Someone has to be 1st

[Anonymous]

Very happy to see the forum is up and running. I have only had my Traction 11B 1955 since April when I was given it as a present by my neighbour who saw me working on my little 1957 2CV AZU. He had to get it out of his cousins barn and said I could have it or transport it to the scrapyard. Well, it is now my car in my barn and I am well into the project – I have been posting updates on the Traction Universelle forum – http://www.forum.la-traction-universelle.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2961

I will start posting updates here too as my French is not that good even though I have lived here for the past 10 year so writing in English will be fantastic.

Looking forward to chatting and hope it fills up fast with members as I have so many questions. A traction is a lot bigger than my little van so this project is already very daunting.

Cheers

[Anonymous]

Welcome on board Ian!
The launch of the forum will be announced in the July/August edition of Floating Power so I expect things to “pick up” early July……

My cars are here: http://www.tinyurl.com/vdn199

[Anonymous]

Having read the posts in the link Ian, your doing a great job. The engine looks to have 11D conrods fitted (Perfo caps are at 90 degrees, 11D are offset) so you can replace the shells as they are not white metalled

Had my engine rebuilt over the winter and there are a couple of things to watch out for, sealing of the liners, crankshaft end float and the flywheel end oil retainer http://osl282.info/Engine.php

[Anonymous]

Thanks – I was surprised when I opened up the Perfo engine to find the bottom end was from an 11D. The car is from 12 April 1955 so I have been told that Citroen started using up old stock parts to get rid of them and hence my engine is a bit of a miss mash, but in a good way.

Have read your blog before so keen for any advice. The liners are already in at a shop in Toulouse so will make sure they have tested the seal. Would be interested to know the tolerances for the crankshaft end float as I tried this before taking it out – there was movement, just don’t know how much.

Will transfer my project details over to here soon.

[Anonymous]

Ian,

Crankshaft end-float figure for the traction does appear to be elusive.

According to 1971 “D” model manual published by “Autopress” the figure for all early (pre 1961) ID/DS engines is 0.03 to 0.09mm. (After 1961 it was tightened to 0.03/0.06).

I would therefore assume 0.03/0.09 would be a safe tolerance to use for an 11D bottom end as that would have been fitted to early IDs.

Noah.

[Anonymous]

Data sheet I have from CTA ( in the list http://www.ctaservice.nl/t-downloads.aspx ) & TOC web site states 0.04 – 0.08mm for the radial play, measured at the timing chain end. Only place I could find new shims was Jose Fransen

[Anonymous]

Greetings from Canada! This is Larry from Toronto, maybe some of you know me from when I come over the pond to work at John Gillard’s twice a year. anyway, I have a Belgian 1954 11B that I’ve had since 1983 and a 1954 Light 15 since 2005. Both are restored and in pretty good shape.

The 11B has these nice items: A sliding aluminium sunroof, installed in Groningen, Holland where the car sold new at “Garage Imex” according to the dealer logo on the boot lid. When I got the car it had VDO oil pressure and water temp gauges on the dash to the left of the speedometer and a Smith’s clock to the left of the glove box. There is a roll-up radiator shutter controlled by a chain from the interior. Over the years I’ve installed a short block from a 1959 ID-19, an oil filter, an upper cylinder lubricator, a South Wind heater, reversing light, fog light and a spot light similar to a police car.

The Light 15 came from Botswana in 1976 when it was stuck in a barn in Quebec. I pulled it from the barn in 2005 and have restored it. This one has a short block from a 63 ID-19 and also has an oil filter. There is an outside sun visor that came from Durban, South Africa on it. The body is redone, the bumpers and over-riders rechromed and it has new leather seats. I rewired it to my own ideas featuring relays and fuses for everything. So far, no electrical problems of any kind.

There’s pictures of these on the TOC member’s cars section if you care to look. I also look at the Lincoln Forum website as I have a 62 Lincoln, this format is identical to that one. Cheers!

[Anonymous]

The work on my Traction will start again in September – but I just had my little 2CV AZU 1957 back from the paint shop yesterday.

Here is a little film of the return 😀

[Anonymous]

Ian – it not only looks and sounds great but it appears to go better than many Tractions! You have set the bar high for your Traction restoration.

P.

[Anonymous]

Cheers – I am not sure what happened to it but it seems to be running very well at the moment. 60kph up 5% gradients in 3rd and 80kph on the flat. That little 425cc engine must like its new paint work.

Picking up my crankcase and head for the Traction tomorrow after having it skimmed, new piston sleeves, valves and valve seats fitted. Will have to store it until September when I can put all my time into it.

[Anonymous]

Bonjour Ian,

I’ve joined the forum after reading your prompt in FP, so it pays to advertise! Like you, we are also in France, although a tad further north in Maine-et-Loire, near Saumur.

Continued good luck with the rebuild. I need to get our ’50 11BL back on the road again and French registered all ready for some warmer weather and then need to make progress on the HY, but that’s another story.

Catch you soon,

Bill

[Author]

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