well i did search this before and couldn't see it,

anyway,
im after a general idea of how often i should do certain things on the car,

for example im going to grease the kingpins every other week,
i could do with an oil change (Got filter,)

i know theres loads more, can someone help me, i know its all probably written in the haynes but its there opinion, and i was wondering if you could give me yours, ??

thanks:)

ps sorry if my wording of the above sounds strange, didnt know how to word it !

Hi James. Not a direct answer to your Qs, but a suggestion for when you do you oil change.

Is this car new to you? Have the valve clearances been set recently? If 'yes' and 'no', it's really worth removing the rocker covers and setting them for two reasons (1), it's very important , and (2) the rocker covers will likely have a fair bit of 'sludge' sitting in them (they're half-filled will oil when running, and sludge will settle at the bottom.)

So, if you remove them and clean all this out, and then drain the engine oil (after checking the gaps, refitting the covers and warming up the engine) and then refill with 'flushing oil' (follow the instructions - but usually tick-over for 10 minutes or so) and then drain this... you'll have very clean engine insides! Remove the old filter at this point. Leave the engine draining for a good half-hour so's every drop of old stuff comes out.

Fit new filter and then refill using good quality semi-synthetic oil (only costs half as much again as mineral oil). I have a personal liking for Millers oils having had it recommended many years ago by someone who's opinion I trusted, and I am impressed with it. (Around £17 for 5L at my local factors.)

After doing this, your oil should be GOLDEN, and should REMAIN that way between service intervals. Quite a nice feeling knowing that your insides are perfectly clean (tho' a bit of a heart-stopping moment when you check the dipstick a couple of ks down the line and think for a moment that there's no oil in there...)

Similarly, if it hasn't been done, it's worth replacing the gearbox oil. Easy job - one drain plug below, and a refill plug on the side which also acts as a level indicator.

Best done after a run to warm up the 'box.

Refill using really good fully-synthetic gear oil - it won't need doing again for an age, and it's worth the marginal increase in cost.

List made by members of a ducth 2cv mailing list:
Every week/1000km
# Check Oil level, engine and brakes
# check Window washer fluid
# check Lights, windscreenwipers/horn
# Check tyrepressure

Every 3 months/7500km
# Cleaning battery terminals
# jack up the car and check steering
# Greasing of kingpins and driveshafts
# Check gaiters for holes/rips/tears
# Check gearbox oil level
# Remove and clean sparkplugs
# Check sparkplug leads. Change when they are not flexible anymore
# Grease the knife-edges
# Check ignition timing

Every 6 months/15000km
# Check heaterpipes
# Change engine oil (warm), and change the oilfilter
# Replace the ait filter
# Replace points, adjust @ 0,45mm
# Clean fuel filter on the carb
# Check brake pads
# Adjust rear brakes if nessecary (and front if you have drums)
# Clean the oilcooler with compressed air (back to front)
# Change spark plugs
# Check alternator belt and replace if needed
# adjusting the tappets
# Grease the clutchcable
# Check free movement of clutchcable and adjust when needed
# Check the brakelines for corrosion
# Check handbrake and adjust when needen
# Check windscreenwipers and replace them if they leave stripes
# Check the exhaust on leaking

Every year or 30000km
# Same as on 15000km
# Check alternator brushes and replace if needed
# Check the main wiring to the startermotor
# Grease up the wheelbearings
# Change gearbox oil (warm)
# Check the alingnment
# Check fuelpipes

Every 60000km
# Same as in 30000km
# Clean the carb
# Adjust the carb
# Check rear brakes on wear

Replacing brakefluid:
DOT: every 1-2 years
LHM every 3-5 years


==========================

I'll give my car every 20000km a full service. New oil, filters, gearboxoil, checking the tappets.. Clean my airfilter (sports) and change the alternator belt.

ok, so ill drop oil, and flush it through like you said, (to flush do i top oil right up or just a tad to get all the crap round) and where about are the rocker covers (easy or not?)

i will do gear box oil as i imagine it hasnt been done for a while, again is it easy to get to?

looks like a wings of job to be honest but so be it

thats exaclty what im after, didnt see youd posetd that

thank you very much

i shall print that out and probably do all of those so i know where im at maintenece wise !

Hi James.

Yes, getting to the rockers is a wings-off job I'm afraid. However, like having to remove the fan to get to the points, it's a quick and straight-forward job after you've done it once (Watch out for scratching your wings on the bumper and headlamp bar during removal/refitting - cover them with bags or cloth first.)

'Flushing' can be done two ways, one involves adding a small can of 'flush additive' to the existing oil and running it for a bit before draining. But the far-superior way is to drain all the old oil first and then refill it with a few litres of 'Flushing Oil', (which is usually basic mineral oil with the additive already in it and comes in plastic cans similar to oil itself). This does a much more thorough job of cleaning the engine since you've already dumped most of the carp that was in there when you drained the old oil. Follow the instructions on the can - usually says not to rev engine, just idle for the stated time.

Always warm up the engine before draining oil.

After giving your engine a thorough internal cleaning like this, you really shouldn't have to do it again provided you use good quality semi-synth (or, fully-synth if you want!) oil and follow recommended service intervals. The oil should remain pretty clean between changes and future engine wear should be at a minimum. Oil has come a long way in 20+ years...

Gearbox oil is an easy job, although refilling it is marginally easier whilst the wings are off (but still pretty straight-forward with them on.)

Get a couple of draining containers ready in your garage (an old plastic 5L oil can laid on its side with most of the top side cut out with a Stanley knife works well), go for a good thrash in the car, pull in, switch off, undo the drain plugs under the engine and 'box, allow to drain.

Remove wings as the oil is draining, do your rockers, refit drain plugs, refill 'box oil, refill with engine flush oil, and run it as per instructions on the can. Switch off. Drain this oil and remove old filter. Allow to drain for a good half-hour. Fit new filter and fresh oil.

(Tip: fill the new filter with clean oil before fitting. Pour it into the middle hole, leave it to stand for a minute, and top it up again. Wipe a smear of clean oil on the rubber seal too. Offer it up to the fitting spigot whilst holding it upright (so's the oil doesn't pour out!) and then tip it over the spigot and screw it up. Don't over-tighten! If you really want to, you can also disconnect one of the coil feed wires and crank the engine (without it firing) for a few seconds until the oil light goes out. Reconnect wire, and then fire 'er up. This is so that you don't have that horrible few seconds of the engine running with no oil pressure!)

Gearbox oil - if you don't have a Haynes manual or similar, then you really should get one as it'll help to point out the location of the drain and refill plugs, etc.

However, the drain plug is obvious - it's on the underside of the gearbox casing. The refill/level plug (large - 21mm?) is a couple of inches up (so looks quite low down) towards the back and on the driver's side of the 'box. The car should be level when refilling, so if you had it jacked up, let it back down! The gearbox oil should come in a bottle with a flexible tube attached. Pass this through the refill hole, squeeze until you know roughly the right amount has gone in, and then add more slowly until it starts to trickle back out. Allow it to 'overflow' for a few minutes and it'll be at the correct level. Refit plug.

I'd grease the kingpins a lot more frequently that that. I do them every thousand miles (600km) or so.

re kingpins i do them once a year prior to mot but then my cars dont go that far and are not daily drivers. on the plus side ive only ever changed 3 pairs in 27 years of 2cving so i cant be doing all that bad

ive done a few oil filters and changes in my life, never heard to flush it though, i will definatly do that !!

and yes, oil is thinner when its hotter

i have a load of pans (which came from a commercial kitchen which cooked chips) and there good for catching oil, and i have one of those proper oil catchers in, however i dont tend to use it as its a pain!

does anyone know roughly how much oil the 2cv takes?

and my friend has (and he uses for his truck) jcb oil, really good stuff,

jcb oil in a 2cv??