Help! Citroen HY Van Question

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stropalot
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Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by stropalot »

Hello people, im currently restoring my 1976 Citroen HY van with a 1.9 petrol engine.
My question is, does anyone know what the firing order is? and which is piston number one?
Many thanks
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by Hotrodelectric »

stropalot wrote:Hello people, im currently restoring my 1976 Citroen HY van with a 1.9 petrol engine.
My question is, does anyone know what the firing order is? and which is piston number one?
Many thanks
Try this site. Seriously. http://www.agua.nu/ds-files/tony-jackson/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by andmcit »

That 1.9 petrol engine must be the one derived from the DS19 that eventually saw use in the first Cx models as a 1998cc unit. Ok, bit of a hypothesis maybe, but the CX mid camshaft, pushrod overhead valve engine basically shared it's
architecture way back through the DS to the last Traction Avant! So the firing is 1,4,3,2 and the number 1 cylinder is
the nearest to the gearbox.
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by Hotrodelectric »

Yah, it is the same basic motor, but the trans is behind rather than the conventional front-of-engine location. To my mind, that would put the distributor 180' out, and #4 is now #1. :?

Stropalot will do very well to download those manuals anyway. Even a simple refurb is a lot easier when you can see how it should go together.
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by andmcit »

Thinking about this, I recall once reading that someone fitted a Cx GTi turbo engine in a D but had to get it
running the opposite rotation when looking at the flywheel! Sounds crazy enough to be true knowing Citroen!
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by Spaces »

Since the Hvan has the box behind the engine, does it turn the other way to a Traction, I think it does - can't remember which way the CX engine goes, memory fade at this icy hour...
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Post by addo »

Well, you could get Douvrin powered CXs. That engine turns in the "conventional" direction - clockwise when examined from the non-flywheel end.

So it is reasonable to assume that other CX powertrains rotated similarly. Otherwise we'd have apocryphal stories of cars with gearbox swaps, ending up with four reverse gears (like flipping the crownwheel in an R16 gearbox)...
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by Spaces »

Think TA/D engines rotate opposite direction to CXs. CX engines rotate in the same direction as the wheels, I -think- .
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by Gibbo2286 »

I have service data for all the car Citroens right back to the 1940s, without exception the straight four engines have a firing order of 1-3-4-2 with number one at the flywheel end. I don't have the H van listed bit I can't imagine it will be any different.

If anyone wants this sort of data for any vehicle from AC cars to Zastava just ask.
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by citronut »

the H lump is the same as in the D just with the timing chain facing forward instead of towards the bulkhead when fitted to a D,

i would think the engine rotates the same direction and its just the crown wheel/diff which is switched about,

a guy i used to work with widened a split screen dub camper var by about a foot, and fitted an Austin 1800 engine, box and subframe in the rear,

to achieve 4 forward and 1 revers gears he had to remove the diff and fit it the other side of the transmission,
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by 2smv627 »

Hi, the H van engine is basically an early D or TA engine turned round - if you had them both on the floor they look very similar. As you look at the timing chain cover the D turns anti-clockwise and the H turns clockwise.
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by Tecar »

stropalot wrote:Hello people, im currently restoring my 1976 Citroen HY van with a 1.9 petrol engine.
My question is, does anyone know what the firing order is? and which is piston number one?
Many thanks
In answer to your questions,
the firing order is 1-3-4-2
It makes no difference which end you call number one, the firing order is the same either way.
The Citroen designations will be cast into the rocker cover.

In order to work out which plug lead goes to which cylinder (which is what I suspect the information is for),
Remove the rear-most spark plug
Either remove the rocker cover or have an assistant look down the oil filler at the rear most inlet valve.
Put a long screwdriver or similar down the spark plug hole so that it rests on the top of the piston.
Turn the engine until the screwdriver (piston) is at the top of the stroke after the inlet valve has closed.
The rotor arm in the distributor should now be pointing at the plug lead which goes to the rear-most cylinder. If it's not shuffle the leads around on the distributor cap until it is.
It may pay to set the ignition timing using the peg through the hole in the bell housing first, in order to get the distributor body in the right orientation.
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by stropalot »

Thank you all for your replys, been working on it today and think ive got it with your help. Up till now its been a lot of guess work as a lot of parts are missing and i only had a manual in Dutch to refer to. Im sure there will be many more questions i will be firing your way as i progress with it :s
Thanks again
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Re: Help! Citroen HY Van Question

Post by aevans42 »

Hello, the firing order is 1 - 3 - 4 - 2, details like this can be found on the new Citroen HY online website. http://www.citroenhyonline.co.uk/hy-technical.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There is a new Technical page, For Sale and Wanted, Buyers guide, Restorers and suppliers, Spares parts Sources, History, etc.

See this example from the Tech page:
This page covers Citroen HY van petrol engines HY72 (1,628cc) and HY78 (1,911cc from 1963).
HY72 HY78

Bore/Stroke 72/100mm 78/100mm
Horsepower 45 @ 4,200 58 @ 4,000 rpm
Torque 11.5 m kg @ 1,450 rpm 14 m kg @ 1,750 rpm
Compression ratio 7.5 : 1 7.5 : 1
Distributor Ducellier 4134B SEV A180 Ducellier 4134A SEV A117

If your Distributor is in poor condition a NEW Electronic unit can be found here : - http://www.leenapk.nl/products.php?cate ... tAodkAsALg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If the distributor is in good condition you can buy a £32 Electronic conversion kit that elimates the troublesome points and condensor here : http://www.simonbbc.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The workshop manual suggests replacing the Distributor Cap and rotor every 20,000 miles, here is ordering info for the DUC 4134B :
Ducellier straight Cap + Rotor VALEO item number "D104
Ducellier angled cap VALEO item number "D805
Ducellier rotor ONLY VALEO item number "D911 Note Rotor fits both cap types
Firing order 1 - 3 - 4 - 2

Etc.....
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