Fridybrydy

Good afternoon, At present my 2003 R300 Superlight has Avon ZZS 185/55R13 on 6" rims on the front and Avon ZZS 215/55R13 on 8" wheels on the rear. Am I able to replace the rear tires only with Toyo Proxes R888R 205/60R13 as detailed in the table at the top of this topic

Any suggestions where I can pick up a new 1.8 k series 82 degree thermostat please?

Thanks lads, for all your tips and Ian for the photo. A picture paints a 1000 words. Cooling hoses arriving today.

Evening, Replacing the antifreeze every couple of years or so and after a water pump and cambelt replacement I've always had issues with fluctuating temperatures on my 1.8 k series. I honestly do believe it is still down to air in the system as perseverance seems to win ever time. You'll find lots of treads going back years on this issue, a great many regarding the best way to bleed the system. To this end I have fitted a bleed valve at the highest point in front of the small heater matrix and I think this helps but doesn't cure. I had ear marked replacing a number of heater hoses due to age, just afore the Taffia fish and chip run. However foolishly, after adding an email request for stock items from Caterham, (Three weeks was quoted, but nothing received), I did the f & c run (traveling from Yorkshire) without replacing the degraded hoses only to have the lower radiator hose give way on my return journey 100 miles from home. The AA (Actual local partner) came to the rescue with a replacement hose close enough to fit. He then spent the next 2 hours trying to bleed the system even doing a snift test to see if my head gasket had failed. Eventually, re-filling the system several times, top up from my bleed valve, massaging the hose at all points, opening and closing the heater matrix valve, running the engine with the expansion tank cap off and allowing it to overflow. After some awful sounding noises, air moving around the system, and it may be a bit by chance, he did get the system bleed. All hoses hot, all area's of the radiator hot (a good one to watch for). The car never missed a beat for most of the journey home with a steady temperature just over 80 degrees. About 5 miles from home I opened the heater matrix valve and the temperature dropped by about 40 degrees. Closed the heater matrix valve and the temperature rose to just above 100 degrees. Ahhhhh!!!. Any how, this is why I believe it is air in the system. I am shortly to take delivery of cooling hoses from KitCarDirect and therefore once more into the breach. I am however going to follow a tip from SM25T, and follow the instructions as detailed in Modifying the K Series coolant circuit by Ian Blakeman from LowFlying archive Sep-12. Along with replacing the thermostat (as I'm in there) and drilling a small hole in the replacement before fitment. I'll let you know how I get on. Will be post Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. God Save The Queen Perseverance Fridybrydy

Hi Ian, looked back in the loom as you suggested for inline crimp but it doesn't exist on my car. Thanks for your suggestion. Car is running fine now. Thanks David.

Evening all, Thanks very much for raft of info and offer of assistance. I had another go at the car this morning/afternoon and managed to get her fired up. I'll give you the story from start and hopefully finish of the problem. Initial problem, Laserline immobiliser disarmed with touch fob and ignition switched on. On pressing the starter button only a click from the MFRU. (Didn't know much about the MFRU in the begining). A local lad from the West Yorkshire and Pennines group kindly gave me a hand and he bypassed the immobiliser. The car then started. He then replaced the immobiliser the following week and the car started. Next morning, Laserline immobiliser disarmed with touch fob and ignition switched on. Initial run of the fuel pump was not heard, the car would crank but not fire. Placed a spark plug against the block while turning her over an had a really strong spark. With the plug being dry on removal I assumed no fuel was being pumped (Also not hearing the initial run of the fuel pump). Being we had disturbed the wiring up behind the dash in the area near the fuse block, I assumed we may have disturbed some wiring there. Having received some wiring drawings kindly linked from Jonathan Kay I investigated further. During my investigation I have found the following issues. Badly made connection where a 12v cigarette socket had been previously been spliced in causing the 12v to the brown/slate wire at the MFRU large connector to fail. (Removed 12v cigarette socket wiring and re-made original wiring). Bad connection at engine loom to main loom connector causing high resistance/intermittent continuity. (Re-wired to bypass connector.) Loss of continuity between the main loom connector and the fuel pump fuse in the cockpit. (Unable to find the cause of this, so re-wired from green/yellow wire coming out off MFRU large connector through an inline 10 amp fuse and onto the yellow/green wire into the inertia switch.) Bad connection between the large MFRU connector and the MFRU itself. Resolved using electrical contact cleaner. Several times after curing each of the issues she would start fooling me I had cured the problem only to fail again at a later date. Now I feel reasonably confident she'll start everytime. I am aware however, that the use of contact cleaner to fix the last issue is still a little disconcerting. The only way to more confidently fix this issue is pull the yellow/green wire out of the MFRU large connector and fit a new female termination and I don't have a tool for this. The male connector as part of the MFRU looks ok MOT in the morning. Thanks again for your assistance. Kind regards David

Evening all. Thanks for the responses. It sounds like mine will be a EU2 as my distributor is on the back of the head. I’ve had to knock the fault diagnosis on the head for the rest of the bank holiday. Will let you know how I get on when I resume the fault finding.

Update, just plugged everything back in, disarmed immobiliser, ignition on fuel pump had the initial few seconds run, great. Ignition and immobiliser cycled many times all satisfactory with the fuel pump initial run happening. Went and had a sandwich, came back without disturbing anything, disarmed immobiliser, ignition on, fuel pump did not run Aahhhhh. Disconnected and reconnected MFRU both connectors and now back at square one. It is so intermittent. Does anyone know where I can purchase a new MFRU please. Got to swap it out afore I go insane. David

Thanks for all the reply’s. Had her going yesterday after bypassing the main engine loom to main loom grey connector as this had very intermittent continuity. Then this morning re-taped and re-tywrapped all disturbed wiring in engine bay and behind dash wiring Went to pull her out of the garage and back to exactly same problem with the fuel pump not initially running on ignition on. So frustrating. Basically my car is wired as such. Small connecter at MFRU has green/pink wire that comes from ignition. Checked for 12v when ignition on ok. Black/purple wire is switched to earth via ECU. This operates a relay in the MFRU which switches 12v from a brown/slate wire confirmed at 12v to a green/yellow cable which then goes down to the main/engine loom connected, mentioned above, then back to the cockpit fuse box, through a 10 amp fuse, back out of the cockpit to the inertia switch, though the inertia switch and off t’ fuel pump. Had the MFRU off applied 12v and earth to green/pink and black/purple terminals and the relay operates with continuity observed across brown/slate and green/yellow terminals. Re-fitted and connected MFRU. Broke into wiring, connected 10amp inline fuse and wired from green/yellow wire coming out of MFTU to green/yellow wire going to inertia switch, no joy. Pulled large connector off MFRU and shorted between brown/slate wire and green/yellow wire and fuel pump ran proving wiring though inertia switch to fuel pump ok. Re-connected MTFU, and then monitered for 12v and temporarily fitted in-line fuse. Dis-armed immobiliser, switched ignition on no 12v monitored at inline fuse. To summarise, I’ve had a new immobiliser fitted and the car fired up. Next morning, she wouldn’t start. Just a click. Then bypassed grey connector and she started. Then this morning, as soon as I put the ignition on I knew she wouldn’t start as I didn’t hear the initial running of the fuel pump. I’m now going back out to the garage to try and figure out why the fuel pump relay is no longer energising from the ECU. Any divine inspiration? Thanks David.

Good evening all, My 2003 K series R300 won't start. Looked like an immobilser fault so had it replaced with a new item. On immobiliser unit replacement car started fine, however next morning back to exactly the same problem. Now from running the car for 6 years I know once the immobiliser has disarmed when I switch the ignition on, I hear the fuel pump run for a second or two and then when I hit the starter button she fires up. The problem is now, when the immobiliser is disarmed and I switch the ignition on, I no longer hear the fuel pump briefly run and when I press the starter button I only hear a relay click in the MFRU. I say that but on one occasion since the immobiliser replacement, the fuel pump did briefly run and she fired up. Anyone got any idea's? Thanks in anticipation David

Thanks lads for your kind comments

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Anyone know of a place in West Yorkshire I could have the cambelt auto tensioner as fitted to by 1.8 K series engine, replaced with a manual tensioner and expected cost? Thanks

Thanks lads, looks like the Caterham bleed tee is the way to go. I think its a little bit more perseverance on my part. While awaiting for a Caterham bleed tee to arrive. I'll have a bit more play about tickling the hoses and following your sound suggestions. Many thanks David

Just had the cam belt done and at same time the water pump on a 1.8 k-series. Before the pump change she ran at 82 degrees C no problem. Now temperature fluctuates between 80 and just shy of the red line. Now from experience of changing the antifreeze 2 years ago and having the same problem, I am aware of airlock issues. Last time following previous posts I bleed the system by removing the hose at the top of the heater manifold. I'm afraid it hasn't worked this time. I've also tried the tip of raising the front of the car as high as possible and bleeding the system from the top radiator hose. Again to know avail. Anymore suggestions? Will the airlock eventually move it's way around the system and somehow self bleed. I am a little nervous when she's running just under the red line. Cruising on the motorway she'll read about 110 degrees C, but riding around down she will start fluctuating between 80 and 120 degrees C and I wouldn't say gradually either. Letting her run in the garage will see the top radiator hose get hot first with the bottom hose eventually getting hot and then some time after that the fan will eventually kick in. During this process I will see the header tank fill from the max line to almost blowing out through the header tank cap. What is the direction of flow of the water? I assume the thermostat is opening as the bottom hose gets hot. Just a point to note, my temperature sender wasn't working when I got the car back but noted the single cable to earth had been detached which I reattached and the gauge now reads fine. Also, it sounds like the location of my temperature sender may be different from others as it is fitted between the heater manifold hose and the hose that disappears under the roller barrel throttle bodies to the thermostat housing Car is a 2003 Superlight R300 with a R400 upgrade Kind regards .........David

Thanks David. The replies i am receiving to my post are giving me more confidence. As a side matter, i will replace the water pump at the same time. Would you know if I am to put the replacement water pump face o ring in dry, or apply a small amount of grease (lubricate it)?

Thanks rj, I'll give it ago this weekend

Thanks RJ, first cam belt for me so a little nervous. Apparently, there are no daft questions so here goes. I assume I am to access the flywheel by removing the starter motor?

Good morning. I was wondering if anyone in the Brighouse West Yorkshire region had a K series 1.8 non VVC engine flywheel/crankshaft locking tool I could borrow/purchase? I need to replace the cam belt and would feel more reassured if whilst removing the crankshaft pulley, I was certain the crank shaft will not be able to move. I have the cam shaft locking tool. Kind regards

Our lass has persuaded me to look into acquiring a draft reducer to fit our 2003 Superlight R300 SV as per those sold by 'Softbitsforsevens'. Does anyone have an unwanted one I could look to buy?

Hi John, Again thanks for the link David

Hi John, Now received all the parts from Merlin Motorsport. Pardon my ignorance, but how is the braided hose attached and secured to the fittings? Thanks David

Thanks Roger, Just wondering who would be the first to spot that. Sorry, should read 0-100 PSI Thanks for the insight into the backlighting David

Thanks to all replies. I have decided to use a braided gauge line option and have 2 options with a £12 difference in price for the kits Kit 1. Think Automotive - Using a Mocal 0-100 bar gauge and braided line Kit 2. Merlin Motorsport - Using a Stack 0-100 bar gauge and braided line Has anyone any knowledge of build quality, reliability and performance of either? Thanks David

Thanks John, Thanks very much for the parts list. I'll investigate the cost of parts and compare against the quote from Think Automotive Much appreciated David