1966 404 Coupé Injection Restoration

7 minute(s) of a 255 minute read

Nothing has happened since the summer began other than me getting some more parts for the brakes and a taper type ring compressor, which should arrive Wednesday.

The 10 mm UNF fittings I got from France had about 1/3 of the width of 45 degree taper on them compared to the originals. This meant that a test flare I made was mangled by the cylinder and the sealing would be crap. So.....I have resorted to re-using original fittings from 404s - plating them - because they're the only ones that I can say will work for sure. I have resisted cutting up the original brake lines because in the worst case scenario I could re-use them, knowing they seal well.

Coming soon: engine reassembly and brake line manufacturing phase 2.

Ring compressor arrived today.

9-19-2022

...and it turns out that the unions likely were the problem with my new brake lines.

The reason is that the Hydrovac 404s have short external brake lines connecting the two cylinders - these have bubble flares, which I dutifully made, but the fittings that I used the first time were the same over all lines, which in hindsight is not correct, because the bubble flares use about 1/3 the conical taper of the regular flares. So those lines would have been where the air was being sucked in.

My friend Tim Bowles in Victoria gave me a set of used fittings and this is when I finally clued into the problem. So I've removed and cleaned up 4 originals and will make sure to use them on the new lines I make up. Feeling optimistic about this now...

11-13-2022

Well, it took seven and a half weeks to get the shipment from Der Franzose/CiPeRe....

Comparing the new fittings with extended noses I got for the front brake crossover lines with the short ones on the first set I made:

Today I made up another set of the crossover lines with the new fittings. Note the bubble flares.

Then installed them...

I still will remake some other lines too as I damaged a lot of the fitting heads overtightening them with the incorrect metric tool back in 2019!

On a related note, a search on "Luce Targa Carello" gave me a hit for this on eBay in Italy:

It's a 404C license plate light, NOS, but was listed as being for a Fiat 238 van (which may well be). Anyway for 70 EUR plus 25 for postage to Canada, it's soon to be my spare. Sadly, the seller has no more. But the Fiat 238 tip could be useful.

11-16-2022

Ordered an oil pressure sending unit for the Jaeger sports instrument panel - should arrive soon. It's a Spanish-made FAE unit - the original Jaegers being nearly impossible to find. This period accessory instrument panel will go into the car after it's on the road again and functioning well.

The panel, as a refresher:

12-17-2022

Our long-time Peugeot friend Jim Schlick of Bloomington IL passed away earlier this year and his estate had an auction of some of his car parts, the first bit of which ended today. A fellow I know through Facebook bid for me on three lots, which resulted in winning bids. Nothing massive, but still interesting for me.

$20 for these SEV wiper blades for 404C and others, plus what looks like 405 wipers at the top:

$15 for these two 404C driving light trim rings:

$25 for 4 NOS 404C headlight rings:

I mainly bid on this stuff because I thought it might be tossed if no-one bid on it, but the low price is a bonus. Chad will bring the stuff with him to Seattle in June next year and we'll go down there to meet him, buy him dinner and collect it.

My 404C does not have the 1967-68 driving lights, so those will be for sale. I already have 4 NOS headlight rings so at least one of the two sets will be for sale.  And a lot of those wipers will be sought after in Europe. May make a buck or five.

Part two of the Jim Schlick auction will be happening sometime in the weeks or months to come, with the more collectible cars being for sale at the time: 404 Cabriolet, 404 Coupé Injection, 404 sedan, 404 wagon, 403 sedan, 204 Cabriolet, and much more. Curiously, the hard tops for the 204C and 404 Cabriolet were sold in the first auction, $50 each.

11-20-2022

Sunday I made up and installed the following brake lines with metric-nutted fittings (11 mm):

• firewall to front splitter
• front splitter to LF wheel
• front splitter to RF wheel
• rubber hose on torque tube to rear proportioning valve
• rear proportioning valve to LR wheel
• rear proportioning valve to RR wheel

The only metal line not remade now is the long one that goes from front to rear, and so it's the only one with 3/8" fitting nuts. Just for symmetry and to have a coherent set of nuts I think I will do it too. Then check tightness and attempt a bleed.

12-13-2022

The Carello 404 Coupé license plate light arrived today. Minty new. It cost me 95 Euros including postage to Canada from Italy. Actually the seller paid 26.90 EUR for the postage! There was something rattling around inside the package, which was inside the light - see the 3rd photo for details of what it was.