Yugoslavian Ami.., continuing on from 'now-autoshites-flimsy-bodied Shitroen'

[somewhatfoolish]

A yes; senior moment responsible for trunnion/kingpin transposition!

[forddeliveryboy]

Oversize pins have fairly recently been supplied by ECAS, but've been around for a long time. I don't think they come with bushes though, so it's possible machining needs to take place. 

 

DW mentions laying a bead of weld to shrink the arm eye, you can vary the amount quite accurately with a little practice. In general the only time for oversized pins or another arm is when the hole has been butchered with incorrect removal or an oversized pin has been fitted in the past (there was an English pin manufacturer/supplier years ago who never mentioned theirs were slightly oversize, perhaps since that's what all the old English crocks needed or mebbe it was just a manufacturing error).   

 

as preparation then        

[Bfg]

Huh, well it's not a massive plummet, only from 1.27 to 1.26. If you're worried about it really dropping, I guess you could exchange a whole bunch of money now. But then in 6 months time it might be up at 1.3 or 1.4 - you just never know.

 

/\  it might have been but as we all know some on here voted against 'the system'..

 

 

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[Bfg]

A yes; senior moment responsible for trunnion/kingpin transposition!

 

As an Engineer I recognise, and the use the word  Trunnion  to mean 'pivot'  ..more specifically I guess one which is made up of a seemingly solid (cast, forged, solid ingot) block with pin through.  I believe the word originated in old French from the pivot casting on a cannon.  

 

So, in the context of this car's suspension I might use the word in conversation to describe the small end of the swinging arm - which I tend to regard more as a trunnion than a raised boss into which the king-pin is set, around which the hub swivels.  Whether the pin is fixed or floating, in either the trunnion or hub, is imo not a determining factor.

 

Although I accept that 'trunnions' on motor vehicles most often refer to the near horizontally aligned pivots on the outer end of suspension wishbones (infamous for example on the Triumph Herald)  ..aside from ancient cannons (sadly not fitted to most cars nowadays !)  I'm not aware of a precedent to say that a trunnion has to be near horizontal, nor for the term to be used only in reference to wishbone suspension.

 

Am I grossly mistaken ? 

[forddeliveryboy]

No! Although to be fair I've known its meaning wrt to cars vary slightly in different enclaves of the country.

 

from wiikpedia - In older cars, the trunnion is part of the suspension and either allows free movement of the rear wheel hub in relation to the chassis or allows the front wheel hub to rotate with the steering.

[Bfg]

.

1st September update :

My apologies as I'm a little slow in posting these, but have been up to my ears in other tasks. 

 

Janez's structural rework is drawing to a close...

 

.. the transverse boot support member is now in place. Also repair to transverse box section (where it steps down to the interior floor)

 

 

 

And then (8th September) another week later..

 

..with a couple more repair panels way back where the ends of the chassis rail support the tail.

 

And then... a relief to see..

 

 

 

Janez writes : "As you can see on photos from today (attached) body of your Ami is now sprayed in one layer of base 2 component gray color, all areas where it was welded and all joints inside and under the body is sealed with gray seam sealer. And complete body inside (side sills, floors, pedal panel up to glove compartment, rear inner wings and trunk compartment) and under the body (floors, pedal panel up to main brake cylinder, trunk compartment, inner rear wings) is sprayed in gray rubber stone chip protection  that you can paint over with color of you choice when you will decide to spray paint complete car. In same way chassis is painted. Also all mechanical parts on chassis will be painted gray."

NB. Grey is by special request, because I detest black paint and underseal hiding the true state of  the underside of cars.  And as Janez correctly says I can now paint it whatever colour I choose, including an off-white to compliment the body.

"Now I have to dismantle complete drive train , clean, paint and repair if possible... It will take some time to do that. Then assembly and back to wheels."

 

It's good to see this work nearing completion - Thanks Janez

 

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[Mr_Bo11ox]

Looks the bees knees man

[Bfg]

Looking good

 

I bet that oily workshop floor is a deathtrap! Like when you jump out the pool in a hot country and tear yourself a new one sliding on the tiles round the pool, but this time with added oil for maximum injury.

 

Unusual because Janez is usually very particular about his workshop being clean and professional in appearance.  I suspect he's had the door open while spraying and rain water has subsequently been walked in. 

.                    ..it'll be wiped up in a jiffy sir !

[Bfg]

 

.. My own 2CV project has been held up because we've changed the scope of the project along the way - ie I had more funds available, so could consider getting other panels repaired and painted as well as the basic shell. I've also been a bit difficult about paint, so that has delayed things too.

 

No extra funds available here I'm afraid   ..so other panels will have to be hand-painted by your's truly..  Whatever did you decide re. paint.. I recall reading that you had been inspired by the Dyane being hand painted, and that you were thinking of something different..  Have I missed perhaps a photoshop preview ?  We wait with baited breath.. 

 

 

I wanted to paint the Ami a rusty orange colour with a white roof and blacked out window frames (..very 1970's don't you think ?),  but my friend Jani says no, blue is much nicer.. ie., opposite side of the spectrum !   Seems too civilised to paint her blue.. I wanted something more fun..

 

 

..besides which.. the orange would go better with the fluffy nylon leopard skin seat covers and furry dice

[Bfg]

Update 21st Sept :  A couple of weeks ago Jani and Janez had an exchange re. timely progress, work to be done and a proposed completion date.  Thereafter Janez and I corresponded to straighten things out.. re. what was being  agreed, expected and/or otherwise suggested.  I very much hope, as we near completion - that those issues are now resolved and all is amicable once again.  Further to my one-liner enquiry re. progress last weekend, Janez replied even more succinctly to say he had been abroad.  All is well though because today he's sent further photos of work in progress. Thanks Janez..   

 

^ half shafts ..sitting in a box .. sitting on the chassis

 

^ axles, steering and suspension arms, and rear brakes dismantled for cleaning, checking and repainting, and for repacking with fresh grease.  New brake pipes, rear brake cylinders, front brake calipers, and even a new balance compensator valve are being fitted.   I assume the brackets on the two swinging arms (adjacent to the brake's backing plates) are a left over from the days when the A-series cars & vans had inertia dampers bolted on. ?

 

^ steering rack (which is situated within the front cross beam axle).  Janez didn't add notes on this occasion but it would appear to have received some attention.   Note : the wear must be from the bodyshell (bulkhead) where it had 'settled' onto the suspension's swinging arm.

 

Janez has since said "Steering pinion is been changed with new one. Hope there will be no play. Today I will try to change king pins."

 

^ assorted fastenings & suspension parts..  From what can be seen, the knife edges look in good nick and any corrosion pitting is very modest indeed ..for a 1970's vehicle.!

 

^ fuel tank pick-up pipe and gauge sender unit being removed

"Gauge sender is broken and need to be changed with new..."

 

^ The larger Ami-super fuel tank (8.8 gallons) looking good (top / rear faces are being seen here).  This tank had a dent in it (happened in storage) which I hope was easily pulled out..  and then repainted in what looks to be 2-pack primer.

"I didnt pull out dent on bottom of tank as there was welded - repair. I didnt want to stress welds and bolt . In this moment it is not leaking, I tested with nitro thinner.But I recomend that you find beter one later."

 

^ suspension dampers likewise having been resprayed, along with a pair of  F. roll bar mounting end plates.

 

^ suspension spring canisters

 

"Swing arms bearings are badly rusted, need to be changed. Rear excenter bolts for brakes need to be replaced, rear brake cylinders need to be replaced with new (supplied), tank sender need new,... Just few parts now in the morning that I can write without list... I hope until this weekend I will clean, repair and paint swing arms etc."

 

Again nice work Janez (2cvKeza). Thankyou

 

 

Edited  to share Janez's comments (in red)

 

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[Bfg]

Was browsing along the other day  ..going nowhere in particular.,  and again happened across a photo from Citroënët 's superb website.  Like many I suspect - I'd been there before (..to learn about the engine I have in this topic's Ami Super) but, like a good museum, this website's well worth a second (..or thirtieth) visit..

 

The photo showed a part cut away Citroën's ohc boxer 4-cylinder GS engine & gearbox ..which I've reproduced below. But for those interested in seeing or reading more there is an exceptionally good selection of different cut-aways, period photos & brochures, and a host of historical and mechanically interesting stuff on their pages < Citroenet.org.uk >

 

© 2005 Citroënët/Citroën Presse

enjoy

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[RayMK]

I'll be visiting that site again.  Thanks for the link. Nicely presented and it appears to have been well researched.  The only snag I've encountered after 20 minutes of reading is that my long dormant desire for a Dyane (I used the search function) now seems to be less dormant.  A Dyane was my last Citroen back in the 1990s, used for a couple of years before rust problems emerged, then stored for ten years, though I had a brand new 2cv6 in 1975, the use of my late father's GSA for a while around 1986/7 and a CX GTi Turbo2 in 1993/4. All were characterful cars but it was the Dyane that I liked most.

[Bfg]

.

NB. I've edited my post of the 21st to add comments from Janez, in a maroon colour.

 

Update  September 23rd : 

.         Recent photos received of recommissioning works presently being done on the suspension

 

^ swinging arm bearings.. are massive for the loads they carry. As you might gather these were not destroyed by wear but by the water that's got in past the rubber boot.  \/

 

..which is of course why I was insistent that these should be checked before I drove back across Europe.  ..see also wheel bearing two photos down.  \/

 

^ above from top to bottom :

> front wheel hubs - N.B., no brakes because they (disks) are mounted inboard onto the gearbox

> steering link arms

> rear wheel brake hubs

> rear suspension axle.  N.B., the two holes in the middle underside are for the brake pipe (coils) which fit inside (the coils in the middle of  these pipes allow for swinging arm angular movement). To my mind it's always seemed an unnecessarily complicated feature ..where any other manufacture used a flexible rubber hose to allow for suspension swing.  But Citroen do like to do things their own way !

>  front suspension axle with integral steering rack and pinion (this of course is a LHD car so we're seeing the front of that axle).

 

Thanks Janez

 

 

 

Update  September 26th :  And more on the 26th .. on the front wheel bearings and king pins

 

 

 

 

Janex writes : "King pins and steering looks OK. Not perfect but OK . One front wheel bearing is broken and I have to find another one... not successful in that task until now. Looking and calling around for two days now to find old bearing ". 

 

I replied " Here in England we often get wheel bearings and the like from Bearing Suppliers rather than from a car parts agent.  We give them the original part number off the bearing, or take the old one in - so that they can measure the exact size, ..and usually find their prices are quite inexpensive.  Perhaps you have such suppliers available to yourself.  Perhaps only the large axle bearing would not be readily available from them ?"

 

^ the rear wheel's swinging arms.. with brakes & bearings removed, and the components repainted in 2-pack primer undercoat.  Btw : the shoddy welding seen on these arms is original by Citroen-employed pigeons !

 

Tidbit : Although barely perceptible without comparison, the Ami 6,  8, and Ami-Super rear swinging arms are a little narrower than those of the 2cv (1220mm rear track versus 1260mm).  This is so their wheels fit under the streamlined (rather than protruding on the 2cv) rear wings. Mind you the Dyane also had the same slightly narrower rear track even though it had protruding rear wheel arches. 

 

I recall being advised that the Ami-Super (Fr & R) arms were more beefy than the lighter A-series cars,  and it's suspension link geometry & connection pins were different.  The sharp eyed among you will spot the holes in the brackets for the rear anti-roll bar (..the front anti-roll bar is of course bolted on to the end plates, but the rear arms have rubber caps instead of steel end plates).  The Super also had larger brakes and more substantial wheel bearings - Fr & R  (though the rear brakes and bearings were shared with at least one of the vans in the A-Series range) ?  citation needed

 

 

STOP PRESS : As mechanical recommissioning progresses well ..and the end appears in sight - I've asked Janez whether I should be looking to book a flight across to Slovenia any time soon, so that I might collect the car from his workshop ?  

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[richardmorris]

Very impressive.

 

 

The shoddy original welding as seen above wore through the brake line on my car back in 1998.

[Bfg]

Update 3rd October 2016 :

 

..had a reply this morning from Janez suggesting the car should be ready during the latter to end of this month.  The earliest date he's suggested is the 19th ..to which I replied .. 

 

"If the Ami will be ready for the 19th.., then that would be great  ..because as you are aware the weather becomes colder and wetter in late October ..And because I will be working outside - I really need to get the car back and to paint (protect) under the wings and to get the car wax-oiled as soon as possible.
 

And..  I'm sure you'll be glad to see the car leave your workshop .., to free up your schedule thereafter ...And of course for me to pay for the work.

 

..I ask you to please confirm that the 19th would be agreeable"

 

I await with baited breath as I need to get a flight and then car & trailer (from 2cvKeza's workshop to Jani's home) booked asap. 

 

 

In the meantime, with the Brexit announcements over the weekend and today.., the politicians and money maggots have curved yet another wide-ball in my direction.. 

 

 

This is the lowest exchange rate since Aug 2013. 

 

 

p.s.:  landmark 167 replies & 7,500 views of this topic !

[Bfg]

Update 4th October 2016 :

 

Janez is juggling work and putting in 12 hour days to try and keep all customers happy right now.,  and has kindly forwarded just a couple more photos of the Ami ..for our delight and delectation..

 

 

^ Awaiting reassembly - due to happen next week.

 

Yesterday evening he confirmed that we can collect the car from his workshops on the 19th of this month,  ..two weeks time 

 

This morning I booked the flight

 

yabba dabba do

 

Bfg

[Bfg]

.

Update 11th October 2016 :  Janez has sent photos today of reassembly

 

^ Coming together nicely. The steering link arms can be clearly seen here connected to the rack within front the axle tube.  Twin cylinder owners might also note the difference between this chassis and theirs, in-so-much as the the rear end of the gearbox is pinned between the two upright brackets (rubber mount is a donut) and the engine mounts are at the back of the four cylinder engine.  The motor itself cantilevers forward on these which in turn allow the exhaust manifolds to run under the engine.  (see photo below of the clutch on engine, with its engine mounts below.)  The holes seen in the chassis' front cross member are for the front body panel (grille).

 

^ New brake cylinders and shoes rear. Curly swinging arm brake pipes have been replaced.  On the chassis you'll note the (new) brake regulator valve ..to help better balance braking efforts when loaded. This would have been designed in conjunction with the anti-dive characteristics of the suspension. 

 

 ^ Rolling chassis once again, steering, suspension with anti-roll bars front & rear, driveshafts with new gaiters, fuel tank, fuel & brake pipes, in-board seat runners - looking great Janez

 

I'd supplied Janez with a new clutch plate and thrust bearing, and asked him to fit these while the motor was out (rather than my getting the car back and then having to remove the engine again, with the likelihood of disturbing the brake pipes and fuel feed). He was kind enough to do this for me.

 

 

^ New brake calipers and pads front

 

^ Motor reinstalled and the body shell in place

 

..collection has been set for 19th.   Exchange rate has dropped further to 1.1045 - that's 316 euros less per £1000 than when I bought this inexpensive* car !   

 

 

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[dollywobbler]

Bugger about the exchange rate. What a sod. Great progress though! He looks to be doing a grand job. For info, I'm pretty sure the rear arm bearings on my 2CV are the originals - at 200,000 miles! They would have been regreased at 105,000 miles, when the original rebuild happened, probably. They are ridiculously over-engineered - as long as moisture doesn't get in...

 

I've gone off the art-project idea for now. I can't bring myself to stop her being red and white. Was hoping the body would be in paint today or tomorrow, but that's been shoved back a week due to the paint supplier. Hoping it'll all be finished in November sometime. I'm way behind you! Good luck with your mighty collection caper.

[Bfg]

.

^ Thanks..

 

Shame I was looking forward to see what inventiveness in paint you would have conjured up 

 

"Hoping it'll all be finished in November sometime. I'm way behind you!"   ..ah but the Ami is not being resprayed so you'll be ahead of me in terms of having the car restored and beautiful again.

 

Collection this month will be from 2cvKeza to Skofia Loka, Slovenia (on a trailer) where I'll then do more work on the car myself.  Photo / report to follow   The plan now is to wait till next May or June before collecting to the UK.., so that we might enjoy the trip at a leisurely pace.  Crossing Europe in November, in an unknown car (engine / gearbox mechanicals / electrics / etc.) was never the plan.!

[dollywobbler]

Can't say I blame you. Look forward to further progress. World Meeting is in Portugal next year if you fancy giving it a run before crossing the Channel.

 

Quite tempted to take the 2CV, though that's on the basis of having done no investigation into the costs of that trip at all yet...

[Bfg]

.

Update 19th October :  Collection day

 

Today is the day that's been agreed to collect the Ami Super from 2CVKAZA's workshop. The car's structural bodywork is completely done, and the A-series mechanicals recommissioned. The car is now reassembled as far as it was when delivered and ready to be brought back to where my friend Jani lives. I will then proceed with other jobs to be done before the car is roadworthy again. 

 

 

 

The plan was : For me to fly across to Slovenia on the 12th, and on the 13th I was to go to Germany with Jani for a meeting with ESCIF (European Spinal Cord Injury Federation), returning on the 17th.  Then on Wednesday 19th to go across with trailer and collect the car.  Thereafter, I have two weeks (working outside) to get it running again with new fuel pump and vacuum auto-advanced units fitted, buy & fit a new silencer and one pipe of the exhaust system, possibly find a set of Ami-super wheels with decent or new tyres, to buy new the headlamp adjusters (little plastic parts which splinter & break after 40 years), and then to repaint the inside of the wings.. Refit those and the bumpers, check through the wiring and controls, make adjustments as necessary, and to get the car inspected for road use.. Then to use the car over a few hundred kilometres to work out any teething problems before storing the car through the winter - ready for collecting come May or June next year.   

 

WCPGW ? 

 

Well.. on the 7th Oct : Janez wrote : "AMI is almost assembled now and looks like it will be a problem with steering rack. Now as it is full loaded with engine , body and front end, on wheels it has a play in steering."

 

Janez had stated from the outset that he didn't want work on steering, everything else OK but not to rebuild the steering rack if that was needed. Understood. I accepted that, and our contract was to just have a look at the play in the steering, and rectify it if he could.  He was to do the king pins and to grease everything but not to rebuild the rack.  I'm grateful that Janez's did in fact go a little further in-so-much as he replaced the steering's pinon and its bearing (the bottom bush was fine), and when first assembled (without the weight of engine & gearbox) it all seemed fine.  However its now over to me to sort out where the excessive play is.   Perhaps the rack assembly will have to come out again this week to replace the rack bushes (as FDB suggested). 

 

My friend Jani had enquired about the exhaust silencer & pipe, and was told that these were available within 3 or so days (yes for the Ami super). However when face to face to order these parts - the agent here thought the exhaust was the same as for the 2cv.!  We are now faced with have to have a pipe made and to find an alternative silencer which will fit in the space under the car. 

 

Likewise the headlamp adjusters.. "oh we though you meant the headlamp bowl !  No we don't have them, perhaps you can buy them from France ? " 

 

Trailer was booked.., but upon confirmation the chap couldn't get there until after 5pm. That means getting back after dark (around 8pm) ..And there goes another day..

 

This morning was spent with my nose in Peter Russek's  'repair guide'  and the French magazine 'Revue Technique'  trying to work out how the steering rack comes out and studying the diagrams to see what might be wrong with it..  According to Peter Russek it is possible to remove the rack without lifting the body up again, by first removing the pinion which projects through the bulkhead.  However.. the last sentences says to refit the gearbox.. so does that mean that the engine n' gearbox has to be lifted out beforehand.?

 

It's going to be interesting this one.

Watch this space (..on how not to buy a car in a foreign country)..

 

Bfg

.

[dollywobbler]

Yes, engine and box out I'm afraid. Certainly on the twin pots, the rear gearbox mount is straight onto the rack housing. Rick Pembro did some refurbishment on my 2CV's rack and I had to remove the front bodywork and have the engine and gearbox ready to lift out before he got to me. The rack itself can be refurbed in-situ, which is good, as removing it would mean removing the entire front suspension.

[Bfg]

.

 Firk'n marvelous  

..the week after I convert from GB-£ to Euro's (@ 1.1045 Euro) this happens...

 

 

..someone up there has a sense of humour I don't necessarily share !

 

 

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.

[Bfg]

20th Oct :

 

^ The car collection went fine yesterday but as it was dark when we got home I didn't bother with photos.  This one I took this morning

 

 

ADVICE REQUIRED PLEASE ...

 

Today I checked for free play in the steering links ..but nothing noted.  So I pulled out the steering rack pinion and found a rubber o-ring in the bottom and what appeared to be parts of a broken-up felt ring in with the pinion. Cleaned those out and refitted the new pinion (Janez had fitted) but the problem is still there...

       

The steering turns about 15 degrees (freeplay) at the steering wheel ..but feels sorta like it's turning over a rocker switch. ie. tighter to move then slack.  The same feeling when turning the opposite lock. 

 

^ column removal is only two bolts. Pinion removal was not difficult ..now that the nut had been changed to one with a 32mm hex-head (rather than two holes - which require the special tool). Talking about special tools, you might note the adjustable spanner I borrowed !   And yes the brake's hydraulic fluid is leaking too   

 

^ The old pinion's ball bearing race was totally knackered with up & down play, and also one-half of the pinion's gear teeth are badly chewed up.  So I tried feeling the free play (with the new pinion refitted) on both extreme left & right locks, and again in a near straight ahead position. The free play feels the same in each position - so as the rack is unlikely to have equally damaged teeth along it's length I'm eliminating it as a probable cause of this problem. 

 

I'm happy that there's no up and down movement in the pinion. And having found no slack in the links, and eliminated the rack's teeth as a cause - then surely the problem must be with the location of the rack - yes / no ? 

 

The bush in the middle of the rack, if worn, might cause the steering to rattle like a loose shaft in a tube, but I cannot see how it would result in longitudinal (push/pull) slack.  Therefore I have to assume the issue lies with the spring which holds the rack against the pinion.  If this is weak or broken then conceivably the rack would lift away from the pinion as the wheel is turned. The tension of that spring is initially felt  (.. but then I don't understand why it seems to go a little slacker before the rack & pinion teeth engage ?)..   Does anyone have experience of this sort of steering problem ?

 

Thanks,  Bfg     

[Bfg]

.

^  Well spotted that man.!  

 

.       Can't tell for absolute certain if they are or not from the photo, so I'll check them tomorrow.. But they certainly look different angles !  Having not bought the new part myself, my focus was on the 'reasons for damage' to the old pinion and its bearing, and then also on new pinion's teeth already show scoring ?  I assumed the latter to be from a chewed-up tooth or two on the rack (having seen the damage on the old pinion's teeth) - so was then thinking about finding another rack before the new pinion got completely chewed up.  With a thousand distractions today I missed what was right under my nose.

.       And..,  it would be logical to assume a different steering rack ratio for full lock maneuvering of the heavy 4 cylinder engine verses the twin cylinder Ami 8 (or 2cv & Dyane).  And it seems usual practice for some parts suppliers to fob off the same parts for all models. I've had that issue time & again (..even today as I try to find a new exhaust pipe). 

.       I'll have to look up how many turns from lock to lock the various models have..        

 

Thanks Ben ..I think you might have answered the dilemma 

 

After looking on the interweb this evening,  I was wondering whether the screw plug (below) was all the way in.?  Under this plug is the spring which pressures the rack against the pinion.  The article I read was regarding a (twin cylinder's) steering rack (on a Pembleton). The author says that his showed five threads projecting out of the housing and more typically it should be three.  But is that the same on an Ami Super ?  

 

Bfg

[Bfg]

Well Done Ben.. 

.           The new pinion's spiral teeth each turn about 235 degrees around the shaft, whereas the old one's only turn about 160 degrees.

.           The old  pinion's spiral teeth each turn about 235 degrees around the shaft, whereas the new one's only turn about 160 degrees.

 

..when looking from the end it's obvious ..spot the difference

^ amazing that it fitted into the steering rack at all ..let alone worked, albeit with the 15 deg free play.  The wrong number of gears would account for the aforementioned toggle-switch like feeling to the free play.

 

This is great news..,  identifying the problem is half way to finding the unobtainable

 

..And the rack hasn't had to come out., no suspension arms removed., no wings or inner arches removed., no lifting the engine and gearbox., no lifting the body tub again, and all the hassle with cables, brake pipes and wiring..  In fact, so far the only tools needed have been an adjustable spanner (because I don't have a 32mm here) and an 11mm socket to remove the steering column.

 

But now I need to find a pinion from the AMI SUPER ..  only made between 1973 - 76 !

....

...

..

.

 

OK ..looking in the Burton and MCDA catalogues they each list steering pinion as 7 or 8 teeth.     Do I recall (something deep in the old grey matter) a change many years ago where the 2cv's steering ratio changed so that a smaller steering wheel could be fitted ?  Anyway the question now is ; whether the same seven teeth pinion is correct for the Ami-Super.   Anyone in the know ?

 

Bfg

 

 

Edit : see first paragraph.. I got old & new the wrong way around..  The finer thread means more angle of the steering for the same amount of turn at the wheel. ie.,  is lower geared.  That would be appropriate for the heavier engine.

[MrSteve]

Your feeling is right. All Amis gained the 8-tooth pinion and rack (and smaller diameter steering wheel) from January '73, so the Super would only ever have come with the 8-tooth rack during its short life. Dyanes, 2CVs and Meharis got the revised racks a few years later.

 

Of course, your Super could have been fiddled with in the past and had a 7-tooth pinion rack fitted...I would worry that the rack has now been damaged though.

 

PS Those white headlight support things are available new via the medium of 3D printing here: https://www.sculpteo.com/en/print/kit-pattes-support-phare-citroen-ami8/E5YbwQwi?uuid=OGwftJc76q12qOKhM9qAod

 

I bought a set for my Ami 8 and they are fine.

 

[Asimo]

You should be able to inspect the rack teeth via the pinion hole with one of those torch / lens things, or a doctor's earhole gadget.

 

I spent hours trying to get a friend's Anglia running. That was also a 1 tooth difference, but on the distributor gear.......

[Bfg]

I get what you're saying but the old pinion was of seven tooth.  Finer thread = greater angle turned at the steering wheel for lower ratio. So I think the 7-tooth would be correct.  Would you agree ?

 

Visual examination of the rack's teeth through the pinion hole isn't practical on this car as there's too much black grease over it.  I can only feel for any roughness or tight spots ..as and when I get a new pinion.

 

For the time being I'll have to live with any damage in the rack as I just don't have the time to pull it out, get the parts to refurbish it, and get it back together before I leave for England again. Far too many other jobs to do. 

 

With the way things have been going... we've now started pricing having the car shipped back to England. The estimate* we've had for the 1250km from here to a Belgium port looks favourable. But with everything over here - that price ..and what's actually meant by the offer, needs questioning several times over to make sure what is said is actually meant.  It reminds me of a friend of my father's in Spain - who ordered a front door (!) to their new villa on the side of a steep hill.  When they arrived (in the middle of the night) the door was there but the earth had been dug away to lay the foundations and build the wall.., so a bridge to that door was needed to span the gap. That had not been ordered.!

 

I've just removed the headlamp bowl from the car so that I might see more clearly the one remaining clip. Two of the four clips fell apart as I took the headlamps out back in February, & one was a crudely made piece of metal in place of the plastic clip.  Many thanks for the link MrSteve. I'll follow that up and hopefully replace all four.

 

I've also removed the brake's master cylinder, which according to Russek's guide has a 19mm bore. Burton have this in their catalogue - p.33 item 6 (but no seal repair kit) so I'll hopefully replace with new.

 

Bfg    

[dollywobbler]

Ah, ok. Wasn't expecting the trouble to be there. I probably should have read your previous posts properly. There is a bush that wears in the rack, as you describe. The giveaway is that if you get someone to wiggle the steering back and forth, the point where the track rods attach to the rack moves back and forth - ie towards the front and rear of the car. That is an engine out job to sort and is pretty common.