[Jeremy Ashton]

About to pull off the wings and replace the drive boots so I will take a more detailed look at the pump; esp whether it can be retrofitted with a priming lever. HP pump is also getting some attention plus a bag of seals and while we are in there I will change the accumulator…. DS scope creep 😀

[Jeremy Ashton]

I did feel around the pump but no lever.

I might fit an in line bulb hand primer (common marine fitting) for a few pounds. Easier than an electric pump.

Pouring fuel into the carb is a risky op – risk of toast….

Or use the DS more often!

[Jeremy Ashton]

Hopped in to the DS for a run in the sun today and nothing after about 10-15 secs of cranking. Suspected no fuel delivery so got the Wee Woman to turn over the car while I trickled fuel into the carb. A few seconds of lumpy running and away we went. 30 mile run with no issues.

Should there be a non return valve somewhere? Car has been idle for only 9 days.

Only other variant is that I dumped about 10 litres of old Avgas into the tank a couple of weeks ago.100 Octane as a treat should not affect anything I think.

[Jeremy Ashton]

Cleaned pump down again and checked. No leak from the input but I did tighten the HP Union a v v small fraction. Ran for about 20 min and no sign of fluid, so maybe the HPline had a slight weep. Will add some rubber pipe seals to my next spares order.

Useful blog on pump overhaul; also have the 814-x manuals on my iPad now.

Citroen, like old Italian bike makers seemed to favour metric fine and odd M sizes.

[Jeremy Ashton]

Was really a test to see if problem was release bearing -thankfully not- I do leave cars for a couple of weeks with handbrake off and in gear.

Opposite problem years ago in an old Mk2 Jag. Hot rear discs and dodgy parking pads- everything cooled and the car rolls away! Maybe not the DS with stronger parking brakes.

[Jeremy Ashton]

More detail: chassis stamping matches the bulkhead plate and carb is a Weber. It is a gentle drive – a bit of a slug up hills though once rolling it is fine at 55-60 mph. Not much compression as it spins over easily and rolls on like an old tractor on ign off. Has a tow bar fitted!! When we do the body bits next summer I think we will whip off the head, replace the valve seats and check the bores though the odo says 26k Km (or 126 or could be anything?).

More fixes – oil pressure and temp indicators – re-connected a few wires around the carb. Comfort spheres ready but just broke my strap wrench on the Lh sphere though rh was easily loosened. Chain wrench on order…

Calls itself a Special:

[Jeremy Ashton]

Here is what can be seen:

[Jeremy Ashton]

No other instruments or connectors are visible; I think that competition is highly unlikely. One day I will trace the wiring when I have enough courage to dig behind the dashboard. I have had the dashboard instrument panel out to check bulbs and the Rev counter is the bog std Jaeger item.

Is there a register or factory records? We are intrigued by this DS. A frivolous eBay purchase but is not in bad condition. Some body bubbling and and will need lh sills and some boot tidying but it’s become our daily drive along with our Renault Zoe. Pump/accumulator cycle time is around 40 seconds on tick over. In the UK since late 2018 having come from Belgium, so it is said.

Two deliveries already from Citroen Classics and another list started. Sphere pairs at £70 seems a lot less than we paid for CX spheres many years ago so I hope not a bank breaker.

[Jeremy Ashton]

Solved. Dropped my keys in the front well and there they were – adjustable seat mounts.

[Jeremy Ashton]

First issue: https://ibb.co/pwnZrL5

Carefully open 3 tags (2 seen here) holding case to backplate – if the copper strip is not cracked it will need to be cut: https://ibb.co/MVkMkNT

Trick to disassembly – bend tag (carefully) to allow float arm to be withdrawn: https://ibb.co/gd15MGT

Rheostat winding can be withdrawn and cleaned, together with the other contact parts: https://ibb.co/ssnXBzN

[Jeremy Ashton]

The items, I hope.

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