Gas mark 5
Member
- Messages
- 225
- Location
- Leeds / Harwell, UK
Hello all,
I'm still plodding on with my 2cv van, but I seem to have acquired yet another project in addition. You know how it is when you see something on ebay, never mind the fact it's 200 miles away. Anyway, I bought it, drove up to Lancashire, somehow fitted it in the back of a 2cv, and got home again, alive!
I'm trying not to get too distracted from the van, I want to do as little work to this as possible, for the minimum budget. It's quite relaxing not worrying about scruffiness. One of the seat hinge pins was missing, the simple joy of being able to bash an old nail in its place is so satisfying!
Anyway, I tried starting it this weekend, with a new battery most of the electrics worked fine. I kicked it over a few times, and it did splutter into life for a few seconds, then immediately spat out a plug.
I dropped the engine and took the head off, just looking for advice on a few bits.
Is a helicoil the best way to repair the plug thread? Do garages do that, or just as easy to buy a kit of ebay?
Also, the pistons aren't looking too great. The LHS one has lots of tiny scratches all over the surface, I don't know what the cause is, but it looks perfectly reusable if I just clean it up a bit.
The RHS piston, while it doesn't have the fine scratching, does have a big gouge in it - judging by the position from a spark plug that's too long?
Can't see any cracking, will it be all right to just smooth the edges and re-use? New pistons are + £40, presumably there's no way I can repair the piston, because any heat sufficient for welding would distort it?
So yes, sorry for the essay - is a helicoil the best (/cheapest) way of repairing plug threads, and are my pistons reusable?
Thanks!
George
I'm still plodding on with my 2cv van, but I seem to have acquired yet another project in addition. You know how it is when you see something on ebay, never mind the fact it's 200 miles away. Anyway, I bought it, drove up to Lancashire, somehow fitted it in the back of a 2cv, and got home again, alive!



I'm trying not to get too distracted from the van, I want to do as little work to this as possible, for the minimum budget. It's quite relaxing not worrying about scruffiness. One of the seat hinge pins was missing, the simple joy of being able to bash an old nail in its place is so satisfying!

Anyway, I tried starting it this weekend, with a new battery most of the electrics worked fine. I kicked it over a few times, and it did splutter into life for a few seconds, then immediately spat out a plug.

I dropped the engine and took the head off, just looking for advice on a few bits.
Is a helicoil the best way to repair the plug thread? Do garages do that, or just as easy to buy a kit of ebay?

Also, the pistons aren't looking too great. The LHS one has lots of tiny scratches all over the surface, I don't know what the cause is, but it looks perfectly reusable if I just clean it up a bit.
The RHS piston, while it doesn't have the fine scratching, does have a big gouge in it - judging by the position from a spark plug that's too long?

Can't see any cracking, will it be all right to just smooth the edges and re-use? New pistons are + £40, presumably there's no way I can repair the piston, because any heat sufficient for welding would distort it?
So yes, sorry for the essay - is a helicoil the best (/cheapest) way of repairing plug threads, and are my pistons reusable?
Thanks!
George