paul_w

Hi Wayne - I'm sorry, but life has got in the way and I haven't been able to get to the workshop, hopefully this weekend. It is indeed a Ford 100E part and you can sometimes get them second-hand from old Ford specialists, though I think the cross bar piece might be different - mine doesn't have that fitted so you'd need to swap it across from yours. Mike Brotherwood does have one listed on his For Sale page so you could give him a call if you're in big hurry http://www.mikebrotherwood.com/ForSale.html though as I say I should be able to get down to my workshop this weekend. Last one I saw for sale was £125 mind you, so I think I'd want £100 for mine if that doesn't scare you off... Cheers Paul

I have one somewhere in my workshop, I can dig it out this weekend.

Pretty sure I have one at my workshop, I should be able to get there at the weekend to have a look.

It goes behind the upright and you have to cut a hole in the skin for it. There's no bush shown in the illustration in the Tony Weale book. I can get some photos tomorrow from mine if you want?

It goes behind the upright and you have to cut a hole in the skin for it. There's no bush shown in the illustration in the Tony Weale book. I can get some photos tomorrow from mine if you want?

does the standard 160 use a different set up? I've never looked underneath one but assumed they would use an A frame like all other live axle 7s since 1960!

although most DCOE set ups run with just the springs and weights clockwork advance, in theory some of the carbs/inlets have vacuum ports and if you take vacuum off all the ports and into a suitable plenum (to avoid the pulsing you get if you just take it from one runner) then you can run vacuum advance. Not many people seem to have much success with it though. I've been thinking about mapped ignition for my BDR, since it's on 45s and is reasonably cammy, and a clockwork advance can only ever be right for maximum cylinder filling at full throttle - the rest of the time it will be retarded from the ideal timing, which means worse fuel economy, running hotter, worse part-throttle response (though probably helps create the over-run popping!). How much worse is debatable, but I was chatting to someone at the Ricketts Racing Lotus day on Saturday who found his 155bhp crossflow was much more flexible when he switched to mapped ignition, and fuel consumption went from high 20s to low 30s mpg. Depends how you use your car, but I'm tempted - after driving it the length of France I'm definitely on cruise or part throttle a lot more than I'm flat out, and high-octane fuel isn't cheap these days...

They are available, but probably special order. - if Redline Components (Phone number 01883 346515 Email sales@redlinecomponents.co.uk) can't help, then I would try Xtra Special Sevens http://www.xtraspecialsevens.co.uk/index.html

Rob got back via WhatsApp really quickly - he doesn't have the clutch cable but good to know he's nearby (and how to contact him) for future reference. 2x clutch cables and a throttle cable coming from Caterham, and Alternator belt, plugs, rad weld, spare HT lead, and fuses and bulbs all acquired or on their way. Going to be a busy few evenings, but fingers crossed it's going to be ready

Thanks Anthony - I've messaged him as if I can get one today it will be better than trusting the couriers...

Just called the number, but I see that's the same as the Potter's Bar one. Maybe they have a new number but I can't find it anywhere if so!

Thanks Jonathan - RatRace are listed as 'permanently closed' on Google, and that number is invalid - shame, cause as you say, they are really pretty close by. I couldn't get through to Redline, but spoke to Caterham and they said it's the same as a live axle car as it's before the enclosed pedal box, so have ordered two and a throttle cable from them. It's going to be cutting it pretty fine as I can't go down to pick them up - hopefully they'll get here tomorrow...

Thanks Anthony, I'll add them to the contacts. Spent Sunday going through the car. The misfiring turned out to be a loose no1 plug lead, and the hot running seems to just have been due to the the system not being properly filled after new hoses were fitted. Plus the idle was way too rich so the plugs were fouling. Had a run out to Goodwood yesterday and it was night and day better - temps good, much smoother running - but didn't quite make it home so had to leave the car at a friend's place - sitting in traffic on the M25 I felt the clutch bite point suddenly drop, so guessing at a fraying cable I did as few gear changes as possible and arrived at my mate's in Golders Green with only a couple of strands still connected so decided to leave it there rather than risk getting stranded on the North Circular. The pivot at the pedal end was seized so it was bending the cable with each use, and the cable looks really old - I checked back at the paperwork from the restoration in 2016 and there is no sign of a new cable, so guessing it was re-used. I had been trying to get hold of Chris to order one as a spare to take anyway, but it's got a bit more urgent now!

That sounds right, and as Mike says the marks on the back of the sprocket/top of cam cover are for doing the ignition timing - they are TDC, and 10 and 20 degrees BTDC. Are you going to change the belt before you run it? The Cosworth belts are quite thin compared to modern production car belts and so any age related weakness could prove expensive!

Thanks all, some good tips and I've got a week to collect spares. Drove the car back from the specialist today (North Wales to London, through some quite spectacular thunderstorms) and it was misfiring quite badly and also running hot - not totally boiling over, but consistently 100-110 on the gauge so just nudging into the red. Made it back home, but the Eurotunnel is booked for first thing Saturday morning, so I'm going to have some busy evenings this week working out if there's anything fundamental wrong that means making other plans, or if it's just tweaks that are needed. The specialist changed any suspect-looking cooling hoses, but having read your other thread Anthony I'll check the system over carefully. I think maybe the misfire is an air leak around the carbs, but hopefully I'll work that out tomorrow. Tom, there is very limited space for wine, so I have come up with a clever plan in previous years - I've found that rather than carrying it in the car, I am able to store a great deal of it in my own body during the course of the holiday...