David.Ashley.Poole

Sorry, D., when i checked my messages I found that GN 10 had replied ten minutes before you... so I should give it to him. Golf November 10, I replied to your message but it failed to send - so if you send me your address I will figure out the postage. My email is David.Ashley.Poole@icloud.com.

Hello, You can get new straps from Soft Bits for Sevens - they attach to the roll bar mounts and have a quick release for the half hood.

I have both the original in the swirl tower and the later steel rod with the machined flat. They are both the same length. Cosworth apparently had problems with owners not keeping the oil tank full - it is a little difficult to check with either dipstick, but the steel rod allows you to see overfilling more easily, and that is what you going to (should) see when the oil is hot. It is, however, difficult to check especially when the oil is new and almost transparent, and 0W oil does not show up well. There is also a lot of controversy and folklore about the actual checking procedure, and Cosworth does not help. My analysis of the problem is as follows: 1. You cannot easily check the level when the oil is hot since it will be aerated - and the degree of aeration depends on the RPM used before checking the hot oil level. So the more RPM, the apparently higher hot oil level - but I do not think that the expansion of hot oil is a significant factor. 2. You cannot check it cold, without running the engine for some period, since the oil will drain down to the sump when the engine is stopped. 3. You can use the “add oil until it shows up in the catch tank” procedure, but it is hardly convenient. 4. If you only fill it to the mark, on either dipstick, when it is hot and aerated it will actually be too low. So my procedure is to start the engine from cold, and let it idle for three minutes. If you measure the oil level every 30 seconds after start you will find it stabilizes by two minutes, so it will all have pumped back after three minutes. The cold oil shows up much better - but you need to check it within 30 seconds of stopping the engine. If you add a significant amount and you want to re-check the level, then you need to repeat the procedure to pump the new oil up to the tank. I use a guide of one litre/1000 miles, so if I am going a long way I add oil during the trip as necessary - if you add too much it will show up in the catch tank, but I have never had that happen. Then I can check it again accurately the next time the engine is cold. I never use the later steel rod.... Comments and alternatives welcome, of course.

Momo Team Steering Wheel Wheel (280 mm) from my CSR (not sure if originally fitted). Very Good used condition but with no horn push or hub. New horn pushes are £20. A new Wheel,(with push) is £227.99 from Momo. £80 or offers plus postage, or collect from Weymouth or Dorset Seven meet.

I have a half hood (standard material) with a large 7 logo on the top. It has a stowage cover but does not have rear attachment straps. Collect in Weymouth or at the Dorset Seven meet, or you pay postage.

Hello Roger, I have been through similar issues with my CSR 260 when I changed the ECU to a new MBE 9A4. The original ECU has a 1 kohm pull-up resistor in the ECU. This brings the speed sensor line to 12 volts when the sensor at the rear wheel is open circuit - when it is closed the voltage drops in a square wave form. There seem to be two iterations - one with a separate external resistor, although I have not seen it. You can easily tell if the resistor is in place since there should be 12 volts with the ignition on across the sensor cable socket when it is disconnected. The external resistor is, I believe, under the dash in the speedo harness. The new 9A4 ECU does not have the pull-up, since SBD decided to use the pin (27) as an additional input - the original ECU does not use road speed as an input. So when I swapped the ECUs the speedo stopped working - and I added a resistor between a 12 volt switched line and the sensor line in a two pin plug and socket that I bought - I think - from Halfords. I soldered the resistor in (the wires were too small to crimp) and the potted it with silicone. You can use any 1 kohm resistor, but I suggest that you get a fairly substantial one (1 watt or so) so you can crimp the thing. If you need a wiring diagram let me know and I will email you one. So if you have 12 volts when the sensor is disconnected the problem is (probably) the sensor. If not, there is a problem with the wiring or the 1kohm pull up is missing - or pin 27 to the ECU is open circuit - though why it stopped in mid-flight is a mystery. Good luck.

Hello Adrian, I talked to Avon in 2017 and got this reply... I did not buy the tires, though, since I was diverted by business, etc... I hope that they are still available, but I have enough tread for the time being. I am not keen to move to the replacement, though. Let us know how you get on. On Dec 14, 2017, at 3:24 PM, Avon Motorsport <A2@coopertire.com> wrote: Hello David, Thank you for the email. James is currently out of the office. We currently have stock available of both sizes requested below. You can purchase them direct from us and the tyres can be despatched for a next working day delivery if ordered and paid for before 12 o'clock. The CR500 are only available in the one standard compound. Here are the prices again... 195/45R15 CR500 - £129.50 + VAT 245/40R15 CR500 - £166.30 + VAT Freight - Approx. £20 + VAT (per set) If you wish to go ahead with this order, I’ll need an invoice address, delivery address, contact number for both and some payment details. Hope this helps Regards, Faye Faye George Motorsport Sales and Administration Assistant Hello David. > > Thank you for your email, yes we are still making the CR500, but in less quantity now. 195/45R15. The price is £129.50 each + Vat. 1 x set of 4 will cost £20+Vat.. > > Kind Regards > > James Hutchings > Technical Sales & Service Technician > > E Mail: jhutchings@coopertire.com > Website: www.avonmotorsport.co.uk > Tel: +44 (0) 1225 357206 > Mobile: +44 (0) 7818 037314 <image001.jpg> Website: www.avonmotorsport.com

Andrew, i have been considering getting a new bonnet for my CSR 260 for some time - and I would if I could match the paint, which is that McLaren Orange and seems to be unobtainable. My present bonnet is mounted a little to close to the scuttle and has scuffed the paint. I have considered filing the rear catch mounting holes in the bonnet into a short slot, that would be covered by the retaining plates when they were pop-riveted, but have not yet done so. But a nice new bonnet from Arch with a stylish scoop may be just the thing...

Hello Andrew, There is a lot of interesting information on this site (http://csr200.blogspot.com/search/label/CFD) about an attempt to model the flow characteristics with a carbon intake using CFD techniques... but the results were not encouraging. He did do some dyno pulls with a “PX600 Airbox” installed, when he saw a big loss in power - but this is not what we have on our CSR 260s. I think that the biggest difficulty in any sort of intake trunking is ensuring that all intakes get the same mass flow. If this is not achieved the cylinders will be running different air/fuel ratios, and you stand the chance of running one cylinder into lean detonation or worse. The standard CSR air filter seems to ensure a more or less isotopic airflow around the intakes, and I have never seen any sign that one of my cylinders or plugs has a different mixture from the others. I think that you could probably get Arch to make you a bonnet with a nice looking scoop on it, but whether it would be better to use it to keep the underbonnet cool and use the present filter or to direct it into an intake trunking is anyone’s guess. But I would rather someone else experiment with it other than me - new Cosworth 260 engines are in somewhat short supply. So let us know how you get on, and Good Luck.

Hello Nick, True. But I also own a Morgan Plus 8 and the heater is truly wonderful, hood up or down. And although the Morgan goes well - about the same bhp as my CSR - it is a lot heavier, and it is not a CSR. So if I could boost the heater output of the CSR in winter I would be happier - so I think I will pull it all apart and see if Something Can Be Done. I would really like to use it in any weather, except when snow ploughs are out - which is not that often, I hope - here in Weymouth.

Hello Chaps, i talked to Caterham Parts about the difference in price between the CSR and S3/SV heaters and asked if there was any difference in performance. They said there was not, and the price difference was due to legacy. This implies, of course, that you can save over £100 by buying the CSR heater and fitting the S3/SV internal vent system.... If I ever get the time - and enthusiasm - what I would like t0,do,is fit the standard internal,vents and the couple the eyeball dashboard vents to fresh air intakes taken from the two NACA ducts at either side of the modern bonnets. I have not scoped the difficulty of such a modification yet...

Hello Mark, i will do just that - I fitted a new heater valve last year and just assumed that it was working. But it does not seem to be blowing very hard, so I think that I will have to investigate. And I am still consumed by curiosity about the difference in pricing...

Hello DrJ, i have always insulated the primaries - but you can only do this if they are made from stainless. If they are steel they will rust ferociously and not last long. I always used Thermo-Tec traditional and then transitioned to black when it came out. I also sprayed them with the insulating coating, which is supposed to provide some degree of waterproofing. But in heavy rain when I stopped in traffic it used to look as though I had a steam engine under the bonnet... but it did keep the cockpit cool and it reduces the thermal load on the engine from the radiant heat. The Thermo-Tec also used to look pretty ratty fairly quickly. The last time I used Titanium wrap with much better results. The present wrap has been on for about 18 months, and still looks pretty nice even after four hours on the dyno getting a new map - and it does not absorb water, so no more steam. There is supposedly some minor benefit in performance from keeping the gasses hot (and less dense) until they are out of the primaries, but the link below is to a test on a V-8 in the USA where they did not see any performance difference - but this is a hotly debated topic that may need its own wrapping... https://www.hotrod.com/articles/ctrp-1203-titanium-exhaust-wrap-wrap-it-up/#ctrp-1203-titanium-exhaust-wrap-wrap-it-up-005

Hello David, does your CSR have the integrated cockpit? I assume that the flat dash versions have the standard heater. I think that the I should really pull the whole thing out and see what is going on. I will also call Caterham Parts and see if they know about any differences in the two heaters, and why there is a price difference. Of course they may just change the price of the CSR unit to match that of the standard heater... and thanks to everyone for your comments. I find that with the ducted radiator and since I have insulated the primaries the cockpit stays cool even in the summer, so a little more heat for the winter would be nice.

Hello L7s, i have a 2005 CSR and the heater is definitely not as competent as it might be... it does not blow much air and what it does is not very hot. So I was wondering about the performance of modern Caterham heaters. The replacement CSR heater is just over £200 from Caterham Parts, while the standard heater is over £300 - and the question is whether the difference in price is due to a real difference in performance, or just reflects some pricing inertia. They look very similar, with the only obvious difference being the in-car molding. Oh - and I have replaced the heater valve and it is opening fully. Any comments or enlightenment would be very welcome.