New Build-K1600 going in, Any Tips?

[Titanium7]

Engine going in next weekend, diff and propshaft already in. Have the crane and load leveller. Any tips please?

[Willie.]

Put the engine and gearbox in as one lump.

 

Put cardboard/bubble wrap/carpet over everything you can.

 

If the box has oil in it, keep the bung in the output shaft until you have it almost home and its level.

 

Take the altenator off.

 

Swing engine/box in and fit the gearbox mount bolt first (Screw it in a good bit, but do not nip it up).

 

Fit engine mounts to engine next, then put in the large bolts to rubber mounts. Slacken the two rubber mount locating bolts to get a bit of extra movement if needed to line everything up.

 

Its easy with one person, but with two you can make a lot less damage to the panels on the way in 😬

 

Willie

[Titanium7]

Thanks Willie

 

Not heard of taking the alternator off before. Is this essential, the build manual does not mention this?

 

Have a second person coming to help so hopefully should be a lot easier.

[shn7]

Alternator removal isn't essential but will give a bit more room for manoeuvre. 3 people is ideal with one on the crane, one underneath guiding gearbox and propshaft and the final one guiding the top/front of the engine and checking clearances. having said that I've done it a number of times on my own. Just means a lot more moving about.

 

Steve.

Sussex (West) AR

Not forgetting Percy the Polar Bear who recommends

Puddle Pet Care

[rj]

3 people is ideal

 

 

I think that a personal thing. I prefer to do it alone

 

As it has been said, cover all you can. I would also fit the gearbox mount to the gearbox before sliding the neck in.

[myothercarsa2cv]

If it's an S3, definately take off the alternator. Also, the manula lies - you can't fit the exhaust manifold before dropping in the engine. I managed to wiggle it on whilst lifting/lowering the engine once it was in the bay - you'll figure it out. I found sliding the propshaft in the gearbox a pain in the 🙆🏻, see if you can slide it a little out the way, though if an S3 this might not be possible... I just struggled on! If I did it again, I'd have put the engine/box in first, then the diff and prop.

 

John

_________________________

 

Bugsy: '82 2cv6 (Back on the road!!! 😬)

Talloulah: '08 1.6K Classic (Grubby )

[MarchHare2008]

If you are putting a k into a new metric chassis you might want to check whether Caterham have carried out a small "adjustment" to the starter motor housing on the bell housing. On my CDX build the recently revised passenger footwell (longer and deeper) fouled the bell housing at the bulge of the starter motor. Caterham's fix is to angle grind off 5mm or so from the bell hosing. Clearance is still very tight but not proved a problem since they fixed mine at the post-build check.

 

Re the alternator you can get away with loosening off the adjuster bracket and pivoting the alternator closer to the engine, no need to remove. The exhaust manifold should be fitted before engine is fully down on its mounting points. The main difficulty I have found is generally getting the prop shaft into the gearbox. in the current build manual I see caterham leave the rear dif/prop shaft until after the engine is in. I suppose it's easier to push the prop shaft into the gearbox than the other way round, if you see what I mean.

[Colin Mill]

I spent a bit of time getting the engine canted over to about the right angle as that seems to help the clearances. I just slacked the alternator off and pushed it inwards as far as it would go. I also found it less nerve-racking to move the car forward as I lowered the assembly in rather than move the hoist and set the engine and gearbox swinging.

 

I did a trial fit of the shaft to the box to check that no bits of paint etc. were going to make life difficult. (just as well as it needed some cleaning up before it went in smoothly)

 

 

 

Edited by - Colin Mill on 27 Jul 2009 17:16:17

[Titanium7]

Thanks for all the tips.

 

Has anybody else come across the clearance problem with the bell housing and the extened passenger footwell?

 

Mark (or anybody else) will it go in without the housing being ground away?

[MarchHare2008]

I got mine in but it was very tight and I had to leave the gearbox to chassis bolts in the tunnel undone and the 'box pressing against the right hand side of the tunnel. Caterham took the car away as soon as I had a rolling chasis (I followed the revised build sequence and put the engine in before building the rear suspension). There seemed no point in going the whole hog and filling the thing with fluids if they were only going to pull the engine out again. In the end I think they may have been able to do it more or less in situ, probably jacking up or lifting the engine but I don't think they took it out completely. I would certainly talk to Sharon Wilkinson at Caterham to see if the technical boys have an opinion.

[MarchHare2008]

One way to tell whether you might have an issue would be to look at the shape of the foot box on the passenger side. I compared mine with earlier build metric chasis and mine had a two part front face to it with a vertical section and a diagonal panel. The earlier chassis just had a diagonal panel. The new vertical bit at the top gives more room in the footwell but brings the box forward. Not a problem for the Ford but potentially an issue for the Rover.

[Titanium7]

Thanks Mark

 

A phone call to Sean at the factory confirmed that there is the same issue with the starter motor housing and the passenger footwell as you had.

 

After downloading your posted pictures when you had the same problem and five minutes with a dreadnought file I think the install at the weekend will be fine. Will post a message on how it goes.

 

Build Pics so far

http://rides.webshots.com/album/573505213YQaKKX

 

[MarchHare2008]

Should be fine then. Only other issue of any significance which I had was with the starter motor. The fitting on to the engine needed a bit of fettling. Caterham machine off a bit of the engine casing around the fly wheel to permit fitment of the starter. mine needed a bit more removed to get the spacer in place. Caterham Midlands (who did the post build check) then said they were not entirely happy with the way the starter was engaging and disengaging and, in fact this was causing a problem with the immobiliser as the current drain needed to spin the starter was fooling the immobiliser into thinking the battery was flat and immobilising the car.

 

Caterham midlands ended up fitting revised spacers on the starter motor. You might want to have a quick chat with Brett at midlands who sorted this out for me as he said it was a modification required on all K Series using the new, higher spec Bosche starter motor which they were fitting to engines now.