R20 TS Resto thread - UPDATE 20/10/16 Dead Fuego makes good organ donor!

[Skizzer]

^ This. Felly Magic was being ironic - there's LOTS of love for Renault 20s on here. Especially slightly shonky ones that need saving. You're just an MOT away from hero status, frankly.

[Parky]

Just thought - is it possible the belt snapped when you tried to start the car? Possible that years spent idle allowed the belt to harden and perish and it only let go when turned over?

 

If that is the case any interface twixt piston and valve might not have been too hard - maybe I am being optimistic but if the belt let go at speed and this is an interference engine then maybe the cam would have taken a sudden impact and snapped which doesn't seem to be the case....

 

If the water pump runs off the cam belt (not familiar with the layout on these) that could have seized and been responsible for the belt snapping?

 

Only answer is to change the belt and cross fingers or whip the head off and see what's what underneath

[Parky]

^ This. Felly Magic was being ironic - there's LOTS of love for Renault 20s on here. Especially slightly shonky ones that need saving. You're just an MOT away from hero status, frankly.

What you mean is "you are just an MOT away from selling this to me" eh Skizzer??

[Eric]

Sold this one a few weeks ago to a collector of old Renaults..

[doubleyeller]

What you mean is "you are just an MOT away from selling this to me" eh Skizzer??

 

Well expressions of interest are always welcome, but I've just no idea what it's worth........................only what it's going to stand me at once roadworthy! (a LOT!)

I'll either sell it for a fair offer or enjoy it myself knowing it's the only Auto TS in the UK 

Still it is a unique car - but anybody know a ball park figure of what these currently sell for - totally clueless tbh! All I know is they are no longer unloved and worthless!

[Parky]

If you sell it on Facebook it will go for £50 but the buyer "will collect tonite m8"

[doubleyeller]

If you sell it on Facebook it will go for £50 but the buyer "will collect tonite m8"

So true.........I got offered a Delonghi toaster "That's still working on one side...........just turn the bread around inniiiiittttt boss!" in exchange for a polo SDI once haha

[Junkman]

Sadly I have bad news. The two litre Douvrin is definitely an interference engine.

[doubleyeller]

Oh bollocks! But thanks for finding that out ðŸ˜

[purplebargeken]

Fix it, sell it, buy a Sierra and join the upper echelon of Autoshite. Job done.

[doubleyeller]

Sierra my bloody arse! They look fairly modern even today - not old or creaky enough for me!

[doubleyeller]

Sierra my bloody arse! They look fairly modern even today - not old or creaky enough for me! I think they are getting rarer now though - only see one example on the morning commute now!

[xtriple]

The engine in those is a doddle to work on (well, the one in my CX with a Fuego/CX hybrid engine was) so I'd not be afraid to whip the head off and check those valves for bentness. I have even been known to have bent valves straightened (by an engineering place no less!) though I did intend to flog it immediately it was running!

 

In one of my periodic 'skint as fook' periods, a friend of a friend lent me a 20TS auto. It was a real dog of an old motor hanging on to life by a solitary claw but it bailed me out of a very tight spot for a month or two. It was actually a really good car, much to my surprise! It looked awful as it was brush painted and had a fair bit of trim missing but it drove beautifully and was fast(ish) and smooth and very practical.

 

When my finances had improved (fractionally) I asked if I could buy it from him, he declined but I was always welcome to borrow it. That was its purpose, back up to anyone that needed it! So I bought a 16TX auto and was very happy with that as well, plus the 16 was already 'cool' - wish I still had it!

[Felly Magic]

When I first saw the thread title I thought 'oh no here we go again', but lorks, a genuine Renner 20 thread. When i was a kid, my doctor drove a white Renner 20 or possibly 30, had quad headlamps IIRC, he was a tiny little Indian bloke and deffo a Renner apologist, as he replaced it with a bronze/brown R25 mk1, and his wife drove Renner 5s. Once again, fingers crossed that there isn't too much damage, and you can breathe life into this old french barge once again

[Junkman]

Sadly I have worse news, all from a member on a French forum I'm a member of, who knows a thing or two about these engines, because he is a serial Fuego molester.

 

If you take the head off, you will need new head bolts.
Taking the head off usually disturbes the liners. Thus you will need the bottom seals as well and the liners machined accordingly, otherwise you'll blow head gaskets like nobody's biz. Also, according to his experience, when the belt has snapped, there is usually irreparable damage to the block and/or head, because aluminium.

His advice is to look for another engine straight away, but he also says he couldn't keep himself away from pulling the head and having a look.

[xtriple]

Sadly I have worse news, all from a member on a French forum I'm a member of, who knows a thing or two about these engines, because he is a serial Fuego molester.

 

If you take the head off, you will need new head bolts.

Taking the head off usually disturbes the liners. Thus you will need the bottom seals as well and the liners machined accordingly, otherwise you'll blow head gaskets like nobody's biz. Also, according to his experience, when the belt has snapped, there is usually irreparable damage to the block and/or head, because aluminium.

His advice is to look for another engine straight away, but he also says he couldn't keep himself away from pulling the head and having a look.

Not sure I agree with that.

 

I've had the head off and it was fine. Just don't turn the engine over at all while apart.  I could be wrong and just have been very lucky....

[tooSavvy]

As advised earlier.....

 

Belt, time up, TDC each bore = compressed air through plug hole & listen for a whistle ....

 

TS

[Parky]

^^^ My god I understood that! ^^^

[tooSavvy]

^^^ My god I understood that! ^^^

Hell, YEAH!

 

TS

[scaryoldcortina]

Sadly I have worse news, all from a member on a French forum I'm a member of, who knows a thing or two about these engines, because he is a serial Fuego molester.

 

If you take the head off, you will need new head bolts.

Taking the head off usually disturbes the liners. Thus you will need the bottom seals as well and the liners machined accordingly, otherwise you'll blow head gaskets like nobody's biz. Also, according to his experience, when the belt has snapped, there is usually irreparable damage to the block and/or head, because aluminium.

His advice is to look for another engine straight away, but he also says he couldn't keep himself away from pulling the head and having a look.

I'd pull the head. If you are lucky and the ancient belt gave way while cranking you might only have two slightly bent valves. The ghetto fix for bent valves back in the bad old days was to remove the head, pull the valve springs and colletts and then use a socket and a 2lb hammer to belt the bent ones back into shape by placing them in the head and hitting them until they close.

 

Rough as this sounds, it was an accepted way of getting an engine back into service if the owner was too tight to buy parts. At the very least it gives you a chance to get the car running so you can check on everything else while you search for another motor. No point spending a fortune reconning the engine only to discover that the gearbox doesn't work, just get a gasket and a belt and whack it back together on the old head bolts for now.

[bub2006]

Nice to see a r20 thread without any ISIS threats. All the best with the engine

[nigel bickle]

I've a nice spare set of alloys with new metric tyres, for one of these. Peculiar pcd

 

How sad am I?

[fraser.innes.3]

With these engines with wet liners you do not lift the head off. As said previously, this will disturb the seals at the bottom of the liners. Once all of the head bolts are removed, you need to twist the head off. Usually with the help of a lump hammer.

[purplebargeken]

You seemingly have nothing to lose by doing the bits as mentioned. Gotta be worth a try. Lovely looking cars. 

 

I have envy.

[Asimo]

Now I feel really guilty for scrapping two cars with perfectly functioning examples of this engine.

Only one of them was a 20 TS auto. And it was some time ago.

 

Good luck, bloody good cars these.

[doubleyeller]

So I will leave the horrible mess in the engine bay to my mechanic. Now lets talk about something (only slightly) more cheerful: tailgate rust - this is not that serious and certainly not curtains for the tail gate - but advice on treatments and repairs would be appreciated folks!

 

 

 

a couple more views of the ill 20:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[montytom]

Blimey this brings back memories. My dad had a white one when I was a little nipper. I can remember thinking it looking modern back then but I was probably 4 at most back then.

Keep us updated on this thanks Thomas

[purplebargeken]

Bilt Hamber stuff all the way. Fantastic products for de-rusting.

[vulgalour]

Cor that interior looks like a comfy place to be.

 

Bilt Hamber is the go-to for most these days, I'm still yet to use it.  Jenolite is quite good at keeping minor rust away for a long time as is Kurust, the latter needs a lot more prep to be effective.  Lashings of paint afterwards in any colour you have to hand will keep it solid as will pumping the tailgate full of cavity wax or whatever providing the rust hasn't got too serious a hold.

[Parky]

Have you not got the head off yet? We are all waiting patiently to find out if it's an interference unit or not.

 

And if it is, how badly interfered with is it?