Garth

I obviously need to loose weight as I managed to break my seat whilst drifting giving joy rides at The Supercar event last week. Have spoken to Oxted - they say they can try and repair it but given the way they are constructed it is tricky and I will most likely end up needing a new seat! Does anyone have one they would like to sell? Garth

Final update - engine in again with correct position of slave in relation to pressure plate springs - new slave and master and it all works! Still getting used to the new clutch action - uprated pressure plate - feels more like an on/off switch so a bit easier to stall pulling off! Thanks for all the advice and also again to Alan and Graeme who helped me take the engine in and out twice! Garth

Hi James - is your setup all standard? Type 9 or Mazda box (not sure when the Mazda was introduced)? The advice I got from BGH recently (for my type 9 - but imagine it is the same for others) about whether or not the clutch was disengaging correctly was to depress the clutch fully at idle - wait a couple of seconds and then engage reverse - if there was any grating then the clutch was not fully disengaged! I also heard for someone that it is possible to over depress a hydraulic clutch (ie push the pressure plate too far so the clutch will disengage but then re-engage a little at full pedal travel!?) - so it is important to make sure the clutch stop is adjusted correctly. Did not have to explore this further on my rebuild as clutch was disengaging fully. Was the slave cylinder replaced when the box went back in? Everyone I have spoken to recommends putting a new one in? If your setup is not standard then there are other things you may need to consider regarding the set up of the slave cylinder in relation to the pressure plate which I found out the hard way! Good luck Garth

Presume it is a water sensor. On my Sigma the sensor is on the water rail so it would not matter if the sensor was a bit longer (would just protrude into the pipe a bit more!) as long as it was compatible with everything else? Will yours fit without fouling anything? From the photo it looks as though the thread on the new sensor is different to the old? Good luck Garth

Thanks Stu Looking forward to receiving my bits - will let you know how I get on - need to work out how to drain the tank etc to! Cheers Garth

​Ordered a replacement Racetech gauge and a Spyida gauge wizard. Got hold of the wiring diagram courtesy of JK but it does not show which wires do what! Does anyone out there know before I have to start fiddling with the multimeter and guessing? Thanks Garth Caterham Fuel gauge wiring?.pdf

Do let me know how you get on Stu

Hi John Just read that thread - I like the bit... "Please note that we supply fuel gauges to Caterham who are an OE manufacturer and have no issue with accuracy of the gauge / sender combination." I do not know a single person who has an accurate fuel gauge in a standard Caterham! (Perhaps some will come out of the woodwork now!) So perhaps Caterham do not report back to Caerbont or are we not telling Caterham? Need to go nd do some work now! - but am going to investigate the 'Spiyda Gauge wizard' Garth

Thanks for this Stu - it is not too dissimilar to the range the Racetech gauge works to - it goes from 10 ohms when empty to 180 when full. This is the reverse of the R400 sender above - so I think the Spiyda gadget may work as it says it can reverse the signal! Am going to investigate a little more. Spiyda say they are working on the Stack gauge. Thanks for the confirmation Simon

Just searched for the Caterham Sigma fuel sender - looks like it is integral to the fuel pump. Can anyone confirm this? If so it looks like the 'little box of tricks' above is the only solution for the Racetech gauge - will probably cost about the same as a new Caterham gauge (apart from the fitting costs!)

Looks interesting - think the Catrham sender is reversed compared to the Racetech version. Racetech's sender is not very expensive either so will check it it will fit the tank? Thanks Garth

May come back to you about that BigCol.....!

Thanks - car down with PGM for spanner check and MOT - will look at it when it is back.

Have read through the threads thanks Jonathan - also had a response from Racetec. They have two different senders but their resistance values are similar (difference between the two is in the flanges which I presume is the bit that bolts to the top of the tank?) They quote a resistance of 10 ohms for empty and 180 ohms for full. Am I correct in assuming that if I measure the resistance of my existing sensor (which is standard Caterham) I will be able to work out if it is compatible. Could also then work out if a resistor in parallel could 're-calibrate' it? It is a pity 'tomperkins' did not continue his thread to its conclusion! Looking at 'aerobods' resistance figures for the various levels of fuel it would appear that the Caterham sender works the opposite to the Racetec - ie high resistance at empty and low at full where Racetec is low at empty and high at full? Looks like it might be easier to just get a Caterham replacement gauge and just wait for it to fall apart again!?

Cannot see anything on their website about this but have now emailed them. Thanks

My standard Caterham branded 52mm diameter fuel gauge body has split (as have most of my others!) I have Racetec mechanical gauges for oil temp etc, so looking at their fuel gauge. Does anyone know if it is a straight swap? I know the size is correct, but what about the electrical connections and the sender compatibility? Thanks Garth

Yup - not a great conductor!! Just as well really!

Thanks for all the help guys - rather embarrassingly it was 'human error' and a simple fix! - my ECU has its own fused connection run directly off the battery - I discovered this had not been re-connected when I was checking all the fuses and connections this morning. Two minutes later she started first time!!

Will check that thanks - wonder if I might have broken the wire(s) leading to the crank sensor connector by 'stretching' them while they were still connected to the engine when we were pulling it out. How would I check their integrity/continuity?

Done! Originally an SV Roadsport 125 (Sigma), upgraded by HWR with throttle bodies and new Omex ECU (so some wiring changed). Standard dashboard. Built by me in 2010

Hi Jonathan - thanks for the response. Forgot to say we could hear a 'whirring' at the rear which I have always assumed is the pump priming - so think that is ok? I did try and push in the inertia switch but it felt as though it was already down. Immobilizer bypassed ages ago! Alternator is standard Sigma (2010) not sure what type - can check the cable colour We did not change any of the spark plug leads etc., so they are all ok! Be grateful for the wiring diagram thanks. Steve - got your message thanks but could not respond by personal mail (as your mail box is full?) I think you were referring to the inertia switch which I did try thanks.

Alan and Graeme very kindly helped me put my engine back together and into the car today - fluids in and all looking good until we tried to start her. Engine turning over well but dead. Any advice on how to start identifying the problem would be much appreciated. Engine has been upgraded - is on throttle bodies with an Omex ECU and was running fine before we took it out!. Had it out to refurbish the gearbox. Also had the cambelt changed by Premier Power while the engine was out. Potential problems with the electrics could be a dodgy connection to the top of the alternator? There is a push on connector (similar to the connectors on the fuel injectors) which appears to only have one pin which was quite badly corroded - not sure what it does? When we took the engine out for the second time because of fitting the incorrect slave cylinder I forgot to disconnect the cable to the crank position sensor - we noticed while removing the engine, but could have pulled on it quite hard - it all looks ok, but not sure how to test it? Before we gave up we pulled out a spark plug - it was dry but there was no spark when we turned the engine over with the plug connected to the HT lead sitting on the cam cover. Exhaust is nice and shiny, but I am now clueless!

I made brackets which mount on the hinges - so effectively on the stanchions (which can also vibrate a little!?) and they work very well.

Interested in the exhaust please...

Hi John - sent you mail....