Jonathan Kay

Sense now checked: intact.Which is just as well for the rest of us. :-)Is John Vine's homework on CRBs relevant to your new kit?Jonathan

In the absence of any specific instructions for the battery the plates should be just covered with fluid. Jonathan

Charging Discussion of R400s, pulley sizes, charging at idle and the effects of blipping. ... It does however fade in when the engine is rev’d and fades away at idle. That is not normal. ... if I blip the throttle, the voltage rises and drops again. But does it settle down at the new idle at a higher voltage than at the idle before blipping? ... I'd check those wires and connections in detail, including visual inspection and wiggling, disconnection and reconnection. And the belt as above. But after excluding those we might be homing in on the alternator, and particularly the electronics pack. These are surprisingly repairable at local electricians or the agent. And if you repair rather than replace you know that it will fit and won't need modifications to the wiring. What sort is it? Jonathan

Battery Check the fluid levels and top up if necessary. I wasn’t able to measure the crank voltage as the car starts instantly. !!! :-) With a digital multimeter it's usually possible to see a transient value. This gives the voltage under load and it's possible to detect deterioration well before the unloaded voltage starts to fade. Jonathan

:-) What sort of 'phone do you have? Jonathan

At least on my '97 x-flow and later 97 Vx they both behave in the same manner. Could you add some video clips? Jonathan

What type of battery? How old? Is it a type that you can check the fluid levels and top up if needed? At tick over, it’s 12.5v and when rpm exceeds 2k, voltage increases to 14.5v ish. The reading at higher speed is OK (I recommend 3,000 rpm). Minimum desirable voltage at idle is often quoted as 12.6 V but that's probably OK. Does it go higher if you blip the engine and then let it return to idle and measure again? Could you add another measurement: the minimum voltage seen during cranking. I did notice for the first time the ignition warning light coming on. On when you switch on the ignition and off as soon as it starts? Has the behaviour changed? ... Even though it started when jumped I'd still check all of the relevant cables, including earths, and connections. And the alternator belt tension and condition. Jonathan

Faulty tachometer... Probably. But they are repairable. ... can I check elsewhere to prove or resolve the issue. You could try and find another instrument to swap in and test. But there at least two different sockets so I'd add a photo of the back here and your location if you're interested. (I've got a spare in South Oxfordshire.) Jonathan

Mmmmm... answers and facts. :-) ... Does the problem occur at the speed at which one of the shift lights is activated? Try removing the signal to that unit? ... And, much more crudely, measure the battery voltage as the problem occurs to exclude something taking down the whole system. ... Jonathan

Previous reports and some beam patterns. Classic Car LEDs. Jonathan

I have tried to search the archives but nothing mentioned the oil level other than letting it dribble out of the filler hole. Have you already checked the threads linked from #3 above? Jonathan

There's some very interesting discussion in the archives but it's scattered across multiple threads, includes: Which backplate?Which filling hole?Workshop Notice 542.Jonathan

Any recent work or changes? Has it been drowned? ... Does the idle also sound rough and erratic? If you hold the engine speed constant at say 5,500 rpm does it keep running smoothly? In that clip did it stop by itself after going haywire or did you switch off? Does it restart immediately after that? ... ... I’ve checked the HT circuit... And the relevant earths and the battery connections? Jonathan

Are you planning to change the water pump while you're down there? Jonathan

I'd post a photo if I knew how! There are three different methods. Start with the Forum User Guide and let us know if you get stuck. Jonathan

I couldn't find anything beyond the seller's own marketing stuff. My guess was that DEKRA had tested to relevant national standards (BS, ASTM, SAE etc), and all of the big-name brands will also have done that. Jonathan

... and has been tested by Dekra to approve the manufacturers claims. I couldn't find any details of the testing. Did you come up with anything? Jonathan

The control loop is very complicated: brain to nerves to muscles to joints to pedal to cable to engine to engine speed to brain via ears, accompanied by muscle spindles, stretch receptors, pressure receptors and occasional glances at the rev counter. And then add the time lags. And increasing the damping can often reduce instability in the loop. So the emery paper is fascinating and I've often suggested pressing the knee against a side panel. Increasing the force of the throttle spring could make it either better or worse. It's one of those skills that you chunk down to not needing conscious effort once you've mastered it. Which makes it fascinating when you try and learn a new version: low speed manoeuvring of my Vespa, steering a motor boat (have a look back at your wake!), holding altitude in an aircraft, or trying to hover a helicopter, where any movement of one control seems to need correction with two others. And often infuriating for an unskilled teacher who can't understand why the student just can't do it. Offspring's clutch control, anyone? Jonathan

Anymore info on Radtec problems with OAT pink, as that’s what I am running? The decision does get harder if you have a Radtec aluminium radiator on a K. There's a handful of reports that start with a leak and end with "We've only seen it with pink coolant" and "Darren at Radtec says use blue coolant". https://www.google.com/search?q=site:lotus7.club+radtec+leak https://www.google.com/search?q=radtec+pink+coolant I'm not convinced by the implied causation. But I wouldn't expect problems with Comma G48 if you decided not to use Comma G30. Jonathan

Are you sure that it's coming from that junction and not dripping down from somewhere else? (Guess why I ask!) What type of hose? Is that a genuine Jubilee clip or something else? Some experts recommend a correctly-sized Mikalor clamp. Do you lubricate the hose as it goes on the spigot and the clip on the hose? Could you add a photo of the spigot, and are you sure that it's smooth all round? Jonathan

Any recommendations for a custom manifold? Just the exhaust manifold or replumbing the entire system now that you've got the supercharger up and running? Jonathan

Fascinating, thanks for the detail. The plan is also to add Methanol injection as heat is a major issue. In the mixture or in the engine bay? Is that intermittent or full-time injection? Do you know that the intercooler is up to the job? Jonathan

My solution was to stick a small piece of emery cloth onto the panel where my foot rests. When I’m on the lanes I press the side of my foot against it as it’s on the throttle. Foot doesn’t move on the bumps, no kangarooing. Sounds silly but it works.......... Sounds to be totally in accordance with good practice in systems control. Damping is often the solution to instability in control loops. More on this RSN. Jonathan

Is there a solution from the competition world, where two independent closure mechanisms are often mandated? Jonathan

Caterham. And Comma, for every K except the Series 1 Elise according to previous discussions. I've never discovered if that exception was only historical. And hadn't heard that about the Land Rovers. Jonathan