PeterM

Hi All. Good news and even better news. Starting problem fixed (many thanks Simon for advice). I'm too embarrassed to say what I had done wrong, suffice to say 'read the manual!. Engine started first time, ran like clockwork, heated up and purred along for a 15mins. Pic to showing gauges to prove it. Only lesson learnt that might help others; the Inertia Switch is very 'tender' (could be due the car being 'rigid' on axle stands). 2nd start didn't!, and IS needed to be reset. 3rd start didn't either until IS reset whilst ignition switch in Pos 2. On other hand, it could all be a coincidence. /sites/default/files/images/users/11787/Gauges%20%26%20Rev%20Counter%20on%201st%20Run%2015%20Mar%2015.jpg I haven't got IVA mirror stalks (as shown Fig 130 in manual) either

Haven't tried the engine since the rattling noise - still plucking up courage to slacken the starter motor fastenings and trying again. The ECU and 'lack-of on the shelf' comments noted with concern - do we think they have got a bad batch? Re 'sprung' fog light switch - I was making the same wrong switch comments (to myself) but found an explanations in the Owners Manual. Avoiding a 'pooh trap' for those yet to fit cycle wings. If you have slightly distorted/unsquare (to tyre) wing arms (I couldn't straighten mine) and follow the manual way you could end up with fastenings slightly out of line on the back end of the wing....... but the holes in the arm will be nicely lined up! Think about it before drilling from the underside of the wing, maybe drill one hole and then measure to drill the 2nd and then drill into the wing arm so the distortion is taken in the arm not the wing. Mine are slightly out on one wing (lesson learnt for the other) and it's annoying me!

Hi Simon - re my start button (which was first mentioned on my delivery day); rather shamefully in retrospect, I mistook the horn for a start button so I don't have one. Sorry, old age! Current message from Derek re starter is charge the battery right up, untorque the starter mounting nuts a bit and try again; this will allow it to realign itself..................getting to the nuts is going to be fun! On the plus side, all electrics working including self-fitted 12v socket.

Great going Simon. Incidentily, filling the diff is a lot easier if you lift the rubber grommet in the boot floor, which is right above the filling hole! In the interests of 'scientific research' for all of us I tried a start today; no joy. In fact there was a rather nasty 'rat-a-tat' from the starter area indicating that it's not being thrown in correctly. Might be the battery needing a boost charge in order to turn it faster. Anyway, Derek will be on the case tomorrow and I will let the 'blog' know. Also fitted the poppers to the rubber carpets/cockpit floor - no problems.You might be thinking that they are not needed and I queried Derek suggesting this, but he said they are and I think it must be an IVA safety item so they don't get under the pedals.

A current owner told me that if it doesn't start it is usually the Inertia Switch that needs to be reset. Is it possible that the inertia switch (on bulkhead behind the master cylinder) re-circs fuel back to the tank e.g. you would hear the pump going but no fuel would get to the engine. Simon - did you use an auto, tyre-air driven, brake bleeder. If so someone has 'blogged' elsewhere that he had to revert to the traditional 'pedal' method to get the final bit of air out of the system after using one. Me - I had a 'revitting' day on the interior panels and my hands and wrists ache!

I bought my 12v socket straight off the net. Got a push and twist one so the plug-in won't shake loose. Used standard crimped male and female spade connectors and heat shrunk the cables together to form a 'rats tail' off the loom connection. Tie wrapped it to the loom and it looks the part.

Hi Simon - I think it has, the pedal has 'settled' 10mm below the brake and, as the clutch plate spring is now influencing in both directions, it 'feels right'. Amazing though that fitting it has been left out of the latest manual draft and such a vital bit was not in our kits.

See previous blog - if anyone is in doubt whether they have this bit or not, this is what the Clutch Cable Retaining Clamp (which neither Simon or I got) looks like with a v small allen key in it. /sites/default/files/images/users/11787/Clutch%20Cable%20Clamp.jpg. Fuse Panel Cover fixed with black velcro and seems to be OK. Also used the hole in the cover to mount my 12v scoket, which also seems to work.

Dangerous ground Ned. Any advice given/taken that has not been endorsed by Caterham will/could invalidate the guarantee at the subsequent 'Board of Enquiry'. On the other hand, if they find something missing/wrong and it is not in the manual then they will be obliged to rectify it at their expense. For instance; now that I know the engine mount bolts need a spring washer then it will be on my 'snagging list' for the post build check and they can put one in at their cost and rectify any alignment snags that result due to everything else being bolted up around the engine; or indemnify me for any long term problems the lack of a spring washer might invite.

Likewise with the 160 meet - great idea. I am also booked into the L7 Club section of the Silverstone Classic on the Fri and Sat - anyone else?

Re Fuse Box Cover - picture below from Derek on how it fits for when future and current builders are ready. It seems that the box section goes towards the front, the flat section to the rear. In effect it's another 'trim panel' that happens to enclose the fuse box, rather than a fuse box cover per se. Martin- there should be no need to turn down radius arm sleeves, the right size is in there somewhere and it's difficult to get the wrong one in the worng place.

I too think there is something not quite right about the clutch cable/mechanism (and I had received a replacement cable as the one supplied with the kit did not have a clevis on the end!). Investigating further I see that the Jan14 version of the manul shows a Clutch Cable Retainer clamp at Fig 54 but the Aug 14 version (which I'm working to) doesn't, nor does Fig 55 show it. I reckon the lack of the clamp on the reverse of the clutch fork is what is making it 'sloppy'. Needless to say, an email is on the way to Derek! Re fuse box cover - haven't looked at it recently but I found a blog (might have been Andrew B's) that said it is retained by velcro (which I don't have) and does not fit like you think it should!

Simon - I have a hand written (by me) copy of the IVA Form as it was sent to me from Caterham. Give me your email address and I will send a scan. I now have an IVA date at Southampton of 16th April and waiting on a call back from 'Paul' at Caterham Aftersales Dept re a post build check. I shall trailer it up to Crawley; however I think you can hire car recovery type vehicles. You are allowed to drive it to the IVA centre - which most people recommend. Finished the back end today; back lights units a bit cheap and nasty but fit OK, albeit using self tappers through GRP!! Only point of note for future builders was a 'rats tail' earth wire coming from top right back of fuel tank IVA guide says 'tank must be earthed and seen to be earthed'. When asked, Derek said connect it to the nearest rear wing fixing bolt - which I have done, and wound green tape around it so it can be easily seen from below. /sites/default/files/images/users/11787/Back%20End%20Quarter%20View.jpg

Hi All, I received a Jan 14 manual in a bound form with the kit but am using a downloaded Aug 14 manual at the 'coalface'. Although the differences are mostly torque figures for the back axle fixings there are some minor word changes that have not been promulgated as amendments or, more likely, simply missed out in the newer version - like putting a sleeve in the top radius arm front end is not mention in the Aug 14 version. I think the part completed IVA form, + amateur build declaration + Cert of Newness came from 'After Sales' at Crawley; which I think is where the post build check will be done (in the new premises) not Dartford. Just to add more confusion to the likely tax figure; the part completed registration form they sent me says £55 registration fee and £145 tax for 12 months......................so when you've sorted it Martin, please let us know!

Martin - great to hear you are on your way. For photos see Ned's (or was it Simon) answer to my very same question earlier in the blog. Simon - taking the car off the axles stands is best done slowly, one, maybe two steps at a time. As you know,mine was on high, non adjustable axle stands and I felt in necessary to drop it onto (padded) bricks then lower it one brick at a time to avoid tipping it one way or t'other. At the front I used a trolley jack on the centre point under the front of the engine to lift (it balanced OK), at the back I took out one axle stand at a time. I have now put the car back on much lower stands to do mudguards and the interior. I have already applied for my IVA (using Caterham's excellent help with their 80% filled in application form) and have got the car 'accepted for test'.....and they have my £450. As recommended by Caterham I used 'ASAP' as a timescale knowing I wouldn't be ready for a few weeks yet, so I will be calling them soon to arrange a more definitive date at my preferred testing station (Southampton). I'm hoping the post build check can be arranged at (say) 2 weeks notice. And no, I haven't started it yet; haven't even connected the battery.........it's not that I'm scared or anything............!!

Sounds like you are expecting your track days to include a bit of 'bumping and boring' Simon. Point re oils - they only sent 1ltr of diff oil when 1.3ltrs are required for 1st fill. I have told Derek about this so subsequent supplies might be right, but I went to Halfords and bought another litre anyway. Didn't get my back wings fitted this weekend as the SS protection plates take longer to fit than expected. Two bits of advice for anyone else fitting these; clamps are needed, and use a 1/8" drill as the manual says as (although I used the correct drill) I think anything slightly larger runs the risk of pulling the rivet through the glass fibre.

Simon - I too am not that happy with the way the hand brake cables lie over the diff; particularly one of them rubs against the (seemingly) fragile diff relief valve when the axle is fully loaded. However, to lift and fix them a bit I used one of the 'special' tie wraps (can't see where else they are needed!) with a black plastic hose holder mounted on it. Tied around the axle about halfway between back plate and diff they make the lie of the cable a lot better. I thought about making a higher mount from the brackets removed from the speed probe and tieing that to the axle but decided it wouldn't look 'neat' so final solution may need to wait until post build check. Many thanks for the tip re black carbon sill protectors - they look the bees knees don't they. But I had some SS ones delivered with the kit (can't remember ordering them!) so I think I will stick with those. My diff and gearbox oils were delivered today. In the end they have sent Comma not Shell and an email that says they are the right oils - so they must satisfy the Caterham guarantee and will make DIY servicing a lot easier as Halfords stock it. I have put them in and found that the diff level plug is snagged by the Panhard Rod and the Gearbox level plug is real pig to get at. So I made a 'special tool' out of a bolt head and rammed it into a spanner to get up the small gap between gearbox and chassis rail. Thye also sent some more IVA edging as i didn't have anywhere nearly enough to go around the cycle wings. However, I'm going to start on the rear mudguards this weekend - so I can (unashamedly!) wait to see Simon's blog on the cycle wings before having a go at them.

It must be old age - I went to sleep last night visualizing oil coming out of the back of a gearbox as Ned shipped the engine at a 35deg slant......................!

Had the car on its wheels today in order to pre-load the rear suspension and torque up the fixings. Thought about the method in the manual (lower car onto back axle) but decided (like Simon I suspect) that it was too hairy with a lot of weight in the car. Weighed the car down to achieve 'kerb weight' by adding some fuel and using odds an sods! Torqueing up was no problem although the panhard rod axle end was v difficult to get at with a torque wrench. Next step is the mudguards. /sites/default/files/images/users/11787/Beginning%20to%20look%20like%20a%20car%202.jpg

Wheels and tyres arrived yesterday so they must have stock in - no gear and diff oil yet though. Simon - did you get the measurements of the first 2 holes to be drilled in the front cycle wings? 2nd picture is a drift made out of 60mm plastic downpipe to drift in the axle seals - it worked. The manual just says 'a suitably sized tool', but recommend don't try drifting them in with a less than full sized solid copper or brass drift, the seal casing is thin and it will distort - I know, I was that ham-fisted idiot. However, Caterham were very good and got me a new seal within 24 hrs. /sites/default/files/images/users/11787/Tyres%2003_02_15_0.jpg /sites/default/files/images/users/11787/Drift.jpg

Martin - many thanks for mentioning the upper radius arm inboard sleeve as it 'tweaked' a memory cord. The 08/2014 version of the assembly manual (which I have in the garage alongside the car) makes no mention of it so I didn't fit one. But the 01/2014 bound and 'glossy' manual issued with the kit does; and when looked at again regarding the 10mm and 12mm bolt fixings on each upper radius arm (that are the same bush size each end) it's obvious one should be fitted..................mine now are!

Welcome to the '160 gang' Martin. Lack of fastenings have become my problem. Went to fit rad on Tuesday, emptied the 'Cooling Bag' found the bobbins and washers but no nuts for each end of the bobbins. Tried fitting the air intake box today; found the screws to fit top of box to bottom are too short. You start to disbelieve your own eyes in the end and search every fastening pack before concluding that it's another 'picking' mistake. That said, they are very good at getting bits to you within 24hrs, it's just a bit tiring having to email Mr Fixit (Derek) every other day. Update on my fuel line; it should indeed emerge from the tunnel on the RH side not left. Caterham have said they will look at the way I have tied it free of the gearbox top and if required rectify it at post build check (at Caterham's expense). I have connected it though (it will come off without a special tool by the way) so will be able to run the engine in due course.

For Ned and others in line - Re access for wiring Econoplugs once the rad is in.....................I measured up and cut the wire from the repeaters and made a 'rats tail' with the free end. I then crimped a female 'bullet' connector on the end and wound the wire with heat shrink tape, fitted it into the econoplugs with the other 5 wires (not all coloured as the manual says I might add!), ran it up a heat shrink length containing the other wires so it comes out where the other wires come into the body, then tie wrapped it aft to just inside and above the upper wishbone. It waits there now for when I get my wheels and can fit the cycle wings. The tail coming from the repeater will get a male 'bullet' connector crimped on after threading through the wing strut. It will then plug into the female. Meanwhile I can get on with fitting the rad and intercooler without worrying about access to tidy up the wiring. And if I ever have to renew a wing it will be v easy to disconnect the repeater, cut off the bullet connector and withdraw the wire without disturbing the Econoplug. Not rocket science but 'every bit helps' as they say, and it might solve a similar problem for you.

Peter M's experience 27 Jan - the lower steerring column plastic bush came out for me as well but was reasonably simple to get it back in from the engine compt end so don't panic - but you will need to take the upper sterring column back out to fit. The top bush is quite difficult to get in (with Motolita wheel) and needed to be 'drifted' in - I used a copper pipe.

Simon - I have no marks on my wings for the 1st holes; only for the repeaters. In most phots it looks like the front stay aligns with the middle hole of the repeaters. Good luck and I will be following your every word!