I'd welcome suggestions. I've been driving my "new" Charleston really for the first time over the last few days, and, compared to the other 602cc cars, it seems a bit weak. It needs a lower gear for hills, and it seems to accelerate rather slowly (compared to the others). It reaches a reasonable speed (about 60) eventually, but rather slowly. I just wonder if anyone could suggest something.

It had been off the road for a good 11 years before I re-started using it. It's fairly low mileage (about 55,000), and one elderly lady owner before me. I did all the usual things: changed the oil (engine and gearbox), reset the tappets (properly I'm fairly sure) and (properly I thought, but maybe not) the timing. I replumbed the full fuel system (the old rubber parts were all perished/splitting). It needed a new coil.

After running it a fairly short distance I then had to change the fuel pump (nothing coming through). The "new" one is a good deal older - the type you can dismantle.

It starts very easily when cold, but needs choke for longer than I'm used to, and restarting when hot is quite a bit more tricky. The engine runs quite regularly, and sounds OK to me.

Might it be worth trying (or even cleaning) the carb - isn't there an extra pump for when you stamp on the pedal, with a diaphragm? Or maybe the jets? Or look at the timing again?

Cylinder pressure seems pretty good when I turn it over with the handle (but I haven't used a pressure tester).

Suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks

my old do-lly will do about 80mph at a push dennis
make sure the tappets arn,t too tight its better to have even more clearance than the book says
if u used a standard coil the can play up on restarting a hot engine i have the yellow harley coil and electronic ignition make sure the brakes arn,t binding /parsially seized
air filters clean too-- dought the carb is causing any loss of power
i,m not an expert though!
sorry for the grammar

I would do a full service and check when it has been standing for 11 years. Incl. clean+check+adjust the carb. I missed plugs and leads in your story. How about breather? If you have a compression tester, test it. Old fuel in the tank? than be happy it runs at all etc.

Thanks Bart and Ayjay - I haven't changed the leads (or the plugs) but the plugs looked OK and the leads are pretty clean. It's not brakes binding. I've been through a couple of tanks of fuel with it, so I don't think it is/was old petrol. I probably ought to clean the carb, and I'll do a compression check at the same time.

I did as full a service as I could - when I got it, it didn't start at all, so I did all the obvious things then. I've just put on a new exhaust from the cross-box back - the front part seems OK. It's just that now, having a chance to compare it with the other 602cc cars (the AZU van has a 602 engine too) it feels just a lttle weaker, and as it's a slightly lower mileage vehicle I didn't expect that. It smells a bit hot when I stop after putting my foot down, but that might just be the oil I've managed to squirt around the engine/exhaust.

Any other thoughts would be welcome.

Dennis, if it's been standing for 11 years, there's a good chance that the rear brakes are binding, especially if the pivots weren't greased when the brakes were last serviced.
Even light contact between the shoes and the drum will have a very noticeable effect on performance.
Have you tried applying the brakes with plenty of pressure on the pedal with the rear wheels jacked off the ground, then spin each wheel to see if it turns freely?

What type of 602 is in it? If it is a later type, it is possible that it is an 'eco' version like the last ones delivered in Germany and The Netherlands. those have a milder camshaft, but more important the jets in the carb are smaller! that might also explain why you need to use the chocke for a longer period.

so if you have an other carb lying around, take the jets out and compare the dimension with the ones in the charleston. maybe change them. Also it couldnt do any harm if you gave the carb a good cleanup.

good luck!

Ken - not brakes I'm pretty sure, but I will check again. I have now cleaned the carb, which was dirty, but no apparent blockages.

Rusty - I'll have a look. I do have a "spare" carb to compare with. What you say sounds entirely possible as the engine does seem to be running nicely - it's just the "feel" of it is quite different from the other engines. The engine number is A06/635 - 0904025222, and the little bendy metal tag on the Solex carb says F12992000 - 26 35 CSIC - CIT 225. It's a pity I had already taken the carb apart (and put it back together) before reading your suggestion.

What do people do about that flat wire strip that is supposed to hold the bottom of the rubber tube from the air cleaner onto the carb? The one modelled on the opener for a tin of corned beef? Is a good big cable tie just as good?

Just use a hose clamp, tie-raps can stretch when hot.

... but don't do it up too tight as it'll just crack the rubber hose.

Dennis,
as far as I'm aware, the only difference with those 'blei frei' engines was a lower compression ratio; 7.9:1 instead of the usual 8.5:1 for a 2CV.

By coincidence, I opened a carburettor last week to re-jet it, which had Solex's CIT 225 alloy tag still attached and that factory jetting was the same as all other late model 26/35 carburettors, 102.5 for the primary petrol jet and 87.5 for the secondary.
( Afterwards, it was 107.5 for the primary, of course.)

As for the camshaft, I really cannot see that Citroen would make such a drastic change in the engine design.

Tie wrap around the carburettor end of the intake hose for me, with a hose clip into the air filter box...