Big Gertie - can she ever be made more frisky?

[Gollom]

Big Gertie is in for her MOT so please think nice thoughts! To remind you she is a 1991 Talbot Talisman GL Autosleeper with a 2L diesel, no power steering and a manual greabox - but we love her to death. Whilst she is not listening wanted to maybe pick brains/experience. Shhhhhhhh

Anybody who has driven one will know they are a touch "industrial" to say the least and a journey of any distance is somewhat tiring (and it is far too heavy for Sue - at least that is what SHE says! ) Does anybody know of relatively inexpensive modifications/tricks that can be carried out (the mechanic I use is time served and very, very good) to make her just a little easier to drive?

OK, she is never going to be as relaxed to drive as my car (older 6 cylinder MB E class ) but I thought it was worth asking the question?

Ta muchly

 

[Rob and Val]

Hi. Hope all goes well with the MOT. Re power steering there is a company in Warwickshire that will fit PAS for £600 or sell you a DIY kit for £400. Link is here: -
http://www.talbot-express-power-steering-conversions.co.uk/

 

[Badknee]

Power steering and a turbo kit if she hasn't got one, that should make life easier for you.

 

[MattR]

Not sure how much difference it would make to your van but ours works better after using an injector cleaner and non-supermarket fuel. I've also put sound insulation around the engine bay and in the footwell so the noise is reduced.

 

[Gollom]

Hi. Hope all goes well with the MOT. Re power steering there is a company in Warwickshire that will fit PAS for £600 or sell you a DIY kit for £400. Link is here: -
Broken Link Removed

Hmmmmm - interesting. Will have to see if she needs any MOT work.

Power steering and a turbo kit if she hasn't got one, that should make life easier for you.

How difficult/expensive would a turbo kit be? Anybody had it done on this age of vehicle?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Gollom]

Not sure how much difference it would make to your van but ours works better after using an injector cleaner and non-supermarket fuel. I've also put sound insulation around the engine bay and in the footwell so the noise is reduced.

Will try the cleaner. I know (and understand) that quality of petrol can make a difference, but isn't diesel all pretty much the same?

 

[MattR]

There have been several discussions about it recently and while not everyone agrees, my experience is that we get a quieter ride and more uoomf with non-supermarket diesel. The fuel may come from the same refineries but it is, apparently, the additives that make the difference in performance and price. I heard of a haulage company that put half of their fleet on supermarket fuel and the other on Esso or BP (or similar) for half the year and the other half of the fleet on supermarket fuel. They swapped over after 6 months. Those on non-supermarket fuel a got better mpg, lower emissions and some other benefits. The more expensive fuel was outweighed by the benefits.

 

[Photo4x4]

Power steering and a turbo kit if she hasn't got one, that should make life easier for you.

I'm no expert but may it not be the case that fitting a turbo kit to an older engine would put a lot of extra strain on already aging parts?

I can't foresee any problems with the power steering lit though.

Keith Hart

 

[Badknee]

I'm no expert but may it not be the case that fitting a turbo kit to an older engine would put a lot of extra strain on already aging parts?

I can't foresee any problems with the power steering lit though.

Keith Hart

After market turbo kits can be fitted quite easily and your engine will be checked over first to make sure it's not on it's last legs so to speak. Most diesel turbos run at very low boost so don't put a massive strain on them.

As for fuel try the good stuff every third tank full, V power etc etc.

 

[joncris]

I understand the PS is an electric device and can be adjusted for sensitivity after fitting There's a firm in Bolton that supply either a full fitting service or DIY. Its important that they see your steering column so I suggest if you do contact them email a photo of the SC
http://www.talbot-express-power-steering-conversions.co.uk/
This lot appear to have converted quite a number of MH many of them being Talbots

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[SandT]

Fit a larger diameter steering wheel!
Check you are not running the tyre pressures low.
Injector cleaner and change of fuel filter.

Job done!

Terry

 

[joncris]

PS their tel. no. suggests they're near Birmingham

 

[Badknee]

PS their tel. no. suggests they're near Birmingham

Stratford on Avon.

 

[Peter A Forbes]

As a generalisation, most normally aspirated diesel engines will have a higher compression ratio than one that is turbocharged.

I have converted Scania truck engines from normally aspirated to turbo charged but there was a lot of work, pistons, camshaft, injection pump, turbo obviously and so on.

Just bolting a turbo onto an existing engine is fraught with possible problems, I'd be more inclined to find an existing PSA Group turbo engine that will fit in place of the existing one, and it would probably come with a power steering pump fitted as well.

The pre-common rail injection 2.2 was a pretty good lump.

Peter

 

[Gollom]

As a generalisation, most normally aspirated diesel engines will have a higher compression ratio than one that is turbocharged.

I have converted Scania truck engines from normally aspirated to turbo charged but there was a lot of work, pistons, camshaft, injection pump, turbo obviously and so on.

Just bolting a turbo onto an existing engine is fraught with possible problems, I'd be more inclined to find an existing PSA Group turbo engine that will fit in place of the existing one, and it would probably come with a power steering pump fitted as well.

The pre-common rail injection 2.2 was a pretty good lump.

Peter

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Gollom]

Thanks for this, but pretty much Chinese to me (I can cook and fix computers though!)
".....existing PSA Group turbo engine that will fit in place of the existing one"""""

Where do I get one plus how much to buy and then fit? (approx. of course) Reason I ask if it is a substantial sum I may as well swap Gertie?

 

[pappajohn]

Diesel additives......

Cetane number or CN is an inverse function of a fuel's ignition delay, and the time period between the start of injection and the first identifiable pressure increase during combustion of the fuel. In a particular diesel engine, higher cetane fuels will have shorter ignition delay periods than lower Cetane fuels.

In short, the higher the Cetane number the more easily the fuel will combust in a compression setting (such as a diesel engine). The characteristic diesel "knock" occurs when fuel that has been injected into the cylinder ignites after a delay causing a late shock wave. Minimizing this delay results in less unburned fuel in the cylinder and less intense knock. Therefore higher-cetane fuel usually causes an engine to run more smoothly and quietly. This does not necessarily translate into greater efficiency, although it may in certain engines.

 

[Peter A Forbes]

Thanks for this, but pretty much Chinese to me (I can cook and fix computers though!)
".....existing PSA Group turbo engine that will fit in place of the existing one"""""

Where do I get one plus how much to buy and then fit? (approx. of course) Reason I ask if it is a substantial sum I may as well swap Gertie?

OK, you need to get onto a Talbot Owners forum or Peugeot forum where someone has been there and done that.

A decent used lump and fittings should come under £500, plus you'll maybe need to match up exhaust etc., but worth looking at in my view.

Peter