TonyC Posted September 8, 2000 Share Posted September 8, 2000 I bought a 96Roadsport early this year it is fitted with the 1.4ss engine,I now want to upgrade the handling and performance. Any advice would be appreciated as would where to go to get the work done, I am in the Tunbridge Wells area. I use the car for the road for the road but would like to enter occasional track days. Thanks and Regards Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Seipel Posted September 8, 2000 Share Posted September 8, 2000 I've just sold my 150bhp 1400 engine but I could build another if you want to stay 1400. If you have a damp liner block then you can easily convert to 1600. Suspension - depends on the spec you already have. Worth knowing before you start thinking of changing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC Posted September 9, 2000 Author Share Posted September 9, 2000 Thanks Tim. good point re the suspension, I will get someone to check the spec and settings. Rgds Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrolhead Posted September 11, 2000 Share Posted September 11, 2000 I am thinking of buying a 7 and have the chance of a 1.4K spex car. I was interested to read about the 1.6 conversion. Is there any more info. How does the 1.4 K Series compare (perormance wise) to the XFlow? Any ideas, hints and advice would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted September 11, 2000 Share Posted September 11, 2000 I heard the rumour recently that almost all of the Caterham supplied 1.4 engines were the early wet linered (i.e. not convertable to 1.6/1.8) design. This is because Caterham cut a deal with Rover for a load of cheap engines that they didn't want any more. You can tell the wet linered from the damp linered by looking at the outside of the crankcase. The 'wet' have four external crossed webs on each section spanning a cylinder. i.e. look for something looking like XXXX. The 'damp' don't have the external webbing and are bulged slightly to allow for them to spin the larger throw crank from the 1.8 with larger big end journals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS CLARK Posted September 11, 2000 Share Posted September 11, 2000 I have a 1400 SS & in conversation with James Whiting asked if the 1600 conversion was easy. I'll cut out the expletives (only joking Ruth) but it is so different/difficult it's not really a goer.I think Jim now has less hair having pulled it out in large handfuls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most Caterham engines are the result of a bit o' wheeler dealering. The current 8V Vauxhall classic eng. is a foreign import (Australia). Why; 'cheap' joblot! The 1400 is a rev hungry engine if you want it to be or civilised if you feel that way in town. I still get 36 MPG whatever! Tims mods may be for you. Care to expand on these please Tim? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted September 12, 2000 Share Posted September 12, 2000 It's a pretty easy conversion if you get a secondhand 1600 from a breakers... Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted September 12, 2000 Share Posted September 12, 2000 James Whiting's recent experience was disastrous and symptomatic of doing a conversion for the first time. He started by dismantling a wet liner 1.4 only to discover that it was impossible to convert to 1.6. A 1.6 engine was sourced only it got dropped somewhere en route and when built up it snapped its crankshaft. I know all this because I was hearing all this in the pub from the owner, Mick Day, realising that I had a spare 1.6 crankshaft kicking around. It is now in the rebuilt engine. The last elements of disaster involved not realising that the wiring looms and flywheel tooth patterns were different. The coils also are different, preventing the engine from running above 2000rpm with the original coil (bizarre symptom). The engine is now running, but Southern Carburettors have lost all their good staff and the spotty yoofs who remain don't have a clue. In setting up the GEMS ECU they gave it such a lash up map that it was misfiring at high rpm (fuelling) and then tripping over air temperature mis-settings that had it cutting apparently in consequence of an intermittent fault. It is about 6 degrees shy of a sensible WOT high rpm advance of 30-32 degrees so it is not producing the power it should and it has never been near a proper rolling road set up. James Whiting has had his fingers burnt from all of this. It is not that the conversion is necessarily difficult, but you need to have your wits about you when doing it for the first time. If GEMS had supplied their software and leads as standard it might have allowed better auditing and de-bugging when the problems first appeared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted September 12, 2000 Share Posted September 12, 2000 Shouldn't be too hard to pick up a complete 1.6 engine with ECU & loom, that really should be a pretty easy swap and much more cost-effective than tuning a 1.4. I've had a 1.4KSS and a 1.6KSS and the real-world difference is way bigger than the on-paper figures suggest. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC Posted September 14, 2000 Author Share Posted September 14, 2000 As far as I can see the best route would be to upgrade to 1600, I will explore this and input the details as the project progresses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted September 15, 2000 Share Posted September 15, 2000 Or an 1800... Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC Posted September 15, 2000 Author Share Posted September 15, 2000 Re my original question on tuning the 1.4ss, the replies and the general discussion has been most useful, going to 1800 is appealing. I would not be able to do the work myself so who would be the best people for me to approach. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casbar Posted September 15, 2000 Share Posted September 15, 2000 Probably not James Whiting! Try http://www.raceline.co.uk/ for quotes etc, or maybe Roger king engines 01992 421111. Rgds, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted September 15, 2000 Share Posted September 15, 2000 James Whiting is good, but has had a bad experience which has probably put him off attempting another. Mick Day found out about a company who did an off the shelf 220bhp conversion (not PTP) for about £8k, IIRC. I'll ask. There is also Peter Coleman in Southeast London who is a K specialist according to Fast Arnie - 020 8652 1755. Edited by - Peter Carmichael on 15 Sep 2000 12:07:52 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bees Posted September 15, 2000 Share Posted September 15, 2000 I think that what Tony is looking for is someone to tranplant a standard 1.6 or 1.8K in place of his 1.4, in which case he wants to look for a Caterham specialist rather than an engine builder/tuner. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dartmoor7 Posted September 16, 2000 Share Posted September 16, 2000 cms239 wrote: How does the 1.4 K Series compare (perormance wise) to the XFlow? My 1.4 Supersport has no trouble keeping up with my friend's 1700 Supersprint. (But it doesn't make such good race-tyope engine sounds) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC Posted September 17, 2000 Author Share Posted September 17, 2000 What I had in mind was as suggested by Mike, fitting an 1800VVC as a straight swap?. Rgds Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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