Suzuki Engine in
We lowered the engine in today.
See a short time lapse film here
I was a bit concerned that the gearbox made contact with the heat proof insulation on the driver's footwell, and it doesn't seem straight as it goes into the transmission tunnel. However, the bolts for the engine mounts slot in (after a bit of leverage) and an email from Caterham confirmed that this is correct.
We had a good engine hoist - it made it fairly straightforward. I hung it using two climbing slings; one from the engine lifting ring and another with a 'larks foot' around the opposite engine mount bracket and then carefully threaded through the engine to avoid damage.
The 160 instructions specify one long and one stubby bolt for the LH and RH engine mounts. I think that this must be for older models - both brackets need 2.5 inch bolts.
After getting the engine in, I made more progress front suspension and got the uprights in (my missing bolts came in the post this morning). I used a trolley jack to compress the suspension and slot the top wishbone bolts in (with the engine acting as a counterweight)
One problem I had today is dealing with fiddly bolts on the gearbox mount. I'm having trouble getting spanner to hold the top nut as I torque it from below. I'll try again tomorrow. I'll also finish the front suspension and start doing the engine connections.
(edit 22/12/2014. NB I think that the August 2014 instructions for the gearbox mount bolts maybe wrong. It might be better to use the 20mm bolts rather than the 25mm M8 bolts. The longer bolts look as if they protrude too much and they are also required for the handbrake assembly. I also found that an M8 washer under the bolt head helped a great deal, it elevated the bolt head so that I could hold it with a spanner while using the torque wrench underneath.)
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