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Plug for Chris at Redline he’s sorted me with the Bilstein and spring setup.

Guys, great insight thank you I recently found on EBay a hard copy of the Caterham assembly guide for the car. It makes no reference to rake in the mid 80’s. As I only plan to use the on road for touring the info is very helpful. i have asked Caterham if these will suit even where the note says a replacement for the original SPAX’s , seems like a silly question but I need to make sure due, to of all thing the freight cost to Australia https://caterhamparts.co.uk/live-axle/262-bilstein-springdamper-conversion-kit-live-axle-1999-onwards.html from others suggestions I will also get a set of these. https://caterhamparts.co.uk/dampers/41-adjustable-platform-kit.html?search_query=DSSU01&results=2

Interesting I will compare that with my effectively standard 1985, 7.

Is there a Caterham dimension for the rake angle?

OK after much research and head scratching, I’ve decided to go for the Caterham developed live axle Bilstien and duel rate spring upgrade. I’m also considering the adjustable platforms. I can see there is a number of height rings for what I think are Circlips. Are the adjustable platforms worth the expense for a road car?

From Davids comment I have heard from Derek Howlett (Caterham Tech) "When we built these cars the standard spring rates were 105 Ibs front and 75 Ibs rear, we did do an upgrade which I have been informed was a better set up and that is 240 Ibs front 96 Ibs rear" That makes sense to me as Mick at Redline sold me the (probably!) upgraded fronts in 1993 which would explain my running an 8 coil front spring! It also makes sense that Redline are supplying 104 lbs rears which look pretty close. Cheers, David Given there is significant rate increase, how have others found the ride?

My 85 S3, The hinges are plastic, pins are brass.

Have you talked to Thundersport? https://www.thundersport.co.uk/index.php/boots-covers.html

So pleased your OK , The great thing about hand made cars is that they are easier to rebuild. If they write it off do you have the first option to buy it. Its Just a pain to not have the car mobile. but I would definitely rebuild it, 7's are about as simple as they get.

Good Question, looks like it has not been edited fully

No change needed, they were designed for automotive/bike/ATV use. Friends have been using these for years and swear by them It the home charging that is important as the old style chargers pump to hard. CTEK is a computer controlled very low ampage tester/trickle/ cycling unit

AGM - Absorbed Glass Matt, I use a battery by a company.... wait for it called ...Full River Made in the US, HC20 is the size I use 300 Cold Cracking Amps. The next size up is the HC28 and is 410 CCA. AGM batteries need specific chargers and mine lives with a CTEK unit attached to it full time when the car is parked

Interesting insight and strategy have you considered ditching Lead acid and going to AGM batteries, smaller and more grunt. and keep a Lithium Jump starter in the boot they are tiny and light.

But accidental poisoning and DIY dilution are connected. One of the ways that children (and possibly adults) get poisoned by antifreeze is by drinking the leftover bit from eg a drinks bottle that has been used to do the diluting: looks like a drinks bottle, no safety cap, brightly coloured, sweet... and you only need to ingest a small volume to cause problems. There are two types of glycol Ethylene glycol. This is the most common used in cooling systems and is poisonous Propylene glycol . This actually used in food production equipment because it’s not as toxic this is good article on the difference. And these you cannot mix http://www.veoliawatertech.com/crownsolutions/ressources/documents/2/21823,Glycol.pdf the article also takes about the efficiency of the two Ethylene is slightly better, both are corrosive so both require anti corrosive additives, and the anti corrosive additive has a twelve months life... interesting as manufacturers sell premix with 7 year life. In my case as my engine made in 1968 (now freshly rebuilt with BRM valve and port spec head, 11.1 comp with LOTUS Sprint cams) so I planning a coolant change with each oil change.

More googling I found some point differences between propylene glycol and ethylene https://www.monarchchemicals.co.uk/Information/News-Events/700-/The-difference-between-Propylene-Glycol-and-Ethylene-Glycol-in-antifreeze The level of toxicity. Propylene glycol has a very low toxicity, which is why it is also found in cosmetics and personal care products, whereas ethylene glycol is poisonous and must be handled with caution to restrict any human or animal exposure. So why not just use propylene glycol? There are a number of benefits using ethylene glycol over propylene glycol, especially in closed loop systems were risk of contact with food is minimal. For example, freeze point depression is much more effective using ethylene glycol – so more propylene glycol would be required to maintain the same freeze point as ethylene. As well as this, due to the lower viscosity of ethylene glycol it possesses excellent heat transfer properties. This article is the differnce between Glycol Heat-Transfer Fluids Ethylene Glycol versus Propylene Glycol http://www.veoliawatertech.com/crownsolutions/ressources/documents/2/21823,Glycol.pdf Interesting pont about water quality Water Quality: High quality water will help maintain system efficiency and prolong glycol fluid life. Recommended water characteristics include: Less than 50 ppm calcium (as CaCO3), Less than 50 ppm magnesium (as CaCO3), Less than 100 ppm total hardness (as CaCO3), Less than 25 ppm chloride (as CaCO3), and Less than 25 ppm sulfate (as CaCO3).

Good question Johnathan I found this test which by any standard is basic but be that as it may, it’s the result of the same metal type samples in different coolants and after 12 months of static immersion in different types of coolant and Propylene had the lest corrosion. Take note of the effect Evans has on the three metals. The test is not totally definitive But it’s simple. rj tap water has other natural minerals dissolved in it and of these there are a level of dissolved salts, where I live the water has a concentration of dissolved calcium, making the water “hard”. Yes demineralised water will create its own corrosion but only with metals it comes in contact with iron/ steal an Aluminium. And to add another complexity is the black compound in the rubber hoses( that what corrodes the aluminium castings the worst.) So why not give the system a fighting chance.

My conclusion after reading and watch you tube "test" of different coolants, is EVENS is really suited to car that sit for extensive periods of time, but from what I have seen it isn't the B all, re corrosion protection, propylene glycol seems to be the best I've always known water is the best of all however corrosion is the issue over time. So a corrosion inhibitor and demineralised water is what I have decided to use or a Premix

It would be good to do a survey on LS or other sights based on those questions

There is one other thing that I have have identified in that the cylinder head running at elevated temps that have been reported, has the effect of accelerating the annealing the cylinder head and on an old engine that can be as bad as the corrosion.

No expansion noticed and the documents say it doesn't ... but there must be some as it did have pressure under the cap.

Are you sure that the valve is opening and that there isn't any air in there? Yes there was as I put another 500mls in the system even with the heater valve open and eventually stopped topping it up when no more appeared. Because EVANs doesn't expand there is no self bleeding when the pressure in the systems unseats the cap and then draws it back. I did wonder if there was an internal leak but there were no signs of it. Odd advantage here is if it did have it doesnt eat bearing material. there's a big question over whether it is carrying heat from the engine to the radiator. Going by what REDLINES comments are, it does but not at the same rate as 50/50. I did notice that the temp would rise above the 87c when the engine was off, if it was when the coolant temp was below the set 87c I set on the DC controller. The DC system would not see this as once the engine is off and there is no power to the controller. Normally if the temp is above the +3c degrees trigger there is logic circuit in the controller that runs the pump and Fans until the coolant returns to 76c ( I really like this function) Because this engine is LOTUS Twin Cam I have been following the discussions on LotusElan.net and this is another interesting article from another Waterless coolant manufacturer test of EVANS http://www.norosion.com/evanstest.htm

There are other complications I have read , in that due to the temp increase that a higher octane should be used to counteract the possible knocking. This is a concern for me, but I haven’t found any tell tail signs of it on the plugs as it’s hard to hear it over the car. One other odd thing is the heater is virtually ineffective. This I put down the viscosity.

I haven’t forgotten this thread/debate and I have been thinking about the comments from others and researching and evaluating further as I use the car. Recently I did what I call the two pass blat I started early in fog 2c and finished in 22c To be honest I wasn’t happy with temp in the range through parts of the run. As the car runs a Davis Craig electric water pump. I rang their tech guys. Very interesting conversation and to say he wasn’t complementary of Evans to any the least. His take was that it’s best use is in vintage unpressurised systems. Evans also puts the pump under more load reducing the life of the pump... The key things that got me thinking were Evans viscosity is much greater than water and temp dispersant is significantly slower and pump load is a concern. As mentioned the combustion issue in fires is also a concern and I found this article from the redline suppliers on a Piston heads post https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=140&t=1544974&mid=53383&%20nmt=waterless+coolant This is something that has apparently come from Red Line's suppliers. Many concerns have been raised to us in recent months regarding the effectiveness of Waterless coolants and the inherent dangers they may possess. We have spent some time researching the product and would like to make all our customers aware of our findings. Waterless products are 100% glycol, some are 100% propylene glycol, and others are a mix of propylene glycol and ethylene glycol. They are slippery when spilled or leaked onto tarmac. Assuming a baseline friction co-efficient reference of 1.00 for dry pavement, the friction co-efficient of water is 0.65. The friction co-efficient of Waterless products is 0.16, four times less than water. Some race circuits in America are now prohibiting the use of engine coolant that contains ANY glycol due to this fact. The other and more pressing reason that Waterless products are prohibited at race circuits is that they are flammable. With flash points in the range of 110-130°C if the Waterless coolant were released at or above the flash point, it could ignite. Coolant temperatures can be observed in this range during actual operating conditions, making this a real risk. Reports have also been made of damage caused by glycol coolant fuelled fires, in some instances, destroying whole cars and resulting in thousands of pounds worth of damage. The NHRA rule change regarding glycol coolants was the result of a terrible fire where the competitor was using Waterless coolant in his car. The engine pushed a head gasket and the coolant caught fire which came under the seat resulting in a cockpit fire. Glycol coolants are now prohibited in the NHRA. In another case the Motorsport South Africa ASN prohibited the use of glycol on safety grounds “In the case of both cars and motorcycles, the use of glycol-based coolant additives is prohibited.” In addition, the operational downside is the decreased ability to transfer heat compared to water based coolants. Waterless coolant should never be advised in applications where heat issues are apparent, Waterless coolants will only compound this problem as they lack the necessary heat transfer properties to provide a solution. Although the product is a very good corrosion inhibitor, it will not adequately protect an engine when overheating. The Waterless coolants cannot transfer heat as efficiently as water, thus causing an engine to run hotter. The engine will continue to run hot until a critical component fails as the boiling point is so high. To summarize: Engines can run 45-60°C hotter (at the cylinder heads) with Waterless products. Stabilized coolant temps are increased by 15-25°C, versus straight water with Water Wetter. Specific heat capacity of Waterless products ranges from 0.64 to 0.68, or about half that of water. Engine octane requirement is increased by 5-7 numbers reducing engine horsepower by 4-5%. Viscosity is 3-4 times higher than what OEM water pumps are rated to accommodate. Coolant flow rate through radiator tubes is reduced by 20-25% due to the higher viscosity. Race circuits are starting to prohibit Waterless products because they are flammable and cause a slippery surface hazard when leaked. When speaking to a classic car specialist recently the subject of Waterless coolants was brought up.A Waterless coolant manufacturer had given them product sponsorship ahead of classic Le Mans 2012, in FP1 the car stopped on track with smoke billowing out of bonnet. On closer inspection the coolant had plasticized and warped the head, the coolant then passed through the head gasket hydraulic locking cylinder one. The damaged cause was very costly and ended the team’s weekend early, it is not a product they would recommend or use again. As a rapup I am now seriously reconsidering it’s use.

I’ve given this some thought, I suppose I should have phrased the question with the cavity of off the shelf items Spax , AVO or ?

Had the same issue yesterday with flat battery mine was simpler than yours I left the lights on after leaving home in Fog. Made for an expensive Breakfast Fitted motor bike battery and drove home I use a Full River HC20 AGM very impressed with it but if you flatten one they take about 48 hours to charge.