also i have scratched my wing and bumper on last wing removel!!

re sprayed bumper anyway aftweards

any tips for wing removel?

i found getting it of was piece of cake, getting it back on was a nightmare

Interesting to hear semi and fully synth oil and flushing recommended.
Must admit in 22 years of 2cving, I've never used either.
I run a basic mineral engine oil like Castrol GTX, and either 10/40 or 15/40. This I drain every 3000 miles or so, and change the filter every time.
Haven't had the heads off the current engine in over 12 years. Maybe I should.
Gearbox oil is just a basic EP80/90, which I'd change every year or so.
Always replace sump plug washers with new, or heat up old ones to cherry red and quench in cold water to soften.
Replace plugs and leads every 5000 miles or so - every two years at current useage.
Grease kingpins, splines and knife edges when I remember.


Always remember to refit the sump plug before putting new oil in!

sounds like we have something in common!!!

ok will do,

thanks for your advice

Hi Rumble. These are, of course, just my own personal recommendations. But they are based on experience.

There is no doubt that good-brand semi and fully-synth oils are far superior to mineral oils. And the single most important thing that you can do for your engine is ensure is it well lubricated.

I'd recommend a 'flush' if the oil in your car looks black or you are uncertain about it's service history - it should only need to be done once provided you use good quality oils and follow recommended service intervals.

I wasn't suggesting the heads come off, just the rocker covers (which you'd need to do to set the valve clearances.)

i think flushing the engine is a brilliant idea, as sods law, all the crap will stay in the engine after a drain anyway!!

Have heard that the use of an engine flush can dislodge a large, hard piece of gunk and cause a blockage in the oil passageways-especially if it's never been done before.

James- Use an old blanket or my favourite, a two-litre bottle of softdrink(Coke)and cut the base off it(it can then be used to slide over the end of the bumper, and protect both the front of the wing, and the back of the bumper. I normally remove the low nut ahead of the front door, then loosen the two nuts on the headlamp bar, followed by loosening the nut on the bulkhead whilst gently leaning against the wing. Once the wing has become loose, gently draw it away from the car, ensuring you do not catch the rubber gaiter on the drive-shift. Also ensure you disconnect the electrical wire for the indicators, before you commence work. When you need to refit, then follow the Haynes way..."Refitting is the reversal of removal"

drives me insane that does

i didnt loosen the headlamp bar last time, maybe this was where it all went wrong
well as russ said we all scratch them the first time

i wanted to take my car up the road with one wing missing, (non busy road and priave as well) but i thought it would look better with both wings off!
and yes i couldnt take the earth wire of last time so just cut it, and then re connected it using heat shring connectors, with a longer wire too, but i geuss if im removing wings again, then ill have to try get this nut to budge

also while on the topic of wings, i am sure the 2cv is the only car where you dont get mud splatters up the doors, and the mud flaps actually do there job (i hate mud splatters from wheels!)

When you say that, are you trying to say loosen the headlamp bar, or loosen the wing securing nuts on the headlamp bar? If it's the former, DON'T TOUCH THE BASE OF THE HEADLAMP BAR

ahh makes sense now, now not the headlamp bar i get what you mean !

Hi Jonathan, yes, I've heard that one too! But I suspect it's an urban myth

I dare say there is one really badly-maintained car running around out there with thick, black, gloopy oil squeezing slowly through its narrowed pipes, and a 1 inch layer of sludge congealing in the bottom of its sump. And which will coincidentally seize up completely following an 'oil flush'!

But, much more common - and there are many incidences of this - is of modern cars, with their stooopily long service intervals, and which have oil syphoned out via their dipstick tubes rather than the drain plug (very common...), suffering from a myriad of sludge-related catastrophes due to the engine becoming progressively more gunged up despite having had regular 'oil changes'.

Think back to last time you carried out an oil change; did the new oil go quite dark after the first run afterwards?

My current runner - an '84 Charlie - was drained and thoroughly flushed when I bought it a year ago. It was then fed on Millers Semi-Synth and the oil is still clear 3k miles later. This means one simple thing to me - there has been next to zero engine wear over the past year/3k miles.

I quite like that feeling

Similarly with the gearbox oil. If you use top-quality fully-synth gear oil, you needn't change it again for years. It is very cost effective.