Gloucestershire AR

Very nice - and looks to be a good price too.

Epiphone is part of Gibson so you're buying a cheaper version of Gibson's SG guitar but still very well made and I'm sure plays great (some pro guitarists use Epiphone too so don't worry about the budget brand image!).

Blackstar is a British amp manufacturer, again with a good reputation.

Hope it goes to a good home. Unfortunately my wife says I already have too many guitars... :-) 

Thanks all - I run ali hubs with Ford studs (supplied by James Whiting) and have now upped the torque from 45 to 55 lbs ft. Will think about upping that to 60 or 63 (sorry Newton metres always confuses me!).

Good news! Switched the wires at the sender and everything now works OK.

Thanks both for the suggestions - I really don't understand electrics!

Thanks again.

Helpfully (!) both wires appear to be black...

Is the earth the one to the centre of the sender, or the one attached to one of the bolts holding the sender in?

What would happen if I swapped them over?

Puzzled... 

After some repairs on the car that necessitated removing the tank, the fuel gauge is not working. The needle comes up off its stop but reads empty even though the tank is/was full. I've since driven 90 miles and no real change.

The needle also from time to time now twitches but never goes up to its correct reading.

Is this likely to be a faulty sender or faulty (VDO - it's a 1998 car) gauge? 

If the sender had been rewired incorrectly (the wires switched) what would be the effect then?

Thanks all! 

What's the breather fitting on the (ali) fuel tank breather?

Thanks.

Thanks Tazio - much appreciated.

1988 car with Ford studs and Caterham 8 spoke wheels. Have always run 45 ft lbs torque but it's been suggested that's too low.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

I had endless problems with exhausts leaking at the manifold/head interface and even good gaskets didn't help. So I used a Perma-Grit block:

Perma-Grit SB280 SANDING BLOCK 280mm Coarse/Fine Double Sided Tungsten Carbide | eBay 

...to flatten the steel manifolds. It worked!. 

Andy

I had endless problems with exhausts leaking at the manifold/head interface and even good gaskets didn't help. So I used a Perma-Grit block:

Perma-Grit SB280 SANDING BLOCK 280mm Coarse/Fine Double Sided Tungsten Carbide | eBay 

...to flatten the steel manifolds. It worked!. 

Andy

I run a Radtec in the crossflow and when I asked them what antifreeze to use they recommended Bluecol. They said they had a qualified chemist working with them (I think as a consukltant) and that was his recommendation. But as you say Jonathan, the engine may dictate what to use. Maybe ask Radtec about both the repair and what antifreeze to use - certainly they were very helpful when I spoke to them. If they do repair it, they may also be able to tell you why it might have failed.

Good luck sorting it!

Lower if you run an Ital axle (Triumph PCD) car with the thinner (11/16 rather than 3/4 from memory) studs?

Having competition numbers on your car suggests your car is in a race or competition and racing on the highway is illegal so you are providing evidence your car is competing illegally on the highway.

So you could be guilty of an RTA offence and it may also invaildate your insurance (another offence...). You may also be bringing the sport into disrepute and therefore could suffer sanctions from what we used to call the MSA.

At least that was always my understanding!

Plus, it's just naff! :-) 

With different width wheels and asymetric tyres, the ideal is probably to carry at least four spares...

Or RAC...

Or have a neighbour with a key who can grab a spare and bring or post it to you.

Ideally, there'd be a nationwide system where you'd message them and a wheel and tyre would get to you within an hour or two.

Dragon's Den idea?

Andy

Call me an old CF tart but I rather like them :-), and (narrowed) CSR wings too. Here they are on my '88 S3. Do they make a difference? I've also enclosed behind the nosecone, the transmission tunnel (short cockpit cars had that and I'm sure the car felt tauter with it), the rear A frame and added a rear diffuser (which also protects the ali tank) and am convinced the car feels more stable at higher speeds with that lot. Besides I like the look! 

Best advice is probably to seek out a local 'old fashioned' garage (not sure which part of the UK you are). Kenricks are very good (and lots of Caterham experience) and if you're local to them, may be worth having a chat to them. But any older mechanic used to old Ford Escorts and the like will be ideal as they will use their experience to find out or know what's wrong rather than any technology (of which there ain't a lot on a Crossflow!).

Crossflows do often pop and bang on the overrun anyway - depends how they are set up and worse if there are any exhaust leaks. Which plugs did you fit? I use NGK BP7ES and they cover most road situations. Anything with an 8 may be more competition biased and anything with a 6 may not be suitable. 

I suspect this is nothing major and wonder whether a carb balance (as suggested You Tube is helpful) may be a good starting point?

Good luck - great car and great engine too.

Andy (fellow Crossflow-er)

I run 98 in mine auyt. He could try 95 but any suggestion of pinking (make sure he knows how to recognise the knocking noises!) and switch to 98 and don't labour the engine or rev it hard. I think too the engine will run cooler on 98? But a proper engineer can confirm if that's the case. Some fuels - eg BP - are 97. My opreference is Shell and the engine was mapped on that.

Worth carrying round a bottle of octane booster too as 98 isn't always easy to find everywhere, even in the UK.

Andy

Hi Ian

I'm about to switch to lower headlamps - are you in a  great rush (it will probably be a couple of weeks before I do it)? Live just over the Oxfordshire border in North Gloucestershire.

​Andy

...and engine compartment. Easiest to do before you put the engine in. Makes it look good too.

Well done Shaun - very nice description and great results. Thanks.

...oh and I always try to carry racing fireproof gloves in the car (7 and tintop too). Gives some protection and means you can touch hot things with a few seconds of protection. Not foolproof but burns to hands can be tricky to mend and, unless you are Django Reinhardt, playing guitar with burned hands is not so good.

Andy

Not sure if it's been mentioned but a kill switch on the car is useful too. It kills all electrical circuits and so can help stop a fire being fed. Checking to see all electrics are off was the first thing I was taught as a fire marshal back in the 70s. Easy to overlook in the heat (sorry) of the moment.

Andy

Looks very good. I've not proofread it (we do this professionally so I can't resist usually!) but one minor spot - should be let's (short for 'let us') not lets in the headings please.

Can't wait to read the whole thing. Well done CC.

Andy

Yes, exhaust gaskets are a pain. I found the 'competition' gaskets to be useless for cylinders 2 and 3 but use a set from Vulcan Engineering. They're quite thick but seem to work OK. Just more expensive!

Anyone else found a good exhaust manifold gasket set? Maybe the heavy exhaust system and vibrating engine just kill anything that's not up to the job?

Andy