Common failures / preventive parts replacements

[Lennart Sorth]

The brass pipes sometimes pop out of the pump, causing fuel spills over your hot engine!

but is it a typical Matra fault ? - I would expect this problem to be more general for old fuelpumps.
/Lennart

[Jon Weywadt]

The brass pipes sometimes pop out of the pump, causing fuel spills over your hot engine!

but is it a typical Matra fault ? - I would expect this problem to be more general for old fuelpumps.
/Lennart

Perhaps that is why, on my 2.2, it has been replaced by an electric fuel pump.

[krede]

Could very well be.... and engine room fires are a not just "urban legend" on these cars... going through the "service log" that came with my car, I could see that my car had suffered on some time back, and had a pretty extensive list of repairs as a consequence.

In my opinion an electric fuel pump should be fitted to all Murenas. 

[Jon Weywadt]

As every Murena owner knows, the original mirrors on the Murena are a problem, due to the difficulty in obtaining replacement gears at a reasonable cost.

I don't know where I read it, but someone suggested fixing the mirror with a set screw, rather than using the gears. So I drilled a 2,6 mm hole in the top of the gear housing where the mirrot pivots and cut a 3mm thread. With abench grinde I put a sharp point on a 3 mm screw and inserted in the hole.

Adjusting the mirror requires the help of someone outside the car, while you look at the mirror from your normal driving position. I did that with the help of my friend Jan, who tightened the screw while I sat in the car. The result is quite satisfactory and since I am the only one using the car I do not need to be able to adjust it. The adjustment that swings the mirror in/out needs to be working of course, but the up/down is what is fixed in place.

This juryrigging will be replaced once we make new gears, but in the meantime I can live with it.  

[Oskar]

dont forget the leaking fuelfilling cap. cant fill it over ½ without leaking badly 

[Lennart Sorth]

dont forget the leaking fuelfilling cap. cant fill it over ½ without leaking badly  

That's actually a very good point.  I have replaced the fuelcap twice to try to eliviate the leaking which has caused bad staining of my cars paint...

One thing is leaking while filling up, which while annoying, can be dealt with at the time, but a bit of enthusiastic driving often results in fuel all over my left rear wing :-(

I would love somebody to come up with a smart solution. I have thought of a elastic "stocking" that would allow for filling up, but would avoid spilling while turning enthusiasticly.

/Lennart

[davidewanprice]

I dont tend to put more than half in for this reason, when I first got my car I filled it up, it was a nice hot day and by the time I got home it was steadly pouring on to the street, i think I filled three pint glaases before it stopped.. I understand its partly an expansion thing but could it be to do with the pressure build too, Ive replaced the tubing for the overflow and if i'm not mistaken is there a filter that screws on to the pipping which goes from the filler neck to the tank, could it be that these arn't working on our cars and not allowing pressure to escape quick enough/at all? Just a thought..

[krede]

Ha ha.. I looked through the poll... and then my car service history.
Apart from the 1.6 stuff (mine is a 2.2),, and the cables for the heater etc, my car has, at some point suffered ALL! the fault mentioned above!!... and a good few more to boot.. including an engine bay fire, a cracked cylinder head and a worn out gearbox (the last one X2 I fear)

In the spirit of how this poll is intended I would emphasize the ones that would seriously make me reconsider buying a certain car :

1) Crash damage/dodgy body repair. (A smashed front wing is no problem at all, but I have yet to find anybody who can "straighten a Murena chassis)

2) A cracked cylinder head. (can be fixed, but new ones are expensive)

3) Rear suspension arms (Nahhh.. I'd buy one with rotten traling arms, as long as the price of the car was adjusted accordingly...but its one thing you HAVE! to check before you buy.)

The rest of the "common" faults are annoying, but fixable.


Ps: Before the car is taken into service Id assure myself that EVERY coolant pipe and hose is in top condition! If Loss of coolant occur , I refer you to point (2)

 

[macaroni]

dont forget the leaking fuelfilling cap. cant fill it over ½ without leaking badly  

I would love somebody to come up with a smart solution. I have thought of a elastic "stocking" that would allow for filling up, but would avoid spilling while turning enthusiasticly.

/Lennart

I too have this problem and I thought it was just me. Does anyone have any experience of the replacement fuel caps advertised on ebay?

Or is the problem not just cap related, as outlined below?

[krede]

I recall reading somewhere that  a fuel cap from a Citroen AX should fit the Murena... worth a try?

[Oskar]

can anyone try to fit a modern filter that creates vaccum in the tank via intakemanifold?
that should prevent it to some extend.

heat isolation?

smaller filler hose to the tank, atleast at the end.

or a plastic hat at the end that closes when preassure comes from underneath

[Titus]

As to replacement fuel caps on ebay... We need NON-VENTED ones. These part numbers end in 2 (with vented ones ending in 1). I bought mine some time ago from a seller called doctor car. This ebay link number may take you to the same cap although my original part ref has since changed, 390105733457.

It does not leak any fuel although I would be grateful for an explanation as to how it works. I can fill the tank to the brim (no leaks whilst driving) but on refueling when empty the filler cap is removed to hear a loud hiss of air intake, meaning that a vaccuum has occured in the tank. This is clearly normal as it does not effect the running of the engine. My question is... how does this vaccuum not prevent the carb being starved of fuel?

Thanks.

[Titus]

Writing things down sometimes makes things clearer. Of course, the vaccuum is pushing down on the remaining body of fuel and not sucking it as I had thought because of the air intake whilst removing the filler cap.

 

[Oetker]

Youré right Titus, non vented.
There was also a modification for spilling fuel when you top up the tank. and air is trapped in the top.
You need to put in a modification kit, but if you are handy you can think of something.
Loads of other car have them fitted.
Remeber it is a 2 way valve.
Only in german.

[suffolkpete]

Of course, the vaccuum is pushing down on the remaining body of fuel and not sucking it as I had thought because of the air intake whilst removing the filler cap.

No, you were right the first time Titus.  As the fuel is consumed, it should be replaced by air.  The intake of air you hear is an indication that this is not happening, and the vacuum created is trying to stop the fuel pump drawing fuel, although the pump is strong enough to overcome it.  My parts list shows a two-way valve in the filler neck near the top connected to a breather tube.  It sounds as if yours is blocked.