NeilCSR

Hi John, What model - Compact? And condition? Nei

Those headers do look beautiful.... I've removed the alloy plate underneath the prop shaft - not a stressed piece (confirmed by Arch) but should help air get out at the back and reduce the temperature of the transmission tunnel. Considering adding a bonnet scoop for the air filter, partly to reduce charge temperature but mainly to create airflow through the engine bay, albeit on the opposite side to the headers. All different 'tweaks' have helped reduce the underbonnet temp but still too hot. Don't want to remove the plastic deflector behind the rad - which is the obvious solution - as that would probably add lift to the front at speed. Neil

still going, next stop car boot sale next weekend.........

Not local - it's a Caterham press car - keeps on cropping up in YouTube reviews - LJ66 AYY

Hi Fraser, Sounds a bit familiar, although mine is a CSR (SV dimensions) and the problem occurred at a higher speed. I cured the problem by fitting a turnbuckle to the wheel arch / door so that when I'm solo the door stays put. Shouldn't be necessary but in mine - and I'm not the only one - it is. Seems that the design and construction of doors varies quite a bit and some - with shorter bracers are vulnerable to this. Check out the thread below: https://www.lotus7.club/forum/techtalk/passenger-door-blowing-back-extended-motorway-speed Neil

All as new, never used. Although a great jack, no good for use in confined space as gap between cams and pistons means that it doesn't start pumping until about 40 degrees of vertical ("they all do that sir" was SGS response). It's heavy, over 26Kg so pick-up would be preferred as carriage costs would be high. Axle Stands - take the weight, no problem, but when extended to max not stable enough when working underneath with all four wheels off. Footprint too narrow, but fine if not fully extended. Half new price for all - pick up from Wiltshire (near Marlborough) Jack - £60 Stands - £25 (inc. 6 x pads) Pics can be supplied if required Neil

Also have a couple of Arcan 2tn jacks, from Costco. Very good and fine under the cruciform with a decent plastic pad, but always go straight to stands once up. I did (mistakenly) get an SGS jack, but found it impossible to use in a confined space as the gap between the cam and piston was so great that there was no pumping until the handle was about 40 degrees off the vertical. The Arcans pump from pretty well vertical. Still got it, pretty well unused, any offers? Neil

Looking suitable prepared for the gloomy weather with hood up parked in the middle of the High St opposite Waitrose..... Local?

The turnbuckle mod (see p3 of this thread) is working fine, no problems since. I've done quite a bit of quick solo mileage since fitting the catch and the door has been fine at all speeds. Revilla is right about the different frames but rather than switch doors this mod is quick, cheap and it works. Neil

Used Permatex Ultra Copper on bikes exhausts over the years and it's excellent. Neil

Thanks for all the advice, I'll now replace with plastic..... Neil

Thanks for the advice re. plastic bolts (and nuts), any further advice re. spec of bolts and where to source? Neil

Why oh why didn't they use Stainless nuts / bolts / washers to fit the wheel arches? Or maybe they did and it's just my (factory built) car? A cry of frustration rather than anything else, an area that gets hit by every bit of water and salt going and is top of the list of potential corrosion places. Just dealing with the galvanic corrosion where the exhaust bracket fixes to the body adjacent to the wheel arch corner, ideally need to remove wheel arch to clear out a bit of corrosion behind the rubber strip, but all bolts and nuts are heavily corroded and well and truly siezed. Decision whether to proceed with removing wheel arch, drilling out seized parts and then reassembling with stainless items, or just try to bend the rubber back far enough to get at and deal with the (small) amount of corrosion behind. Probably the latter and add the wheel arch job to a future list as it will need to be addressed at some point. Guess this is fairly common, is there any advice about how to remove the wheel arches without resorting to major surgery? Neil

Thanks Jonathan, never had a mount break up before like this without any obvious reason, but it might have been something that isn't unknown in this model. Could just be a poor weld, or misalignment issue, but I'll examine it closely when it comes off and also check alignment when fitting the new one.

Just noticed that the no1 primary was almost touching the steering column. Checked and found that the weld on the RHS mount was partially fractured hence the engine making a bid to escape (see pic). Is this a regular fault? Road use so doesn't get bashed around, '07 CSR200 on about 19k. New mount on its way from Caterham, just wondered if this was a common fault or a one-off. Thanks, Neil

Just had my 2.3 Duratec (CSR 200) fitted with Jenvey 45mm bodies (THP45I) and manifold MF07 by Northampton Motorsport. Has finally cured the long standing low throttle problems (10% throttle and below) that plagued the car but has also delivered a healthy torque bulge from 4.2k up and now tops 234bhp at 7k. Set up on their rolling road, now runs smoothly with instant response, great for road which is main use. Neil

Suggestion: This thread, or the Map link should be a sticky? Neil

Hasn't attached very well - not the whole page. Fig 10.4.4 - Let me have your e-mail address and I'll send over the complete scan Neil

ECU change shouldn't affect the speedo. I've been battling with an erratic (and occasionally non-operational speedo for the past two+ years since I got the car. I also changed the MBE ECU recently and this didn't help or exacerbate the speedo problems The earthing mod at the rear - adding a separate earth to sensor does help but I've found that the mod that makes the greatest difference is to mount the sensor on a remote bracket. The original sensor position on my car isn't central with the ring, only just over half the sensor points at the ring, but by creating a bracket (I've used a piece of 3mm stainless) it can be pointed properly towards the centre of the ring. It now works just about into three figures. Previously, even when the speedo didn't work, the LEDs still flashed. What I've done isn't quite perfect yet, probably going to remake the bracket as the angle isn't quite radial, which I'd guess is why it doesn't work at high speeds. It isn't just the gap that is critical, the sensor field should be covered by the ring, and the sensor should be positioned pointing radially to the driveshaft axis. Neil

Re. siting of extinguisher, forgot to mention the bracing struts in the footwell of the CSR (see pic). Advice welcome re. how where to site in a CSR. Also - any experience of the gas extinguishers? Novec™1230 is used by Lifeline and Spa - much more expensive that AFFF but is the effectiveness worth the cost difference, especially when considering size/weight? Thanks, Neil

Don't have an extinguisher in the car at present, from past experience it's very worthwhile (stopped my Elan turning to a cinder years ago with a Halon extinguisher) so I'm going to put one in, but what sort would anyone recommend, and also where to fit? Three types - dry powder, AIFF (foam), inert gas. Halon (now illegal) worked very well previously, powder can be a nightmare and detrimental to electrics and foam isn't recommended for electrical fires, but with a cut-off switch that isn't so critical. Fitting? In previous Sevens I've fitted on the floor in front of the driver's seat - but with a lowered floor that's difficult. Between the seats on the rear panel? Any advice would be welcome, not that I'm expecting it to be used imminently, but it's good insurance. Neil

Composite pic attached showing turnbuckle as sited on the rear wing and as it is with the door closed. Keeps the shape of the door and it does seem to work OK. Neil

Turnbuckle now fitted to the furthest rear point of the door. Fine so far into three figures so problem appears solved..... Just have to remember to secure this when going solo! Neil

Hi Nick, All went well, thanks. Good to see you and thanks for your help. Hopefully took one step towards understanding and sorting the overheating problem which is becoming increasingly clear to be a combination of things. Useful session yesterday. The CSR got hot, very hot in the crazy Coventry traffic (pre and post was hell), but The Boss was hotter still.........! Great evening, how at 66+ he can do that? - want even just a bit of what he's on! Neil

Thanks for the comments. It's definitely overheating as there has been a dribble down the header as the pressure must have exceeded the limit for the cap. Also definitely the original rad which was seeping - pink dribbles on outside and inside of core in several different places The Zircotec coating has made an enormous difference and it's noticed first in the cockpit where, even on a hot day, the rails can still he held by hand. Very warm, yes, but nowhere near as burning hot as before. I didn't wrap the headers, done this before on bikes and it can be effective but it's never too long-lasting. Zircotec seemed to be a more efficient, tidier and permanent solution. I'm loathe to believe that the Zircotec has caused the overheating problem - as Jonathan says it moves the heat dissipation down to the exhaust and cat, but it was the only significant change that coincided with the emergence of this problem. Neil