ChrisC

Thanks guys, will leave prop shaft connected to the diff and in place. I have an Assembly Guide.

Hi All I am trying to fix an oil leak from the gearbox / bellhousing so I am in the process of removing me Sigma engine. All is disconnected, but the engine mounts and prop are left. I have drained (sucked out) the gearbox oil. I have purchased an engine leveler to aid the removeal So my questions? Do I remove the prop first, or do I pull the prop out as I lift the engine/gearbox? Hope someone can help

Not sure I would be impressed with a car that has missed that on ite service schedule (or recipes from service work), if I was looking to buy second hand. do you do many track days with you car? is there any history of belt problems with the sigma engine?

Yep the standard ford cam locking tool wont work with the 150 / 125 or 140 Caterham Sigma. You need to get the cam timing spot on or you will lose power, and the actual setting seem a closely guarded secret.

I was told if you know what your doing budget 4 hours out and 4 hours back in. I will be taking my time so expect that to be a lot longer, but it's on my winter list to rectify a little gearbox leak. The build manual shows the engine and gearbox was fitted in one piece, so I assume it's removed the same way.

I would say you have the wrong bulb if you have to modify the wiring to take it fit. The easy answer would be to get the right led bulb withe the correct fitting for the SVC harness. or am I missing the point?

Mine is an ex academy car, without a heater, so the catch tank is on the bulkhead. The supersports have it fitted in the nose cone area as described. I can't see why you would want anything more complicated than the Caterham solution, it's very light :-)

Would be good to know if its got a catch tank fitted, or is the crank case vent / breather being fed back into the engine? Do you know? If not can you trace the hose that comes off the middle of the cam cover (inlet side), where does it go? Into what looks like a very dirty washer bottle?

Get the seal from the local ford dealer, you will save on postage.

Local ford dealer would be able to supply. Caterham link for the gasket http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=4259 The top breather is on the pipe on the cam cover, so this is nice and simple to take off and make sure its not blocked. The breather on the side of the block is under the inlet manifold. If your sigma is a 150, it can be seen removed and cleaned or replaced, but with a 125 / 140 I suspect you will need to remove the inlet. A quick google search of zetec se breather will show you images of the plastic breather on the side of the block, on this page http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?t=145051&page=4 Your breather might have been routed to a catch tank, if it is have you emplied it recently? I replaced my 2011 block breather at the begining of the year, it has been modified by ford, but for what reason I dont know. I know my sigma likes to breath, a lot, when its being pushed, and I have read on here sigma supersports can blow thier dip sticks out, which means there must be a bit of pressure there.

Also looking a the photo, the bolt holding the cam cover seems to have a lot of oil on it. Is it possible you have a problem with the breathing? There is a breather on the cam cover and one on the side of the block below the intake, are these blocked in any way? I would be changing the cam cover gasket anyway, but got to be worth a check. Chris.

My second hand sigma had lots of poor quality joints where previous owners had cut the wires to same time during repairs. I ended up replacing the headlight looms (£5 each). If your not the first owner I would not be suprised if you have the same problem.

My 2011 has a ODBC port, but it doesn't talk to standard code readers. CAN Bus, would suggest CAN based electrics, and my 2011 car has conventional wiring.

Hi Julian i 100% agree with Tom's comments about low speed corner exit speed, my non LSD, 8" wheeled car could not match his LSD, 6" exit grip. The other comments I am not so sure of, but thanks Tom the check is in the post ;-) My car has a rear arb, and it's one of the areas I have been playing with. I have found if I increase the stiffness, by moving the connections closer to the bar, I get better slow speed corner exit traction, but at a cost, and that's high speed corner understeer. So I soften it, which reduces the understeer but looses exit grip. No sure what is faster, cos it's only on track days. Chris

Maybe I am a bit late to this thread, but surley the most important part of a fuel gauge to calibrate is the empty point, to do this just drive carry a 5lt backup can of fuel, and drive until its empty, and where ever the fuel gauge is, thats where is will be when the tank is empty. Way cheaper than breaking the fuel pump / sender monster in the tank have you seen it price?

To get the full story you are going to have to speak to the horses mouth "The two Steves or Road and Race" they did the maps and know that ECU inside out. My understanding is When you connect ECU to the laptop you will see the the TPS voltage has a direct impact on the mapping position being used. When the voltage is on or under 1.04 its position 0 and 1.05 see position 1. When the engine is at position 1 the engine wants to rev, and on position 0 it doesn't. The point to setting 1.04 is so as soon the pedel is touched the engine wants to pick up which helps with low speed pickup. Without it trailing throttle become tricky. I think the automatic adjustment is the ECU working out where its at idle. The automatic idle doen't seem to effect the point where the map position changes.

I have the hard copy, send me your email address and I can scan it for you.

The SBD Part number I have is MBE-MAP-KIT-3-CAN Its USB, and you can download the EasyMap software from the SBD website. You won't be able to map using this software because Caterham has locked the ECU, but you will be able to see all the live data, and get settings while the engine is running, including when the fault occurs providing you have a friend with a laptop

Sounds like map H me. The end connected to the TBs should be capped off, worth checking. The end connected to the MAP sensor should be open to the air. A small bit of vacuum hose on the MAP sensor is a good idea to prevent water entering the sensor.

One thing you can check. Early 150s had a lots of mapping problems, this was generally sorted with the release of the "H" map. The question is has your car slipped through the net, and not had the "H" map applied? The way to tell is the MAP sensor, which is the small black sensor next to the ECU with a vacuum hose (or nipple for a vacuum hose). If its connected via a vacuum hose to the TBs, then you have a earlier map than "H". If you have no vacuum hose, or its open to the air them you have a later map (most probably "H")

Blatchat and lots and lots or research before I converted my car last year to 150 spec (not 140 spec). I keep posting the values, but I got them from here but not from an obvious thread, which is why I keep reposting them so all 150 owners can benefit.

The TPS is a manual adjustment, but its reference is taken when the ignition is switched on. The reason it's set at 1.04v, is at 1.05v the next mapping point is reached. Therfore any throttle pedal applied, however lightly, pushes the ECU into the next mapping point. Without that exact setting the 150 tends to be very quirky on light trottle cruising.

Have you got the wiring diagram for a Sigma?

PS The settings are (engine warm) You need to set the idle rpm to 950 + or - 50 the TB's should be pulling between 4-5Kg/hr each of air (all balanced of course) and the TPS should be 1.04v. Its a bit of a balancing act, and each change effects the others, but with patience you will get it.

Hi Martyn You could purchase a MBE lead that will tell you whats going on when the problem occurs. It will tell you if anything in "out of range", or disconnected. Its also the lead I use to set the TPS, because the ECU tells me the voltage its seeing from the TPS. You can purchase the lead from SBD Motorsport, for about £100. I am sure you will be able to sell it on here once you have no need for it later.