Shaun_E

I think blinking is probably the best bet . IMHO its a somewhat aesthetically challenged car - and have you seen the 4x4? Talk about taking a beating by the ugly stick .

Yellow SL #32

I just didn't want to have to carry a key around that I could forget about and leave in the car 😳. That and it looks cool . I have got an immobiliser fitted though which works through a proximity sensor.

Yellow SL #32

I've got an aircraft style toggle switch with the flip cover - £10 or so from SVC - plus a big red starter button. The flip switch takes the place of the ignition barrel - you'll probably need to extend the wires though depending on where you site the flip switch. Some info on fitting a starter button is here.

Edited to say - its a good move. You can bin the entire ignition barrel which is a fair old weight. Removing it will normally involve drilling out the bolts as they are the type that the heads shear off to prevent removal by thieves. If you are lucky the builder will not have sheared them off and they can be unbolted.

I have a Stack dash so where I sited the flip switch won't be much help to you. However I would say be careful that it is not sited in a position where it could easily be knocked by either driver or passenger!

Yellow SL #32

Edited by - Shaun_E on 13 Mar 2006 17:36:32

I got replacements from Caterham - they aren't expensive. They are however a complete b'stard to fit . In the end I used brute force and ignorance. They have what I can only describe as "bumps" on them whcih should pop into holes in the sleeve they slide into. Well they do when you buy them but by the time I had forced them in they were bumpless 😳. I tried rubber lube, I tried using thin metal strips to stop the bumps catching the edge of the sleeve but all to no avail. Having said all that though mine havent moved so the bumps would appear to be superfluous.

Yellow SL #32

You'll need to support the gearbox at the front. I used a jack whilst removing the engine but as I had to wheel the car around afterwards, I used a bit of 2x2 across the top of the engine bay and very large zip ties through the top holes in the bellhousing and around the wood.

Take pictures before you remove the old engine and label everything you disconnect - trust me it may look obvious where it goes but when you put the new engine in you will have forgotten where all the cables and hoses went (well you will if you have a memory like mine 😳).

That's all I can think of for now.

Yellow SL #32

Here.

The cruciform is the normal jacking point for the front so shouldn't cause any problems.

Yellow SL #32

From what I have read, the improvement in theory should come from the fact that more of the damper travel is used in the inboard set up or it allows a longer damper stroke and therefore uses the full abilities of the damper. I have also read that the setup results in a rising rate - not sure exactly what that means but have always understood it to be "a good thing" as the further into the travel, the "stiffer" the suspension gets.

I guess a standard set up with quality dampers that are designed to meet the desired responses and have a rising rate will be very nearly as good as the pushrod setup.

I'm no expert but this is all my understanding - I wait to be corrected.

Edited to say that the unsprung weight can be massively improved with lighter wheels and tyres. I have just switched from Minators with A048Rs to Caterham 8 spokes with CR500s and the ride has improved massively and the bumpy B-road performance has also improved hugely.

Yellow SL #32

Edited by - Shaun_E on 9 Mar 2006 10:31:57

Nitron one way adjustable dampers and springs to suit will set you back just under £1200 according to their web site prices. Somewhat foolishly I didn't actually check when I ordered mine (arrive soon 😬) so may be in for a surprise 😳.

Yellow SL #32

Edited by - Shaun_E on 9 Mar 2006 08:08:10

Just got my email confirmation .

Yellow SL #32

Its going to be a risk - even with the 21s. I ran 48s (Apollo tank fitted) before later adding a dry sump and when we dismantled the engine for it's upgrade, it was on borrowed time with number 2 bearing scored.

If you have the standard Caterham oil pressure gauge, it's unlikely you'll see any momentary pressure drops due to the damping in the gauge itself.

At the end of the day it's really your choice but it is possible your engine will be damaged. A dry sump is the best insurance against this and an Apollo the bare minimum protection. If you have neither then it is probably just a matter of time.

Yellow SL #32

I've done an engine swap single handed leaving the gearbox in place. With engine and gearbox together it takes 2 people really.

Yellow SL #32

I have started off with it on full stiff as I am used to an 18mm green ARB. I haven't driven it much yet and the car doesn't feel any different. I will progressively soften it until I find a setup that I like. Of course this may all change when my Nitrons arrive 😬.

Freestyle make 2 front ARBS - the one I have just bought and a stiffer one for racers.

Yellow SL #32

No. You need BS6658-85 A or A/FR, Snell SA2000 or Snell SA2005, FIA 8860-2004, SFI foundation 31.1A or 31.2A. All in the Blue Book.

Yellow SL #32

Nifty - my target power was around 200bhp but it ended up a fair bit higher (227). Peak torque is 167 lbft. I haven't had any chassis alterations so I guess I'll just keep an eye on it. My car also has removable engine bay cross members.

Yellow SL #32

Cheers folks. Will slacken the bushes off a bit and refit the gaitors. It is dead easy to fit - just needs a bit of force to bend it to get the ball joints in. I found it easier with the car jacked up so the suspension droops. Best to get the nylon blocks between the roll bar and the chassis just before it slips into the sockets on the upper wishbones.

Oh and it weighs less than the green (18mm) bar I removed!

Yellow SL #32

Edited by - Shaun_E on 4 Mar 2006 10:45:52

Yes I've got one. It's a Magnetti Marelli and has the following identifiers on it:

27048A

Date 09-97

Type: M79(0.9)

Don't know what it's worth £30? Make me an offer.

It was working fine when I removed it - I replaced it with a race starter as it wasn't man enough for my new engine.

Yellow SL #32

Just fitted my nice shiny Freestyle adjustaable front ARB (arrived this morning having ordered it yesterday ). I have a couple of slightly numptyish questions:

1. I assume that the stiff setting is with the blade vertical and soft when horizontal - is that correct?

2. Should I refit the rubber gaitors? Obviously will be OK on the "normal" end of the ARB but at the blade end the gaitor won't fit propoerly.

Yellow SL #32

I don't like the TomTom unit as it is too big to fit in your pocket when you remove it from the car. I have a NavMan iCN510 which is IMHO as good as the original TomTom. The problem is that the Navman only does partial postcodes and that is extremely annoying as I often travel to business addresses that don't have a street name or number (e.g. on business parks). I recommend you find one that uses complete postcodes and is a comfortable size to fit in your pocket. The all in one units are supposedly more reliable than PDA based solutions - I have read that if you use other applications on the PDA then conflicts and crashes can occur. All of the all in one units are easily transferred from car to car.

My number one recommendation is to go to Pocket GPS World and read everything there.

Yellow SL #32

Edited by - Shaun_E on 3 Mar 2006 13:30:10

Jane - tried to respond to you mail but it comes back undeliverable.

Yellow SL #32

Haven't received mine yet ☹️

Dave - ordered a Freestyle adjustable front ARB yesterday - more settings to play with .

Yellow SL #32

Edited by - Shaun_E on 3 Mar 2006 08:26:23

'Twas a bloke driving apparently.

Yellow SL #32

My 1997 car has solid gusset plates as you put it. However the current Caterham c/f dash will not fit my car - the design of the dash changed a few years ago. Not entirely sure what the difference is though.

If you want a c/f dash for an early car then you are best off talking to K9 or RiF. I've got a K9 dash waiting to be fitted to replace my tatty Caterham one but Richard's look good too.

Yellow SL #32

Jane - more info here although the event Steve is arranging is L7OC only and cheaper! Also see here. You use Caterham's cars (and tyres 😬).

Yellow SL #32

Edited by - Shaun_E on 2 Mar 2006 15:11:00

My wife spotted a red seven with hood up heading for Putney Bridge Weds night at about 6.00. I believe her words were "Wuss!" .

Yellow SL #32

Edited by - Shaun_E on 2 Mar 2006 08:34:39

Points 1-3 are almost certainly as a result of the corrected cam timing. Can't help with 4 although at a guess in fettling the throttle body a "problem" was cured.

Yellow SL #32