Citroen cx - Paint and carburettor

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Mon 9 Dec 2019 17:26
Citroen cx - Paint and carburettor - Thomas daykin
Hi all

I have two points of interest at the moment with my “project” also known as my labour of love!

Bit of background- working on restoring my old Citroen cx. Work in progress and cash has gotten tight.

So the bodywork is dire. Needs a complete respray and some coaschworks. Currently saving to do this but it’ll be several thousand. So how do I protect the metal in the meantime (someone has already rubbed it down and there is some surface rust) I was thinking the cost effective way is to give it a lick of Matt black until it gets the paint job it deserves?

Other issue is an idle problem that I think is the carb. She won’t idle below 1500 rpm (if the Rev counted is to be believed) and has a habit of cutting out when not under load - say breaking for a roundabout with the clutch in. All the carb bits have been renewed - gasket, float etc. I did accidentally run the tank dry - perhaps taking it off and soaking it for a day or so is something that’s been suggested.

All ideas on both fronts welcome.
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Mon 9 Dec 2019 19:14
Citroen cx - Paint and carburettor - elekie&a/c doctor
I’m no bodywork expert, but I would think rubbing down the surface rust and then spray the metalwork with a zinc anti corrosion spray may help . As for the carb , I would think this is fitted with a Weber or Solex unit . Possibly has an electric idle solenoid valve that needs power on ignition.
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Tue 10 Dec 2019 23:31
Citroen cx - Paint and carburettor - edlithgow

If you want to slow rust right down, use vegetable oil. I mostly use sunflower oil on my car, but for upper body work linseed (perhaps "boiled") might be better, since sfo takes a few days to polymerise and collects dust meantime.

However, I'm never going to do a "proper" cosmetic restoration. For that, vegetable oil MIGHT give you problems with overpainting, and would probably be difficult to remove.

If painting it black temporarily, consider using the bituminous paint sold for use on drainpipes. I'd probably do my whole car with it if I could get it here, and if it didn't get so hot. The advantage is it remains soluable indefinately, so you can remove it later with white spirit.

For the carb, sounds like you might have a vacuum leak. I had apparent recent success sealing off an untraceable leak by giving the carb and manifold a few coats of.....wait for it....sunflower oil. Again, if in a hurry, linseed would probably be better.

My other carb tricks are (old) brake fluid as a cleaner (very effective and water miscible) boiling in laundry detergent (moderation here. Can etch the metal so not to be overdone, plus you can get electrochemical effects if doing it in an aluminium pan), and using hypodermic syringes as mini-pressure washers for jets etc

The type with a screw-on needle is best. Interference fit ones can blow off if applying a lot of pressure and are then fairly dangerous projectiles.

Be careful not to inject yourself with detergent or brake fluid, neither of which are medically approved.

Eye protection is.

Edited by edlithgow on 11/12/2019 at 00:29

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