Mike Bees

I think the downsides are a feature of this particular airbox design, rather than of airboxes per se. It had to fit into a very small space! Mike

I got one of those for Christmas smile.gif Mike

Brian, I don't know why you shouldn't be able to run the gold pump. The 'normal' setup with the gold pump is to block off the cam cover breathers (easy if you're running throttle bodies) and run the engine in a partial vacuum, but I know people who run the gold pump and let the head 'breathe'. Unless you're planning to use 8000rpm for prolonged periods then the purple pump should be OK, and it doesn't cluck like a chicken at idle like the gold one does... Mike

Through a combination of DIY work and other people's favours I have an interchangeable airbox/sausage filter system (They both fit onto the same backplate). So for noise-sensitive venues (Combe and Goodwood) I run the airbox, and elsewhere I run with the sausage filter. The airbox makes a *big* difference to the amount of intake noise. I haven't got a cold air feed to it at present, just a cone filter on the end of the airbox. It all fits under the bonnet, just, but it took a lot of fiddling about. The airbox is the same as the one in the pics on Dave Andrews' website, http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/kenginemod/kairbox.jpg Back-to-back tests with/without this airbox on a ~200bhp Elise showed that the airbox cost 10-15bhp at the top end. It also slows down the throttle response making the engine much less of a joy to 'blip'. Mike

It depends on what size wheels and if the spring platforms are adjustable then how the ride height has been set. My car doesn't run particularly low but to get the trolley jack under I have to put a small piece of wood under one wheel - just an inch thick will do, put it on the ground in front of the wheel and push the car forward onto it (or put it on the ground behind the well and push the car backwards onto it...). Mike

Check the engine mounts too, the rubber bit can (and will over time) fail allowing the engine to move. Mike

The original Caterham K dry sump system came with the purple pump and no tower, so you don't *need* the tower in your case. It's a good thing to have though, because it seperates the oil from the air as it's blasted into the tank from the pump. This has the effect of increasing the oil capacity which isn't a bad thing. If you ever upgrade to the gold pump then you will need the tower (ask me, Caterham supplied me with all the bits for the upgrade except the tower of which I knew nothing - the result was oil sprayed around all over the inside of the engine bay and an almost empty tank, not fun with a newly rebuilt engine!). Mike

Ah OK, shouldn't be too tricky then. Mike

Concur with Arnie & Rob. Because Phil looks after all the boxes for the Caterham race cars he knows exactly what to look for. There are other good gearbox folks around (SPC & BGH for example) but Road & Race are the place to go in this case. Mike

Changing the synchro means dismantling & rebuilding the box. You do need to take the engine out. Learn to double-de-clutch wink.gif Mike

For starters, all of this kit is actually made by Jenvey. "SBD say theirs is better cos you dont get a proper venturi effect on the intake with direct-to-head" - Eh? If the manifold is straight then all it achieves is the opportunity for misalignment with the bodies. There are quite a few people using the direct-to-head bodies on K-series now, and they work just as well as the seperate manifold/bodies combo. Direct-to-head is simpler and cheaper. Mike

If you didn't get the wiring loom with the engine & ECU then you are in for a pretty torrid time. AFAIK the only ECU connection you can junk is the one for the purge valve. I have a wiring diagram for a 1.6K/MEMS 2, don't know how different that will be from what you have. I assume that "MEMS 3" is a different beast altogther? Mike

Nothing tricky about it. You will need a new boot cover, and you'll need to remove the rear shocks (the FIA bar has an 'up and under' bolt each side). Mike

No idea! Mike

The Hawker battery that Race Technology are knocking out cheap is the same technology as Red Top (probably just different stickers). A very good piece of kit. I know someone who recently bought one for a V8 W*******d, it churns it over much better than the lead acid battery did. They hold their charge almost indefinitely too. 850amps of cranking current ought to be enough (much better than an equivalent sized lead acid battery). I use a Red Flash 25 (16Ah, 6kg), although that might be a bit marginal for winter use. Note that the sealed batteries from Yuasa available from RS et al won't support anything like enough cranking current for a car engine. Mike

Or slightly cheaper: http://race-technology.com/WebPage/Products/CHARGERS/ChargersMain.html 25quid+VAT. Mike

The juice needed for the starter to turn the engine over is massively more than that required to get it to engage - like maybe 20 or 30 times more. Why not just get a battery master switch? If we're talking about the Rover immobiliser on a K-series then as long as you immobilise the engine before you switch off at the master then it will still be immobilised even if somebody jumps across the master switch (or uses their own key). Come to think of it if the immobiliser is emptying the battery in just a few days then the battery is pretty knackered anyway... Mike

I'd agree with Andy - if you're going to the expense of buying carbs, manifold, ECU etc then get some Jenvey direct-to-head bodies from QED and keep it injected. You've aready got the right fuel tank/lines/pump/injectors etc. Direct-to-head bodies probably cost about the same as carbs anyway. Mike

Micheldever near Winchester supply tyres buffed too. The 'hairy' finish that's left by the buffing process wears off pretty quickly - it's a good idea to get it scrubbed off before you do a timed event though. Mike

Steve - the measurement that you can't remember is the width, and that's the one that matters. "21" means 21 inch outer diameter, "13" means 13 inch inner diameter. Mike

Haven't studied it yet, but I do remember that the A539 is in (successor to A510/A520). Mike

Quick, moi? Steve's hiding his light under a bushell. At Curborough in October he beat John (not Dr) Palmer whilst they were double-driving Steve's car. JP is *quick*. Not sure exactly what I'm going to do next year Steve, probably some rounds of the Midland Hillclimb Champs and some events in the south that are just too much fun to miss (Lydden, Wethersfield, Goodwood). List 1B tyres for the Midland Hillclimb next year? Surely not? That would be fun smile.gif Mike

Can be done with an angle grinder if you're patient. Fabulous amount of sparks!!! Mike

"Bolt upright and no under-thigh support" - exactly how I felt when I sat in an R500. I felt as though I was falling forwards. By simply adopting a Gallic expression and sweating profusely I could have done an excellent (if static) impersonation of Francois Delecour. Mike Edited by - Mike Bees on 19 Dec 2000 16:54:58

I'm toying with the idea of doing some of the Midland rounds next year, see you there! Mike