If you are changing the cambelts yourself, watch out for the engine fan covers. Citroen made the edges razor sharp. Can remember cutting myself everytime I did a cambelt change. I still have a lot of manuals and documents, some of it factory, if you want info. CCC is a good source of info, but watch out for the cardigans and pipes.
Nice colour, how do you keep the flies off?
Should I buy a 1983 GSA Pallas?
Moderator: RichardW
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by RichardW</i>
Baz,
Have a look on the Citroen forum at aussiefrogs.com - there was a thread there not too long back about changing GS cambelts. Changing the belts is apparently not too bad - it's just stripping the entire front off the car to get to them that's a pain!
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It is a bit of a pain, but its not really that difficult. I've probably done it about 10 times, and after a bit of practice you can have the entire front off in less than 30 minutes. It's mainly a matter of knowing where the bolts are...
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
You also need a big (42mm?) socket to get the fan off - I think my Dad's got one kicking about somewhere that he had to buy for the one time we took a GS fan off
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Yep, and a large bar... you wont get it off with a standard size ratchet handle. Also you really need a 3/4" drive socket not a 1/2" unless you want to break it [:D]
The actual changing of the belts is dead easy compared to transverse engines once all the front is off due to good access, both belts are self tensioning so its a matter of locking the pulleys in the right places, losen the tensioner bolts, take the belts off, put the new belts on, turn the engine over a couple of times with the crank handle (to allow the spring tensioners to settle) then tighten the tensioner bolts, all done. No special tension measuring tool required.
Regards,
Simon
Baz,
Have a look on the Citroen forum at aussiefrogs.com - there was a thread there not too long back about changing GS cambelts. Changing the belts is apparently not too bad - it's just stripping the entire front off the car to get to them that's a pain!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
It is a bit of a pain, but its not really that difficult. I've probably done it about 10 times, and after a bit of practice you can have the entire front off in less than 30 minutes. It's mainly a matter of knowing where the bolts are...
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
You also need a big (42mm?) socket to get the fan off - I think my Dad's got one kicking about somewhere that he had to buy for the one time we took a GS fan off
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Yep, and a large bar... you wont get it off with a standard size ratchet handle. Also you really need a 3/4" drive socket not a 1/2" unless you want to break it [:D]
The actual changing of the belts is dead easy compared to transverse engines once all the front is off due to good access, both belts are self tensioning so its a matter of locking the pulleys in the right places, losen the tensioner bolts, take the belts off, put the new belts on, turn the engine over a couple of times with the crank handle (to allow the spring tensioners to settle) then tighten the tensioner bolts, all done. No special tension measuring tool required.
Regards,
Simon
Chaps, got the GSA home in terrible weather. No leaks!
( found yet) but there is oil leaking, but not badly. Clutch was adjusted and can change gear quite easy now, but the whole engine will need stripping out and reconditioning. I met this guy at the work shop and he told me that there is the Citroen club meet at Strattford racecourse next week. Will take my new acquisition there to get some bits and bobs!
( found yet) but there is oil leaking, but not badly. Clutch was adjusted and can change gear quite easy now, but the whole engine will need stripping out and reconditioning. I met this guy at the work shop and he told me that there is the Citroen club meet at Strattford racecourse next week. Will take my new acquisition there to get some bits and bobs!
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by basil40</i>
I'll wait for my haynes manual to find out which bolts to loosen then!! another question - what should the idling revs be for the engine?
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You don't really need a manual to take the front off, its a matter of following your nose. I had the original Citroen workshop manuals, and they don't say much more than things like "remove front headlight crossmember" etc, they don't give a list of bolts [:D]
But in a nutshell (and this is going from memory back 10 years ago):
1) Remove the air intake grill in the centre
2) Remove the headlights and blinker lights
3) Disconnect the bonnet catch cable
4) Unbolt the horn
5) Remove the black headlight mounting crossmember - there are various bolts but they're all easy to see. It tilts out at the bottom and lifts out
6) Remove the corner bumpers - they bolt on from the inside with a nut, which should now be accessable that the crossmemeber is out.
7) Now the entire front bumper and engine undertray come out as a whole unit - it can be done on your own but two people is handy so it can be held in place as the last bolt is removed.
There are a couple of bolts that are rather difficult to get out that many people leave out when refitting - they are right at the back at the bottom of the undertray on the engine side of the tray, behind the fuel pump and distributor, respectively. (Which are mounted at the back of the camshafts) Getting at these two awkward bolts is really the only difficult part of the job.
Once that tray is off you should be looking at the front of the engine with no obstructions. The car is still perfectly drivable like this (minus headlights and number plate) but you might get a few strange looks. (I certainly did [:D][:D])
To get the fan off you'll need a LARGE 3/4" drive socket (sorry, forgot the size but its over 40mm) and a bar that you'll probably need to slip a bit of pipe over. The alternator belt also connects to the fan pully behind the fan blades so it might pay to slacken the alternator adjustment mount first. Also it might be easier to remove the ring around the fan before removing the fan.
Once the fan is out, you can remove all the air cowling off the front of the engine - pretty easy, just follow your nose, and watch out for getting cut as the edges are sharp. When you're finished the entire front of the engine including belts will be exposed.
In this condition you can run the engine for short periods of time (up to 3-4 minutes) for example to lift up suspension, but no longer as there will not be much cooling.
There is one tensioner per belt, and its a very simple arrangement - its spring loaded, and a bolt that clamps it in position, so when you put the new belt on you start with the tensioner bolt loose which allows the spring to take up the slack, then turn the engine over a couple of times by crank handle to let it settle in, then when the tension looks good just tighten the bolts.
You can run the engine for a minute or two at this point and observe the movement of the belts to see if they look good. (Not too much slack etc)
In best Haynes manual tradition, assembly is the reverse of dissasembly [:D]
While you've got everything off, check for oil leaks around the rocker cover drain tubes, also check the neoprene boot on the hydraulic pump as I had to replace mine as it had cracked and was dripping....
Regards,
Simon
I'll wait for my haynes manual to find out which bolts to loosen then!! another question - what should the idling revs be for the engine?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
You don't really need a manual to take the front off, its a matter of following your nose. I had the original Citroen workshop manuals, and they don't say much more than things like "remove front headlight crossmember" etc, they don't give a list of bolts [:D]
But in a nutshell (and this is going from memory back 10 years ago):
1) Remove the air intake grill in the centre
2) Remove the headlights and blinker lights
3) Disconnect the bonnet catch cable
4) Unbolt the horn
5) Remove the black headlight mounting crossmember - there are various bolts but they're all easy to see. It tilts out at the bottom and lifts out
6) Remove the corner bumpers - they bolt on from the inside with a nut, which should now be accessable that the crossmemeber is out.
7) Now the entire front bumper and engine undertray come out as a whole unit - it can be done on your own but two people is handy so it can be held in place as the last bolt is removed.
There are a couple of bolts that are rather difficult to get out that many people leave out when refitting - they are right at the back at the bottom of the undertray on the engine side of the tray, behind the fuel pump and distributor, respectively. (Which are mounted at the back of the camshafts) Getting at these two awkward bolts is really the only difficult part of the job.
Once that tray is off you should be looking at the front of the engine with no obstructions. The car is still perfectly drivable like this (minus headlights and number plate) but you might get a few strange looks. (I certainly did [:D][:D])
To get the fan off you'll need a LARGE 3/4" drive socket (sorry, forgot the size but its over 40mm) and a bar that you'll probably need to slip a bit of pipe over. The alternator belt also connects to the fan pully behind the fan blades so it might pay to slacken the alternator adjustment mount first. Also it might be easier to remove the ring around the fan before removing the fan.
Once the fan is out, you can remove all the air cowling off the front of the engine - pretty easy, just follow your nose, and watch out for getting cut as the edges are sharp. When you're finished the entire front of the engine including belts will be exposed.
In this condition you can run the engine for short periods of time (up to 3-4 minutes) for example to lift up suspension, but no longer as there will not be much cooling.
There is one tensioner per belt, and its a very simple arrangement - its spring loaded, and a bolt that clamps it in position, so when you put the new belt on you start with the tensioner bolt loose which allows the spring to take up the slack, then turn the engine over a couple of times by crank handle to let it settle in, then when the tension looks good just tighten the bolts.
You can run the engine for a minute or two at this point and observe the movement of the belts to see if they look good. (Not too much slack etc)
In best Haynes manual tradition, assembly is the reverse of dissasembly [:D]
While you've got everything off, check for oil leaks around the rocker cover drain tubes, also check the neoprene boot on the hydraulic pump as I had to replace mine as it had cracked and was dripping....
Regards,
Simon
That's brilliant. IT's so much better to hear it from someone who's done the job before. I could see the timing belts and they looked it good condition, might have a sneaky suspicion that they have been replaced - I mean, they don't look like they are 23 years old. The white alignment markers appear pretty fresh. Some of the bumper bolts have corroded pretty badly, which makes me think, well, maybe the belts haven't been replaced! anyways, it's probably worth doing them all, including the alternator. Thanks again.