- Thread starter barnfind
- Start date
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
Pressing on, apart from a few detail items, the car is pretty well finished now in bodywork and interior terms, so I thought that it was time to have a look at the engine ,that wouldn't rotate more than a few degrees. when last tried
I stuck some Redex (the real stuff) down the bores about six months ago and I have recently been spraying first Plus Gas and then more recently WD40 onto the valve gear, suspecting as I did, a valve or valves jammed shut causing the engine to lock when the cam lobe comes round.
Today, I took out the plugs to kill the compression, chocked the wheels, jacked up the front offside, and rocked the wheel in 4th gear. After a momentary stiffness, it freed and rotated smoothly. Just to be sure, I took off the rocker cover and watched the valves as I rotated the wheel. Everything worked.
Great relief! I topped up the oil and then gave it gave it several more revolutions for good measure.
I have already completed the wiring under the bonnet, so all I have to do now is put the exhaust back on , and replace the heater hoses, and hopefully..... but that's another day.
I stuck some Redex (the real stuff) down the bores about six months ago and I have recently been spraying first Plus Gas and then more recently WD40 onto the valve gear, suspecting as I did, a valve or valves jammed shut causing the engine to lock when the cam lobe comes round.
Today, I took out the plugs to kill the compression, chocked the wheels, jacked up the front offside, and rocked the wheel in 4th gear. After a momentary stiffness, it freed and rotated smoothly. Just to be sure, I took off the rocker cover and watched the valves as I rotated the wheel. Everything worked.
Great relief! I topped up the oil and then gave it gave it several more revolutions for good measure.
I have already completed the wiring under the bonnet, so all I have to do now is put the exhaust back on , and replace the heater hoses, and hopefully..... but that's another day.
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
A few more recent pictures to be going on with.
It looks a bit odd working on atrailer, but in fact, for me, it puts the car at exactly the right height for many of the areas that I am working upon, and removes the need for ramps, jacking etc. for a lot of the time. Plus the lashing on the nsf wheel was a useful way of stopping it moving when I was freeing up the engine the other day (handbrake is still on the front wheels, on this model).
It looks a bit odd working on atrailer, but in fact, for me, it puts the car at exactly the right height for many of the areas that I am working upon, and removes the need for ramps, jacking etc. for a lot of the time. Plus the lashing on the nsf wheel was a useful way of stopping it moving when I was freeing up the engine the other day (handbrake is still on the front wheels, on this model).
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
Into the detail now and although the list of things to do dwindles agreeably, the amount of time taken to actually do the work seems to increase.
I spent an afternoon reconnecting things, fuel lines, rearlights, finding a couple of lost connections around the engine bay and of course that fuel sender wire (thanks everyone). Put all the various bits and pieces back into the engine bay and also found and fitted the door mirror which had gone awol.
Now I'm into brakes.
Fitted a new master cylinder also, which was tricky mainly due to not having an assistant to stop the bolts popping back into the footwell, but got there in the end!
Now I'm into wheel cylinders and flexibles. As I suspected, the front wheel cylinders were fused solid, once I'd persuaded the brake drums off, but linings look okay. I imagine the rears will be the same. I am also pleased to say that when I made a chance buy at a carboot a few months ago, I guessed right with the front wheel cylinders. Getting the old ones off was a bit of a mission and I had to release the back plate to get enough clearance to get at the bolts.
Haven't reassembled yet, but hopefully I will grab another session over the bank holidays and get both front brakes back into working order, before I turn my attention to the rears.
I spent an afternoon reconnecting things, fuel lines, rearlights, finding a couple of lost connections around the engine bay and of course that fuel sender wire (thanks everyone). Put all the various bits and pieces back into the engine bay and also found and fitted the door mirror which had gone awol.
Now I'm into brakes.
Fitted a new master cylinder also, which was tricky mainly due to not having an assistant to stop the bolts popping back into the footwell, but got there in the end!
Now I'm into wheel cylinders and flexibles. As I suspected, the front wheel cylinders were fused solid, once I'd persuaded the brake drums off, but linings look okay. I imagine the rears will be the same. I am also pleased to say that when I made a chance buy at a carboot a few months ago, I guessed right with the front wheel cylinders. Getting the old ones off was a bit of a mission and I had to release the back plate to get enough clearance to get at the bolts.
Haven't reassembled yet, but hopefully I will grab another session over the bank holidays and get both front brakes back into working order, before I turn my attention to the rears.
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
Can I have my thread back please?
Hi
Have just come back from a week's holiday, so haven't been ignoring you. However, my barn find rebuild thread seems to have turned into a technical item on rebuilding your brakes. Can Malcolm please move the last few posts into a new thread please, in the appropriate section.
Thanks.
Hi
Have just come back from a week's holiday, so haven't been ignoring you. However, my barn find rebuild thread seems to have turned into a technical item on rebuilding your brakes. Can Malcolm please move the last few posts into a new thread please, in the appropriate section.
Thanks.
malcolm
& Clementine the Cat
- Messages
- 4,517
- Location
- Bedford UK
I've moved a few posts to http://www.renault4.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=5555
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
As promised, after a break for holidays, here is a summary of where I am with the car and what still needs doing. The remaining works to the brakes are probably the single largest item, the rest are bits and pieces.
Internally, the rear seat belts and the low level shelves under the dash need refitting (Latter left out until I am sure that I have finished fiddling with pedals etc).
Bodywise, the chrome strips along the sills need refixing. I have both, but one side seems to have had about six inches cut off it for some reason and it needs replacing.
Nearside brakes need dismantling, cleaning out and new cylinders fitting. Offside have been done, but the rear needs a new flexible fitting and the brake pipes across under the car replacing. Then the whole lot needs refilling with fluid and bleeding.
I need to sort out earths etc. at the front and fit a new battery. My test battery is too long in the tooth for a startup.
Exhaust downpipe needs shortening under front wheelarch, front pipe hangs too low, although this seems to be a common issue from photographs that I have seen.
Engine wise, Refill cooling system and check for leaks.
Internally, the rear seat belts and the low level shelves under the dash need refitting (Latter left out until I am sure that I have finished fiddling with pedals etc).
Bodywise, the chrome strips along the sills need refixing. I have both, but one side seems to have had about six inches cut off it for some reason and it needs replacing.
Nearside brakes need dismantling, cleaning out and new cylinders fitting. Offside have been done, but the rear needs a new flexible fitting and the brake pipes across under the car replacing. Then the whole lot needs refilling with fluid and bleeding.
I need to sort out earths etc. at the front and fit a new battery. My test battery is too long in the tooth for a startup.
Exhaust downpipe needs shortening under front wheelarch, front pipe hangs too low, although this seems to be a common issue from photographs that I have seen.
Engine wise, Refill cooling system and check for leaks.
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
Not a terrific amount of progress in the last couple of weeks due to sundry other commitments but hopefully this weekend I can get stuck in again.
I have managed some work on the electrics. I have fitted new bulbs throughout and found that everything works save for a dodgy earth on the front that needs a clean up. In spite of my reservations, my test battery does appear to have enough guts to spin the engine on the starter and so in the next few days I shall get some petrol in the system and try and get her running.
(The only reason I haven't done this before is because she is full of Redex and I am expecting a smokescreen...and each of my recent visits has seen someone else also working nearby, who might not be very pleased at being smoked out.)
None appearance of the oil warning light I tracked down to having plugged the wrong wire onto the oil pressure sender. (Thanks to a comprehensive search on the forum.)
I still have a few anomalies to get to the bottom of.
Are the windscreen wipers supposed to work with the ignition off?
Mine do!
Has anyone got any good ways of fishing the rear number plate light wire back through the tailgate frame?
Still to do:
A bit more work on brake hydraulics. Some of the twists and turns need a pipe bender and I have finally managed to get hold of one.
Cut down the front pipe under the wing to allow the tailpipe to sit a little closer to the chassis.
Last bits to the interior.
I'll keep you posted.
I have managed some work on the electrics. I have fitted new bulbs throughout and found that everything works save for a dodgy earth on the front that needs a clean up. In spite of my reservations, my test battery does appear to have enough guts to spin the engine on the starter and so in the next few days I shall get some petrol in the system and try and get her running.
(The only reason I haven't done this before is because she is full of Redex and I am expecting a smokescreen...and each of my recent visits has seen someone else also working nearby, who might not be very pleased at being smoked out.)
None appearance of the oil warning light I tracked down to having plugged the wrong wire onto the oil pressure sender. (Thanks to a comprehensive search on the forum.)
I still have a few anomalies to get to the bottom of.
Are the windscreen wipers supposed to work with the ignition off?
Mine do!
Has anyone got any good ways of fishing the rear number plate light wire back through the tailgate frame?
Still to do:
A bit more work on brake hydraulics. Some of the twists and turns need a pipe bender and I have finally managed to get hold of one.
Cut down the front pipe under the wing to allow the tailpipe to sit a little closer to the chassis.
Last bits to the interior.
I'll keep you posted.
orsome
1
- Messages
- 272
- Location
- FIN
Simon Healy
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 27
It's correct for the windscreen wipers, headlights, sidelights, hazards and horn to operate with the ignition off. Brakelights, indicators and the few remaining electrics need ignition to be switched on.
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
Momentous Day
A momentuous day today.
Not only did the Olympics finish, but I managed to get the R4 to start and run.
I have had a couple of shots at it, over recent weeks and have had the odd spit and pop. Approaching things methodically led me first to replace quite a few ignition components, rotor arm, distributor cap, condensor and leads and finally last week, I got a spark at the plugs.
Still no joy.
I removed the carburettor, took the top off and and marinated it throughly in cleaner, then used an aerosol cleaner to blast through all the various nooks and crannies and finally put it all back together this afternoon, filled a jamjar with petrol and plugged it into the fuel pump feed and, gave it a spin on the key.
After a couple of promising starts, but a reluctance to run more than a few seconds, I took out the plugs, cleaned them and opened up the gaps a bit, suspecting that the Redex that I had pumped into the bores several months ago, was still present in sufficient quantities to oil up the plugs.
That seemed to do the trick and this time the engine caught and continued running, turning the Redex into a smokescreen (fortunately I had opened the doors and there was a bit of a breeze).
I let it run until the jamjar was almost empty, by which time the exhaust seemed to have cleared. Everything seemed reasonably happy, no untoward noises, as far as you can tell when running an engine in an enclosed space with an open bonnet, and the oil light flicking off obediently as soon as the engine was cranked.
So there you have it. The tax disc says that this car hasn't been used legally since 1992. Whether that means that it hasn't run for twenty years is hard to say, but anyway, run it does.
A good day!
A momentuous day today.
Not only did the Olympics finish, but I managed to get the R4 to start and run.
I have had a couple of shots at it, over recent weeks and have had the odd spit and pop. Approaching things methodically led me first to replace quite a few ignition components, rotor arm, distributor cap, condensor and leads and finally last week, I got a spark at the plugs.
Still no joy.
I removed the carburettor, took the top off and and marinated it throughly in cleaner, then used an aerosol cleaner to blast through all the various nooks and crannies and finally put it all back together this afternoon, filled a jamjar with petrol and plugged it into the fuel pump feed and, gave it a spin on the key.
After a couple of promising starts, but a reluctance to run more than a few seconds, I took out the plugs, cleaned them and opened up the gaps a bit, suspecting that the Redex that I had pumped into the bores several months ago, was still present in sufficient quantities to oil up the plugs.
That seemed to do the trick and this time the engine caught and continued running, turning the Redex into a smokescreen (fortunately I had opened the doors and there was a bit of a breeze).
I let it run until the jamjar was almost empty, by which time the exhaust seemed to have cleared. Everything seemed reasonably happy, no untoward noises, as far as you can tell when running an engine in an enclosed space with an open bonnet, and the oil light flicking off obediently as soon as the engine was cranked.
So there you have it. The tax disc says that this car hasn't been used legally since 1992. Whether that means that it hasn't run for twenty years is hard to say, but anyway, run it does.
A good day!
orsome
1
- Messages
- 272
- Location
- FIN
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
Most of the non metal parts of the car have survived remarkably well, presumably becuse being hidden in a dark barn for a couple of decades has removed the likelihood of UV degradation on exposed items. Fuel pipes also appear good as do breather and cooling hoses. However the PVC ignition leads are very hard and have been thrown out and a lot of the metal ignition components have badly oxidised.
Most remarkable survival amongst the rubber components, are the tyres, which look very good and still hold air. However, as per my recent comments on one of the other threads, these will be replaced as soon as we become roadworthy.
Its interesting to speculate how much the car will have deteriorated during storage, having been 'dry stored' to use the currently fashionable term from the classified ads.
The car was a mixed bag as found. The chassis had all the classic rotspots, but from the crude and failed repairs, this predated storage and may well have been why it was taken off the road in 92. Main tub, doors and bonnet and two out of four wings were extremely good. Brake hydraulics were badly corroded, but fortunately non of the drum assemblies were seized. The interior, including mats and door cards, was dusty, but is almost showroom after a good scrub. Paintwork was a mixture, with a rear wing in primer and several bits of respray patching of very dubious quality. and so probably looks no worse than it did in 92. Some odd things have deteriorated. For example, in spite of the good state of the upholstery and plastic dash. etc. the dashboard lighting/ indicator stalks have succumbed to a layer of surface rust (would these have been chrome or painted?) and although the engine bay was quite clean and tidy as found, the brake master cylinder metalwork was totally rusted.
Obviously, even when stored undercover in what appeared a very dry and dusty environment, atmospheric moisture is a key player and, having seen the condensation bloom on cars stored in a building near where I work, when the weather suddenly warms up after a cold spell, this can make dry storage, distinctly wet from time to time.
Most remarkable survival amongst the rubber components, are the tyres, which look very good and still hold air. However, as per my recent comments on one of the other threads, these will be replaced as soon as we become roadworthy.
Its interesting to speculate how much the car will have deteriorated during storage, having been 'dry stored' to use the currently fashionable term from the classified ads.
The car was a mixed bag as found. The chassis had all the classic rotspots, but from the crude and failed repairs, this predated storage and may well have been why it was taken off the road in 92. Main tub, doors and bonnet and two out of four wings were extremely good. Brake hydraulics were badly corroded, but fortunately non of the drum assemblies were seized. The interior, including mats and door cards, was dusty, but is almost showroom after a good scrub. Paintwork was a mixture, with a rear wing in primer and several bits of respray patching of very dubious quality. and so probably looks no worse than it did in 92. Some odd things have deteriorated. For example, in spite of the good state of the upholstery and plastic dash. etc. the dashboard lighting/ indicator stalks have succumbed to a layer of surface rust (would these have been chrome or painted?) and although the engine bay was quite clean and tidy as found, the brake master cylinder metalwork was totally rusted.
Obviously, even when stored undercover in what appeared a very dry and dusty environment, atmospheric moisture is a key player and, having seen the condensation bloom on cars stored in a building near where I work, when the weather suddenly warms up after a cold spell, this can make dry storage, distinctly wet from time to time.
barnfind
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Lancashire
A couple more pictures, we're still parked on the trailer (makes getting underneath for the brakelines much less back aching). Most of the plumbing is complete now, just a couple of joints and a bleed and hopefully, we'll have brakes again.
I have ordered rear hatch seals and some flexible brake hose clips from Franzose, and sundry minor items from Ebay. The end of the tunnel is hopefully in sight.
I have ordered rear hatch seals and some flexible brake hose clips from Franzose, and sundry minor items from Ebay. The end of the tunnel is hopefully in sight.
RichardIRL
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 360
- Location
- Dublin
Wow looks lovely.
I think a black registration plate would complement the car nicely. I don't think yellow goes well with white, nor does white on white.
I love that particular R4s from that particular period.
Well done
I think a black registration plate would complement the car nicely. I don't think yellow goes well with white, nor does white on white.
I love that particular R4s from that particular period.
Well done
billythefish
Enthusiast
- Messages
- 350
brilliant job, well done.