Toby S

Sorry to be thick - what does ATB stand for 

Looked on google and there are circa 150 acronyms to choose from - my favorite looking down the list is if "After The Bang" so far

I agree with copper silicone - I used Permatex 81878 Ultra Copper Maximum Temperature RTV Silicone Gasket Maker on my VHPD exhaust fitted to 1400 Supersport and it seems to work OK

The picture looks weird to me as on my 1992 dedion arrangement the ARB and the linkage is over the top rather than underneath with the ARB stretching just under the boot front floor

Out of interest when did it change to under and why ? No doubt one for Jonathan

Sorry - that was to you post on page 1 Brummy jen spanner

or indeed Brummagem which is a real word shortened to Brum  

Aka  the old Longbridge Screwdriver

Best tool in the box

Can definitely recommend Big Red in Worcester.

Got the original front Girling Calipers rebuild and also painted in yellow to match the nose cone by Big Red and they have done a really good job all new pistons seals and everything - looked like new callipers when I picked them up  -cost was circa £200 including the painting.

Looked at some Rimmer Bros OEM callipers at circa £80 - sent them back as can't say they looked concerned quality didn't look that good - seemed to be heavier than the original Girling callpers and I thought the finish on them looked poor

Was in the black with yellow nosecone parked at side and gave you a wave

Nice day for a blat

The Aston is the spit of one I was offered by a friend of my Mum and Dad when I was 23 back in 1989 after his sight had gone and he had to give up his license - I foolishly turned him down and bought an RX7 instead - he offered it to me for £14k - what a mistake-aa to make-aa.

I suppose I'm most  surprised at the flow rate on the Cream injectors on the MPI/VVC EU2 which mainly would have gone into the 1400/1600 K series I guess - seem very high (certainly for a 1400)

Same set up and tyres  as 7 wonders - 18 psi all round on 1400 Supersport for what its worth

Must admit on my 1992 supersport, I've always managed to disconnect the white block behind the hazard and also the headlight and other switches and get the switches out (as well as the big white block you'll also have 2 other wires at the top and bottom of the switch which powers/earths the nightime illumination which can be a bit fiddley when refitting and you can get a short and blow a fuse when refitting if you're not careful)

Once out I've dismantled the switch (they are just clip together) to clean all the inner copper workings - they are both fairly simply switches and typcially a clean up of all the copper bits (sliders and contacts) does the trick and gets them working as good as new

Mine is a 1400 Supersport - Must admit for most of the time it reads around 82-85 in normal conditions, but during the heatwave over the last few weekends I noticed it generally running a bit hotter around or just below 90. I have bled the system a couple of times thinking there must be an air lock, but that hasn't changed it

Fan cuts in at 92 and cuts out a 88/89 degrees and I've noticed it needing to work much harder (staying on longer) in the hot weather when stuck in traffic which doesn't surprise me given the ambient air temperature - gave the radiator a good brush to remove dead flies the other day which seemed to help things slightly

Hopefully you've found it and its the only one - in the end I had 3 separate dodgy connections and as good union men they took it in turns which one to play up

Check all your connections around the ignition barrel/ignition system - I had a similar problem on my K series and eventually tracked it down to that

Cheers guys

Yes its a cable drive speedo (VDO speedometer) not electronic - I'll get it up in the air and take a better look

Good idea re speedo Jonathan

Hi All

I've got 2 problems which have developed over the last month or so and want to check if they are possibly linked;-

1. Speedometer, which runs off the gearbox (1992 Supersport with type 9 5 speed), has started to waver up by circa 5-6 mph at up  to 60 mph and then holds steady once above this speed
2. Following this, a few weeks later (last weekend and again this weekend whilst on reasonably long blats - 50-100+miles) I've had 2 or 3 occasions where the box has jammed in 3rd at fairly high revs  when I'm going for a change up to 4th. Engine seems to be fully disengaging with the clutch action, and once I've scrubbed off enough speed and the engine revs have dropped a bit and I've dipped dipped the clutch a few times again, I have be able to change gear both up and down as normal and proceed as normal

I've managed to get under the car to a certain extent this evening (although only high enough through trolley jack and axle stands and I'm no slim Jim) and felt the speedo cable and angle drive which don't seem that tight into the gearbox (can certainly wiggle them around a bit), but whilst doing this noticed it seemed pretty oily around the gearbox and angel drive and cable.

I was wondering whether it may be possible that the angle drive for the speedometer has managed to get dislodged and lose an oil seal or something and I have lost oil, and the gear jamming problem is resulting from resultant low oil levels in the gearbox.

Planning to get it up on the ramps of a friendly garage so I can get it high in the air to have a proper look, but thought in advance I check on your collective knowledge gentlemen whether I'm may be on the right track or whether its more likely they aren't linked and something more sinister is causing the gear jamming.

P.S. Thrust bearing on the clutch has always been a bit noisy/rattlely when foot off the clutch - I've never been that comfortable with it, although its done more than 12,000 miles like that and I've had no engagement or disengagement or indeed clutch slip problems and that's still the case

Thanks for any thoughts in advance

Interesting

Following a number of years where the starter was troublesome when hot (didn't even get a click sometimes), and or fuel pump wasn't priming when first turning on,and to top it all intermediate cutting out issues when warm/hot  and wouldn't restart until cool (if at all) - the intermittent nature of any of the above faults was  getting more regular and becoming a major pain in the neck -   - I finally spend some time sorting it earlier this year. For me

• Had the starter checked - starter itself was fine but the solenoid was fried and also the cowling was rattling as one of the bolts had sheared and it was possible it was causing the electrics to short out - had starter refurb with a new solenoid - £85 
• Whlist the starter was away being refurbed wrapped the exhaust primaries from the head to the side skin to keep heat down in the engine bay and in the exhaust system to improve flow.
• Also wrapped heat resistant material (one layer) round the starter when it got back (not tight) concentrating on the solenoid  - my engine doesn't take excessive amount of cranking - typically a second or 2 - bloke who re-furbed the starter recommended it given the position of the solenoid and the exhaust primaries (admittedly he wasn't a Caterham but starter motor specialist)
• Previous owner had already done the relay job referred to #5 a number of years ago but changed the relay just to make sure (new one was only a few quid)
• Also checked the main battery thick leads - positive and negative - mine were getting quite brittle (30 year old car) and I replaced all main leads from battery via FIA switch with upgraded thickness and also all earthing leads
• Finally found an intermittent drop in connection at the ignition switch barrel end and replaced with a Longacre dash mounted ignition/starter switch and re wired the under dash ignition wires whilst I was about it.
• Had tested battery, alternator and FIA switch prior to starting the work and had already eliminated those as possible problem areas

May have been a bit OTT, and I should imagine there were various faults causing the different issues but done circa 2,500 miles since doing the work and nothing untoward as yet, hot or cold and starts on the button (and more importantly no cutting out issues) - blats of between an hour and 5-6 hours

Not sure how old your car is, but if anything like mine, the electrics do get a bit tired with age and you may end up with a number of issues working in unison like I did. 

Thanks Steve

Can I have first dibs on under dash end trim panels and handbrake gaiter

PM sent

Gunson Eazibleed for me too - I've used it both with fluid in the bottle and without and it worked fine each time - make sure you choose the correct cap as there are a couple which seem pretty similar - for added securtity (especially when beleeding it with fluid in the bottle), I also strap the cap down once fitted and tight with a couple of old cycle toe clip straps either side as a precaution to lessen the pressure on the the threads  

Not quite sure what they've done to the front - outer most spots don't look right and I think that looks like a Mk1 grill (could actually be a mk1 front bumper and spots as well as  that's where the spots went on the mk1 where indicators were higher up the wings) - they've also taken the half spats off the rear wheel arches (which they did for racing for wider rear wheels).

Nice to see it with wires though

Read through the thread with the various suggestions - thought I'd pass on my thoughts, although this is for a 1992 1400K Supersport kicking out circa 135 brake.

Definite thumb up for flat flooring/ corner weighting and getting the set up professionally sorted which has already been mentioned and would put that equal first with wheels and tyres

Re wheels 13 inch every time - with decent level of tyre profile - I have 6.5 inch rims and have found 205/60 R13 rear, 185/60 R13 fronts R888R's for me work really well at 18psi when cold.

Springs and dampers - My Bilsteins were leaking on the front and needed either rebuilding or  replacing (likely MOT failure) - also when I bought the car it had been set up for track use and had 300 Ib springs on the front 200 ib springs on the rear which were a bit firm for the road to say the least (fine on a billiard table surface) - swapped the springs to 250 Front and 150ib on rear (some even suggested going down to 125/135 on the rear and  a bit lower on the front) and replaced the Bilsteins with Protech adjustable shocks.  I've subsequently found the set up  very good for road and suits the car much better (certainly better than the Bilsteins and stiffer springs they replaced, although like I say the Bilsteins were past their best and was it the lower spring rates or the shocks which improved the handling the most is anybody's guess) - definitely  checking spring rates though if car has been set up for track use - may like mine not be suited to road. The dampers and springs were very reasonably priced to boot (springs and shocks together were circa £500 for all 4 corners so cheaper than replacement the Bilsteins, albeit that was 5 years ago)

No doubt the more expensive options (Nitrons/others) may be technically better performers, but for me I couldn't really justify the extra cost for the road where you're not pushing the car to the limits - I'm also a tight arse accountant. 

Thought I'd pass in case there's any interest

.

As SM25T says re grease, and work it into the bearings rollers although best to use high temperature grease - CV Moly I think it's called

Must admit, and I know its a bit corny,  I go for the full Biggles attire with my Brooklands screens

Brown leather aviators flying hat I got from Holden vintage and Halcyon type 49 goggles and ear plugs  and then a buff around the neck and chops if cold. Suffered a glancing  bird strike a couple of years ago and it gave a bit of protection (not much) and I was glad it wasn't anything bigger than a sparrow

Occasionally use just sun glasses (wrap around cycling ones) with a buff pulled up over nose and mouth  and then bear head - feel a bit exposed.

The skiing helmet idea seems a sensible one and one whihc probably should be encouraged (for the above reason), but when has sensible and 7 ownership been seen in the same sentence

I must admit the handbrake on mine is only used twice yearly, firstly the weekend before the MOT to check it works and holds and then then at the MOT itself - again under the dash and when I'm strapped in I can't reach it !! - I tend to just leave it in gear if on a slope