ENTHUSIAST’S RESTORATION MANUAL SERIES

Chapter 4

Engine & ancillaries Author’s note. Although the first section of this chapter largely covers working on the engine in the car, you’ll note that there are several pictures showing work being carried out with the engine out of the car. There are no hard and fast rules about when to work on an engine when it’s in the car and when removed. Indeed, you could carry out a partial engine stripdown without

removing the engine from the vehicle, since access to a 2CV’s engine while it’s in the car is extraordinarily good. The way this chapter is divided up, therefore, is just so the work involved can be presented in a clear and logical fashion. SECTION 1. EXHAUST SYSTEM See the accompanying pictures.

4-1-1. This is the layout of a typical exhaust system.

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4-1-2. Not normally visible with the bodywork in place, this picture shows how the front pipes and front box are clamped to the exhaust manifolds and tailpipe (arrowed). The exhaust system is also bolted to the gearbox (together with the cooling shrouds if disc brakes are fitted).

ENTHUSIAST’S RESTORATION MANUAL SERIES SECTION 2. ‘UNWINDING’ A GEARBOX ‘Gearbox unwinding’ is a term that seems to be used exclusively by 2CV folk. It refers to dealing with a gearbox which has either

jammed solid, or has left just reverse gear available when the gearstick is in what was previously the neutral position. It usually happens after a period of sharp reversing, and the car might need to be recovered by

a suitable recovery vehicle with the 2CV’s front wheels lifted off the ground. The good news, however, is that the problem can almost always be rectified, and the even better news is that it can be prevented. The following sequence of pictures shows 2CV Club member, and well-known repair specialist, Rick Pembro, as he sets about unwinding a 2CV gearbox. This particular type of malfunction is a sure sign of wear, so the repairs we’re going to outline here to a worn gearbox can only be regarded as a temporary fix. It appears that it’s only the later gearboxes, that is, those from the 1980s, which are prone to this unwinding, and it appears to be due to a deterioration in steel quality. However, if you’ve got a low-mileage gearbox that’s in excellent condition, or an early gearbox, it’s well worth doing this job as a preventative measure.

5-2-1. The gearbox components.

5-2-4. This internal ring has three dogs on it which slide in three slots on the second and third synchro hub. The dogs can come free of the slots, and the ring on which they are located can turn so that the dogs no longer line up with the slots. You then have the job of realigning the dogs with the slots before you can get the ring back on the synchro hub. (In other words, before you can push the first gear synchro hub onto the second and third gear synchro hub.) 5-2-2. The ring for the second and third gear selector fork was staked onto the synchro hub when the gearbox was built (inset, arrowed). The problem is that the three stakings may not hold, especially on the later gearboxes. The ring is threaded with a right-hand thread onto the synchro hub and, when it unscrews, the synchro hub will slide forward, into the third gear, which makes the gearbox engage third gear. The symptoms of the problem are that you can engage reverse okay, if you put the lever in what was neutral, but if you can then find any other gear, the vehicle will be in both first and third, and will be immovable. Don’t struggle with the gearstick - you’ll only cause more problems.

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5-2-3. This ring is inside the synchro hub first gear, at the opposite end of the hub to the ring that unscrews itself.

5-2-5. This picture shows one of the dogs located correctly in its slot.

BRAKES, REAR WHEEL BEARINGS & OIL SEALS

6-2-31. Before fitting the ends of the brake pipe to either the wheel cylinders or the three-way connector, make sure that new seals are used on the ends of the brake pipes.

6-2-34. Make sure that the brake pipe is clipped correctly in position on the suspension trailing arms and on the chassis. A rubber protective sleeve must be used between the brake pipe and the clip in each location.

6-2-32. The positions of the seal and the pipe in the bore are critical. The very end of the pipe must be fed into the narrower part of the bore (b), and the seal (a) must be located in the pipe in the position shown.

6-2-35. You can buy a complete new kit of brake hoses for any 2CV derivative with narrow-bore pipes from Armacune. The Cupro-Nickel kit comes complete with fresh LHM brake fluid, all clips, screws and fittings. Unlike steel, Cupro-Nickel will never corrode.

6-3-2. Although there are several different designs - for example, this brake drum has lateral fins, whereas very early ones have longitudinal fins - this is the basic layout of the front brake shoes, handbrake cable clips and steady pins.

6-2-33. Lee fits the seal to the bore first, and then pushes the brake pipe into the seal and the bore so that it locates as shown in picture 6-2-32. Finally, Lee screws the retaining nut home.

SECTION 3. DRUM BRAKES FRONT See the accompanying pictures.

6-3-1. These are the new components fitted to my 1959 vehicle when it was restored: top left - two new wheel cylinders; centre-right - new brake shoes; bottom - handbrake cables.

6-3-3. Where appropriate, the order of work described in the Citroën manual is adhered to, even though it may not precisely align with the order in which the photographs were taken when Graeme Seed carried out the work. It is difficult to remove the brake drum without first disconnecting the driveshaft (see the relevant section of this manual). This picture shows Graeme Seed removing the four nuts which hold the drum to the hub.

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SUSPENSION, STEERING, WHEELS & TYRES

Chapter 7

Suspension, steering, wheels & tyres SECTION 1. FRONT SUSPENSION AXLE AND ARMS It’s unlikely that you’ll need to remove or replace suspension arms or axle bearings. For those rare occasions, however, here is how it’s done. There are two ways of removing the axle with everything still in situ (i.e. with the body still on, etc.). One is to remove one of the arms and then slide the axle and the other arm (still fitted) out

of the side of the vehicle. The other way is to remove the gearbox and to lift the axle and arms out of the vehicle. If you want to proceed by removing the axle, follow the relevant part of this manual. Before you can begin, you must carry out the following preparatory work: • Disconnect the battery, remove the spare wheel (as appropriate), remove the bonnet, side panels and front wings.

• Disconnect the steering column from the steering rack and move it upwards, just far enough to free the rack. • Disconnect the driveshafts. • Disconnect the steering rods. • Disconnect the front ends of the suspension tie-rods. • Although picture 7-1-1 shows the hub removed from the end of the axle arm, it’s not necessary to do so. Suspension arm removal See the accompanying pictures.

7-1-1. These are the components of the front axle and axle arm. Note that the slotted nut (8) has an internal thread, and screws onto the threaded outer end of the axle tube (a): 2. Suspension arm. 3. Axle. 5. Stop. 6. Packing piece/lock plate. 7. High tensile steel bolt. 8. Slotted ring nut. 9. Seals. 12. Bearings.

7-1-2. Remove the cover, take out the three bolts, and remove the end plate from the suspension arm. If the vehicle is fitted with friction dampers, see the relevant section of this chapter for information on their removal.

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ENTHUSIAST’S RESTORATION MANUAL SERIES

9-6-3. If all of the trim has been removed from the vehicle, in order to respray the shell, for example, you’ll need to identify each part, and scrub it all clean before refitting. Take great care not to soak the cardboard or hardboard trim backing, though, because it may disintegrate.

9-6-5. ... before being refitted on the inside of the A-panel. So you can adjust the trim before the adhesive sets, it’s best if you either use contact adhesive with a built in ‘shufflingtime’, or fit the trim while the adhesive still has a bit of moisture in it.

9-6-6. This is the trim panel that goes on the dashboard on these early models. Here, I’m using a brush to apply the adhesive because the trim that goes on the bulkhead has already been fitted and spray-on adhesive would go where it wasn’t wanted.

9-6-8. It can be quite tricky to manoeuvre trim into its original position without getting adhesive on surrounding parts.

9-6-9. Panel wipe is useful for wiping off excess adhesive, but be sure to do so as soon as possible because the longer you leave it, the harder it will be to get off. Don’t use cellulose thinners or other solvents which can dissolve or damage the surface of the material.

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9-6-4. There are lots of minor trim pieces, all of which will need to be identified and refitted. This piece is being sprayed with Wurth spray adhesive ...

9-6-7. The spray adhesive, which is much quicker to apply, was applied to the rear of the trim.

9-6-10. Old 2CVs are trimmed in cloth which is glued directly onto the panelwork. Replacement panels were purchased from ECAS, but needed a lot of trimming. I used plain paper to make a pattern for each panel. The paper was stuck on with masking tape, marked carefully with a pencil, and then cut out with scissors.