Mike Bees

Arnie - I meant that bolting throttle bodies onto a 138bhp K-series Supersport isn't going to net you 168bhp! Mike

PS: 30bhp for just switching to throttle bodies is only going to happen if you find a suitably optimistic rolling road! Mike

Just so Simon's aware... There are a lot of bits in Tony's kit that aren't needed if you get an ECU that's plug-compatible with the Rover one, such as "crank angle & air temp sensor, double coil (taking place of distributor)and new loom". Also you can reuse the Rover fuel rail & pressure regulator instead of plumbing in a new rail & regulator. Mike

I'll pass on the screen for now ta. Was just keeping an eye out for a cheap spare in case mine gets cracked etc. Look forward to getting the seat. Cheers, Mike

ACB10's are close to a '50' profile, most other 13in Caterham tyres are 60. Some people use 70, and you *can* get Yoko A510 in 55. Mike

Very little extra if anything at all. Mike

Hmmm... 'ow much for the screen & surround? Mike

Alex - is the software that lets you do this downloadable from their website? I can't find any provision for it in the DOS version. Maybe it's in the Windows version? Mike

Tony - that's why I recommended you get a plug-compatible ECU! The DTA system needs the pot box for realtime mapping too, so you either have to buy one of those or take it to a DTA specialist (who will already have one) for mapping. Mike

"I don't think that is what the graph shows" - fair enough. Mine was more of a general comment on the state of play. Mike

I think the management does make a difference. The GEMS box has allows you to set 'deceleration fuelling' as well as acceleration fuelling. I also suspect that road car systems use the IACV to bring the rpm 'in to land' slowly at the lower end of the rev range. Mike

You must be the only person in the world with steel Prisoner wheels! Seriously, if it's rust it can't be the wheels. Mike

Ah, the diff explains it. Engine's got 'owt to do with it really, I was thinking more of the clutch! Mike

Agree that the bumpstops are there to save your sump. Not sure that the spacers are ideally lengthed though. Anyone done a test to see how much ground clearance they have with the springs removed, i.e. sitting on the bumpstops, with and without the spacers? Maybe a half-height spacer is the answer. Nick - this is only relevant for wide-track, since only they have the spacer (and I can't remember if yours is wide or narrow). Mike

I just bought a brand new solenoid for my 1997 K-series starter, 17 quid. Only problem was that it had a stud instead of a spade connector, and the stud fouled the #3 exhaust downpipe. Sawed the stud off and bolted on the remains of the old spade. Solenoid came from Lucas Servicecentre in Cambridge. They'll do a complete exchange starter motor for 87quid (about half the price of a new one from Caterham). Mike

No, it's a piece of metal that lengthens the damper. Mike

Remove the spacer at the top (or bottom depending upon which way up your dampers are mounted) of the damper. It's a long solid-looking hexagonal thing... Mike

What diff ratio & wheel size are you using? 2.04 first sounds like a horribly long 1st for road use (about the same as 2nd in the Caterham 6-speed box). Mike

I thought I remembered someone saying that the oil is *supposed* to go black, if it doesn't then it isn't doing it's job. Maybe I made this up or had a funny dream. Where are the genuine experts when you need them? Mike

Here are some Caterham-originated figures for how the Superlight saves weight over the standard K-series: leather adjustable seats +10.8 kg full windscreen + wipers +6.6 hood + full side screens +8.0 paint +2.5 spare wheel including carrier +11.5 tool kit (for above) +2.8 full carpet set +3.3 heater +3.9 tonneau +1.6 At that time the claimed weight for the Superlight was 470kg, against 520kg for the standard K-series De Dion. These could well be best-case dry weights. Mike

I only said "alleged" because I'd heard it 2nd or 3rd hand, not because I had reason to doubt it. Mike

There's no such thing as a 'superlight chassis', Superlights use the same chassis as other De Dion road cars. It's alleged that the R500 does have a slightly lightly chassis. The race cars (Roadsport & SLR I suspect) use a slightly different variant of the De Dion chassis - so I read in another Blatchat thread. Mike

"So you are more likely to be able to upgrade with the 1.8. I know the heads are the same etc but I'd want to know that the upgrade had been developed for the shorter stroke 1.6. " Minister to upgrades for both the 1.6 and 1.8. Many of the companies offering products for the 1.8 are simply selling bolt-ons which (a) haven't had that much testing and (b) will work just as "well" on a 1.6 anyway. If you're considering further upgrades in the future and don't care about being under 1700cc then maybe the 1.8 is the way to go, the extra cc's will give you more low-down grunt. But as they come from the factory I'd say the the 1.6SS is nicer than the 1.8SS - the 1.6 has been dyno mapped at Rover for the SS cams. The 1.8SS hasn't, it relies on a fuel pressure increase to provide the extra fuelling required (a bodge solution since the cams don't require extra fuel everywhere in the rev range). Mike

Just found these Quaife ratios lurking in my mailbox: > 6 speed 1:1 top 2.647, 2.012, 1.618, 1.337, 1.151, 1.000 Mike

OK. I thought I remembered picking up a sheet from Quaife at the Autosport show and noting that the ratios were very similar but not exactly the same. Anyway, the prices if not the ratios are listed at http://www.quaife.co.uk/product/sierragear.htm - which shows that they do a 5-speed 'box with 1:1 top in both synchro and dog engagement. Mike