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Planning chassis mods for BEC


Violet Elizabeth

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Provisionally booked into Arch in September for the chassis mods for my planned Yamaha R1 engined Caterham.

 

Trouble is we have no idea what mods are required.

 

What would people suggest ?

 

Get the engine dimensions and measure ? Try to mock up the engine (cardboard ?) ? Or just bite the bullet and buy the engine and have a play ?

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Yup, buy the engine, dangle it in roughly the right place and try to see what works. Alternatively, make a full 3D CAD model of the chassis, buy the engine, made a 3D CAD model of the engine, and play car building in cyberspace. Personally I'd tend towards the latter as although it's a faff, it does mean that you can get all the prop angles optimised. Probably overkill though.
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p.s. If you're not using a mechanical reverse box and having a prop with a centre bearing, getting Arch to put some brackets for the centre bearing in the right place could also be handy. You can get the centre bearings from Bailey Morris (they're not pricey, but if you send them back when you order the prop they'll give you a modest discount) and the one to use IMHO is the newer style Transit bearing.
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Where abouts are you Nodger. You are welcome to take some pics / measurements from my R1 engined Phoenix. You could probably get Arch to adapt one of ST cradles so that you just hang the engine in the bay.

 

I've had my car on track with sticky tyres and lots of abuse only got an all bikes windage plate and never any sign of oil surge.

 

Cheers

 

Jim

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If I was you Id get the engine.

 

Decide exactly what you want to do about the reverser (I'd use a nova one to keep as near FB spec)

 

Talk to Bruce about Prop Angles (but there may be only so much you can do)

 

Consider having a removable side panel (as it will make having the Zorst fabrication cheaper and avoid having to remove the engine again)

 

Have the engine built in at arch.

 

I'm not sure its the right choice to go 04 R1

 

I'd use the 02/03? GSXR.

The gear ratios are good, they make great power and you can get a Dry Sump and Prop Coupling from Nova. They are a proven unit.

 

Just my 2p

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

See My Caterham Fireblade Here.

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An '04 R1 would be very expensive and no-one yet knows if they will work without a dry sump. Don't think I'd want to be the one to find out.

 

The gixxer lump would be a very good alternative especially now you can get a dry sump for it.

 

On the reverser you'll find no consensus. If I was starting from scratch I'd go for an electric reverse if I could get a Blackbird Motorsport-style "press a button and go backwards" solution. The weight savings are marginal though but I'd do it to remove a potential failure point from the drivetrain. Nova reversers can fail - mine just did.

 

 

 

Martin

www.caterhamblackbird.com

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Nova reversers can fail - mine just did.

 

Was that with the old style chain? Or something entirely different *thumbdown*

 

As Nick Addison found out; they've recently respecified the chain because of the possibility of failure (although you probably already knew that *tongue*).

 

Pear shaped

 

Edited by - Peardrop on 4 Jul 2004 09:25:18

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Hmmm, the GSXR is not one I had considered.

 

It is quite a "tall" lump though, as opposed to the '04 R1's tilted over look. Wonder if it will fit under the bonnet ? Guess dry sumping would help that.

 

Damn, more things to think about *confused*

 

Was think about not putting a reverser in, and then seeing how it goes. Chris from Z-cars reckons that none of the mech reversers are reliable. Wonder if an electric one would be retro-fittable in the case I find I need it ?

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Noger: an electrical reverse would be retro fittable - have a word with the kit car workshop. You don't need a reverser (unless you plan to race it) and I considered not fixing mine. But I decided that it would be a major pita to live without it especially in the public car park at the ring on a busy day.

 

Peardrop: I don't know if the chain in my reverser was the old style or new style - they don't actually look that different to me. Both made by Regina. But it was a cracked roller that caused the problem leading to a totally jammed selector (in forward luckily). I have a theory, not based on any particular engineering knowledge, that the lack of a tensioner on the chain allows it to flap about when not under load (ie going forwards) causing rollers to strike sprocket and eventually crack. I'll tell you in a few thousand miles if the new one lasts longer than the original.

 

Martin

www.caterhamblackbird.com

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Noger: I too am tossing up between the 'blade and the gixxer. Each has its own merits.

 

>

 

If you ever do make your mind up *tongue* do you mind if I drop in (perhaps I could lend a hand); you're not too far away from me. Maybe I can learn from your mistakes *wink*

 

Martin: you've obviously seen Nick's page; it's 'cos of the rollers that they changed the spec of chain. I'll be interested to hear how it holds up *thumbup*

 

Pear shaped

 

Edited by - Peardrop on 4 Jul 2004 21:15:50

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Have discounted the blade - I like to be different *smile*).

 

R1 doesn't need the dry sump, but then having the dry sump could may be an advantage for fitting purposes. Bit more bhp out of the gixxer. Hmmmm.

 

It will probably come down to what engine I can get a decent price. Have to make a decision sometime ! You are more than welcome to come over.

 

Edited by - Noger on 4 Jul 2004 19:02:15

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Be sure to check the tilt of the engine, apparantly it's quite fundamental with the R1 (carb efficiency I believe). And if you haven't got a copy of the R1 manuals (pdf) a can email them through.

 

Graeme.

 

________________________________________________________

graeme finlayson / tyre warmer / fluke motorsport

graeme@fluke-motorsport.co.uk / www.fluke-motorsport.co.uk

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Its probably a stupid idea, but if you were to reverse the feed into the starter motor while in gear, would this not provide a reverse ???? If only used sparingly.

 

(Its not just my stupid idea, we were all talking about it at the Oxford meet last month.

 

 

well o.k. two of us were) *wink*

 

Mikey UC

 

 

 

Edited by - Mikey UdaleClarke on 5 Jul 2004 14:25:54

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