Mind the used Jonnys. Anglia 105E & G1 Honda Insight FOR SALE

[jonny69]

Gah, nobody told me I needed special rubber securing rings for these CV boots. Did nobody get the memo that I was going to France tomorrow?

 

It's not right, but, damnit, 34 zip ties later and I think this might just work.

 

 

Correct parts winging their way from ECAS but I've run out of time. This'll do!

[jonny69]

This has worked. France here we come, albeit minus all my fingerprints and knuckles.

[dollywobbler]

Bon voyage!

[jonny69]

I bet it'll refuse to start tomorrow.

[jonny69]

In fact, I WANT it to refuse to start tomorrow. Just so I know I'm right about old cars.

[dollywobbler]

Might be worth joining the 2CV and Friends Facebook page. We've got quite a few members en France. 

[Bfg]

..while you're in France ..why not go shopping for anything else you might need for the Ami !?

 

wish you a safe journey,  a comfortable ride, and a great time at LeMans   

[jonny69]

DW, that's actually a pretty good idea!

 

Bfg, the thought had crossed my mind but I've left it way too last minute!!!

[jonny69]

You couldn't make this up. The carbon clutch release bearing seems to have jumped off the selector fork and is jammed half behind it, so no clutch. How has that even happened? Any way to rectify this with the engine in situ or is it basically now game over?

 

[jonny69]

Closer inspection looks like the clutch fork has broken so it's basically game over. I want to swear quite a lot.

[Eddie Honda]

Ooops. It shouldn't happen when both the spring clips holding it in are doing their job. Perhaps one made a bit for freedom?

[jonny69]

Can't see any sign of anything like that near the end of the fork. I think it's snapped off and is either sat in the bottom of the bellhousing or somewhere on the A23.

[barrett]

Bollocks! It'll be worth it when it's all done, though, I promise...

[jonny69]

Engine out yesterday with help from Big_Pappa69.

 

 

 

Diagnosis is clutch bearing was dead and it caught on the clutch plate. Probably pulled it out the fork. You can see the broken bit in the bottom of the bellhousing.

 

Things Citroen people tell you #56:

 

56) Just undo the four engine bolts and slide the engine forwards. Will take about 20 minutes max.

-Just undo. Lol. Top two bolts are accessible, but the bottom ones are not. Left hand side one needs the oil filter taking off, which again needed a very big bar to get it undone and oil went everywhere; right hand side one needs the exhaust downpipe and box taking out. Even then, the brake drums are RIGHT in the way of anything you try to put on the nuts.

-Slide the engine forwards. Lol. The front panel of the car has to come off to slide the engine anywhere. This means unbolting a LOT of stuff, disconnecting the lights, the headlight adjusting mechanism, bonnet catch, braces, wings, bumper and many inaccessible stupid little bolts. THEN the front engine mounts, THEN you will find it can only slide forwards about 10mm because of the front crossmember. It needs lifting up quite a long way, gearbox supporting from underneath and then it'll slide off with help from a pry bar.

-20 minutes max. I made that about 4 hours with two people on it. I've taken a lot of engines out in my time and that was one of the worst.

 

Things Citroen people tell you #57:

 

57) Engine only weighs about 25 kg, don't even need a crane.

-25kg? You're kidding, right? 50-60kg maybe, not 25kg.

-Don't even need a crane. You're having a laugh aren't you? Did you not notice the comedy* angle you need the engine and box at to slide the engine off the gearbox? Have you even seen the length of the spindly little input shaft in the gearbox? Yeah, go on, just yank it off by yourself and see what happens. I dare you!

 

Anyway, it's out now, diagnosed and parts on their way. Big_Pappa69 coming back next week to help me put it back in. I'm planning to take it to RRG, but it would be stupid to say I'm confident it'll make it.

[cort16]

I think my Panda learnt everything it knows from your Ami. Great car though, think how much cheese and wine you'll be able to bring back when you eventually do make it to France.

[forddeliveryboy]

Experience, jonny. That's all you need. And a little patience if you struggle with the job, first time. 

 

That crane's strong enough to lift up a fully laden Ami, btw! Should be easy with two men - I'm not huge at all but can manage easily without help, by meself.

 

"You're having a fucking laugh aren't you? Did you not notice the comedy* angle you need the engine and box at to slide the engine off the gearbox? Have you even seen the length of the spindly little input shaft in the gearbox? Yeah, go on, just yank it off by yourself and see what happens. I dare you."

 

Try supporting the gearbox with a piece of wood under it, a length of 2x3 is enough. Engine needs to be jacked up about a couple of inches for the crankcase to clear the chassis member.

 

Anyway, you've learnt your lesson - don't ask people who've done it before, they'll tell you it's not difficult if that's the case. Much better to swear and curse with others who agree with you!

[barrett]

I've seen one taken out solo before, helps if you strip it down first though...

 

Glad you're back on this!

[dollywobbler]

I can't lift out an engine solo, but me and Mrs DW have removed engines several times. You know that's love.

 

Block of wood under the gearbox is very good advice. As is being prepared to rotate the flywheel with a big screwdriver if it seems reluctant to go back together.

[jonny69]

^One redeeming feature I think is the big splines on the gearbox shaft. It might* make putting the engine back on easier than having 28 little fine ones.

 

Gearbox is indeed chocked with a plank of wood.

[dollywobbler]

You are discovering the downsides of Ami ownership. Dyanes are also a bit of a pig to work on. Getting the engine out of a 2CV is much easier, because you can remove the front bodywork in mere seconds. Not as bad as early Meharis though. On those, you have to remove the entire body sides if you want to get the rocker covers off...

[jonny69]

Well, fuck. I managed 20+ years knocking about in classic cars but a change of jobs at the end of last year put a sad end to that era. They decided to close down my department at work and can all the projects, so I was forced to look for something else. I went fuck it, I'm going to go and work in F1, which I did, but it means my commute is too long for either the Anglia or the Shitroen to realistically deal with. It would also bankrupt me in petrol.

 

I didn't really know what to look for. All I knew was that I hated driving moderns, wasn't interested in them in the slightest and that made it quite difficult throwing a load of wad at something I actually didn't want. Then I was chatting with Mrs_Seth on Facebook and she suggested I should get an Insight. Bizarrely, for something so scarce, there's a guy importing them just round the corner from me, so one was viewed and purchased. Here it is.

 

 

It's properly 90s concept car in design. This is a late one made in 2005. Drives like a late 90s-designed car, as expected.

 

Stats. 1-litre petrol with hybrid motor backup. About 100hp all-in. CVT auto. Lean burn because it's an import. All-aluminium and weighs around 760kg. Does me about 72-74mpg per tank commuting on the M1 and M25 at normal speeds. Best one-way commute was a little over 94mpg. I think it probably has 100mpg in it, but not on my shitty commute route.

[Dave_Q]

This is well hot, to be honest it should probably be on the main board not hidden away over here.

 

I think it's older than Beko's gooner!

[Ghosty]

Aye, an Insight is main board material.

[jonny69]

To be fair, it is quite crap and has plenty of shite qualities; but I deemed it a bit too new, probably too expensive, too green and too complicated for the main board

 

More useless information:

-The IMA motor is on the flywheel and permanently turns with the engine, so it can't drive on electric-only like a Prius.

-Battery is about 35kg of NiMH and where you'd normally have back seats. It's in a fucking massive box with a gigantic 1990s computer with flashing lights and lots of fans. 168 Volts @ 100 Amps at full chat. There's a pair of hench orange cables running front to back with DANGER written all over them!

-Press the accelerator and you get part engine / part electric doing the work. Take your foot off the accelerator and the engine cuts. It coasts down using the electric motor regen to 'engine brake'.

-Engine stays off if you come to a stop and just restarts as soon as you take your foot off the brake.

-The weird thing is because the IMA motor is on the flywheel, it doesn't crank before it starts. It just sort of goes from stopped to running.

-Motorway work is a mixture of lean burn if you're doing a constant speed and dipping in and out of the battery when you speed up and slow down.

-Very top part of the travel on the brake pedal engages full regen but no brakes. You can do most of your braking this way.

 

Steady speed empeejees I've seen, roughly:

80mph - 65-66mpg COUGH, OR SO I'VE HEARD

70mph - 70mpg

60mph - 84+mpg

50mph - 94-98mpg

Around town it does about 45-50mpg

[hpi_matrix]

Would love one of these!

 

Got any more pics?

[jonny69]

Not at the moment. I'll take some of the interior because it's properly digitastic.

[FakeConcern]

I like the look of these and someone around the corner had a really nice lime green metalic one. Unfortunately 2 seats only no good for me.

[jonny69]

Interior shot. It's a Jap import, so the clocks were originally in km. Mine is recalibrated to miles and mph and now displays in miles per litre. Current tank 16.2 m/l = 73.5mpg. You've got the IMA battery level on the right, whether it's charging or assisting above it.

 

[cort16]

These are great. There aren't any back seats are there?

[chaseracer]

^ Chock full of electricity, m8