Citroen Specials Club - the club for all lightweight cyclecars

I've got a problem with my recently acquired Lomax 224. Theres no fuel getting to the carb. I've followed the pipe back from the carb along the chassis. It then disappears up to the top of the tank. I assume the sender is at the top of the tank. Now to get at it it looks like I need to remove the whole body
So my questions are:
1) How much work is involved in removing the body? what has tpo come out/off to gain access to the tank? I have no idea where the body fixings are as yet (I haven't looked yet!) and I assume its quite a bit of work.
2) As a 'botch it and see' measure I was thinking of blowing down the fuel pipe to the tank with an airline, it might free any blockage (in the short term) What is 'in-line' I'm assuming there is a filter at the tank end in the sender unit.

As I see it I've nothing to lose as the tank should probably come out and my plan is to run the car around next summer and next year take it off the road for a good rebuild.

I didn't build my 223, but know from Paul Narramores' build that once the body is fitted, access to his tank can only be gained by removing it! It's probably the same with most if not all Lomii.
I assume you've tested the fuel pump and that it's delivering?
I don't think there's a filter at the tank end as my car has a transparent, (so I can see the fuel in it) motorbike type inline filter immediately before the fuel pump.

1. Yes, access to the fuel tank requires the rear of the bodyshell to be lifted and raised up sufficiently to get to it. This will involve undoing all of the bodyshell-to-chassis retaining bolts.

2. As I foresaw this dilemma, I cut a square hatch in the rear floor with a hinged lid, immediately above the sender unit. I did this with the bodyshell OFF the chassis. As yours isn't, you are going to have some head scratching to do.

3. Yes, there is a small plastic filter at the bottom of the pick up pipe of the sender unit.

4. You might, just might, be able to see exactly where your sender unit is on top of the tank and taking measurements, and using something like a pad saw, saw a hatch into the floor but the sender unit, it's pipework and wiring will be just below the floor level and you run the risk of damaging them so I fear you will have to raise the bodyshell.

If you get someone to blow down the fuel line, listen at the fuel filler for sounds of bubbling.

The most likely scenario, is that the flexible bit of fuel pipe linking the sender unit to the main front->back fuel line has perished to the point that the pump is sucking in air, not fuel. If it's a bit of standard braided fuel pipe, then the 5% bio-ethanol if modern fuel will be the most likely culprit.

Rgrds
C

I thought it'd be body off
I'll double check everything else again before I start to strip her down.
Thanks for the input

Surely Paul could give some treasure map measurements from his hole-where to dig...
from front edge, centre line and how far each side...Better to have a larger trapdoor the better to get hand and finger access in there... If the tank is moulded black plastic...that will cut..if not careful...
Fit an extra earth wire whilst you are in there.

Power is knowledge! No David, I can't really give accurate dimensions as I replaced my standard tank with a stainless steel alternative one, 25% larger capacity, so the sender unit on mine may well not be in the same place as the standard set up. I will try to find a pic of mine which will narrow down the mystery.

As this is a 4 wheeler, it might well have an ordinary plastic tank which might remove from underneath....
between the wheels and chassis rails..

Paul can you not take some dims from your old tank, those can then be transposed

Alan

I still think the fail-safe method would be to raise the bodyshell sufficiently to determine exactly where the sender unit is on his tank as he may not have a Lomax tank. It would be a shame (but not the end of the World) to attempt to saw a hatch in the floor only to find it's 6" to one side. There's also very little clearance twixt rear floor and the top of the tank (and the electrics and fuel pipe). I suppose one method would be to use a tank cutter, say 2" diameter in the approximate place then peering through the hole, see where the sender unit is, before cutting the final trap door..