21jigsaw

I have the earlier version of solid discs and ap racing calipers and a spot handbrake caliper(mot compliant once a year!!!). The earlier version was developed on Vauxhall race cars running slicks they then changed to vented discs (front vented disc on the rear) for a performance improvement( wear or retardation??). I run it on my 21 which is 695 kgs which is enclosed due to the bodywork and runs around 400deg c . I intend to upgrade to vented discs due to high pad wear on the existing setup. If you change you will need new uprated hubs, ears, caliper spacers, calipers, disc spacer, specific rear discs ( as front but bigger internal dia) and if you wish to run on the road a mechanical handbrake caliper / mounting. The rear track will increase by approx 25mm. Hope this helps. Dave

The K series installation was designed with a shallow sump to fit under bonnet. The consequence being a low shallow volume of oil which was susceptible to aeration - tiny bubbles suspended in the oil. This was amplified buy the high lateral g forces generated by the cars. The aerated oil would circulate to the hydraulic tappets acting as a spring the valves bounce resulting in loss of control, the valves would touch the pistons bending them, eventually with a bending fatigue the valve heads would drop off resulting in total engine failure. The tiny bubbles suspended in the oil need to be burst or be purged . Air is removed / bubble burst if the oil hits a solid surface / object ie baffle, foam, block or sump. The sign off test devised by Caterham for a 1400 Supersport was 1st gear (5 speed box) max revs three figure of eights as fast as possible brake to a stop idle the engine and listen to see if the tappets rattled / aerated. The foam arrangement gave the required results. Further development mainly for track competition resulted in the Apollo tank, solid tappets, purple pump dry sump leading to much higher performance gold pump dry sump package. To run an Apollo with the increase in oil volume and the centrifugal purging of air from the system would probably negate the use of the foam. I have run the same foam for some 27k miles 13 years without issue. There have been failures of the foam leading to engine failure possibly due to :- 1) bad batch of foam material 2) fuel contamination 3)Oil compatibility / contamination 4) engine temperature etc. There is no clear reason as to the cause of failure of the foam. Hope this helps Dave

Harness dated 2013 good condition £20 ono + p/p

Early CSR bell housing New.£225 +p/p

The pulley 28t Caterham Part no PP/3046 has a briuse mark on one of the teeth otherwise as new. There are two types of extended oil pump shafts in as new condition.(one is cat part no MP/1194) £50 plus P/P ONO.

Ford Duratec - New Titan Lightweight steel flywheel for AP Racing CP5241 paddle clutch, Caterham part number 3FE444A , £200 +p&p.

Just a thought i had a similar noise on my 1800k running throttle bodies and dry sump it was due to crankcase depression. So does removal of the oil filler cap have any effect on the noise.

As in the title R Dave

Wanted AP uprated rear brake, calipers, discs, brackets etc. WHY. ( 1998 Cat 21 / series 3 7)

Some years ago I did a back to back on throttle body and Roller barrels on K Series 1800. Same engine, management system etc. At full load 7bhp in favor of the throttle body. I didn't compare the drivability / part load / torque characteristic of the two.

The K series installation was designed with a shallow sump to fit under bonnet. The consequence being a low shallow volume of oil which was susceptible to aeration - tiny bubbles suspended in the oil. This was amplified buy the high lateral g forces generated by the cars. The aerated oil would circulate to the hydraulic tappets acting as a spring the valves bounce resulting in loss of control, the valves would touch the pistons bending them, eventually with a bending fatigue the valve heads would drop off resulting in total engine failure. The tiny bubbles suspended in the oil need to be burst or be purged . Air is removed / bubble burst if the oil hits a solid surface / object ie baffle, foam, block or sump. The sign off test devised by Caterham for a 1400 Supersport was 1st gear (5 speed box) max revs three figure of eights as fast as possible brake to a stop idle the engine and listen to see if the tappets rattled / aerated. The foam arrangement gave the required results. Further development mainly for track competition resulted in the Apollo tank, solid tappets, purple pump dry sump leading to much higher performance gold pump dry sump package. To run an Apollo with the increase in oil volume and the centrifugal purging of air from the system would probably negate the use of the foam. I have run the same foam for some 27k miles 13 years without issue. There have been failures of the foam leading to engine failure possibly due to :- 1) bad batch of foam material 2) fuel contamination 3)Oil compatibility / contamination 4) engine temperature etc. There is no clear reason as to the cause of failure of the foam. Hope this helps Dave

Gold or Purple dry sump pump? Dave

END OF THE ROAD FOR LEADED PETROL The European Union will ban leaded petrol (4 star) from 1st January 2000, apart from a very small amount allowed to be sold for classic vehicles. It is not yet clear just how that small amount will be distributed, and it has to be assumed that most filling stations will no longer stock leaded petrol from 2000. There will, however, be Lead Replacement Petrol (LRP) and separate replacement additives available. Why was Lead needed? Lead in petrol had two main functions. The first was to increase the octane number of the petrol (preventing the mixture igniting too soon) and the other was to lubricate valve seats to reduce wear from the action of the valves hammering against the seat. All recent cars (certainly since 1992, and many before that) have to be capable of running on unleaded petrol as the lead poisons exhaust emission control catalysts. These cars have hardened valve seats to avoid the need for lead, and are fitted with a narrow filler neck so that 4 star petrol cannot be used. Although catalyst cars must use unleaded, you do not need to have a catalyst fitted to use unleaded or Lead Replacement Petrol. Many cars built between the mid 1980s and 1992 can run on either leaded or unleaded. These cars all have hardened valve seats but do not have the narrow filler neck, so either fuel can be used. Some may need re-tuning to use the normal Premium (BS EN228) unleaded fuel, which is 95 octane rather than the 97 of 4 star (BS4040), or they can use “Super” unleaded (BS7800) which is 98 octane. If the owners’ manual says the car is capable of running on “either 4 star or unleaded”, it will have hardened valve seats and so does not need lead for lubrication. Valve Seat Recession Many older vehicles and some from even the late 1980s have ‘soft’ valve seats and so need the lead to control valve seat recession. There is a “memory” effect from the past use of lead. This was why some manufacturers offered “unleaded-capable” cars that actually needed one tank of 4 star petrol to every two or three of unleaded. These cars had soft seats and needed to use this “memory” effect. The length of time that this memory will last is uncertain, though, and should not be relied upon to give adequate protection once leaded petrol is withdrawn from sale. The amount of wear that occurs depends on the driving conditions, and particularly the resulting valve seat temperatures. Under very mild driving conditions, little or no wear may occur even with soft seats on unleaded petrol; but under harder driving conditions such as continuous motorway speeds and/or towing, recession can be fairly rapid. Whilst rebuilding and regrinding valve seats may have been a regular job in the past, it is unlikely that many motorists today would wish to undertake that task – even on classic vehicles where it was originally part of the joys of motoring! For these vehicles there are two main options – either to fit hardened seats (this may involve replacing the cylinder head), or to use a Lead Replacement Petrol. Fitting hardened seats is not, unfortunately, a low cost option. It is generally more difficult on those engines with cast iron heads and a cast-in seat than on alloy heads that usually already have a seat insert, albeit a ‘soft’ one. The new seats need to be made from a material that will match the hardness of the valve, otherwise the wear pattern could be reversed, with the new hardened seat wearing out the valve. Lead Replacement Petrol Lead Replacement Petrol (LRP) is a comparatively new option for the U.K. This type of petrol uses other additives – typically based on potassium, phosphorus or manganese – to give valve seat wear protection. It is now widely believed that they do not give as high a level of protection as lead, particularly under more arduous duty, but they will certainly give a much greater degree of protection than unleaded petrol, and should be adequate for “normal” use when leaded petrol is no longer available. The British Standards Institution (BSI) is developing a specification for LRP. This will be a 97 octane petrol (like 4 star) with controlled amounts of an additive. It will be dispensed through pumps with wide nozzles (like 4 star), and the pump labelling colour is expected to remain red, with 4 stars. The new standard should be available well before 4 star is removed from sale but a BS number has not yet been allocated to it. There is no firm information yet from the oil industry as to how many filling stations are likely to sell it after 2000, but as 4 star still has a significant market share it is expected that most companies will offer LRP. This type of product is already available from some of the filling stations of at least one company. After-market Additives It is also likely that these alternative types of additive will be made available as after-market treatments, so that the motorist can buy a can of additive to add to a tankful of unleaded petrol. In this case it is important to use only the recommended dosage, and to ensure that the product is designed to protect from valve seat recession, not simply an octane booster. Sodium-based additives cannot currently be recommended by Rover Group for cars with turbochargers, and mixing ‘active ingredients’ is not recommended. There is no British Standard for separate additives. Outside the U.K. Although the ban on leaded petrol is an EU directive, member states can apply for a delay if they demonstrate economic hardship. Some countries may thus still have some leaded petrol available in decreasing amounts, but most will not. Indeed it is already disappearing from some countries, notably Germany, Sweden and Austria. The availability of alternatives varies from country to country. LRP equivalents are used in several of the Scandinavian countries, but sale of petrol with any metallic replacement additives is prohibited in Germany, so many filling stations sell the after-market treatments for the customer to use. In Austria, on the other hand, all “Super” (98 octane) unleaded petrol has to have lead replacement additives. If you wish to take a car needing leaded petrol to other countries, it is therefore wise to check local availability first, or at least take a supply of additives with you! Summary Leaded Petrol (4 star) will be withdrawn from 1 January 2000. Many cars can run on unleaded without modification or with re-tuning. Cars with ‘soft’ valve seats needed lead to control recession. A catalyst is not needed to use unleaded. For ‘soft’ seats, the main options are new seats or lead replacement additives. Lead Replacement Petrol will be available. After-market additives are likely to be available – check they’re the right kind. Options will vary from country to country.

Just found these graphs when looking through some old floppy discs might be of interest. I had great difficulty in posting them , Many thanks to Jonathan Kay for unloading for me

Hi Andrew, I will take 1, Dave

Where fluid gets out air gets in, check for the slightest signs of damp on the system also look at the secondary seal on the master cylinder ,the one behind the boot and check for fluid.

Hi Jack, Early rollers were fitted with the std. cast fuel rails.MGR replaced the cast with a plastic version the later rollers were machined to accommodate 'thicker' plastic ones. Dave

PM sent

Wanted standard brake master cylinder for a seven or 21. Acquired thanks.

I have used Go Race on my 21 for a number of years. No play / problems to date quite pleased with it.

I have used Forte fuel additive on my 185 k mile Disco 300 TDI makes a bit more smoke initially and feels a bit crisper for a while then resumes its normal performance.

Has anybody had issues with Race Technology wheel speed sensors,

Andrew, Was there a support strut fitted to both throttle bodies? Dave

Andrew, The noise disappears when the throttle is opened ? Is the noise coming from all the tracts? Does frequency / volume change when you remove the vacuum hose on the offending inlet tract? Dave

Sounds like the induction stroke on the inlet manifold sucking on the throttle flaps shut. try slight adjustment and see if it changes .