Julian H Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I'm not sure what alternator I have at present and I can't check right now because I am not at home. I had it replaced in a hurry earlier in the year by Redline because my old one had failed and i didnt want to miss the F&C run. Ill check when I get back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted October 20, 2015 Member Share Posted October 20, 2015 What's the lightest jack and handle, or other way of lifting a 7? (Excluding the 'phone and credit card approach, or the magic can.)Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I dunno JK, what is the lightest jack and handle, or other way of lifting a Seven? Maybe some fellow Seven drivers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted October 21, 2015 Member Share Posted October 21, 2015 Do you have to unload the wheel to use the magic can?I thought about using humans to lift and then something light to prop... but a lightweight jack might not be much heavier. Than the prop.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I have a can of Holts Tyreweld (very kindly given to me by Steve Mell when he sold his Seven) which seals and inflates insitu and under load according to the blurb. In theory, if it works on (even the smallest) a car, it should work very well on my 125kg corner and 18psi Seven tyre. Reputedly the tyre is repairable afterwards too. Of course, i hope never to have to test the above but it does offer peace of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Or use Puncture Safe in each corner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Hi MankeeI have just got home and looked at my alternator. It is a QX Vectron QA2720. No idea how heavy it is but I'd like something lighter if possible. It appears to be rated at 85amps, what do I need for my Seven. BTW, I use a LiPo battery. My mate [with an Elise K series] has just got a new alternator from Elise-Shop. Model no LWKRAC which weighs 3.1kg. It is a WOSP LMA226. Is that any good or can I do better than that Finally, is there anyone out there dowing intelligent alternators that reduce the load when battery is charged or is that getting all a bit esoteric and pricey?Oh, so many questions..., sorry.Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted October 25, 2015 Member Share Posted October 25, 2015 Finally, is there anyone out there dowing intelligent alternators that reduce the load when battery is charged or is that getting all a bit esoteric and pricey?I've always assumed that typical alternators do that. And that the power required to generate lots of charging current is much bigger than the mechanical loss. That' s not to say that the mechanical losses don't differ across alternators, bearings, belts etc,Anyone got figures for power requirements for our sorts of alternators and how they depend on speed and electrical output? Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankee Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 The QA2720 part number looks like a "normal" K-series EU3 alternator, if someone could confirm. I'm a big fan of Richard Wos and his WOSP products. Really friendly guy and extremely happy with my WOSP starter motor supplied by AES (http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/). Your mate's LMA226 should be a straight fit on your engine. You should rob it to try one day!There's not a great deal of difference between the Denso-based straight replacements from Brise/WOSP/Powerlite/etc. They'll all be circa. 3kgs but don't forget to add the pulley on. You might want consider a bigger (but marginally heavier) alternator pulley to slow it down if you are revving into the clouds quite regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 HiI do "rev to the clouds" occasionally and bouce off the rev limiter on straights on a trackday, but gnerally, no. I'll investigate if needs be in the future. My mates WOSP has a different connection to mine. My plug has BMW [ ] on it and the WOSP socket looks very different.. I was hoping these would be plug and play. Also, one of my primaries goes very close to the standard alternator. Hopefully the new, smaller item will be a little better in that respect.My "BMW" plugMy mates WOSP's socketSo it looks like Ill be doing a little bit of re-wiring..J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 A little something about my battery upgradeSome members may recall I swapped my battery with a LiPo unit back in July but was a little coy with the details. I have now run it successfully since and am delighted with the result.My Banner [530 034, 300A] is off to its new home tonight so, before it goes I thought I had better weigh it. It is 7.15kg, the Lipo is 1.49kg, a weight saving of 5.66kg for the paltry sum of £180. I call that a bargain. There will be a further small gain when, over the winter, I tidy up the installation by laying the battery flat, shortening the restraining straps and cables so there is no excess.This is what it looks like for now ...and this is the item I got, it seems to have gone up a little since I bought it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Reeves Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 JulianYou will soon be telling us you are going Commando to save that little bit more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 How do you know if I don't already eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Reeves Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 I knew I should have zipped my lip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonyH Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Just hope he's also zipped his fly...A while back you were talking about the rear lights and the big heavy horrible rubber blocks; I didn't see whether you'd found any CF replacements yet (?) - if not, I cut about 0.38kg off our car by replacing the factory lights with something rather brighter: http://www.lotus7.club/blogs/better-rear-lights-projectNot everyone will prefer them to the original caravan lights, obviously.NB. The goal was to get visible rear lights; the weight saving was a happy coincidence. Just as well, being as it cost about £1 per gram... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 delete please, duplicate post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Hi AntonyYour lights look great but for me, the original look is preferable. I never managed to get a set of CF light blocks unfortunately. You have given me an idea though. Watch this space Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_ASH Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 As quite a few Wipac lighting items (indicators & num plate lights) now have genuine (lighter than incandescent) LED replacements available (presumably driven by the fact that they are fitted to Land Rovers) I don't understand why the oem tail light cluster hasn't been replicated in a LED form but then I guess it's because they aren't Wipac and aren't fitted to a Defender :-(A little project for Caterham to source perhaps ? LED bulbs are a bit yesterday when you can go LED with a complete unit reducing power consumption and weight at the same time, imagine how many you'd sell to existing owners too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonyH Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Yes, it really, really, ought to be time for Caterham to spec a decent replacement that people behind you can actually see.Since I did mine there are, I'm sure, a few more rectangular LED units available which may be closer to the current stock units. Julian, do have a good trawl around... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 I ordered a WOSP lightweight alternator today. Luke was supremely helpful and is including an extra wire for my EU3 requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Not sure who suggested it but I have just removed the second nut and bolt from each headlight mount. 35g saving. Open to more ridicule... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian B Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 That might counter the weight of the "extra wire for my EU3 requirements" Have you thought about replacing the starter motor with one of these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian H Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 The steering rack and radiator are in the way Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonyH Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 That's easy then, the steering rack and radiator must be at least 5kg. More when you add coolant to the rad. Whip them out and feel the improved acceleration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceR Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Can I get that cranking handle in carbon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now