CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[CitroJim]

I have a big job coming up on Strawberry... She's a little incontinent

I really cannot tolerate even the tiniest of leaks so it must be sorted...

It looks like the rear crank seal. Not an uncommon problem. Definitely engine oil...

It'll be a gearbox off job so I'm may as well do the clutch at the same time...

[MattBLancs]

Are you doing gearbox input shaft seal too whilst easy access? I know you've said it's definitely engine oil, just thinking that gearbox seal is likely original too so is fairly old, and if you box off therefore oil out of it then it's only a little extra work.

I'd probably then snowball the job to be both driveshaft seals too, and fresh gearbox oil.


And then I'd think of a few other things to swap.


Later I'd be wondering what it was that led me to "just pop the engine out as it'll be easier in the long run" !!

[CitroJim]

Yep, I'll be doing all those Matt

And yes, might as well have the whole lot out and then I can give the engine bay a really good spruce up

A nice winter project I can do in the shelter of my carport

I'm just about to get the overalls on, give everything a good clean and confirm the diagnosis. Amore detailed look earlier showed a bit of oil on top of the bellhousing - it may be a leak from the distributor shaft and if it is, that's a very easy fix but looking at how oily it is at the top and the drips from the lower edge of the bellhousing I expect it may be both seals...

[CitroJim]

A good afternoon of work under the carport It got properly christened as it rained at one point All I knew of it was the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof... It's already proved its worth

In search of the source of Strawberry's oil weepage, I removed the coil and distributor and found oil just about everywhere

These photos do not do it justice...

Even the distributor and ignition module was covered...

Interestingly, she's quite recently had a new distributor cap and new plug leads... Likely the old ones were so covered in oil the only solution was to replace...

Loads of time was spent degreasing and cleaning up using clutch 'n' brake cleaner - the only solvent I can tolerate - and the airline. All the old muck was very effectively collected in puppy training pads; something I'm very grateful for Alasdair recommending them to me and dragging me into B&M or wherever it was to buy a pack of 100 for a tenner... They work a perfect treat

Now all is clean and shining like Bristol bacon so in theory the source(s) of the leak(s) should be very easy to determine over the next few days...

Hope so - fingers crossed

[mickthemaverick]

Good work Jim although I am sure there will be even better (or worse depending on your viewpoint) to come!! Looking forward to seeing the carport in action soon!!

[CitroJim]

Good work Jim although I am sure there will be even better (or worse depending on your viewpoint) to come!! Looking forward to seeing the carport in action soon!!

Thanks Mick

I always said I wanted a project and it's looking more and more like I've got one

I've a feeling Strawberry is going to keep me amused and gainfully occupied for a very long time

Longer in fact than Bluebell did but then again, there's a lot of project work to be done on her too...

On our few days away later this month I'll outline my long-term plans for both of them

[mickthemaverick]

On our few days away later this month I'll outline my long-term plans for both of them

Talking of that methinks a lunch planning meeting is due?

[CitroJim]

On our few days away later this month I'll outline my long-term plans for both of them

Talking of that methinks a lunch planning meeting is due?

Good plan!

[Rhothgar]

I might just have to upgrade to an AX 1.5D at some point for an easier life...

[Stickyfinger]

No smell, water soluble/degradable.....the stuff to use if you cannot cope with Jizer etc....and works BETTER as well

https://bilthamber.com/product/surfex-hd/

[MattBLancs]

A vote for good old paraffin from me, not much in the way of fumes given off. Bit harder to than it used to be (and not as cheap either)

[MattBLancs]

Had a thought and the search is failing me (as it "helpfully" removes 4 from searching this thread for "4 speed", even if using speech marks!)

Is the 'berry a 4 speed, or is my memory failing me? If so, I wonder about swapping in a five speed in the gearbox off work to come?? (Yes a minus point for originality but a plus for usability/economy/etc)

[mickthemaverick]

Yes Matt 4 it s!!

[CitroJim]

I might just have to upgrade to an AX 1.5D at some point for an easier life...

You reckon Old cars now Roger and as we all know, the conjunction of 'old' and 'Citroen' means only one thing - trouble

Is the 'berry a 4 speed, or is my memory failing me? If so, I wonder about swapping in a five speed in the gearbox off work to come?? (Yes a minus point for originality but a plus for usability/economy/etc)

Yes, she's a 4-speeder Matt and Mick knows as he's driven her... Conversion should be very straightforward as both 4 and 5-speed 'boxes are physically the same... Just got to watch final drive ratios which are different between the 954cc and 1124cc engines.

Today, after the tale I'm about to relate, I drove both back-to-back and I was surprised just what a difference the extra 175cc or so, a slightly more sophisticated carb. and the extra gear makes to Bluebell...

She's noticeably quicker and a lot more frenetic and eager! Strawberry goes like a scalded cat in her own way but Bluebell definitely has the edge

No smell, water soluble/degradable.....the stuff to use if you cannot cope with Jizer etc....and works BETTER as well

If you have some, maybe I can try it out on my next visit Alasdair?

On to today's fun...

Strawberry revealed at least one leak overnight - out of her rocker box along the line where oil pools along the gasket...

Before looking further at that I thought I'd warm-up by fixing her left front indicator which again failed late yesterday after all the disturbance from the oil cleaning..

I immediately went to the connector that seemed to be the cause last time. I disassembled it as far as I could, gave it a good clean and reassembled. I also found, during the process, ACF50 rust treatment fluid is good on corroded electrical contacts

But it wasn't the cause of the problem... It was in fact the brown connector up by the brake servo. Well tarnished... In fact, all three were.

All the bulkhead connectors were given a good clean with proper contact cleaner and after reassembling the two-pin downstream connector, all is now good... Fingers crossed... Citroen electrics at their 'finest' so who knows

Onto the the leak(s). When I checked the valve clearances I thought the rocker box gasket was good to be re-used as these top cracks are not really a problem...

I had a new one in stock so thought I'd swap it anyway... Then I found the root cause, something I missed when I checked the valve clearances...

The oil baffle under the rocker box was bent and distorted where one of the spacers sit... This meant the rocker box could not properly sit down and allow the gasket to fully seal. I suspect it may have been like it for a while and may account for the mass of oil that had wept out over an extended period..

I looked to straighten the baffle and then noticed the spacer on the distorted side was cracked... Often because in the past the rocker box nuts have been done up far too tight. See later

And then, on closer checking, this happened...

By no means game over, I've been here before as when I first had Daffodil I found one of her baffle spacers was missing entirely and allowing the baffle to rattle! I turned up a new spacer from nylon...

I know it was OK as I checked it was still good a couple of weeks back when I checked Daffodil's valve clearances...

So I turned one up for Strawberry on the lathe...

Here it is ready for the rocker box to be refitted...

No leaks could be seen during a road test but I as far from happy. I could see a gap around the top of the gasket where there should not be one... I was concerned, even though the gasket was sealing, it wasn't sitting properly.

So, I had the rocker box off again and refitted it... This time putting the baffle up inside and fitting both together over the studs...

Now all good

The two special nuts that hold the rocker box down really need to be torqued as it's easy to over-tighten them and likely crack the original baffle spacers...

The torque setting stated in the early (original) Haynes manual for the Series 1 cars is just 5 ft. lbs. In the later manual that covers Series 2 cars, it's 12 ft. lbs.

I went for the lower figure...

Now to see if that was the only leak or if there's more. So far, no more have shown up...

Fingers remain crossed

[MattBLancs]

Yes, she's a 4-speeder Matt and Mick knows as he's driven her... Conversion should be very straightforward as both 4 and 5-speed 'boxes are physically the same... Just got to watch final drive ratios which are different between the 954cc and 1124cc engines.

Today, after the tale I'm about to relate, I drove both back-to-back and I was surprised just what a difference the extra 175cc or so, a slightly more sophisticated carb. and the extra gear makes to Bluebell...

She's noticeably quicker and a lot more frenetic and eager! Strawberry goes like a scalded cat in her own way but Bluebell definitely has the edge

Ohhh, maybe that engine (and gearbox) swap isn't completely, 100% absolutely, definitely ruled out after all!!!

Good work on the part fabrication and general improvements.

Do the distorted (from overtightening) oil baffles respond to a bit of percussive maintenance / sheet metal work?