have u set the valve clearances/ new oil and filter

wey hey getting there !

those pistons look completely serviceable but as your in there .... the coke on the crown and the carbon on the skirt suggest that the rings need doing ( as well as that shiny barrel) the other thing is that its well worth the effort to grind the valves it will manke a big differance to how the engine runs when your good and ready. Motorcycle type spring compressors are quite cheap but a man of your talents could make one out of a large G cramp/clamp

have a look in the archive for "starting a car after a lay up" or words to that effect.

sean I was looking on you tube at home made spring compressors as you said, I´ll probably do that before final bolt down.
ayjay, I heard on a spanish forum thats its better for the oil to be warm before a good change, there is new oil in there but mixed with the old crap, I´ll be ordering a new filter tonight amongst other things!!

lpgo..I do like it when a car helps you out, I´m sick of jealous cars and vans

chris and banjo, will do the oil tubes tomorrow, and it won´t start just yet anyway because no spark.

theres a thread on no spark somewhere so I´ll read it now, but I bought new plugs and a battery along with new fuel line, the old rubber parts were like licorice!..pleased that the starter motor still works, (I didnt burn it out), and the fuel pump also pumps from a bottle

but no spark as yet. is it normal for the spark coil thing to be knackered after a lay up?-

I ask because all my parts come from france and I need to group together my order to save postage, but I don´t want to buy another one if my own is ok.

does the power for the spark coil come straight from the battery or does it go via something else?. (theres a weird aluminium electrical box under the battery??? (the voltage regulator??)

cheers for the support guys, I feel like a real hunter gatherer today

Yes, it is better - the warm, thin oil flows out more quickly and takes more of the rubbish with it. But it's definitely going to be better to get as much of the old out first! Then change it again once it's good and hot. Then change it again in a 1000km or so.



It comes via the ignition switch. The earth goes through the points, so when they open and close you get the spark triggered. My money's on the points and condenser being stuck/corroded/dead.



Yep, that'll be the VR.

aluminium electrical box under the battery??? (the voltage regulator??)
Correct.

To test the coil.... Take the sparkplugs out of the engine and connect them to the leads, lay them on ground (the engine for instance) so that the spark can occure. Now turn the ignition on, take the wire comming from the front of the engine (points) of the coil. Connect a wire from the minus and hold for a very short moment to the coil and take it of, (just try to slam against the coil connection, now you must have Sparks....... when not your coil is gone (check if you have 12 volt on the other wire to the coil when the contact is on....)

Then you can try with the real points, put the wire comming from the point back to the coil.

Look if the gap between the points is closed, now take a wooden or plastic stick and make aopen the points, now a spark needs to appear, otherwise theres something wrong with your point condenser aso.

SIG - if you do not know the points are behind the fan (remove the fan ) and behind a rubber cover - square box and points inside there....

great stuff..no I didnt know where the points were ! thanks

ok but also, can I just concentrate a moment on the ignition. when I got the car it was all disconnected, there are 3 wires, 1 thick and 2 medium, I put the thickone at the top and the other 2 on the bottom (more for architectural hierarchy than anything else) anyway it starts the starter motor, but if the other 2 go to the coil then maybe they´ré the wrong way around or something?

similarly I have 2 males on the coil up front and 3 beige females!! (ooh err mrs!), I´ve tried all combinatioons of the 3 wires so far..god know where the third one goes.

looks like more fun and games tomorrow then. getting closer though

Forget about all the wires you've got...

Take 1 wire from the battery + to 1 connction of the coil. (doesn't matter which one (out of 2))

Now next to the fan out of the engine (at about 2 o clock) there are 2 wires coming out of the fanhouse. 1 small wire+connecter this is oil pressure and 1 wire+connector which fits easily at the coil. connect it to the coil also, now you have ignition and can test your engine......
'Don't leave the wire at battery + when not starting the engine otherwise your coil can be damaged (or your points melt down).....

sidney has officially come out of his 24 year coma!!!!

great stuff lpgo, thanks a lot...so that red wire from the points should have been connected to the coil all along? it was disconnected along with the oil gauge?.

no what, I´ll try the other beige wires to see if one goes to the ignition !

well happy, leaking oil a bit from the push rods because not locked down correctly yet but seems to tick over great

Great that I could help you...

YEP thats the life wire of your engine

Now you can look for the original ignition wire. Then first to do is to make the oilpressure light work, you know now wich connecter from the engine it is, try to find the connecter in the loom.... So you can see if you have oil pressure (then the light must go out) this is very important, otherwise you can brake down your engine within a minit.....

Then you can do the lights, horn indicators aso....

Now we want a video of a couhging and blowing running engine into the air; Just like my Ami about 2 month ago it started again for over 20 years and and a month later I went to Spain WM 2cv with it..