Renault 6TL "Crapaud"

[vulgalour]

I can't do it on the starter because the starter is dead and the person that will be responsible for refurbishing it is nowhere to be found.  It is a frustrating situation.

[michael1703]

Can you buy a new one?

 

Tow starting an engine that hasn't run is a minefield

[michael1703]

Offer £30 ? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ducellier-D532021-Starter-Motor-Genuine-Lucas-LRS203-Renault-4-5-6-/191719161801?hash=item2ca35a3fc9:g:9ZAAAOSwyTZUW1XT

[vulgalour]

That's different to the one fitted.  It's only going to cost £30 to get the old one sorted, just a case of catching the guy.  He was easy to get hold of last time and did a cracking job.

[Eddie Honda]

(this may or may not be correct)

As expressed in an earlier post, I said I was looking forward to it not firing.

 

Something aroused my suspicions some time back, but a big clear picture of the dizzy side of the engine, as it is, please.

[vulgalour]

Why the dizzy side?  The starter motor lives on the opposite side of the engine.

[Jifflemon]

Get some tippex on the timing mark on the flywheel. Number one is the flywheel end. Very easy to time up, as long as you don't get it 180 degrees out! But as long as you haven't had the dizzy drive out, you'll be fine.

[Eddie Honda]

Why the dizzy side?

Because Tete d'allumeur

 

 

(or something like that)

[vulgalour]

@Jifflemon: I've had the dizzy drive out.  I followed the instructions on putting it back in, but I've had it out so... yeah.

 

@Eddie:  You've lost me completely now.  You're going to have to spell it out like I'm some sort of thicko.

[Jifflemon]

You'll been fine; it's relatively low tech stuff so tolerates an awful lot! Get yourself a long 11mm spanner and put a 90 degree bend in it for the dizzy clamp. Access may of course be better on the 6, but on the 5's they were massively awkward to tighten.

[Eddie Honda]

Just take the picture.

[vulgalour]

I can't get over to the unit today so I looked through the archive and here, in chronological order, are some images of the distributor side of the engine.

 

As found, in the field.

 

March 2015

 

April 2016

 

 

Hopefully this shows you whatever it is you need to know.  More recently the plug leads have been put in the order the book says to (which I can't remember as I have no photograph and the book isn't here) but other than that, the most recent pics are how it looks now.

 

I can see the vacuum unit on the dizzy is in the wrong place, isn't it?

[Eddie Honda]

I've seen all those pics already...

 

The vacuum advance capsule looks okay, it should be furthest from the rocker cover, which it is.

 

If the dizzy drive is inserted with the correct orientation in the block:

 

Volvo B130 Distributor Drive Orientation by E Honda, on Flickr

 

then the rotor arm should be pointing away from the rocker cover when it's firing pot 1, which has been said earlier, is the flywheel end of the engine (because French).

 

1 (6 o'clock-ish) - 3 (9 o'clock) - 4 (12 o'clock) - 2 (3 o'clock) clockwise rotation looking at it gut resting on wing. It doesn't look like that in some of the pictures, but I can't see clearly the HT leads and they may well be right. Takes a bit of cranking to get the fuel in the carb from dry. Pour some into the float chamber to get it fired up. They are usually piss-easy to fire up.

 

This is how the dizzy drive dog should be attached to the dizzy shaft (ignore position of body/clamp):

Land Rover Distributor Drive Orientation by E Honda, on Flickr

 

And have a peak through the baseplate and make sure the advance weights aren't flopping around due to dead pivot bushes.

2014-10-03_23-12-29_207 by E Honda, on Flickr

[vulgalour]

I will take this info to the unit with me, possibly tomorrow, and check all is well.

[fairkens]

Just caught up with this thread, incredible stuff, properly inspirational

[vulgalour]

Today the starter motor was finally sent off for refurbishment.  A period aftermarket chunky pull-switch with telltale was rescued from a scrap dashboard to use as a reversing light switch.  A brand new washer pump electric motor was found unexpectedly if I do go for an upgrade.  This is all good stuff.  Unfortunately, because I was very busy helping Mike sort and clear crap out at the unit now he has the time to actually do it, I didn't get to devote any time to the Renault.

 

I'm going to wait until the starter motor is returned before attempting an engine start.  In the meantime, I'll go through and finish putting the last bits and pieces in place that need to be installed in readiness for getting the engine started.  I'm hoping to have it fired up and running before the month is out, it all depends on cash flow (which is little more than a dribble right now) and how much I can really do with what I've got.  So frustratingly close to being sorted now!

[dollywobbler]

I did cringe a bit at the use of first gear. Hope the starter motor refurb goes well. This is genuinely exciting.

[vulgalour]

Been finding myself very short on time just lately so there's not been a great deal of opportunity to work on the car.  That doesn't mean I've not done anything at all, it's just taken longer to get an update together.  The very, very important news is that a headlight arrived!

 

Then we had a weird problem.  If you turned the headlights on the new passenger side one would be very dim and go even dimmer on main.  We checked the wiring, the bulbs, earth points and the lot and nothing could be found as the cause.  Mike then put it all back together and now the driver's side one wouldn't come on at all with dip beam.  Curious, I unplugged things and plugged them back in again and hey presto, everything works.  Renault + electrics = no surprise there.

 

Sidelights (which have to be on for the headlights to come on)

 

Dipped beam.

 

Main beam.  There is a more noticable difference in person.

 

Spotlights!

 

I should just about be able to see where I'm going with all of those on.  At the rear, the replacement light lens were fitted.  I need to replace the driver's side unit completely as the one I was sent has a reflector in it while the one fitted doesn't, Ijust haven't had the motivation to grub around in the still muddy wheel arch to do it. You don't access the rear light clusters from inside the car where all the electrical connections would be nice and clean and dry, you do it in the inner wing where the rear wheels can cover them in crap.  Hadn't realised how faded the old ones were until these were fitted.

 

The horn on the Renault was deader than a dead thing so grabbed a bass tone escargot from the Princess stash which suits the car surprisingly well.

 

Struggling to find anywhere to put my manual reversing light switch, there's not really any dashboard to fit it to.  It does match the interior really well so it will find a spot eventually.  The red telltale will be a nice visual reminder that the reversing lights are on.  This is the cheaper, easier option to fit as the gearbox reversing light switch isn't compatible with the type of reversing lights fitted to the car, they need a separate switch for reasons that were explained to me but that I don't really understand.

 

Got the inner sill 'carpets' fitted and plonked the lower parcel shelf in place but haven't had time to bolt it down.

 

 

 

[purplebargeken]

Merde-tastic!

[mouseflakes]

The horn on the Renault was deader than a dead thing so grabbed a bass tone escargot from the Princess stash which suits the car surprisingly well.

Not sure if it's the case on this 6, but I always got the impression the one on mine caused the panels on the front of the car to resonate in tinny sympathy.

[JohnDeere]

Love the spotlights - glad they found une maison nouvelle

[vulgalour]

They're perfect because one is rusty inside and very dim while the other puts out almost as much light as the Renault's headlights on dip beam.  I'm delighted with them

[michael1703]

With The "Hep' bit in the plate, this car should be called Audrey after Hepburn

 

Or.... Hepatitis

[Fabergé Greggs]

everything about this is totally ace. Keep up the mojo!

[Jifflemon]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CEVAM-Starter-Motor-1kW-12V-RENAULT-TRAFIC-4-12-6-5-RODEO-ESTAFETTE-15-3500/311449047455?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3Dd33dc4b36f7a44b0a16268721f76893b%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D191719161801

 

There's a starter for you. The later short body version.

[vulgalour]

Did I forget to mention the old starter was finally sent off for refurbishment?  It was.  It'll be back when it's done and we can try the engine thing.

[Jifflemon]

Just remember to check whether it has the alignment bush; When looking the starter head on, you've got bolt holes at roughly 10, 2 and 5 o'clock positions.

Number 2 sometimes has an alignment dowel. It may be in the gearbox, but if it's come off with the starter and comes back without it, you're going to get premature death of the starter.

[vulgalour]

Duly noted, I don't think I would have known otherwise.

[vulgalour]

Important things happened today because the starter motor was returned all nicely refurbished.  I had planned to do the windscreen sealing since the new sealant arrived this morning but starter motor playtime was much more exciting.  Turned out the bearings were shot, the arm that engages the solenoid was snapped and it was half full of water.  Now it is not and works lovely.

 

Then set about putting the hoses back on and finding out what's missing or not.  The carb has a weird set up (to me at least) with a breather pipe from the rocker cover and what I assume is a vacuum pipe from the the manifold to  T piece.  The T piece is broken and the vacuum pipe has a bolt in the end of it but a replacement is already sorted.

 

 

Unfortunately after stripping the radiator down and taking it to a local company it turns out that it is knackered.  It's repairable if I can't find a brand new one, I don't want to buy a second-hand one.  The steel crimped section between the plastic ends and the aluminium fins has blown on one corner which is quite likely what contributed to the signs of the car overheating in the past.

 

Now for the important bit.  The battery was a bit flat when we tried this but nothing ventured, nothing gained, we gave the engine a quick go on the starter.  No fuel in the car and I haven't set the ignition timing, this was just to check everything turned freely.

http://vid845.photobucket.com/albums/ab16/volksangyl/Renault%206TL/20160615-07.mp4

 

I'm still excited about that.

[Eddie Honda]

AKS DASIS 180030N ????

 

A German vendor circa 80 quid: http://www.autodoc.co.uk/aks-dasis/1724473