Dollywobbler's Dreadful Dyane - Back on the road

[dollywobbler]

Got the tank back in. Still running crap though. This one still hanging in the balance.

[richardmorris]

Are you sure this had an mot last month

[dollywobbler]

I still don't entirely believe that it got me 170 miles home! It was in an even worse state then. Trying to work out if I can be bothered to get at the points just to check all is well. After all, 95% of fuelling issues are ignition related.

[richardmorris]

To be honest, the best thing is probably to start from scratch - make sure points, condenser, plugs, leads and coil are ok. Float levels good and idle breather on the carb clean and tight. Check valve clearances, manifold and exhaust leaks. Probably a morning's work all together ( at least on a 2cv, I admit I've never played with a dyane).

[skattrd]

Drive it to Chumley, then we can all point and make helpful* suggestions as to how to fix it.

[richardmorris]

A 2cv or dyane with its bonnet up does definitely attract an audience. Mostly looking for the engine!

[dollywobbler]

To be honest, the best thing is probably to start from scratch - make sure points, condenser, plugs, leads and coil are ok. Float levels good and idle breather on the carb clean and tight. Check valve clearances, manifold and exhaust leaks. Probably a morning's work all together ( at least on a 2cv, I admit I've never played with a dyane).

 

That's exactly what I was doing. Decided to try chucking another points box on as I don't have brand new items sitting around. But then I was just getting permanent live at the coil and no spark at the points. No idea what's going on. 

 

What do you mean by idle breather? The jet? Had that out, cleaned it, nice and tight back in. No difference. 

[dollywobbler]

The secret for getting the fan off the taper on the Dyane without removing more than the grille is below

​

Strike that area (which is the end of one of the bolts that holds the plastic fan onto the hub) with a hammer and drift then turn fan and drift the next one repeating until the fan falls off.

 

It's never failed me.

 

Thanks for this by the way. Worked a treat! Have sort-of got her running again, but only with the points box right up against the stop. That's not right. Nor is the fact she's still behaving like fuel starvation. Situation GIVEN UP.

[dollywobbler]

Well that's just infuriating. A friend kindly supplied me with a new points and condenser. Got that fitted, timed it all up and still awful. Barely running.

 

Having eliminated the ignition system from my enquiries, I returned to fuel. Removing the fuel feed revealed a healthy amount of fuel in the pipe. This seemed satisfactory. So, off with the top of the carb again. There was some fresh silt in the fuel bowls, so that metal fuel tank is clearly still an issue. Not as big an issue as the missing idle jet though! This actually bolts to the outside of the carburettor, and had simply gone missing. Having had it off to clean previously, I obviously hadn't done it up tight enough. DUH!

 

Fortunately, I have a few spare engines sitting around, so nabbed a replacement, fitted it and oh look! It runs beautifully! I feel very stupid, but also happy.

 

Now, dare I risk using it for Goodwood Revival? 

[mouseflakes]

Not as big an issue as the missing idle jet though! This actually bolts to the outside of the carburettor, and had simply gone missing.

 

I had the same thing happen on my old Renault 14 (Regie Ritmo, where are you?). It fell out on the M4, but the canted-over-backwards suitcase engine had safely cradled it in an oil-filled recess (of which there were many). I found it, screwed it back in and went on my way.

[richardmorris]

so I was right then?

 

wow!

 

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

talking of dodgy paint jobs!

 

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[dollywobbler]

Oh FFS. This car is continuing to behave well*.

 

Conked out about half a mile from home. Popping, banging, hesitating then engine died completely. Freewheeled most of the way home (the advantage of living somewhere hilly) but had to push it the last bit. At least it is light. Two breakdowns in two days in very different aircooled cars. What a week. Perhaps I won't risk taking it to the Revival this weekend after all. 

 

It's either failure of the brand new condenser that I've just fitted, or muck blocking the jets. The banging and misfiring suggests ignition fault to me though.

[twosmoke300]

Old rear engined skodaa with jikov carbs used to vibrate the idle mixture screw out too . Upgraded part with two o rings on fixed it

[jonathan_dyane]

Are the centrifugal advance weights intact? Might be worth popping off the plate behind the points box to examine them...

[dollywobbler]

They certainly were last time I checked. After chucking new points and condenser on and fitting another idle jet, it was running quite nicely. Still felt a little sluggish, but was generally ok. It was only misfiring for a few hundred yards before conking out. 

[Eddie Honda]

It's either failure of the brand new condenser that I've just fitted

 

Useless things, so they are. I've got a Valeo one that needs returning because it crapped itself after about 10 seconds. Grrrr!

[Noel Tidybeard]

maybe its time to put some more miles on Ellies engine dressed in a different frock

[dollywobbler]

Certainly time to rob Elly's points assisted ignition set up. Does away with the condenser.

[dollywobbler]

Fitted an old condenser that looked like it had been on the titanic. Result! She runs beautifully now. I've advanced the timing slightly and (by Dyane standards) she's like a bleedin' rocket ship now. She felt really flat last night, even before the condenser of FAIL.

 

Had a proper fantastic hoon up and down the Shitefest test route. Since I replaced that duff rear damper, she really does handle very well (by Dyane standards) indeed. Very pleased.

 

A friendly 2CVer has offered to send me a points-assisted ignition set-up FOC, which saves me having to pinch the one on my 2CV. Even better. The door shuts are an absolute disgrace though.

[chaseracer]

The door shuts are an absolute disgrace though.

 

Trust me, that's not unusual!  Glad to hear DazzleDyane's running well at last 

[dollywobbler]

I'm still not sure I'm brave enough to risk taking it to Goodwood Revival though. I need my faith restoring somewhat. Which is silly given that it got me home from Wiltshire with all manner of engine issues.

[dollywobbler]

This morning, I committed to driving the Dyane 260 miles tomorrow. There were a few more jobs I really needed to sort out. I began by removing the entirely awful rear seat. It's just falling apart.

 

With that done, I headed over to see the 2CV to raid it for more bits. The back seat is now in the Dyane - doesn't fold, but it'll do for now. I also pinched the indicator flasher can as the one on the Dyane is a bit lazy. Then I pinched the entire screenwash set up - hand-operated pump, pipework and bottle. Not very easy to fit to the Dyane as the pipework has to pass through the bulkhead twice. I solved that problem thusly.

 

That's the 2CV's washer bottle in the Dyane's engine bay. Note how a displaced electrical grommet allowed me to get the first pipe through. That's bottle to pump. Stage two bodgery commences.

 

The pump is just floating around inside, but it'll do. The pipe from pump to jet goes via the fresh air vent, as it has to end up inside the under-bonnet scoop when the bonnet is shut. It works a treat. I'm quite pleased. Longer term, I'll fit an electric pump I reckon. Or maybe just find a better way to mount a manual pump.

 

Then I got a call from a neighbour because his Hyundai i10 had a flat battery. My jump pack is no good for that level of discharged (parked up for four months) so I fetched the Dyane and some jump leads. Naturally, at this point, the idle helpfully disappeared again. Once the Hyundai had been coaxed into life, I set about finding out what had gone wrong. I pulled the idle jet out and it did seem clogged. That'd do it. I tried blasting it with carb cleaner, but no joy. I refitted it and employed bodgery skill #364 - remove top hose from carb. Rev engine very high. Slap hand down on carb (never do this wearing gloves!). Creates a fabulous, jet-clearing suction and it worked perfectly. Question is, how far will I get tomorrow before it fails to idle again?

 

This reoccurring problem is because of the metal fuel tank I suspect. Even though I have an in-line filter fitted now, it isn't good enough to stop everything. I guess it won't be too long until I'm indulging in a fuel tank swap...

[dollywobbler]

I've just noticed that I haven't refitted the spare wheel. S'pose I'd better do that!

[dollywobbler]

Made it. Over 270 miles with absolutely no problems at all. Phew. Tomorrow, the Revival. I don't reckon they'll let me park it in the classic parking.

[RobT]

What time are you going tomorrow Ian, is it best to turn up mega early? I'm aiming for 7.30 when the doors open.

[dollywobbler]

Sorry. Didn't spot that Rob. Early was a good call though!

Amazed with the Dyane. That was a pretty tough weekend for a car that had been living on a farm for 20 years. The M25 has changed a fair bit since it last saw it! It did live in Croydon at one point in its life.

I lost the tickover again very briefly in Southampton, but cured it with a motorway thrash. The wipers are dreadful though. They lift off the screen above 60mph and tend to smear more than wipe. I'll try swapping arms in the hope the spares I have have stronger springs.

It also leaks a great deal and the cylinder heads are leaking. It pongs.

Very happy with it though. I like it a lot.

[anonymous user]

 The wipers are dreadful though. They lift off the screen above 60mph and tend to smear more than wipe.

 

See, I told you to take a potato.

[dollywobbler]

Here's a pic of this car sat languishing in a field some years ago. Hard to believe that this is the car that was hurtling around the M25 at the weekend!

[dollywobbler]

Time for the Dyane to have another rest, though in rather more luxury this time - an actual garage! We've just been out for the final hoon of the season, collecting a load of mutton from a lovely, local farm.

 

So, the next few months will be spent here - in the shit tip that is my garage.

 

Lots to do over the winter. Remove all front bodywork. Remove the now perfectly-fitting exhaust. Remove inlet/exhaust manifold. Remove cylinder heads. Attempt to lap in the cylinder heads to cure leaks. Attempt to cure various oil leaks. Try and do something about the stiff clutch. Replace both CV joints. Strip and inspect the suspension knife edges. Further refurbish both from seats. I wonder what the chances are of me doing any of that before Christmas...