Jonathan Kay

Mrs Mavic now has a nice foot rest. Are you both positive? ;-) Jonathan

Thanks, Paul. Jonathan

Would you recommend two pillars or a continuous bar? The latter would make the transverse force a bit easier to manage from the bolt clamping force. And how about a range of thicknesses to suit? 1, 2, 5mm should cover it (as with coins and chemical balance weights). But if they were stacked I'd probably want a continuous bar. Jonathan

Please coud you add a link or the Bosch part number? Thanks Jonathan

Discussed here. I chose 221 but preparation is all. Jonathan

Anyone know a good source for ready made 9mm block shim? There must be a market here. Exactly. I know that many members will "just" make these for themselves, but would anyone do some for others, possibly with an NtL contribution? Thanks Jonathan

I'm very happy with the PVR 25. The PVR "Clubsport" 22 was cheaper when we last looked at it and should be fine. Jonathan

The theoretical advantages are well known. My guess at why it isn't there is that the cost of redesigning and testing the chassis for the changed loads is too high. Jonathan

You're not alone and it's a really interesting control problem. The whole loop, including the driver's reactions, appears to be unstable and probably underdamped. Stronger springs seem to have helped some people. I'd start by checking that the operation of each bit, and especially the cable, is smooth and that the angles of the cable in the pedal box and at the throttle look right, especially at small throttle opening. The other trick that's been mentioned is leaning your R leg against the wall to create some damping in the loop. Jonathan

the Evans Coolant appeared to give me more stable temperatures at a lower equilibrimium point on both water and oil. I don't know how to reconcile that with the lower thermal capacity of Evans waterless coolant. The manufacturer's site says that you should expect higher running temperatures. The fundemental Evans premise with corrosion is that by reducing the water content the potential for corrosion is reduced, thereby the corrosion inhibitors which are present are not exhausted. The bit about "potential for corrosion" is waffle, it's actual corrosion that matters. Do inhibitors get consumed by inhibiting corrosion or by other processes, which may depend on time and heat? Does this differ between inhibitors? where I used to find discoloured coolant with significant solids residue, I don't see that when emptying evans out of the system. Thanks. It's exactly that sort of test that should have been done by now. If I were a manufacturer I'd have gone to an independent laboratory and repeated that under controlled circumstances. I don't suppose we could ask you to switch back and see if the solids reappear? Jonathan

Yes. It's all because of the lack of evidence. The discussion gets into a cycle... putative physical and chemical advantages, then "it works" then "but so does the traditional coolant". I think we would know by now if there were significant problems with silicone hoses on any of the options. It would take a bit of time but it's not too hard to study corrosion in different types of engine. But that's part of my general annoyance with the manufacturer's site... it never quite gets to decent experiments (let alone independent experiments) and the results. Why not? Jonathan

Standard wiring colours. I'll check the oldest 7 diagrams I have when I get home. Jonathan

I decided to change the standard Caterham bulbs for the Halfords +120% ultra bright bulbs. The difference is very surprising. The colour is whiter and much more powerful. :-) Jonathan

In one of the other current threads there's a discussion of inhibitors. With a K (aluminium) engine I'd replace the coolant frequently whether it's water-based or waterless in order to be sure the inhibitors were there. Jonathan

Have you noticed an increase in coolant temperature/ the fan running more? Jonathan

Is there a photo of this trick anywhere? Thanks Jonathan

Could you add a photo? Jonathan PS: I don't think the PVR 25 is a gel battery...

Have you tried contacting Stu through this? Jonathan

... Propylene glycol is generally used in marine applications as it is more environmentally friendly for the type of surroundings that marine engines are used in. Ethylene glycol is poisonous to humans, and from the mechanism of action I'd expect the same in many animals. So I guess this is about it being dumped and harming wildlife. But I'm surprised there's been a problem in practice because of the dilution. Jonathan

If I acquired the affliction I'd start with making sure there was enough current getting to the starter before replacing it. Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan

Wouldn't that make them harder to spot? Jonathan

Don't understand that difference in the appearance of leaks... please could you explain. Are you thinking of while it's running or at rest? Jonathan

Good point. I've put my views in the big thread. Jonathan

One of the suggested advantages is longer life. Evans suggest you never need to change it. The problems I see with that are: Would I really trust the inhibitors to last that long in my K series? How many 7s don't have their coolant changed for other reasons quite frequently... or do users of this stuff reuse it after draining? You'd need to be sure it didn't get contaminated with water. What's the time to payback when you include the cost of the preparation fluid?Jonathan