Exhaust Primary catching cross member!!!!!!!1

[MikeE]

Just fitted my 1.6 Superlight (year 2000) with a new Powerspeed 4-2-1 exhaust over the weekend and I have a problem with the number 3 primary just touching the chassis cross member (the diagonal one which is just behind the sideskin and passes just over the primary exit point in the outer skin).

 

Now I'm going to call Powerspeed and let them know but a couple of points first.

 

When I tried to remove the old Caterham manifold (the one which joins up inside the engine bay) I couldn't get it to clear the studs in the engine block as it hit the same cross member first. So I had to remove the two engine mounting bolts, raise the engine slightly and then slide it sideways an inch or two.

 

Once the new exhaust was in place I reconnected the engine mounts. However when I refitted the other detachable cross member I noticed this was only just clearing the water rail by a 3-4mm and as mentioned before the number 3 primary was touching the outter diagonal chassis rail.

 

Now given the above, is the problem with my number 3 primary OR is my engine slightly displaced to the near side? (hence the new AND original exhausts and water rail being very tight). Is it possible to move the engine over a cm or so or are the engine mounts fixed in one position only?

 

Any advice greatfully recieved before I go and have a moan at Powerspeed.

 

thanks,

Mike.

 

Edited by - MikeE on 10 Feb 2003 10:12:39

[prs]

Mike, I had a few problems similar to this when fitting mine. In the end I decided to slightly re-shape the area of the primary pipe that was fouling the diagonal. I also did away with re-using the manifold studs and went for bolts instead as it made fitting so much easier, also I cut the primaries into separate pipes instead of two and two. On the plus side the change has been great, noticeable pickup, great looks and the sound well...........

 

Phil 😬

[tom7]

MikeE,

I too have just recieved my Powerspeed exhaust and can't wait to begin the fitting process. I seem to recall doing exactly the same as you during fitting of the original exhaust, not sure there is any other way with the existing studs.

I think the position of the water rail is predetermined by its attachment to the head, you would have needed to move the water rail out of the way in order to remove the original manifold, the relationship between head, water rail and manifold and removable X-memeber should not have changed.

 

I havn't yet got round to thinking about the chassis members behind the sideskin

 

As an aside, how did you mark out and cut the sideskin, did you use the template sent and was it accurate 🤔

 

prs - what bolts did you use, where did you get 'em.

 

Tom

[MikeE]

Tom,

 

You do NOT need to remove the water rail to remove the original manifold (at least i didn't on my 2000 1.6 K-series). However I did need to remove the two engine mounting bolts and shift the engine sideways by 1-2" in order to get the manifold off the studs given the lack of clearance with the (fixed) side chassis rail (and hence my concern about the water rail subsequently being very close to the removable chassis rail - I can't remember what the clearance was BEFORE I move the engine).

 

You should also be able fit the new manifolds without removing the water rail.

 

Having thought about it I would also recommend that you split the 1&2 pipes and the 3&4 pipes. This will make it much easier to feed them through the side skin and more importantly ease them into the collector.

 

Ref. the side skin template, I'd use this as an initial guide but you WILL have to enlarge it in certain areas. You can only do this once you've managed to feed the primaries THROUGH this enlarged hole and offered them upto the block (i.e take a first cut and then enlarge it on a trial and error basis).

 

If you have anymore questions just let me know.

 

Mike

 

Edited by - MikeE on 10 Feb 2003 16:07:49

[prs]

Tom, I've got a place in Hereford that specializes in nothing except fastenings nuts and bolts etc, can't remember what type they were know but it certainly improved access and being able to line things up. Splitting the headers into 4 separate pipes made a huge difference though and made aligning them into the collector easy, I checked this with powerspeed first and they said it was ok to do this if required. Phil

[allen]

It is also OK to put a few washers under the offside engine mount to cant the engine over slightly towards the nearside (or vice versa if necessary). Subject to there being enough thread on the bolt and nothing else touching anywhere.

 

allen