1985 305

[FarmerPug]

The 305 is home:




it did the 250 mile trip home without any breakdowns, while sitting in traffic i was worried about the temperature gague but the fan kicked in before it reached the half way mark. The carburettor might need a bit of tuning. The chap who sold me the car was very helpful and knows his older PSA stuff, the clatter from the top end of the engine seems to be a worn camshaft, the engine was a bit down on power going up some hills but it still cruised at 70.

There are a few bits of rust here and there, i think the best course of action is to address one panel at a time, mechanically it needs a camshaft and fuel injection would be better than using a carb, Although an XUD conversion would make more sense. What would be the best donor car to get an XUD and other suspension bits.

[steve_earwig]

Nicely done sir That does look rather good.

There's lots to adjust on a carburettor, fuel injection is pretty much fixed. What's the power output meant to be? Maybe you're expecting too much Or maybe it needs setting up right - have a plug out and see what colour it is (old skool...)

What's the valve adjustment on those? Could the cam noise mean they need adjustment? Oh bugger, looks like it's too old for Service Box The BX lists a 1580 motor, I guess that's the same one and it's bucket & shim, oh what fun

Wiki says the later 305s got a certain 1905cc XUD. It's a shame there's no Service Box 'cos that would have made engine choice much easier.

[Doggy]

Well done young man.

Wiki says the later 305s got a certain 1905cc XUD. It's a shame there's no Service Box 'cos that would have made engine choice much easier.

I'm pretty sure that would have been the non-turbo version, the original XUD turbo was called a 1.7, (but actually nearer 1.8 ). If memory serves, the 1.9 XUD turbo came along in 1991-2 at the same time as petrols went from 1.9-2.0, presumably to compensate for the introduction of cats [/boring half-remembered history]

[steve_earwig]

So maybe there won't be enough clearance between the engine & bulkhead for ye olde turbine?

the non-turbo version

Oiceburg, roit ahead!

[jasper5]

The earlier 305 had adjustable tappets If I remember, not sure about that year, but I think they were prone to cam wear anyway.
There may be points in that car as well, so check the points if it has them....if you know how to check static ignition timing it should be 5 degrees before TDC and points gap 18 thou.

If you have an airline take off the air cleaner and squirt air through all the open bits on top of the carb.
To adjust the carb on those there is a screw either sticking out from the bottom of the carb (brass one with an offset slot) or sticking up at about 45 degrees...you need a warm engine and screw the screw in until the engine wants to stall then wind it out a little bit until the tickover sounds sweet then screw it back in just a touch.

[FarmerPug]

The engine in it according to wikipedia (ill need to look round it) is an XU5 S which is 94 PS (93 hp/69 kW), I'm guessing 93 bhp? Which should be more than ample.

It does have the bucket shims (I'm guessing they are not too easy to adjust), the guy i bought it of said if you were adjusting them its worthwhile putting a new camshaft in, the 205 1.6 GTi shares the same camshaft and new ones are listed at £30.
Its had the original solex auto choke carburettor replaced with a webber.

[steve_earwig]

93 horses, that should go quite well as the car won't be all that heavy.

It might be worth having the cam cover off and having a feel of the profiles, if they feel anything other than smoothly rounded it's toast. You can't actually adjust bucket & shim tappets, you have to measure the valve clearances with feeler gauges and make notes of them, then remove the tappets and measure the shims with a micrometer (they'll probably have what size they are on them but it's best to measure in case they're worn) and then change them for thicker or thinner shims to take them to the right clearances. It's all pretty straight forward, apart from sourcing the shims & waiting for them to turn up.

Hopefully the Weber conversion will have come with the right jets so it's just a matter of adjusting the idle setting. Perhaps a clean too if it's been sitting with petrol in it. It's a very long time since I fiddled with a carb on anything with 4 wheels on it so Jasper's the man to listen to. If all else fails post up which it is and we'll investigate.

Points? One of my 2-stroke lawnmowers has points

[Welly]

That's a beauty!

Personally I would keep the paintwork and rust as it is because it's part of the character of the car....kinda French Peasant. If you try to polish and repair it you've be removing all the tales of where it's been in its life.

Engine wise, the same, try to adjust the cam clearance if you can and get the carb running right (probably needs a gasket/repair set) and just enjoy the thing as-is.

Look forward to more reports.

[FarmerPug]

I like the faded paintwork it does add a bit of character, but i couldn't leave the rust, it needs to be repaired to get it in a condition that the rust won't spread.
As for the engine situation, i tweaked at the carb and solved the cutting out at junctions, but today in work i got a text from my cousin to call round after work, i did and was greeted with this:






Its a 1990 van, the body is as rotten as they get but it has a good XUD with only 180,000 on the clock, it starts runs and drives, its good to hear an XUD running again.

[Doggy]

I've not seen an air-cooled XUD before.

[Welly]

Mmm now there's a dilemma for you, I guess if you got that XUD out on a bench......cleaned and painted it....new belts and seals.....it may drop in the B reg one afternoon without too much fuss

[FarmerPug]

The plan is to get the old one out at the weekend, tart it up during the week, then put it in the estate next weekend.

I had my first breakdown today, forgot to turn off the headlights
Ive become a bit too dependant on some of the 406s equipment.

[benczuk]

I had my first breakdown today, forgot to turn off the headlights
Ive become a bit too dependant on some of the 406s equipment.

I do the reverse and forget to turn on the lights when driving another car (if its well street lit)

[fattail95]

I know you want to put in an XUD lump, but this is pretty cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efc_gS4VEEE

[FarmerPug]

That is the business, and it has been installed very tidily.
I still have the DW10 engine and gearbox sitting about but no ECU. I wonder what suspension bits this guy has changed.