MarchHare2008 Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Just dropped the k series into the metric chassis. With all the engine mounts loosely connected the bell housing is hard up against the passenger footwell. The offending part is the bit into which the starter motor fits. There is no way I can move the engine to create more clearance. I'm wondering whether I have a correct bell housing as the assembly instructions refer to a threaded bar being inserted into the bell housing in place of one of the starter motor mounting bolts. Mine was supplied with three bolts and no threaded bar. It makes me wonder whether Caterham should have modified the bell housing by grinding off a section in the vicinity of the passenger footwell. I really hope not as it would mean engine out again to replace the bell housing. Can any one shed any light on what sort of clearance I should expect between the bell housing and the passenger footwell and whether the bell housing should have been modified? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Faulds Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 There should be plenty of clearance there - is the engine sitting down fully? There isn't an alternative bellhousing, and no mods should be required to it. Have you got a photo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pikey Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Have you got the right engine mounts? Is the gearbox lined up perfectly with it's mount in the tunnel? I thinking the whole lot could be too far rearward. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Are the engine mounts handed - if so, are they on the right sides ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchHare2008 Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 Gear box bracket is properly centred so engine can't be moved back or forwards. Can't see how the engine brackets could be positioned anywhere other than how they are, Trying to work out how to post a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchHare2008 Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=432065032 Above should be a link to a couple of pictures. The bell housing is pressed up against the passenger footwell. All the engine brackets are connected and the exhaust is central in the hole in the side skin. I just can't see how I can adjust this to give more room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frying Pan Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Does look a little tight On the second photo, what is the tube through the engine mount for? Does whatever fits to / through it line up? Might give you a clue to whether the engine mounts are on the correct sides / the right way up. The mount looks like this one which is for the right hand side for a K-Series, but not sure if this is for the Arch or metric chassis. I'd call Caterham in the morning to double check. Good luck See some pictures of the build here. 15000 miles completed! Edited by - 7heavensoon on 23 Nov 2008 17:40:34 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 First photo - definitely not right !!! (even for an S3 ... not a fat-boy SV !!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchHare2008 Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 Put a few more pictures in there now (how do I do clicky, still need to cut and paste link at the moment?). The two front mountings are in OK, the gearbox mounting is almost in but needs the engine to be pushed slightly left and back, which is clearly imposible with the bell housing up against the footwell. I thought maybe if the engine drops a bit at the front (i.e. if the engine rubbers were not as thick) it might work but Caterham only seem to sell one type of mounting rubber. That just leaves the bell housing and the footwell as possible culprits. The brackets seem to be the right ones from the pictures on the Caterham on-line store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchHare2008 Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 Pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickrick Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 here Well done! Must type quicker. Edited by - Mickrick on 23 Nov 2008 18:45:23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchHare2008 Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 On-line store LHS bracket Could this be the cause? Picture above is the bracket sold on the web on line store as the Rover LH engine bracket. It looks fairly straight and the bolt tube is at close to 90 degrees to the bracket. Compare that to the picture of my bracket (last photo in the link above) which is sharply angled down from the engine and with the mounting bolt at a different angle to the bracket. This would lift the engine and push the bell housing up into the footwell. Trouble is dropping the left hand side of the engine would clear the footwell but looks like it would put the exhaust manifold in the wrong position to exit through the hole in the bodywork.... Edited by - MarchHare on 23 Nov 2008 19:01:41 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 ☹️This does look strage, I don't remember having any problem on the one I helped to build - sorry I can't help, sounds like a call to CC 😔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gridgway Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 ISn't the mounting bracket you have in the picture on the rhs of the engine actually the lhs bracket? Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 There is a different RHS bracket available that drops the engine slightly (to provide clearence betwen the VVC style plenum and bonnet) but I doubt it would make enough difference to sort this. Could be worth seeking out some of the 2007 Caterham Acadamy drivers or build websites as they had the K series in a metric chassis. Please support Roger in his Indian Ocean rowing race! 4350 miles in about 100 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchHare2008 Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 I'm pretty confident the RHS bracket is OK, it has that funny tube through the middle of it, no idea why but it's quite distintive. I have posted a question on the motorsport forum as well but no response as yet. I'll try to speak to caterham tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frying Pan Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 Any luck? -----See some pictures of the build here. 15000 miles completed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchHare2008 Posted November 25, 2008 Author Share Posted November 25, 2008 It seems that some technical gremlins are currently preventing Caterham viewing the pictures which I have posted on here. I have resent as jpeg attachments and await their pronouncement. Something tells me it will be along the lines of "well, finish the rest of it and we'll sort it out on the post build check". Trouble is I have had another long look at it tonight, loosening things off, wiggling things around but I just cannot see how it can be resolved. It really looks like it can only line up properly if I take about 20 mm off the passenger footwell. Still, I'm sure Caterham will come to the rescue....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myothercarsa2cv Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 Sounds like you have an SV footwell in an S3 chassis to me... 😬 Joking aside, I've got the same combo, and there isn't much clearance, but it's more than your nothing! How would I get mine to Hemel Hempstead for you to have a look? Maybe I could pop over for a shufti. Edited to say, just looked at a map, and it's not so far after all. If the weather's good, I'll bring it round one weekend if you want. John _________________________ Bugsy: '82 2cv6 (Hitting it fixed it ) Talloulah: '08 1.6K Classic (Tarnishing nicely ☹️) Edited by - myothercarsa2cv on 26 Nov 2008 12:34:16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchHare2008 Posted November 27, 2008 Author Share Posted November 27, 2008 John, that's very kind of you. It would probably be the logical thing to do to sit it next to an identical car and see whether any of the important bits look to be different. I can't really tell whether I have a rogue engine mounting bracket or a dodgy chassis dimension just by looking at mine in isolation. I'm thinking I might stick the rear suspension on so I have a rolling chassis then trailer it down to Dartford for the factory to sort it out before I go any further with the engine install. Not much point me going through all the electrics/cooling/apollo stuff if they are going to pull the engine out again and as I've got a trailer it would seem the easiest thing. (or it would be if some chav scum hadn't nicked my tow car on Friday night and totalled it on a roundabout by the M25. It appears that there is a regular game played of seeing how fast you can drive a stolen car into this particular 18 inch high brick construction. Presumably they video it on their stolen Nokias. If anyone sees a dark green BMW 330D driven by a Burberry capped 10 year old performing aerobatics on youtube do please let me know!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Pearce Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 The problem with putting in the rear suspension is going to be the propshaft. This needs to be slipped into the tunnel before the diff is mounted and it looks like you might have trouble slipping it over the g/box output shaft at that angle. You could try putting the shaft in and leaving it disconnected at both ends. It might be OK as long as you are careful when moving the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myothercarsa2cv Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 Well if the weather's good on Sunday, I'll bring it over if you want. In fact, as long as it's not awful I don't really mind. If as you say the gearbox is in the right position on the mount, just slide the prop in and just attach it to the diff with a couple of bolts, should line up just fine, give or take half an inch! John _________________________ Bugsy: '82 2cv6 (Hitting it fixed it ) Talloulah: '08 1.6K Classic (Tarnishing nicely ☹️) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchHare2008 Posted November 27, 2008 Author Share Posted November 27, 2008 John, Cheers.... YHM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myothercarsa2cv Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 YHM back! Gotta love BC as a sort of message alert function... 😬 John _________________________ Bugsy: '82 2cv6 (Hitting it fixed it ) Talloulah: '08 1.6K Classic (Tarnishing nicely ☹️) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gridgway Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 what, you mean the way BC emails you to alert you to the fact you have a post saying you er previously had an email? Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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