rkeywood

Hi Graham Loctite 577 thread sealant. 10--15 ft lbs for connections. Angled connections normal. If you need to 'loop' the pipes to fit then mount the pump so the inlet is the straightest R

I believe the Weber (Edelbrock) pump needs a flooded suction and suited to rear mount only so would need installing low down at the tank but check this with Webcon. 30(US)gpm at 2-3.5 bar for rear mount also seems a little mean for a X-flow on 40's. Common fit for up to 150Hp is a Facet Silver Top which gives 36(US)gpm and 4-5.5psi coupled with a Filter King (Malpassi) filter / regulator to adjust to get around 3.5 psi at the carbs. These can be front or rear mounted and the usual places would be on rear panel above the axle or inside side panel behind the wheel. If you've got more power then a Silver Top Competition or Red Top. The Burton supplied replacement mechanical pumps have, as far as I'm aware, had ethanol compatible diaphragms for some time so guessing just the unreliability of mechanical pumps. If the carbs are original then I suspect they are not ethanol friendly but the latest service kits replace all the susceptible parts so might be worth considering. Wiring wise you just need to pick up an ignition switched live (usually from the fuse box) and use an inline fuse. R

To add, assuming its a recirc only heater with shut off on the return then to be honest there's a host of aftermarket metal valves (from kitcardirect and others) that are better than trying to source the black plastic Caterham supplied valve. The cable is a standard dash mount push / pull item from the same sources R

Hi How old is the car? Early cars (pre 91?) had no control on the water side, you just have the fan switch. JK can no doubt assist with a manual if your car is pre 92 or I've a pdf copy of the 88 manual if that's of use. Rob

? The title said it was a DeDion - I listed the 8 & 9" Ford variants used on the early DeDions.

As said, Redline should be able to supply. Burton also have the usual 8 and 9" options. Worth checking who's shoes they supply as the linings on some are way too hard - Ferrodo Premier are a decent choice. Plenty of other suppliers online and maybe more local to you. Usual fits are: 9" (Escort II RS/Mexico/Sport) is 229 x 45mm Ford 1555151 / SH2125 / Ferrodo FSB363 8" (Escort MkII / Capri) is 203 x 38mm Ford 1560229 / SH2124 / Ferrodo FSB362 Relining is a good option, that way you'll be sure they fit and get a better choice of lining. Hope this helps

I'm pretty sure the pump filter is only to protect the pump - they are only plastic screen and usually 75 (red body) or 200 micron (black body). The Filter King has a 10 micron pleated paper filter. It looks like the Sytec doesn't have a gauge point either so a Filter King might be a tidier option at not much extra cost, probably less than £80 if you shop around / use club discount for alloy body FPR007 with set up gauge loose. Incidentally unless you're going really OTT on power a Silver Top Comp' will save a few quid and is good for 200Hp (30GPH, 6-7 psi) R

My pump is below the boot floor on the passenger side just behind the suspension turret - I've popped and bonded a 4x3" stainless plate there to stop the flex in the ali. The Filter King is below the boot floor as well attached to an ali angle that's used to strengthen the rolled edge of the fixed section of the boot floor. Mine's not run via the ignition switch either but runs through an FIA isolator which adds an element of security (the ignition switch offers no security as you can just pull the connections off the back and hotwire in 10 secs.) R

Yep, mine fitted fine but that was in '89 and its still going strong. I'm guessing the remanufactured FAM1718 that Caterham supply will be from the same source as Rimmer's and others and is not what it used to be. A friend who's a classic car mechanic and TR7 nut says poor fit and falling apart after a few years are common complaints amongst triumph owners. Mine's 9/16 x 36 splines, 3" long and drilled with minimal clearance on a 5/16 bolt. Carbuilder (linked above) have an 80mm forged one that looks like it'll work. Kiley Clinton do (or used to do) forged upgrades for Triumphs http://steering-racks.co.uk/ujs/. They also do rack servicing and repairs.

Hi Nigel, check the wire colours. As you say the live to the reversing lights is green but the switched earth should be green/brown. The live for the brake lights from the brake switch should be green/purple

For a X-Flow?

Burton list 88 deg as recommended (in bold) on the catalogue page. I'd probably check the current one (stamped on it) and go with that if it's running happily. Just to throw another alternative in, I run a restrictor rather than a stat.

The Iridium plugs are a thin wire electrode whilst the 'C' and the 'CS' are low angle ground electrodes. The IX should be OK but they are very expensive (£10 each) compared with the other common options. A BP7ES generally works well on the road and a B8ECS for a higher heat rating on the track. Both are readily available online. The 'P' in the ref is projecting insulation. As said on the other thread the 'R' is with a resistor which presumably isn't wanted if currently using B8ECS. Hope this helps

Just adding to my post above, the Caterham Parts supply is the Autolec MW002 FIA switch R

I'm pretty sure the FIA switch keys are universal, certainly the Autolec, LMA and OMP are. The Grayston keys are budget at about a quarter of the price of Autolecs but what can go wrong with a thick plastic switch! The brass pins can be on opposite sides (right or left hand?) - IIRC the MBS has the pin on the opposite side from the handle. Hope that helps

#14 Seems fine. I've not used it a great deal but did repipe my car with it some years back and done a few odd jobs since R

I use a basic Sealey AK505 kit. Costs about £20 but happy to lend you mine if you want. I can sling in enough 3/16 copper for the job and may have some fittings, but don't think there's a tee. robert

Just follow the fuel line back from the carbs - if it's a mech' pump then it'll be on the block. If electric then it'll be remote in the engine bay or beside the fuel tank. There'll probably be a filter regulator in the line as well. Where are you based?

Does it have a mechanical fuel pump?

I stick with zero ethanol Esso Super but did ethanol proof things a while back. The Weber kits were ethanol resistant when I had my carbs refurb'd 3 years ago. Even on E5 Super I'd still be inclined to use an additive like Millers EPS if carbs and fuel lines haven't been changed. I'd also think about a lead substitute as well unless hardened valve seats are fitted. Classic Valvemaster does the job and includes ethanol protection so kills 2 birds with one stone.

The part no in the OP looks like the regular 3/4" tandom girling. I'd go for a service kit before replacing it

Maybe the place to start is what is the engine now. If its a Caterham supplied Supersprint then the 135Hp was probably considerably overstated when new and maybe in the 110 to 120 area. Mine was 115Hp when new and needed a decent rebuild and some head work to get close to 130. Has the engine been rebuilt or breathed on already? Also was it built on a thick wall block? As said simple things like a luminition and a Bosch disi and a decent set up by someone who knows DCOEs will help a lot. Getting 150Hp+ will be expensive and probably only worth it if its going to get some serious track use. Aiming for 140Hp with a bit more low down power will be considerably cheaper and at should retain quite a bit of what you've got eg crank, cam (should already be a 234) and carbs. The best X-Flow I've tried from all round use was a Roger King 1800 140Hp. Plenty of guts, great response and just as quick on the track as the 155Hp 1700 I had at the time. I also think the fragility of Ital axles is overstated. If well built then they take a fair bit of abuse, mine's lasted 30+ years including 10 years racing.

I don't think anyone has suggested the ATB needs a specific LSD oil - the oils suggested are all gear oils and the Fuchs products are those recommended by Quaife R

The Shell Spirax on the chassis plate is the brand Caterham sold at the time but the period Manual just says use EP90. If it's a standard diff then pretty much any decent mineral EP90 like Castrol Classic and Fuchs Titan (Silkolene) 90 LS will be fine. Worth calling Opie Oils to see what they suggest and use the club discount. I've run an ATB for 30 odd years and used a variety of hypoid 90 or 75W90 without any noticeable difference. Currently use Fuchs Titan SYN5 75W90 as recommended by Quaife

Definitely remove and use a press - a hub puller risks damaging the hub and half shaft. It's well worth getting a copy of The Ital Axle Debate by Graham Sykes from the Low Flying archive here. It's in the March '93 issue and gives chapter and verse with dismantle and rebuild details. Outer seal is a BL parts bin GHS184. The 1700 Ital (3.64 diff) and the 1300 (4.1 and 3.89) are the same. IIRC the estate is the same but the van uses a different seal. The diffs are interchangeable. Robert