Radiator Fitting and Shakedown Testing 1

It's been a LONG time since the engine was fired up in the car.  It could be as long ago as September 2014. You can read about that HERE.

I still have plenty of work to do and plenty of bits to fit but, after all this time, I just can't wait to get the car running again and see how it behaves. At the very least, I want to get some oil circulating. For the moment I've just connected up the radiator so that i can keep the engine cool while it runs.

Testing begins!

I can't test the hydraulics at this point. For a start, I need to fit the steering rack and replace to torn/ worn gaiters on the rear suspension. And I haven't fitted the reservoir and other hoses yet. 

Do you remember when they were going to phase out leaded fuel back in 1999? DS drivers didn't know whether their valve seats would survive the use of unleaded fuel and there were concerns about cars overheating. Back then my car was off the road and I took the opportunity to get my radiator re-cored with a new triple core - just to improve the cars cooling system once it was running on unleaded. Unfortunately the car only did a few more road miles before it went into a long hibernation. A hibernation it's only now coming out of 23 years later...... 

For some strange reason- and despite the costs and effort that were involved in getting back to this point, I'd always clung to the positive that my radiator had been re-cored and that was one job i didn't have to do. The reality though was a bit different. Despite only having been used for a few miles, during it's lay up between 1999 and 2014, it had really furred up!

Despite (or because of?) little use, the radiator was furred-up

A few years ago I tried many different chemicals to try and clean it out. Blocking the in/ out hose feeds as best i could, I tried filling it with caustic soda, citric acid, a solution of soda crystals. I tried hot liquids, I tried cold liquids. Some of the white deposits dissolved (a little) but I didn't find anything that really took it back to spotlessly clean.

I'd bought two new anti-vibration rubbers to go under the radiator feet. And prior to refitting the radiator, i replaced the cage for the cage nuts on the feet. Over the years any radiator spills gather at the feet and the cages rust. Mine were so  weakened that the cages were beginning to turn with the nuts when you tried to tighten a bolt against them. New cages and nuts can be bought from there usual places and, with a spot welder, replacing them was just a few moments work. 

New nut cages for the radiator feet

I straightened out a few bent fins and gave the radiator a spray of satin black paint. The metal pipe on my bottom radiator connection had rusted - and you can imagine where that rust had gone: into my cooling system. I'd bought a good secondhand replacement but - in the end - decided to buy a modern stainless steel one (which I vainly painted black).

Radiator bottom hose was corroded on the end.....

.......and internally

Fitting the radiator is straightforward - at least in terms of the number of connections. Fitting the lower hose was awkward as one end fits to the bottom of the water pump hidden away under the alternator. I had to remove the alternator to make that hose connection. 

I anticipated removing the radiator to fit the steering rack and other belts at some points so just used jubilee clips at this point. Even with jubilees, it proved quite tricky accessing the worm gear to tighten them up. The other end of the bottom radiator connection - the one on the radiator - is just as awkward: it's difficult to get a hose clip on at the right angle so that you can tighten it. especially when the aluminium surround is in place

Lower radiator hose is designed to curve over the steering rack

I cleaned up the thermostat for the top hose. I drilled a 2mm hole through it to prevent air locks - though when i looked carefully there was already a deliberate little 'nick' around the edge of the valve that stopped it sealing 100% and so allowed air past.

Thermostat before......

.....and after cleaning.

By suspending it over a pan of heating water I tested that it still worked.

Thermostat suspended in a pan of water

 It began to open at 79 degrees.......

Thermostat beginning to open (notice the bypass hole i drilled)

.......and by 85 degrees was well open.

Thermostat open

I don't know if that counts as 'fully' open but I judged that a success - although 79 degrees is a little higher than the manuals suggest for a DS thermostat so may buy a new one. However for the moment it will have to do, so I refitted it in my top hose.

The only drive belts I fitted were the matched pair between camshaft pulley, water pump and alternator. The alternator wasn't connected to anything else and I'd read (and hoped it was correct!) that it would not be damaged and would still charge. I will find out in due course.

It will need to come off again when the steering rack goes on, so I just temporarily fitted my battery tray. I've not fitted the dashboard so don't have the ignition key fitted. Instead I rigged up a wire directly from the battery positive to the coil. In lieu of an ignition key, I made an emergency 'kill switch'. Okay, okay - it was just a tagged bullet connection in the ignition wire by the coil,  but it enables me to quickly cut the engine in an emergency.

Emergency "kill switch" on the ignition wire.....

 My petrol tank isn't fitted yet. (There is some work to do there......)

Evidence of mice in the fuel tank area...

.....so i just supplied fuel to the carburettor from a can. I splashed out and bought five ltires of 99 RON from a local ESSO station. I reasoned that if the fuel started to go off, I could add it to the fuel of our daily drive car and use it up that way.

I filled the cooling system with the Penrite coolant I'd bought at Citroen Classics. I was pleased to find that the car took the full 10 litres without too much trouble and 'burping' to remove airlocks. At last it was time to test!

SHAKEDOWN TESTING

All things considered, initial testing went very well thank you. It was VERY satisfying. Here's a summary:

• The starter engaged. 

• The  pump pulled fuel and the engine started without much difficulty.

• some initial and alarming burning from the exhaust manifold. This was just the WD40 used to stop it flash-rusting burning off....

• No other obvious exhaust leaks and the Exhaust paste hardened up as the exhaust warmed up.

• A VERY loud and alarming rattle from the top end. Oh no! Turned out this was just the oil filer lid rattling (see video below). I'd already replaced the rubber seal on my good cap with one from a broken cap but it was still ver hard. I have found that modern replacements are available so I'll need to buy another seal.

• The engine warmed up and eventually the thermostat opened up. After a while i found a slight weep from the hose connection under the alternator and also around the bottom corner of the radiator nears its bottom join.

• The engine ran smoothly - though too fast when it settled down to idle.

• I turned on the heater valve and hot coolant flows through the hoses. No obvious leaks from the valve or its connections.

• I found a strange coolant drip on the block underneath the exhaust manifold. This was a BIG worry as i feared it meant I'd cracked the block when fitting the head. Investigation with a mirror and endoscope shows that the leak is coming from  a small round hole above where any crack might be. That's kind of reassuring Kind of....Further investigation is needed.

• I also have a very minor weep coming from the corner of the cylinder head near the distributor. That also needs some investigation. I hope I don't have to find a new head.

Here's a video of my testing so far.

VIDEO: shakedown testing - smoky manifold

And another......

VIDEO: Shakedown testing - rattling oil filler cap

And a final one.

VIDEO: shakedown testing - just for the joy of it

All in all, I'm very happy. I'll have to do further testing of course, and need to see how those leaks pan out.......