Colin Heseltine

Paul, Glad that worked for you. Enjoy your 420R Colin

Paul, Glad that worked for you. Enjoy your 420R Colin

One thing I have found with the Carbon tillets fitted in my 420R is that the release leaver does not lift high enough to release the catch, especially if you have lowered floors (as I have) and have the seat forward. In this case the lever lift is restricted by the cross-member which is slides below. To cure this I put the seat back as far as was possible, raised the lever as far as it would go, put a wooden block underneath to wedge it in the high position and then bent the lever downwards towards the floor. The lever is quite strong so needs a good push. When you have done this remove the wooden block. The lever is much closer to the floor and may even be touching it, but you will now have enough lift to ensure the locking peg is freed from the slot in the runner. I can now easily release the runner lock even if the handle is beneath the cross-member. Colin

Is there any way of removing the standard aluminum dash panel from a 1997 'K' series and replacing it with a carbon dash panel without having to remove the scuttle. What advice would you have for someone doing this job. Thanks, Colin

If weather plays ball hopefully going for 60 mile run Monday evening. Will be interesting to see what temps I see. Colin

So if I am seeing min of 60 in dry sump tank I should be okay to use the full capabilities of the engine?? Or would you refrain until up to 70-80 degrees. Colin

Dave Gemzoe is looking at supplying LED headlamp units. I have a pair of these and very pleased with them. I did some tests for Dave and also took them to my local MOT test station for them to checkout. They were happy with them from the MOT point of view. They do not have a halo ring or a horizontal led section. The sidelight is provided by led bulbs which make the headlight look much more like a standard headlight unit, i.e.all of the unit lit Colin

Have now fitted a blanking plate over the oil cooler. Went out for a 12 mile run to test it. By time arrived at destination was still in the blue section of the gauge albeit only just. Stopped for about an hour /hour and half and then returned home. Reached around 56 degrees after the return journey. With the oil in dry sump tank at 56 degrees what would expect the oil temp to be in the engine? Colin

ScottR400D, I had seen that post but my car is 2021 version which has the oil cooler located below the water radiator and bolted to it so it looks like one unit. The radiator fan housing also covers around 1/4 to 1/3 of the radiator. It wil need to be a tailored blanking plate. Colin

Whilst the car was in for its 6000 mile service (done in 6 1/2months) i had Oakmere fit the oil temp sender whilst the dry sump tank was empty.I have now wired this up to a on-off-on switch hidden under the dash and can now switch from oil to water temperatures. Having just been out and done around 10 miles the car has only got to around 45 degrees. Yesterday it may have been slightly warmer weather as had oil up to 50 degrees. I think I need to block as much of the oil rad as I can. How have others done this. I am think of gettig some plasticard and cuttingto shape to fit around the fan housing. This might cover around 1/3 of the radiator. Colin

Got afew ideas. Will let yuou know if any work. Colin

3D printed this out with standard filament and painted with Halfords Satin Black. Seemed reasonably solid but still some movement. Decided to make a reinforcing bracket to utilise the freed up holes where the standard mirror was fitted.A lot of time with files going through several iterations of bracket till got the bends in the right place. Then made a final right and left hand side version. Powder coated yesterday and fitted today. Mirror is absolutely solid. Just need to source some longer blacked countersunk screws for the hinge. I did also make a master pattern out of gauge plate which took lots of filing. If this holds up okay then all well and good, if not will mill from solid billet of aluminium. Just need to solve the problem of vibrating center mirror now. Car is an SV so I think the screen vibrates a little more. Colin

Is there any way of downloading the zip file without having to use google drive. I can then use other unzip apps on the file. Thx, Colin

Wilt, Sorry for slow response but many thanks for those details. As Jonathon says a sketch of the wiring and maybe a photo of the dimmer in place would be useful. Colin

Wilt, Can you tell us how/where you connected this into the instrument light feed. Cable colours etc. Where have you located the dimmer controll. Thanks, Colin

As Ian (Wrightpayne) says having welded nuts or rivnuts in the runner and allen bolts from underneath is I think the best way. This is how the seat runners for my Tillets on my new 420R are fitted. The problem comes trying to line up the bolt holes to refit the bolts from below. I tried just lining up by eye and failed miserably. This is obviously easier with standard seats where the squab can be removed. I then found 4 off M6 or M8 (cannot remember what size the thread is) allen bolts (approx 35mm long) with partial plain shanks and then sawed the heads of them all. These were then screwed into the seat runners. The Tillet seat with runners was then easily located in the holes in the floor. A stud was then removed, a bolt screwed in its place (easily) and the repeated for the next three bolts. I was then able to bolt the seats up without getting underneath the car. Colin

Steve, Sorry to hear your diff may have problems. Sounds as though that may be an unwanted winter project. Colin PS Quick question for those who have fitted the Gold Magnetic Filler Plug to the diff. Are there any clearance issues. I am asking Oakmere to swap the plug whilst they have it in for 6000 service and don't want them to have a problem. If there is likely to be a problem I will fit it myself later.

Have just purchased one of the Clarke digital torque wrench adaptors to use for a second opinion. This appeared to move at 42.5 ft. lbs. So perhaps if I take average of the two devices I am on 43.5 ft lbs. Have also ordered the gold magnetic plug for the diff. Perhaps if I check the preload every 1000 miles I will be able to see the deterioration (if any - ) Colin

Steve, Have just checked the pre-load in my diff. The car (a 420R new in April 2021) has done 5750 miles. Both wheels jacked off the ground they both rotate together the same way when one is moved. Having just taken delivery of 42mm nut a few minutes ago, got out the fairly unused Halford Professional 3/8" drive torque wrench. This has a rotating scale in 1ft lb increments. Starting from 20 ft lb went up in 5 ft lb increments till reached 35ft lb and then in 1ft lb increments. at 44.5 ft lbs I could not move the wheel at 45 ft. lbs it would move. This would appear to indicate no problem. I tried one of my other torque wrenches but was not happy with the way the scale was reading as it seem to move the wheel no matter what it was set to. Think I will look for a further torque wrench for a second opinion. Colin

I have used Thin Sheet Rivnuts on lots of jobs, but not on the Caterham. They only need a very lightly countersunk hole and will sit flush to the surface. Colin

Just checked my top hose. OD 45mm Wall thickness 6mm Radiator is a PMA Drysump tank is tapped and has 3/16" allen key plug in it. Colin

In that case I would like to think that mine should be. I'll have to see if can get an allen key to locate in the hidden plug. I would guess its going to be around 6mm. Colin

Scott, That's what I did on my K series 1600, had switch on dash to switch between oil and water temp. Colin

Thats what I am hoping. I wanted to confirm that this port is actually tapped. I am struggling to see it well enough at the moment. As there is not a plug sticking out I wanted to check if the plug is deep in th port and what size allen key is needed to remove it. Colin