Myles Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 Good question. As I understand it with a plenum, one of the two 'vent'-hoses breathes into the plenum-chamber, and the other is routed to the single throttle-body in front of the butterfly - this should create low-pressure in the camcover (venturi-effect?). If you re-route the breather and leave the hose that goes to the tb, you'll still get the pressure-reduction (FWIW). If you move to a dth throttle-body setup (as I have), the breather hose remains (mine vents into the airbox), but you lose the 'venturi hose' - so I can't see that just taking either (or both) breathers into a bottle (and blocking the plenum holes) is going to cause you any problems. Project Scope-Creep is underway... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy oliver Posted April 10, 2005 Share Posted April 10, 2005 If the baffle just sits in the sump what stops it rattling around ?. (apologies if dumb question, I haven't had my sump off yet) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knowley Posted April 10, 2005 Share Posted April 10, 2005 Its shaped to fit in the sump, and once the sump is bolted in place it can't move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbutnotslow Posted April 10, 2005 Share Posted April 10, 2005 I fitted mine when I was with Dave Andrews and to get the right fit it needed fettling a little with a Dremelly thing. Its quite a tight fit with little chance of movement. My seaweed looked in good condition but I still found lumps of it in the oil pickup strainer. Oily modified the pickup with a Birmingham screwdriver as mine sat sufficiently proud for it to have marked the sump inside. As Oily said it was a wonder that there was any room for the oil to get into the pickup at all! Grant Black and stone chip and currently not going ☹️ Engine rebuilt (thanks oily!) and on the countdown to running again here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted April 10, 2005 Leadership Team Share Posted April 10, 2005 My pick-up also presses against the sump - there's 3 small raised "knobles" on the pick-up to leave a clearance gap - it makes you realise that to draw air you're down to less than a couple of mm of oil *eek* Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englishmaninwales Posted April 10, 2005 Share Posted April 10, 2005 Stu Get back to your painting - too many tea breaks looking at Blatchat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted April 10, 2005 Leadership Team Share Posted April 10, 2005 Damn, spotted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apothecary Posted April 11, 2005 Share Posted April 11, 2005 Ok, so I have read this thread from top to bottom and appreciate that there are differing views. So at the risk of starting an argument, what would you do in my situation..... 🤔 I have never taken my car on track but intend to do a few track days this year so my SL is scheduled for a full service by James Whiting in the next week or so to check its fit for purpose. I intended having the foam baffle replaced (as suggested in the service schedule) so the sump will be off. However, should I get the Hellier system and have it installed at that time (putting the potential cost of the foam baffle & labour (c£50)towards the Hellier) .. or... given that I will only do at most four trackdays a year (and I'm a novice 😳) stick with the foam baffle as I am unlikely to put enough strain on the engine to merrit the Hellier? Oh, I already have an apollo system and oil pressure warning light fitted. I would appreciate peoples views on whats best Paul SL No.174 Member No.109xx Pictures here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caterhamnut Posted April 11, 2005 Share Posted April 11, 2005 We have run for at least 2 years with an apollo and done numerous track days, handling days and many miles - there is no real reason why you won't be absolutely fine without the baffle. It is an addition we have fitted 'just in case' - your 'new' foam will last for while, so if you want to keep that in, then don't stress too much about it. Some of us have had bad experiences with the foam, as you will have read, but it is up to you. There are, after all, many hundreds of k-series caterhams running with the foam in. You have to read this thread (as you have done) and decide what is best for you, but teh baffle system is by no means an essential item of kit. Don't feel too worried about saving it for another time. If you do fit the baffle with James at the same time as doing everything else, you will save on the cost of an oil change though. Big update! here 80,000miles in 3 years plus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted April 11, 2005 Share Posted April 11, 2005 If anyone is trying to phone Jason at Hellier , he is currently working in Greece on some Super 1600 rally cars . He will be back Monday 18th . leave a message or email and he will reply C7 TOP Powered by Hellier Performance 😬 South Wales AO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WILL FLY Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Bummer 🙆🏻 Just when I needed a baffle to fit before the end of the month, is there anyone else at Hellier that knows anything about this. Nobody seems to answer the phone, is Hellier a one man band or are they just customer-shy Does the club get any discount on the baffls, since we're their main customers for this product it wouldn't hurt them to give us 10 or 15% Roy. See willfly.net for more info. If you don't spin you ain't trying Happiness is knowing you have just a tad too much power Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 I asked about a discount when I got mine a few weeks back - Jason said that as he'd promised an exclusive discount to the first 10 sold through the club, he couldn't offer a discount to anyone else. In a way, it's nice to see someone stick by their word - but some kind of discount would have been nice. Project Scope-Creep is underway... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanB Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 Will, YHM. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmalcol1 Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 *confused*Anyone know the cost of the baffle including delivery & VAT? John M GK03 EGX SV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanB Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 £148 plus £7 P&P plus VAT = £182 and a bit. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmalcol1 Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 AlanB Many thanks John M GK03 EGX SV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Day Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Fitted my baffle the other day & was quite surprised to find the foam sandwiched between the sump & the windage plate with a nice cut-out made so the oil pick-up could fit in. The foam in this position would certainly retain oil around the pick-up. The pick-up was perfectly clean. I've always thought that fitting the foam above the plate was a bit odd. Gary May serviced the car last as he had to replace the plate as it had fractured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wild bill Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Numpty question but i'm thinking of buying one of these but with the one way flaps what happens in a straight line as the oil presumably can't get access to the pick up so what happens when the pick up has used all the available oil or am i missing some basic concept here? Also can't get hold of hellier and have emailed and called any advice Edited by - wild bill on 18 Apr 2005 12:21:04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 In a straight line, there aren't any cornering g's - so the flaps are not *forced* shut on either side - so oil can flow through both sides fairly easily. ISTR DJ posting that Jason is out of the country supporting a Greek rally at the mo. - have patience. Project Scope-Creep is underway... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 As per my previous post , Jason is in Greece working on some tatsy rally cars . He will be back on the 18th April . Leave a message or mail and he will reply on his return Will , I arranged a discount for the first customers who were club members , you should have ordered then . No further discounts have been agreed, you are better off asking Jason directly on the telephone yourself rather than asking on here Edited by - Dave J on 13 Apr 2005 13:18:11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caterhamnut Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 An interesting point Mick - have we all had the foam in the wrong place all these years?? I was thinking recently what the foam did squashed between the bottom of the engine and the windage plate, and all I could think of was that is was preventing 'splashing' as oil is flung around by the crank? Certainly not doing anything to prevent surge I woudl have thought? Big update! here 80,000miles in 3 years plus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Day Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 I had a long chat with Gary as I was very tempted to remove the foam altogether. He said it was definitely to reduce the effects of surge so new foam was fitted along with a replacement plate. If you think about it squashing the foam between the plate & bottom of the engine will encourage it to break-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grim Reaper Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 When I was putting my engine together I also put the foam into the sump pan and cut a hole for the pick up pipe to sit in,not knowing any different and faced with a sump sized bit of foam I figured that was the logical place for it to go, the foam helps the oil to stop sloshing around the sump. I was very suprised (and a little concerned that I had mine in the wrong place) when I read that 'everyone else' had their foam sandwiched up out of the sump in the crankcase.It can't help that it's exposed to hot air up there, maybe this is why so many appear to be breaking up? I've had no problems with oil pressure in 2 years (famous last words), oil is changed regularly and no signs of any bits in the drained stuff. I would think the foam in the sump pan would also help to rid it of air bubbles as the oil makes its way through the mesh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 If you think about it squashing the foam between the plate & bottom of the engine will encourage it to break-up. I've thought about it and can't see your point. Anyway, back to my observations... I took the car up Fish Hill at Broadway a number of times today - taking no prisoners as usual. I only looked at the OP on the SPA gauge on the last couple of runs - both times on the uphill lefthanders (at the bottom and right at the top). The bottom corner is faster and longer but not as tight. I spotted the OP drop to 30psi on a number of occassions and 25psi once (at the bottom). The more worrying drop was to 30psi in the top corner as it happened so quickly. I know I was going up a steep hill (doesn't help with a front-biased pickup) and I know I kept around 2 bar/30psi - I'm just not sure if these figures are good or not as I've never taken the time out from two rather committed corners to look at the gauges before. For reference, the bottom corner is notorious for creating enough fuel-surge in the tank to p*ss it out (and I mean torrents, not dribbles) through the breather if you've not fitted a rollover/one-way valve modification - so we are talking a decent chunk of g... Project Scope-Creep is live... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Locust Posted April 16, 2005 Share Posted April 16, 2005 I've thought about it and can't see your point. Anyway, back to my observations... Prepared to listen to the considered opinions of all in the interests of reasoned debate eh Myles? Ian Green and Silver Roadsport 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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