Homegrown Garage Green One -75

[Homegrown]

Kept working.
Had three water pumps one fairly new and two older. Both old ones with brass impeller, the impeller had come lose from the axis and spin freely! I choose to reuse the "new". Some tidy up and sort out screws in right length. Set with dry papergaskets. On the other end I put on the electric engine heater. Engine mounts and alternator just clean the items before the goes back on.
All for today hurry to work.

 

[angel]

Both old ones with brass impeller, the impeller had come lose from the axis and spin freely!

This kind of pump failure cost me a warped head and a melted piston back in 2001. I discovered it only after removing the water pump from the head to send it to the machine shop.

 

[Homegrown]

This kind of pump failure cost me a warped head and a melted piston back in 2001. I discovered it only after removing the water pump from the head to send it to the machine shop.

One of the pumps looked OKAY but impeller spinning freely. Tricky fault to find.

 

[Homegrown]

Today gearbox and engine have to be mated.
First have to move around the engines the one in the engine stand is ready, that’s going down to the trolley with wood pieces for the engine. The naked block goes the the spare parts shelf. And the third going up in engine stand for rebuild.
Had a Valeo clutch that seem fairly new so that one goes in.
Had no gasket for gearbox so it was sorted with some Elring Dirko gasket tube.
When it’s time to marry engine and gearbox always some work to get gearbox input shaft to pass clutch plate and go into pilot bearing. I used a 36mm spanner to unclutch same time I gently move gearbox and rotate driveshaft tiny until its in right positon. Just torque the four nuts. When It’s time to put screws from oil pan lip to gearbox bottom screw is impossible. Apparently oil pan lip is different square gearbox vs the old type. Rotating file sorted that.
Ready for engine bay.
Green One needs to come in to the warm garage. So out with my VW LT31 to make space for it. Tomorrow I hope car is warm and dry.

 

[Homegrown]

When Green One acclimated to dry climate inside all leaves and other dry dirt residue get rinsed with compressed air.
All ancillarys was finger tight (steering rack with all fittings, radiator etc) and easy to remove.
Swedish cars seems too cope well to rust (think all cars get serious rust protection when arriving to Sweden). Structural rust I sorted some years ago.
Once engine bay was prepared engine and gearbox was in place in ten minutes. And start remount everything. Cos engine been outside bay one and a half year and I din mechanics on other cars meanwhile I have to redo things because I put stuff in in the wrong order. Nothing big but time consuming to solve problems that shouldn’t been ( handbrake cables above steering rack, cooling water hose bracket on top of the starter motor etc etc). Just tiny annoying things hopefully lesson learned to the next time.
Steering rack was missing a steel shim so I borrowed from another car. Drive shafts went in just open top ball joint on spindle.
One of the ball joints hade a leash so have to order new ones.

 

[Homegrown]

Two step forward one back.
Just have to realize my hands and fingers are to big for R4 mechanics.
Put engine in the other day and thought everything that is hard to reach was sorted. Start remount cooling hoses. Realized no water have been passing into intake water jacket cos no hole in feed pipe ( hopefully icing problems in carb sorted).
Just to drill out hole in brass en of pipe. Tight but hole drilled in place.
Had missed the Cooling hose bracket above starter engine. And wanted to put plus cable better positioned on the starter. No way I can get my hands in tiny bit too fat in every position (big chunky hands short fingers is not R4 friendly).
Took away manifolds too get access then it was quick sorted. Manifold back on and final feed hose mounted and when tighten hose clamp brass nipple fell of. Cos we have cold climate here we have engine heater in the end plate (very tight to get there cos heater takes a lot if space). Some coffee and cursing my big hands half an hour later another heater with water feed was done.
Hmmmmm also forgot put on oil sender cable. Impossible to reach get hand in from underneath but then but couldn’t get there with my finger. Put it in cars harness and pre-bent wire so it’s positioned correct to oil sender and with a Knipex snipper I got it on. 20 minutes work gets four hours because it’s too tight.
Love R4 anyway, maybe need to involve wife in this. She have tiny hands.

 

[Homegrown]

Third time is a charm.
I set the end plate gasket (with engine heater) dry but have to change endplate due to water nipple broken. Did the same second time filled up with cooling water and it’s a tiny leak on the topside.
I redone everything again but put som Permatex 300 on both sides of the gasket. Let it dry tiny and remount it again. Now it should be solved permanently.
Then I se plus cable to the coil come loose. I really dislike cheap cable terminals (quick and bad). I solve it with original like roll crimp terminals and crimp hose, nice looking and strong. Our climate needs good cable terminals often electrical faults is related to that.
If you do some electrical work on your cars it’s worth buying correct tools and terminals (same cost in the long run but bit more expensive in startup).

 

[Homegrown]

Keep working to get car ready for test drive.
When finishing cables around ignition coil the threaded piece to hold the resistor broke of. Some preparation and then mig it back adjust with rotating file and remount coil and ancillary.
Hook up clutch to my modified pivot. Clutch return spring were should it be?
Accelerator linkage on engine was full of surface rust so a bit sandblast and black paint then it was ready for engine. Done my own cable adjuster from hex screw. Some oil on moving parts and adjust so pedal in the metal is full trottle on the carb.
Refill antifreeze again.
Gearbox still need oil. Hopefully get it this week.
Got five new/old 135/80-13 summer tyres of two different brands for 50€.

 

[Domsky]

When all moving parts are removed from block I start cleaning up all imperfections from the casting.
Both to make oil go quick to the sump and remove places for cracks to start. Did the same on the water jacket side.
Lots of thin cast iron debris in the mold joints that can fall fall of.
Half an hour vid rotating file and belt sander I’m happy with the transformation.

View attachment 29595 View attachment 29596

Air chisel is the best thing since sliced pan! So many uses... and welder, broken studs, seized bushing or bearings...
Today i removed broken bleeding niple in the brake caliper using welder, no drilling, no need to tap it...

 

[Homegrown]

Air chisel is the best thing since sliced pan! So many uses... and welder, broken studs, seized bushing or bearings...
Today i removed broken bleeding niple in the brake caliper using welder, no drilling, no need to tap it...

Happy to see you back here writing. Followed your build at YouTube with great interest. When no updates come in half a year and Corona times I learned life isn't endless. (Two older guys building cars of different brands that I been following for years ended due to corona).
I have projects of other brands that sometimes come to an halt for several year before inspiration comes back.
Looking forward for new updates.
And yes think everyone should have a air chisel, mine is not top quality but still used a lot.

 

[Homegrown]

Two days I be sheeting with another French lady. Other brand and model is 204 Coupe. Someplace she is very rusted others very good. Engine is sized so it have to get out. Better just keep working on that and try to remove outer sills and blow out all debris and let her dry up inside out. After I get this done it’s time for another R4 I guess.

 

[Homegrown]

Wether Gods think differently.
Engine is out of the 204 and it was time to move cars around to get another R4 inside and the Peugoet outdoors again.
Instead most of the morning have been occupied with moving wet snow. Yesterday 3* plus and sunshine today 1* and snowstorm.
I guess little lady have to be inside until snow melts away again.

 

[Homegrown]

Done nothing on cars!
Just follow crazy development in our European fellow country Ukraine. Hope they fight hard for their right to be a democratic country with good support from the rest of the world.

 

[laxeian]

The Minsk agreement is an interesting read regarding the terrible current situation in Ukraine, democracy is indeed an interesting thing, look at our non-european friends in Canada. All our main steam media and politicans seem to be good at one thing, calling out pot, kettle, black against anything that doesn’t align perfectly with their views at any particular time. School ground bullies usually end up fighting, its a shame our leaders don’t grow up.

 

[André4Renaults]

I don't think this Forum is really a place to mention political ideas, but I find Western Europe's posturing against the Russian actions a tad hypocritical..... The areas of Ukraine that Russia has "claimed" to be Russian are inhabited by Russian-speaking people, who are ethically Russian-hence Russia's wish to absorb these areas into Russia. This is NOT to excuse their despicable military actions in ANY way!

Wind back about 20 years and I recall the population of (what later became) Kosovo were ethnic Albanians, living in (what was then) Serbia.... and we in Europe clamoured for then to have a separate state, which they now have (although a suspiciously large number of them appear to be living in north London....)

Are there not similarities here? Maybe. Why do we not have the same attitude? Maybe because (to paraphrase Neville Chamberlain) "Ukraine is a (not so) small country far away"? End of political discourse from me on this Forum.

 

[Domsky]

Happy to see you back here writing. Followed your build at YouTube with great interest. When no updates come in half a year and Corona times I learned life isn't endless. (Two older guys building cars of different brands that I been following for years ended due to corona).
I have projects of other brands that sometimes come to an halt for several year before inspiration comes back.
Looking forward for new updates.
And yes think everyone should have a air chisel, mine is not top quality but still used a lot.

I'm glad someone is enjoying my work.
The good thing is the work is still in progress just finished welding the body.

 

[Homegrown]

Snow is almost gone so 204 soon go out and R4 going in.
Was to my storage garage with some rims an tyres and bring some stuff back.
Took some pictures of Renault stuff we have from dealer work shop. Same shop had my Geoletto as a service car.

 

[Homegrown]

Home again after heart surgery. Should just do nothing for a week or two, not heavy anyway.
So I tryed to find pictures from chassis repair from when I bought Green One, seems like most pictures is trapped in a phone witch I lost the charger. Anyhow I find some pictures.
All repair was done without lifting the body had to rebuild some of the floor and the sills in front of car and also so some repair at rear suspension. Repair panels I made from sheet metal. Dolly, hammer,some snipps, angle grinder some airtools and a migwelder. Chassis seems to be fairly good nick now.
After welding I grind all welds then a layer of rust protecting primer and after that some black machine paint. Still look ok after some years.

 

[John Edmonds]

Wishing you a speedy recovery after your heart surgery!

 

[Homegrown]

Wishing you a speedy recovery after your heart surgery!

Thanks seems to take some time so I have to do nothing or almost nothing.
After a very warm and nice Mars we got what we call April whether, snow then sun some days melting it away then snow again. Last week we have had sub zero all nights and zero to single digits plus or minus.
Hade have some time tinkering about intake and exhaust manifold to Billancourt engine.
To get a efficient exhaust manifold it seem I need to go for side draft or semi side draft carburetor to free up area.
We have both brake master cylinder, steering and handbrake competing, make sparse of space. UK cars I guess have lots of space on manifolds side.
Have some Dellorto sidedrafts and some bike carbs ti choose from.