I last drove my white Renault 5 TL in May 2004. Since then it has been sitting in a lockup, gathering dust, and not moving an inch on four very flat tyres...

Fast forward to April 2007, when I found an insurance broker that would insure my Gordini Turbo and the TL for £250 - far better than the £400 or so I was used to paying for the Gordini Turbo alone. So, I thought - "why not get both on the road?". Good idea - let's do it!

Back in 1997, I fitted a weber dual choke carburettor and its associated manifold, etc. from a 1397cc Renault 5. It did seem to help with the acceleration potential of the car a little. However, I felt that overall it detracted from the car, introducing several flat spots into the rev range, and appearing to reduce, rather than increase, the top speed.

So I decided to return the car to its standard specification with the help of the manifold and carburettor from B246 NLM, which I had happened to purchase a year or so ago. Fitting the manifold and carburettor wasn't too tricky, but I did have to use the exhaust clamp from B246 NLM, as this was missing on the exhaust on my car.

I cut the exhaust on B246 NLM, spread open the clamp and then welded it shut again. You can see photos of this operation here: 

It was only the second welding job I've ever done (and I'm teaching myself). So don't be too critical of it! I just hope it will last the lifetime of the exhaust...

My wife refurbished a set of TX wheels for me (very kind of her - thank you). I got a brand new set of Pirelli P3000 (155/70R13) fitted.

After finishing putting the manifold and carb back together I turned the engine over without starting it, waited a bit then tried starting the engine. To my delight, it sprang in to life! This video here shows the first time the engine ran after 3 years: 

After that success, I tried driving the car round the local industrial estate. Didn't seem too bad, but was very slow, and reluctant to perform. The clutch was also  stuck, so I did the usual trick of starting the engine in gear with my foot on the clutch pedal.

I carefully drove the car home so I could finish it off there. I'd not gone more than a mile or so, before I could smell hot brakes. Oh dear... siezed caliper. When I arrived home, the front offside wheel (let alone the brake disc) was too hot to touch. A fun afternoon was spent dismantling the caliper, polishing away the small amounts of rust on the caliper body and piston, and reassembling, bleeding the brakes, etc. I also checked one of the rear brakes - upon removing the drum it seemed fine.

So, the car went for its MOT today - 22nd May. And passed! Without even an advisory. I was very pleased, to say the least. Looking forward to driving it at the Renault Owners' Club Run this weekend.

A common problem with Mk I Renault 5s as they get older is leaking or siezed brake limiting valves. They are specific to the Renault 5 and limit the pressure being sent to the rear brakes. As more weight is in the rear of the car, the valve is automatically adjusted (by suspension deflection acting on a rod) to allow more braking force to the rear brakes.

The valve on my Gordini Turbo appears to be leaking, so I posted a topic to the forum explaining my plight.

After further investigation, it's very diffiuclt to tell if the valve is actually leaking. I got my wife to stamp on the brakes while I watched for fluid and I couldn't see any. No drips, nothing...

I got a siezed valve from a scrap car and have managed to free it off, but don't know if it works or whether it leaks. Changing the valve is a fiddly and time-consuming job, so I'm going to wait and see whether my original valve really does leak...

Note: it's my belief that the valve fitted to the Gordni Turbo is different from that fitted to other models.

I've fixed the fuel starvation problem! Ssee earlier blog posts for details on the issue...

I removed the fuel pump, a

Facet Interupt Fuel Pump - Silver Top

and opened it up to have a look inside. I found it works by oscillating a hollow metal bar up and down in a tube. The bar has simple non-return valves on its ends. The hollow metal bar (piston) is a close fit in the tube. When I inspected the piston, I found it was quite scuffed. The inside surface of the tube was also quite scuffed. I reasoned the pump must be worn out. To prove my hypothesis, I fitted an old(er) pump I had - a Facet Solid State Fuel Pump - Fast Road

which I had fitted to the car initially, but had subsequently found it delivered insufficient fuel on when the turbo was at full chat. Incidentally, I remembered that it was "only just" insufficient, and was far better than what I am experiencing now.

So... refitting the "old" pump has transformed the car! It pulls properly in all gears, and the turbo continues to boost for as long as I dared in my short test-drive. I will need to fit the pump properly, or (probably) upgrade it to one which delivers a little more fuel.

You can see photos of the worn-out fuel pump if you select the thumbnail here:

Now, what I must also point out, is that I completely ignored the advice of the manufacturer of the fuel pump. They warn that the pump MUST be pre-filtered. I simply didn't bother fitting a pre-filter, and this must have caused the death of the pump. It probably sucked in some gritty debris from the fuel tank, which prematurely wore the inner bore and the piston... There's a lesson in there somewhere ;-)

To investigate the fuel starvation problem, I got under the car on Wednesday and checked the fuel pressure regulator. It looked ok - even when I took it apart. No blockages or anything else. I reassembled it and wound it all the way open. When I took the car out, it was just as bad as ever, if not worse. However, I'm even more certain than before that it's suffering from severe fuel starvation. The next step is to try replacing the fuel pump. I have an old pump that I know's not up to the job of properly running the car, but it would do as a temporary replacement test to see if the current pump is faulty.