Just had a question from a gentleman who is traveling to the Citroën Rendezvous in Saratoga Springs, NY on Father’s Day weekend. He wanted a list of everything he should do to make his Citroën 2CV safe for the trip. This is my advise… a list of thing to check and do.

Electrical:

• check all lights and signals and make sure they all work

• head lights, hi and low beam

• signals

• brake lights

• flashers (if you have them)

• marker and plate lights

• check wipers

• check horn

Tires:

• check for wear

• check pressure (also spare)

Suspension:

• lubricate knife edges

• jack up front of car

• grab front wheels at 9 and 3 positions and check for play (tie rod and steering rack wear)

• grab front wheels at 12 and 6 position and check for play (king pin wear)

• jack up rear of car and turn rear wheels and check for any strange noises (wheel bearings and brake drag)

Body:

• check that all body panels and make sure that all fasteners securing them are tight

• make sure top is secure when it is attached at windshield

• check tightness of wheel lugs (check owners manual for torque)

Under the hood:

• check engine oil level

• check transmission oil level (should be right up to side fill plug)

• check air cleaner (make sure all is snug secure)

• check the belt for wear and tightness

• check battery connections and make sure posts are clean

• check brake pad thickness and parking brake adjustment

• check all cables and linkages for clearance and wear

• check to make sure there is good clearance between the fuel line and the exhaust pipe and manifold. (this can often be very close and even dangerous.)

• make sure hood secondary latch lines up and hood completely closes

• check under car for exhaust leaks with the engine running

Pack the following tools and parts:

• small socket or wrench set containing 8mm to 21mm  sizes

• screw drivers both Philips and straight blade

• wire connectors and crimper

• some extra wire

• electrical tester

• electrical tape and duct tape

• extra fan belt.

• proper brake fluid for vintage of car ie: brake fluid or green fluid

• 2 spark plugs and a set of wires

• set of points and condenser (unless you have a 123 ignition installed n the car)

• spare light bulbs for every light on the car

• jack,

• lug wrench,

• flashlight

• nitrile  or vinyl gloves and cheap pair of coveralls.

That should probably do it without bringing the kitchen sink. Hope this helps.

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Over the years I found that often times a Citroen would come into the shop or a person would send in a set of spheres to rebuild from a car that had a contaminated hydraulic system .

Always bad news to any Citroen owner, this can prove to be one of the most expensive single problems an owner of a Citroen can have. This includes 2CV s because I have seen the wrong fluid put into their hydraulic brake system too.

Back in the old days, the reason for contamination could mostly be blamed on confusion, for there was a period of time from 1966 to 1969 1/2 that cars being sold over here in the U.S. had LHS2 (Brake Fluid Based ) from the factory, while cars being sold in other parts of the world had LHM or (Mineral Based) fluid in them.

Over the years one thing led to another with many owners and people who really should not have been working on the cars putting in the wrong type of fluid.

What I am going to explain is the method I always used to tell if a system is contaminated with either Mineral fluid or Brake fluid.  With this test  we are talking about a Citroen with a complete hydraulic system , ie: brakes, steering, suspension etc.

Here’s a little video to show you how…

The video should have shown you the steps, but if you like to read them as well, here ya go.

What you want to do is get a sample of the fluid, but first you want to get a glass and fill it half full of water. (leave it alone, don’t drink it. :0)

To get an accurate sample this can be done in one of two ways.

1. Either draw off a good 8 ounces or so after the car has been warm and running for a while. (Remove it right from the reservoir).
2. The other way is to drain the entire system.

I prefer the first method if possible. I usually drain this into a jar that you can put a lid onto. Now close the jar and shake it up vigorously.

Now take the jar and open it up and fill the rest of the glass with the contents of your sample. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then examine the mixture in the glass. Now here is were things get interesting.

Because the brake fluid is hydroscopic it will mix with the water and turn it a milky color. The mineral oil will always separate from the brake fluid and float on the top The main thing in this test is the use of water. Remember the brake fluid will always mix with it and the oil based fluid will always separate.

One way or the other this spells trouble. Next Time I will tell you some of the symptoms you will notice in the car that can point to a system being contaminated .

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I recently got asked a question here about Citroen 2CV ‘s
and decided to post on it, as many people have asked about
this over the years.

"My 2cv has become very hard to start when it is hot.
I recently replaced the points but on a second check
the gap and static timing seemed to be correct.
Can you suggest what I could look at?"

Here is what I know and what people who work on the cars
today are finding.

1. The general quality of coils available for the cars is a bit
questionable. Some work fine, others act up when they get
hot. Make sure you check to see that you have a spark when
the car seems to be acting up when hot.

2. I know this may not apply but check to make sure that ignition
switch is in good shape. They can act up with heat.

3. The installation of the 123 coil can help some of this. They are
available in this country from: French Parts Service at:
http://www.2cvsource.com

4. The last thing I have to say is that new reformulated gasoline
with lots of ethanol in it causes old cars with carburetors to have
trouble starting when they are hot because it evaporates so quickly.
It is best suited for a fuel injected engine were it is under a
constant pressure, and not a system like the 2CV with a very
long intake manifold were it can be subject to vapor lock with
hot weather or when the engine gets hot.

Hope that was of some help.

Denis

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Did you know… that after December 1968 Citroën modified the suspension units on the “AK” Model, including the 2CV. Following is the service bulletin update:

SUSPENSION UNITS

The front suspension spring AM-431-1 is replaced by the spring AM-431-1a.

Description; Wire Diameter 17.5 mm (.689″)

Free Height 192 mm (7.56″)

Coils circling to the left.

The front tie-rod of the suspension unit AU-434-91 is replaced by the tie-rod AM-434-91.

Length: 625.8 mm (24.638″)

The rear tie-rod of the suspension unit AM-434-91 is replaced by the tie-rod AW-434-92

Length: 607.5 mm (23.917″)

The front rubber stop A-435-76 of the suspension unit is replaced by the stop AK-435-76.

The important thing to remember is:

It is possible to mount the new suspension units or the assembly of all these new parts on earlier models.

The two suspension units of a car should be strictly identical. It is indispensable that the modification must be made simultaneously on the right and left suspension units.

The rubber buffers of the front suspension system should be adjusted to obtain a clearance of 2 mm. (.080″) between the rubber stop and the stop on the suspension arm.

OK, hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions by asking in the comments box below.

Later,

Denis

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This last weekend was a real treat at the annual Citroen Club of North America meeting, which every year just happens to coincide with the Carlisle Import Kit/Replicar National Car Show. The year’s featured speaker for the club was Kim Walter and was it ever a treat!

Kim is a very accomplished Industrial Art and Design professor at the Pratt Institute in New York. One of Kim’s passions is the wonderful designs of Flaminio Bertoni. Kim gave a very informative talk on several of the designs that Bertoni was responsible for when he worked at Citroën. They included the Traction Avant, the Ami 6, the 2CV and the DS. You can find more about Kim on the www.driveshesaid.com website.

For me, working on these beauties, I was always drawn to the cars for their many technical innovations and unique systems. This talk that Kim gave was so refreshing, for he pointed out some of the many lines and esthetic functions of the cars and how Bertoni arrived at them. Some of the lines that he pointed out on the Traction Avant I had never noticed, yet I have owned one for the last 21 years!

Check out some of these beauties… The first is Kim’s own D Model.

Here is a beautiful Ami 6…

And a sweet little 2CV…

Check out the curves on this beauty…

All together 43 Citroëns from the East Coast and the Mid West attended the meet, and I personally want to thank club member Brad Nauss, of Brad Nauss Automotive, for once again doing all the behind the scenes work to make this great meet not only happen, but get better each and every year. Here’s a shot of Brad and his Traction.

This is Paul Vogel’s Citroen D Model. He got best of show with this beauty.

We’ll be adding more pictures soon, so be sure to check back. Thanks to everyone who showed and see you all next year.

Later, Denis

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