Shaun_E

Have you got an 8% steering rack? If not then the cycle wings could hit the body work on full lock. Do a search for "cycle wing conversion" and you'll find some threads covering most of the possible issues. Yellow SL #32

Sounds like you've got wax on the windscreen. I guess you'll need a good solvent to take it off or use one of the proprietary glass polish products e.g. Autoglym. Seems that household glass cleaners also contain waxes and silicon which causes smearing. Yellow SL #32

Mike - exactly what I found with mine (also a 1997 model). Have changed the input shaft to the later design so I can use the AP clutch. Yellow SL #32

Caterham have used a wide range of clutches over the years. My Superlight (6 speed) had a Rover clutch in it (long story). Caterham have now standardised on a single type of AP clutch which is about £140 for plate and cover. You could of course take your existing clutch to a motor factors and get them to match it. Yellow SL #32

Having chatted to Arnie and played around with gearcalc I understand that 205/60 Yokos are significantly taller than 185/60 to the extent that acceleration would be appreciably blunted (difference in diameter is 23mm). As I wish to see a significant performance difference with the engine upgrade, it would be pointless to waste some of that with taller effective gearing. Avon CR500 in 205/55R13 have an almost identical diameter to the 185/60R13 Yokoham A048R so this would be the most effective tyre with the 3.62 diff. If I really wanted to stay with the Yokos then a 3.92 diff would be more appropriate. Avon recommend 8" rim for the 205 CR500, so looks like new Caterham 8 spoke wheels in 6" front, 8" rear with 175/55 and 205/55 CR500 tyres is the best choice for me. Mark - I'll take you up on the angle grinder offer when I order them. Yellow SL #32

Arnie - diff is currently a 3.62. Current power is 135bhp (1.6K SS) and new power will be 200bhp (1.9K with ported VVC head, TBs, etc.) Ride height is irrelevant - this will be sorted with a flat floor set-up as new dampers will be fitted at the same time. So the real question is: with 200bhp should I fit 205 section tyres? I want the power upgrade to be very noticable - a 50% hike should be! Is traction going to be a problem with 185 section tyres? Since SLR/R400 use 205s with a 200bhp upgrade they seem the logical size to use. I am prepared to go to CR500s if necessary but would prefer to stick with Yoko A048R as they are a lot cheaper and offer similar performance. Yellow SL #32

Quick check on George Polley's site and the difference in diameter between 185 and 205 is 23mm. If stretched over an 8" rim will this difference be reduced? Yellow SL #32 Edited by - Shaun_E on 5 Sep 2005 18:33:07

Speedo not a problem as Stack sensor reads off front wheel (and is adjustable anyway). Ride height will be corrected with adjustable platforms (and new dampers 😬). Diff is 3.62 as fitted to Superlight - I presume this is also the ratio fitted to SLR/R400. I hope that should not therefore cause a problem with a 200bhp engine. Anyone know for sure what ratio the SLR/R400 uses? Yellow SL #32

As I am planning a power upgrade to c.200bhp I feel that I ought to fit wider rear tyres. I am currently running 185/60 R13 A048Rs on standard fit 6" KN Minatour (minilight style) wheels. I have read through the archives and it would appear that there are some issues with moving to wider rears. My first choice would be the new Caterham 8 spoke 13" rims in 6" and 8" but there appear to be issues with fitting the rear wheels to earlier De-Dion cars (mines a 1997). Is this easy to get around (I don't have an angle grinder) and are there any other problems beyond moving the position of the ARB drop link and grinding the De-Dion? My ARB is the over the diff one. Has anyone got a picture of where to remove metal from the De-Dion or is it obvious? If this is a real pain, has anyone used other suitable wheels. I have seen the Compomotive CXR and the ML used on sevens - can these be ordered in the correct backspace and offset? Yellow SL #32

Local Rover dealer didn't stock it so ordered from Caterham. It comes with the bracket and the bolt and is £7. Hopefully will have it before the weekend. Yellow SL #32

I have installed mine in the boot in the centre of the bulkhead using self adhesive velcro. The wires for the headsets are then fed through the gaps in the bulkhead where the seat belts would have been mounted. I have run a separate fused live from the battery along the transmission tunnel and into the boot along with a separate earth - these terminate in a 2.4mm DC power socket and the corresponding plug is wired to the Autocom. You could just earth to any convenient point. The music and phone wires are then run along the transmission tunnel exiting near the handbrake for easy connection to the required devices. I haven't got a switch on mine but if left for any length of time I unplug it. It would be very simple to put a switch in line with the live wire and mount it on the dash board. I took the opportunity to add a second socket in the boot for a bullet cam and one under the dash plus a dash mounted cigarette lighter socket for powering other things like SatNav. Yellow SL #32

Mark - I'll try local Rover dealer tomorrow and failing that Caterham. If neiher can supply then I'll try and get dimensions and I'll take you up on the offer to make one. Thanks. Yellow SL #32

Spacer was missing ☹️. Is this a Caterham only part or a generic Rover one? I haven't got enough washers to pack it out and it is a fairly long spacer so probably not the best move either. Yellow SL #32

Steve - I thought that I had read somewhere on Blatchat that Caterham had specifically advised against using MTL. I have spent the last 10 minutes searching and can't find the post so perhaps I just imagined it 😳. However I did find this post stating that MTL is not ideal for a BGH 5 speed. I thought that I should mention this as, although I am happy using MTL, I think everyone should have all the facts before making a choice. If I find the post I thought I had seen then I'll post it here. There is lots of "perceived wisdom" on blatchat and although much of it is good, there is some advice that needs to be carefully considered (see how diplomatic I'm being here ). There are some de facto standard answers frequently made that perhaps are not the best solution for everyone. In this case my personal advice would probably be go for MTL but be aware it is not Caterham's recommended solution. EDITED to say - I still can't find a post referring to a specific Caterham recommendation so perhaps it was just more hearsay. Yellow SL #32 Edited by - Shaun_E on 31 Aug 2005 14:35:41

For information only - bear in mind that Caterham do NOT recommend Redline MTL if that is important to you. I am happily using it after Road and Race refurbished my 6 speed but I believe there are possible downsides - search the archive for all the ins and outs. MTL does seem to improve the shift action though. Yellow SL #32 Edited by - Shaun_E on 31 Aug 2005 13:57:06

Mark - M10 actually looks right as I bought both M8 and M10 earlier. Unfortunately I don't think that the spacer is still there ☹️ but I'll check when I get home. I'm not entirely sure there should be one but I will check - will have to use washers to pack it out if necessary. Will definitley loctite it in there this time . I wonder if this missing bolt had anything to do with the alternator failing? The alternator hadn't moved from the position it was set in and the belt tension was fine but maybe some vibration killed it off. Yellow SL #32

Sounds good. Unfortunately no Aldi in Slough so will have to leave that for another day. Looks like another trip to Apex Fasteners on the trading estate - I should have opened an account there really! Yellow SL #32

Caterham just told me M10 - sounds a bit on the large size. Perhaps I'll just go and get a range of sizes! Yellow SL #32

Removed my alternator last night and found that the bolt that secures the bracket (the bit that allows adjustment of alternator position) to the engine block had disappeared . Obviously I hadn't tightened it up enough and it has worked loose - dosen't seem to have sheared as I can get another bolt into the hole. Question - what size and thread is the missing bolt? Yellow SL #32

Looks like my alternator has given up the ghost. On the upside this may have been the source of my electrical drain that was flattening the battery so replaceing it will hopefully solve 2 problems! What is the part number or source of the alternator? Engine is a 1997 1.6 K-series. Any recommendations for sourcing one, preferably an exchange unit and preferably around the Slough area. There is an auto electrical place on the Slough trading estate so if I know what the model is I can take it there to get it refurbished or exchanged. EDITED to say that the Rover part number is YLE101520, the Magenetti Marelli part number is 63321238A and there is another number on it A1151-65. Rating is 14V and the numbers 23-97 are printed on it. This is a post '96 Rover 200 alternator and the Rover price is a ridiculous £183. I managed to source an exchange unit in Slough at Quickstart for £88 inc VAT. Yellow SL #32 Edited by - Shaun_E on 31 Aug 2005 11:00:15

Tom - Is this is a bare head casting or complete head? What extra items are required to make it complete? Also how much? (Mail me through my profile if you don't want to post here). If there is not too much price difference between your VHPD fully built and a s/h VVC then I might be interested as there are savings on the camshafts and blanking kit to be made compared with a VVC. Yellow SL #32

2nd dibs please assuming price reasonable. Yellow SL #32

Most likely the valve isn't closing completely see here. Yellow SL #32

Myles - the company you are thinking of is Marlin. Details here (half way down the page) and here. Yellow SL #32 Edited by - Shaun_E on 24 Aug 2005 09:05:07

Pete, most decent autofactors will sell a siphon that will allow you to get the petrol out of the tank - I used one to empty my tank when I dismantled my car. I seem to recall that "chemical metal" has been used by one owner to patch a fuel tank - here Yellow SL #32 Edited by - Shaun_E on 24 Aug 2005 08:28:08