MattB

I can only go by what the rev counter says as I have nothing else to measure engine speed with. Something else to sort at the first service ... MattB

My 420 idles at around 1050rpm when warm. The Duratec in my 200hp MX-5 idled very happily at 800rpm. How do I adjust the idle speed on the 420? MattB

620 SV seats As you said, out of stock ...

MattB

Adjustable platforms mean that you can set ride height, rake and corner weights - all of which impact the on-road driving experience from day 1 (although Caterham want you to put 1000 miles on the car before they'll corner weight it). So it depends on how long you're prepared to drive the car with a non-optimal road setup ... MattB

The carbon seats in my car are on adjustable runners, and the base of the seat was scraping on the floor when delivered new - so it couldn't go any lower. SLR's solution is the way to go. MattB

Suggest using an oil and petrol resistant hose. unless you're venting to the intake manifold the hoses won't see vacuum or much pressure, so you just need something that can deal with being under the bonnet, and with the oil. MattB

#55 - With that layout you'd have a fairly large vacuum leak downstream of the throttle body where unmetered air would be drawn in through the holes in the catch tank cap, down the catch tank vent hose and into the inlet valve tracts, weakening the mixture. Which doesn't sound like a good thing ...? MattB

I think there's some confusion over the terminology. A vent is a small opening that allows gases, vapours and oil mist to escape from a container of some sort. It doesn't have to escape to atmosphere to be a vent. In the case of my 420 the rocker cover (and hence the crankcase) is vented, and vents to the top of the dry sump oil tank. The tank is in turn vented, and vents to the catch can. The catch can is in its turn vented, and vents (in my case) to atmosphere, but it could easily vent to the intake manifold. If the catch can doesn't have a vent path - to atmosphere, the intake manifold, or anywhere else - the pressure in the crankcase, the oil tank and the catch can will simply rise until the pressure is the same throughout. There will be no flow of gas/vapour/liquid from the engine (as there's no pressure differential to create a flow) and so the catch can becomes useless. Note that there are issues with connecting the catch can vent line to the inlet manifold, particularly the need to ensure that the flow can't reverse (especially relevant with fi engines). The one-way valves fitted for this reason can block up, and are often the reason that the pcv system fails altogether. MattB

Cynicism aside, it would be easy to plug the vent line into the inlet manifold which has a blanked off intake for just that purpose (at least that's what I think it's for). MattB

Venting emission gases directly to atmosphere - isn't that what the exhaust does? MattB

#34 - Yes, the can is mounted to a 2mm aluminium plate which is then mounted to the forward chassis tube with two 22mm p-clips. An aluminium strap is rivetted to the top of the plate and fixed to the rearward chassis tube with another p-clip to prevent the can rotating around the forward chassis tube. MattB

The effort of a catch can that Caterham provided in my 420 is a shocking embarrassment for a car costing over £40k. I've just fitted a somewhat better replacement from Amazon, which cost not much more than Caterham want for a replacement plastic washer fluid tank with holes badly drilled in it. The vent line vents downwards into the propshaft tunnel, about halfway along the gearbox. No more oil vapour smell when driving and no more oil/oil vapour over the engine bay ... The only downside is the slightly smaller capacity, but it's easy enough to drain straight out of the bottom of the can. I can go back to the original in a couple of minutes if necessary. MattB

#16 - So disconnecting the battery loses both short and long term fuel trims? This might explain something on my 420... MattB

I'll have a set please. MattB

Plan A = return to Caterham Plan B (always good to have a plan B) = do it myself, hence request for advice. Love this forum :) MattB

Thanks SM25T. One other question - how and where do the heated screen wires connect to the main loom and is there enough slack in the wires to lift the windscreen up and rest it on a shallow box on the bonnet with them still connected? MattB

Thanks Jonathan. MattB

My windscreen was replaced at the 1000 mile service (cracked on delivery). Rather than sealing perfectly against the underside of the windscreen surround and the top of the scuttle as it did on delivery the rubber sealing strip now has gaps between it and the bottom of the windscreen and ripples on both sides between it and the scuttle. As a result water has a number of easy paths from outside to inside when it rains. Before I take the windscreen off I'd be grateful for any advice and/or tips on how to get the rubber strip to seal properly against the windscreen surround and the scuttle. MattB

I'd like a set of the alloy mounts too if there are any going. MattB

I believe that it's an Adriatica ANO.10.CH. Combined clock and stopwatch, with a quartz movement (supposedly 5 years on a single battery). Available from Pooleys in the UK. I have one waiting to go into my car once the DVLA have issued the V5C. MattB

If you read the MX-5 forums (national and international) the recommendations for the Mk3 (NC) gearboxes seem to come down to Ford's MOTORCRAFT XTM5QS or Redline's equivalent. I owned a modified NC MX5 for 14 years and never had an issue with the 6 speed gearbox, using Mobil's synthetic gearbox oil which was changed every 4 years. The Ford oil, however, seemed to gather a reputation as a 'magic elixir' able to fix whining and recalcitrant gearboxes. MattB

For info, the current owner's handbook (dated 2017) states on p26: "NOTE: For track use, cars fitted with uprated brake master cylinder must use race cap to avoid any leaks" MattB

Just noticed that Avon state, in the guidance document they put together for the club, that the lighter RT7 compound ZZS tyres are "not suitable for the road". MattB