Gridgway

I am just starting the refurb of my 1984 "hot-rod" 7. It's an arch chassis, has been home built and registered as a Lotus 7 with the AM frame number as a VIN. It's known by a few people on here. I've started assessing it before getting into taking it apart and making it shiny again. One of the obvious areas is the wiring which is messy! I'd like to identify if it's completely made up or if it started life with a Caterham loom of the era. Does anyone have an appropriate wiring diagram of the era? I do have a Jan 1988 one, which is probably very close, but would be helpful to know one way or other before I start trying to match up wires. Cheers Graham

Also to add that different gauges have different levels of damping. The mechanical one might be very fast reacting as it were.

Doesn't sound right to me either. Obviously the pressure varies with revs, but shouldn't go very low during a gearchange unless the revs drop to near tickover. I suggest getting the engine up to temp and see what the pressure does at tickover and then at every 500 revs up to 4k or so. Then maybe set up a cam to film the tacho and the OP gauge as you drive and see how it compares.

yes and that sounds like quite a normal amount of lash to me. Again all from layman's knowledge

That's a bit confusing, can you see the gearbox shaft staying still and play on the splines? I would think it's more likely to be the output shaft turning slightly and showing the play.

Is this play between the two parts of the front UJ? Or essentially play from the gearbox output shaft? I'm no expert, but the former world worry me and I'd want to fix it. The latter feels more normal.

Check the run of the pipe from engine to gauge and see if there's anything squidging it or if it has a kink? How does the OP change with revs when hot and car is stationary? Is it only when moving out does it happen when stationary, out of gear and the clutch pressed?

It definitely makes sense to change the belt. I wouldn't run the belt on a long term basis, so no loss in changing it now. I suspect it'd be fine, but no point in taking the risk.

Thanks Mike. No idea on cams yet. Although it may be written in the build sheet which might be in the paperwork. What I've done though is to put #1 at TDC (properly with a dial gauge) and the marks on each cam sprocket line up exaclty. Also there's a mark on the back of the exhaust sprocket which matches exactly a mark etched on the cam cover. I think that's good enough for my purposes. The PO said he had to move the car into his parents garage in 2008 and it never came out. It was running fine at the time. I'm checking it through with a view to running the motor to try and gauge its fitness before I take the car apart to "refurb" it. Also now that I went looking for the build sheet on the computer I found an RS1600 supplementary workshop manual PDF which some kind person sent to me which is very helpful. I've also found the build sheet showing BD3 cams on both sides.

I'm recommissioning a BDR that's not been run since 2008. I need to check the cam timing. I thought I'd found an Internet resource to tell me how, but I can't find it again. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

That's a really good point Mike and it's why I am getting the car set up in its current form for me to use. It's going to be predominantly road use, so drivability at all throttle openings is key.

Yes, it feels like the way forward is to buy 4 new ones. I think the ones that Dellorto have will work, they just have an indent for the (modern) grub screw. It's just a question of whether it's worth buying 4 to get them all the same. Also I think that the engine needs 45s (according to the builder) so I should perhaps just focus on making the setup I have ok then bite the bullet for the 45s.

Thanks both. JK - worth a look, but access will be tight. Andrew, it's not that box I think as it has the gear lever further back and the access cover is horizontal, not at an angle. Also has an integral bellhousing. I'll work out which box it is.

No part numbers on them Andrew and it's what was in the carbs from when I bought them so no supplier as such. They are very early carbs (can't remember the manuf date). The new ones on Dellorto are £33+VAT and also the later type held in with a grub screw.

Now I have my crossflow back together and so nearly finished, one untoward thing I have found is that the speedo drive from the 4 speed Ford box is leaking quite a lot. To the extent that it needs attending to. It was the one thing I didn't want to have to do with the refresh I've done - ie pull the engine and box out again - hey ho. Does anyone have experience of speedo drive leaks on this box and what might need replacing to stop it? Thanks Graham

As per my other thread, it's all back together now. I found that the threads on the errant stud were knackered so I put a new weber stud in it. Interestingly there were a lot of differences in the studs that were in there. Also the new one had a big shoulder, so needed a washer under the nut to allow it to be done up. Several of the studs were short enough so that the nyloc was engaged, but it looked a bit marginal. So it went back together with new nylocs plus loctite. Should all be fine. Thanks all for the help.

A quick update. In consultation with the RR man, his recommendation was to go for 32mm chokes which I ordered and they arrived today. I could only get one of the chokes out by hand, so I bit the bullet and took the carbs off to be able to tap the chokes out which I did. I fitted the new chokes and in doing so found one the aux venturis wouldn't go in as far as the others by 1-2mm. After some amount of taking out, looking, head scratching, I compared it with the others and its overall length is greater than the other 3 by about 1.5mm. The normal perfectionist in me wants 4 identical ones, but if I order a replacement, I don't know whether it will be any better. So I have put it all together and the engine starts and runs well enough for it to go on the trailer and off at the other end for the next RR session. I also had some fun with the trumpet/backing plate studs, but I'll update the other thread. And Andrew thanks for the reference suggestion, most kind.

Apols, my mistake

So back to the current topic in chitchat, how can it be an R300 with a 2.0l duratec engine in it?

#7 I don't think so Roger, snell 2005 definitely gone. #8 I'm in Epsom, so not terribly close. BM me your address and I'll put them in the post.

Thanks Roger. The engine builder really wanted us to have 45DCOEs, but the old engine came with a set of 40s that were refurbed, so decided not to invest in new carbs at the moment. Now very strangely, the one choke I stuck my fingers into came out easily. But the other three refused. Having a google revealed (from blatchat 2001) that to change the chokes there's a screw and lock nut to remove as well as the idle air bypass screws (that was your comment Roger!). That begs a huge question about how the one choke came out. I will have to inspect to see if I can work out what's going on. Feels like more than anticipated! The rolling road guy is a long termer in this Ford/Caterham world with lots of xflow and BD build experience so I'm happy he can make it all work. The long term likely outcome is to change to 45s, but if I can get the 40s working with a drivable rev range not too lean nor rich, we'll be happy to drive round until the spring. Webcon website seems to allow you to add 33mm chokes to the shopping cart so maybe they are available (made in China I assume).

Goggle are yours! Where in the country are you? Or can post.

Thanks Roger and firstly you are absolutely right that I need to learn more about carbs and feel rather foolish! I just went and properly looked with a torch and lo and behold the truth became clear. The bigger chokes were still in the carbs of course. They are 36mm and the ones that were previously in there when the engine was a standard 1600 were 30mm. It's now a 1700 supersprint (and a bit). The backstory is that the (upgraded) engine was not happy and running well enough for me to run it in. So it went to a local to me RR (not the guy who built it) just to get an initial setup that was reasonable for me to drive around. The verdict was that the chokes were too big to get a setup that worked. So I took it home to see what I had got. So it seems to me that the 30mm chokes will be too small and if the 36 are too big then I probably need 33mm chokes. So I have learned a bit more about webers! Thanks again.

#14 I should indeed. I tried with the p(l)ain nuts quite tight, then tight, then f tight and it wouldn't shift and I am sure the thread is now knackered. New stud coming

#12 thanks. Looking in my garage, that's what I have (and consider to be "standard loctite, so that's good!)