David aka Blue7

Thanks for getting back, that's interesting that the 900 wasn't queried?  It was Jemma Doune that I dealt with and she referred to the 900 being a little long:

"The measurements you sent are a little long as we would expect 875mm for dimension A, however the mohair does have a little stretch in it and you can tighten up the fixing straps."

I will contact her again and mention your visit on Monday.  I am too far away for a factory visit, I live up near Aberdeen.

When you refer to the "easy out" version, is it similar to the softbits 4 7's half hood that has a zip in the roof?  If so I don't see that option on their website so I assume it was a special order?

I am also surprised about the side straps being too long?  On the softbits half hoods there is a buckle to adjust the strap length?

David

Hi David

From all the answers it seems like there is a 20-25 mm variance ... maybe I'm not driving fast enough to force the windscreen to a more acute angle :)  I suppose it could be either windscreen or roll bar adjustment, I will have to take a look.

I have at least managed to source the GT seats by getting Thundersport to make two for me.  Last year CC said they were no longer available for my new CSR, not popular enough and yet miraculously "one" appeared on the new revamped CC online store last week which indicated that there was only 1 left in stock ... reduced from £900 to £720 so I clicked on the new "ask an expert" button to ask if they could supply 2 ... and I'm still waiting for a reply so I suppose the expert must be on holiday or sick leave ;)  Meantime ordered them from Thundersport cheaper with 10% L7 Club discount.

Maggie is well but I have had a back problem for 3 months now and sometimes wonder if I will ever be able to drive it again, but booked up for Donington next year though, in the hope that things will improve.

David

Thanks Dave, my present CSR is only 1 year old so would assume it should be metric ... but never assume anything with a 7.

Thanks for the info

David

I was considering buying a mohair half hood from Thundersport ... love the blue piping, but our measurements do not match.  They particularly required their measurement "A" which is taken from the front of the windscreen to the middle of the roll bar.  My CSR measures 900 mm to the middle of the roll bar (920 mm to rear of the roll bar) but Thundersport say this is non standard and their standard measurement is 875 mm.  They say the mohair will stretch a bit ... but that is 25 mm difference or 1" in old money and that is (excuse the pun) stretching a point!  So I have cancelled.

As a matter of interest could a few of you guys with SV's post your measurement from top front of screen to middle of the roll bar, just as a matter of interest?  My softbits for 7s half hood has fitted all three of my CSR's without problem, which goes back over 8 years?I

I agree with Titanium7.  However, having owned 3 CSR's I didn't think they used any great amount of oil other than what I lost by overfilling until it spilled into the catch tank.  There are 2 CSR Owner Notes available from CC, they used to be available here until we changed to the new site but I can send them to you if you PM me.  Note 2 regarding oil, reads as follows:

OWNER TECHNICAL UPDATE NOTICE

Update number 002
Date of release 07/01/08

Applicable to CSR200 and CSR260
Build period – all


CSR ENGINE MAINTENANCE

The Cosworth engines are hand-built race-tuned units and as such require a little more attention than a mass produced engine. However, with this attention, the engine will continue to be a strong and reliable power plant, as proven in the CSR Masters race series, where the near-identical specification regularly runs at race speeds in extreme heat, on slick tyres and for extended periods with only routine checks and top-ups – clocking up thousands of circuit miles.

The key criteria for the Cosworth engine is the oil level. A special revised dipstick was introduced in 2006 and issued to all original owners, along with detailed instructions for checking the oil. As CSRs may now be with second owners, below is a summary of the procedure. The dipstick is identified by its single-piece metal design, looped end and machined flat section. If you do not have this item, please contact Caterham Parts.

The oil level should be at the top of the flat section. However, on the CSR260 engine which uses a race piston, and in common with other hand-built engines, each engine will vary slightly and if the engine is not breathing some oil into the catch tank (which it should), we would recommend finding your own level above this. After a track session, you should expect just a small amount in the bottom of the tank. If you’re not getting this, overfill the engine at approximately 250ml a time, until you get this.

Oil levels should be checked after every track session (assuming 20 minutes of track time), which is good practice for all cars! We would also recommend checking the oil level every 500 road miles.

 

That's interesting Simon, I will bear complete replacement in mind.  Our nearest CC Agent is Dreadnought Garage, who suggested that CC send them a replacement ECU, which they could fit, if it solved the problem they would return the old one, if it didn't then return the new one but CC refused and decided just to come and collect the car for diagnostics back at Crawley.  They still think it is a problem with the roller barrels.  Well they have it now so I await a progress report.

BTW ... apologies for hijacking your thread David.

Jonathan

Interestingly, the guy that was going to carry out the diagnostics inferred that he had or could get a master code to override the CC code, which I suppose would make sense.

I have not had any recent grounding problems in the CSR, the last time was along that single track road a few hundred yards north of Altnahara which heads east but it was due to the convex shape of the road surface, logging traffic had obviously caused the sides of the road to sink.

I can't check the clearance at the moment because my car went back to Caterham Cars on Tuesday because of the judder / shunt issue at 3250 rpm, which is 60 mph in 6th gear.  I was so fed up with it that I had it booked into a local garage (Ricky Gauld), for ecu diagnostics on his rolling road.  However, CC protect access to the ecu with a pin number and after some further discussion with CC, they said they would collect it for return to the factory.  There are a couple of other issues also, a leak or more like a steady trickle of fuel from the tank from somewhere above and right of the rear near side wheel but only usually when the car is at an angle.  Having said that, there has always been strong smell of petrol in the cockpit so something is wrong.  The other issue is the speedo dropping out to zero, which can be corrected by turning on the heater blower :)  There is a CC Workshop fix which is making a better earth at the sensor by the rear off side wheel.  The wires are just 1mm thick and I can't cope with that myself, but why should I.

The judder is at 3250 rpm but only under light throttle ... just when the throttle bodies are opening, so  I can't follow anything at 60 mph, it has to be either 55 or 65.  Returning home from the Durness run last week, we were driving into a gale force headwind so to drive at 60 mph required more throttle and the judder was not present.  CC seem to think it is a throttle body issue and I have heard unconfirmed reports that there have been other recent throttle body issues.  Our support vehicle (Caterham Crossflow) is driven by our ace mechanic Barry who owns Braemar Garage and services all the Queens vehicles on Balmoral Estate.  He followed me on part of the recent Durness run and thinks the CSR is running on a lean mixture ... he said he has a nose for exhaust fumes after years of servicing cars :) 

There is a video of the run here ... my loved one wouldn't let me overtake the RS8 so I just teased him a wee bit ;)

On our return the following day in the above mentioned gale force headwinds, a few miles north oof Grantown the winds had brought down a pine tree across the road.  An artic' traveling towards us was stopped in its tracks but our 4 Caterhams were able to drive straight under the tree ... :) ... how I wished I had fitted the camera to the roll bar to get that video!

We have a Lotus 7 Club space at Grantown on Spey Motor Mania event on 04 September, I have been told that I should have the CSR back by 1st September so I hope this happens. 

Which hotel were you at David, so we can all avoid it and speed bumps?  Instead of adjusting suspension I would be inclined to get Judith to carry all your luggage from the start of the driveway up to the entrance of the hotel so you have more clearance over the speed-bumps ... I'm sure she will understand your dilemma ;)

I don't recall seeing that on your  7 last year so must be fairly recent.  From what I have read, it is oxidization probably caused either by stones damaging the paintwork and allowing water to come into contact with the unprotected aluminium surface or as suggested above, a reaction with the steel element of a rivet.  Some of the exposed  blisters look to be quite clean underneath so I would be tempted to rub down, treat and repaint but everything I have read (including above) suggests that the oxydization returns after a year or so.

I consulted my neighbour, works with Elmar and is a welding consultant, she says:

Aluminium corrodes and creates aluminium oxide if you chip the paint off there will be a white powder under it age causes this to happen. Nothing you can do to stop it if it is bolted to steel it is called  electrolytic corrosion

A temporary fix, while you consider your options, might be to sand down the blisters and fit a Caterham decal along the side or some go faster racing stripes :)

I felt the same way drilling holes and with another camera, Action Pro, I actually sawed off the lens of the waterproof  casing to prevent steaming up and provide a better overall picture. 

I have tried a number of roll bar mounts, the cheap and cheary ones do the job ok but I  eventually went for the more expensive clamp mount because it is not only more versatile, it is very quick to remove, which is a real bonus either if it suddenly starts pouring down or you arrive at a hotel and need to unpack quickly to get into the bar for a beer :)  There is a good range here but I have two of the "Super Clamp" type priced at £39.99

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/roll-bar-cage-mounts.htm

I tried a number of external mics., even a karaoke style mic. which lasted for around 5 days before falling silent.  This is the one I use, it has been very reliable and gives great results.

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/external-mic.html?search=microphone

there are others that I haven't tried here:

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/index.php?route=product/search&search=microphone

I usually have the mic mounted under the dash and find that the gain has to be turned right down for best results

I agree with essill's somewhat short but practical solution.  It may seem drastic but it works and you don't require a fully waterproof case unless you are taking it for a dive as opposed to a drive :)

I don't have a dremil so just drilled small holes in the water proof casing and opened them up with a small file.  The last camera I did this with was a Go Pro ... no mount socket unless you use the waterproof case.  No plastic cap on the Go Pro but when you think about it ... what is it's purpose ... you only use the flap when you aren't using the camera

Ozzy ... you could fit them with velcro and remove them before you clean your nose

I don't wish to get into a boring BC debate about it but as a previous poster pointed out they are probably only really effective at high speed ... but to some of us they just look aesthetically pleasing, just like all the other personalisations we make to our cars ... the classic one being the "go faster stripes"

The fact that they have been fitted to the 620R must surely indicate that they are of some performance value other than merely aesthetics but who knows apart from CC and who cares ... if you want to fit them for whatever reason then gof for it ... before the EU pass a law to ban them

20 cm on my CSR ... size matters

They were fitted to the CSR along with the flat topped cycle wings to reduce front end lift by an apparent 50%. 

Probably you will only ever be the person to notice the difference but if you are like me it will always be a bit of a niggle, so I would be inclined to change them ... unless you want to be one up on everyone and buy the 20cm whiskas and then fit the 15 cm ones above ... could be  quite cool

John

Mark's link seems to answer your question.  Here is a photo of my former CSR if it is of any further help

http://www.kemnay.info/?p=7584

Don't worry about lack of response, it's probably due to a fat man dressed in red with very long white whiskas on his nose cone

I doubt if CC are that precise John.  If no one else responds, I can send you some photos and rough measurements

It shouldn't really be necessary IMHO.  Blanking off the radiator was common when radiators were cooled by constantly rotating fans driven by the fan belt (or an emergency nylon stocking later replaced by tights   ) attached to dynamo / alternator - fan / water pump - crankshaft pulley.  Then along came the electric thermostatically controlled fans that cut out when the engine reaches the required temperature.

Some of the more expensive "fancy" radiator blanking covers had a smaller inner panel that could be rolled down so that a small part of the radiator could still be cooled.

I agree with a previous poster, check your thermostat is working and yur electric fan is operating at the correct temperature.

If you do insist on blanking off your radiator, make sure that your temp. gauge is working and that YOU KEEP AN EYE ON IT ... otherwise you will look a numpty with a misfiring 7 with steam coming out of the bonnet 

... and another consideration ... what about the extra weight of blanking 

I asked CC this question recently and their answer was catagorically NO, because of the steering collumn controls that you mention, so I didn't pursue the matter. 

I posed the question because on models produced since somewhere between 2008 - 2012, they started fitting a collapsable (slightly) steering wheel boss, the design of which did not allow the central horn push button to be used and they reverted to a horn button on right hand side of the dashboard, where it is fitted on other models.  Given that the central horn push button is no longer functional, I would have thought you could fit a QR boss although you may then lose the self cancelling function for the indicators, although you are lucky if that lasts a year anyway ;) 

However, looking at the CC  store it looks like you would require a different boss and also different column

http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=127

The simple answer may be to fit a steering wheel with a flat lower edge, if you are looking for easier access and more clearance between steering wheel and the seat.

There is an old "thread" ;) here

http://www.lotus7.club/forum/techtalk/grease-nipple-snapped-propshaft-uj

Quote It would seem new one is 1/4 UNF & broken one is M6 x 1.0. - endquote

Redline seem to be the people to contact

http://www.redlinecomponents.co.uk/

Sorry couldn't speak earlier, in the middle of online tax return, you can lose the whole return if you delay input for a specified timeout period.

Good luck with your nipple hunt

Hans

You will probably find that the "rotary horn slip ring" is the problem, the brass slip ring is just glued to the plastic boss and eventually breaks free causing shorting problems.  The component is here:

http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=1298

I had to replace two.  You must have an older CSR because CC have not fitted a central horn push button since at least 2012 and possibly earliier and they reverted to the dash mounted button ... probably because of problems with that component but they won't admit it.

Thanks Phil

Jonathan

See new photo below original at the same link.  It looks likke a sealed unit to me so can't remove the top and the wiring is at the top of the unit so can't see any colours

Bob

I am inclined to agree it does look a bit like a Toad immobiliser unit

Does anyone have one fitted to their 7, if you do I think I can safely rule it out as being part of the Tracker unit.

I have a Tracker fitted to my 7 and I need to remove it and fit it to a new 7.  It is a stand alone battery powered tracker fitted at the CC factory and seems to be a black plastic covered unit about 6" long x 3" wide x 1" deep with 2 wires protruding.  One wire just hangs loose and I assume it is an aerial.  The other wire is attached to one of two retaining bolts that secure a metal box shaped component to the bulkhead between the wiper motor and the fuse box cover under the dash on the passenger side.  The second wire is therefore merely acting as an earthing wire.

I don't think this metal box component is part of the Tracker because it seems to be wired into the loom.  There is a photo of the component here:

http://www.kemnay.info/what-is-this-component/

Does anyone know what this component is and can confirm that it is a Caterham component so that I can rule it out as being part of the Tracker system?

Looking at the CC online store, it looks a bit like the Toad Security unit?

FYI the Morgan Dealership Revolutions or RPM based at Perth have just ended their Agency / Dealership with Caterham.  A very brief relationship, so no longer a Caterham Dealer in Scotland.  The good news is that we still have Brian Luti at Dreadnought Garage, Callander for servicing, the bad news is that Morgan drivers will no longer wave to us

Driving through centre of Whitstable ... not bad eyesight when spotted from Aberdeenshire