Mike Bees

I've never had any luck with the clouting method (although I've seen other people do it - and no a nylon-headed hammer won't do it!), and it's difficult to see how you'd get a splitter in there without wrecking the rubber boot on the balljoint. I use a suitable sized socket and a suitable lump of metal (if you built the car then the lug you hacksawed off the back of the diff is perfect). The lump of metal sits on the upright directly below the nut/stud of the balljoint. A suitably sized socket sits on top of the lump of metal, possibly packed up with a larger washer or two, such that as you undo the nut (with an open-ended spanner) the nut starts to bear on the socket just after the nyloc has cleared the end of the stud. As you continue to undo the nut it can't travel down because it is hard up against the socket, and the socket is hard up against the lump of metal, and the lump of metal is sitting on the upright. Eventually there's a big bang and the balljoint pops. Mike

The range of K&N filters is listed here: www.knfilters.co.uk/kn_hi/universal.htm Demon Tweeks carry a good stock. I'd say at least a couple of inches between the trumpet opening and the filter, more if you can find room for it. Mike

A Superlight with Wilton carpets? Where did that exhaust come from? Mike

How strange, Demon Tweeks sell A032R and A021R. Dartford tyres and Caterham (who source them from Dartford tyres I believe?) did recently too. Mike

It's the total length of the ports/manifold/bodies/trumpets that matter, not just the trumpet length in isolation. As a generalisation a shorter induction length is better for high rpm, longer is better for lower rpm - same rules as for exhaust primaries. Mike

The 4-2-1 supposedly fills up a hole in the torque curve at around 4000rpm. From back-to-back tests I've seen on a modified 1.6K it does very little, maybe it works better on the 1.8. It may be that the primary/secondary diameters are too big, or simply that the secondaries are a bit short. As others have said, it's cheaper to buy direct from Caterham than from DT. Mike

Tony - the backfiring on the overrun is caused by not dialling in enough ignition advance to those load sites (throttle closed at medium/high rpm). Mike

Spark plugs make a big difference to the performance if they're knackered, otherwise just stick with what is recommended for the engine. Fancy multi-electrode spark plugs have fancy claims and fancy price tags but that's about all (OK they potentially have a longer life too, but does anyone mind changing their spark plugs once a year?). Mike

Spot on Dave. Hurrah, I'm now a windbag. Mike Edited by - Mike Bees on 1 Feb 2001 12:57:12

Simon - who is it (email me direct if you like). Mike

If you're not going to go solid then it souns like a good choice, the 740 is producing some really good results with well-ported heads. If you're going to do a significant amount of track work then solid followers are strongly recommended. Mike

I just use a piece of rope around the hole engine to lift it (run it just behind the engine mount on the left hand side and up between pipes #1 & #2 or maybe #2 & #3 of the inlet manifold on the right hand side - this will stop the engine 'slipping through' the rope when it's tilted). I then run another piece of rope around the gearbox and up to the hoist - this piece can be adjusted to alter the angle of dangle. Mike

If you're buying a complete new system then that's probably the best route to go. The 4-2-1 works best with the 1800, on a 1600 it appears to offer very little performance advantage over the competition 4-1, but it is available with bigger silencers. I think that 1.6K Supersports are OK at Goodwood with the competition 4-1 (definitely OK on 'noisy' 5-car 105db days). Mike

Try a basic, unexecutive Superlight - arguably the purest form of 7 available. Mike

Geoff - it's the clearance between the base circle of the cam and the top of the follower. You don't need to bolt down the cam carrier to measure it. Work on just one follower/shim pair at a time (so no followers in place except the one you are currently shimming). Lay the cam in place, orientated so that all of it's bearing surfaces are in full contact and so that lobe on the one that you're shimming is pointing away from the follower, lean on the cam and measure the clearance. Mike

The cam supplier will tell you the clearances. Probably something like 10 thou on the exhaust side, 8 thou on the inlet side. Yes, you need to grind the shims. You need to do each one individually before bolting down the cam carrier. It is very tedious! Mike

"Spoke to James Whiting today he reckons that Mobil 1 is too thin for a Zetec or anything else for that matter in a Seven" In my experience this is nonsense. My engine builder recommended using Mobil 1 above anything else. It's what I've always used. Do the Mobil 1 doom-mongerers understand viscosity ratings? As far as the Zetec is concerned, go and check with Ford - they recommend a *thinner* oil than Mobil 1. They have service notes which detail that the tappets in the Zetec need a thin (W30) oil. Mike Edited by - Mike Bees on 31 Jan 2001 09:44:17

I made my own quadrant which uses the Rover cable. Easy peasy. Mike

If it's an untuned K then you'll be fine on noise with the Caterham 4-1 or 4-2-1 and 5" silencer. They do 6 and 7" silencers for the 4-2-1 if you want to be really sure. Mike

I find 165bhp on std. cams & plenum chamber rather hard to believe, but mabye that's just me. Mike

Please send any spare £s you have direct to me, I can put them to very good use. Mike Edited by - Mike Bees on 30 Jan 2001 09:02:49

The Zetec tappets need a thin oil to work properly. Ford recommend a somethingW-30, Halfords starting producing a somethingW-30 oil specifically because of the Zetec requirement. Given that this is true there's no way Mobil1 0W-40 could be too thin for a Zetec. Mike

Simplest route is an ITG or similar 'sausage' style filter on a backplate. You need to consider the position of the clutch cable and the engine bay diagonal, and also whether you want a cutout in the bonnet or not. These factors will affect your choice of trumpet length and whether you need any spacers between the strumpets and the bodies. An air box makes a huge difference to the induction noise - it makes my engine sound like the Metro (well OK, Rover Cardigan) it came from. Nearly. Probabably. Mike

"Tedious Mike??? For me thats normal!!!" Tsk, you shouldn't put yourself down like that smile.gif Mike

I've read about some of their conversions in CCC. The power claims look, er, surprising given that they don't change or remap the ECU. Mike