drive with either the roof off or the vent flap fully open.

When I last had the car MOTd and serviced I had the heads skimmed and gaskets fitted (on a gasketless engine? ) to try and stop this problem, although it appears to have been a fruitless exercise. Am I missing something obvious here? I've driven the old girl for more than 230,000 miles and at least 200,000 of those were fume-free.......

HRx

It could be the heat exchangers leaking.

Also you tightened down the manifold since the gaskets were fitted? When Rick and I replaced the gaskets on my engine in Finland we tightened them down 3 or 4 times till they had compressed and sealed fully.

Thanks for that. Will do.

I've never heard of a heat-exchanger perforating, although I can't see why it wouldn't happen. Can you buy new ones?

Yes, IIRC Club cassis sell them, and I think MCDA do aswell, although on the cassis website they are priced at €500....

I have secondhand ones if you need one though, yto be honest I've never seen one rot through the exhaust pipe within the heater box, I think if you've had head gaskets fitted it's more likely to be down to retorqiing the heads and manifolds, maybe also check the exhausts for leaks.

Well done on getting it on the road though!

Ta!

€500 FFS!!!

I jest you not...

I had one pipe within the heater box go a long time ago so I can vouch that it does happen. From memory it was on an engine that had stood for a while...

Sorry, I wasn't discrediting what you said! You're right, Its all metal so it can all rot!

No offence taken.

It is rare for then to go and in 24 years of 2CVs I've only had to change one once because of rust.

On a similar vein I've only ever had to change one manifold for similar reasons. Could these be the longest lasting exhaust parts?..

yeah, I think so, although early 'flat' manifolds rot through faster than portugese D*lly sills, and the later M28 jobbies seem to go forever!