Dave H

Greg, Great to see you yesterday, glad it all worked in the end. You are now recognised as the West Sussex Area Expert Xflow Alternator Changer 😬 Don't forget - Thursday Evening - 6 Bells @ Chiddingly if you can make it. Dave H

Try Redline in Caterham - 01883 346515 Dave H

Brian, If its the Engine - You NEED the Haynes manual for the Ford Kent , on Carbs, Haynes do an excellent manual on Webers. For the rest, the Tony Wheale book on Care & Restoration, along with a Vintage copy of the Build manual. Thats the selection I used for mine, and, although it's now a Zetec, so a copy of the Mondeo manual has been added, it does a good job of answering all but the most obscure questions... Dave H

Julian, I have the James Whiting supplied mounts fitted. I don't think James makes his own, but gets them from either Raceline or Dunnells - it would be worth giving him a ring to check. If you still want photos give me a call - Numbers in LF - West Sussex AO, and I'll email you some piccies. Dave H

Mmmmmmmm......Malt Whisky.....£20

Chris, If the water pump leaked water over the Cam belt - then change it NOW!!! I speak from experience - water + coolent + cambelt = ££££, as the belt is weakened by the mixture you are trying to clean out of the engine bay. Good Luck, Dave H

Changing the bulbs won't help the condensation problem - the solution to that is to allow air to circulate freely inside the gauge. This has been covered before, but the idea is to CAREFULLY remove a small section of the casing of each gauge. You will need to remove the guage from the car for this. I think the bulb holders pull out to allow the bulbs to be changed without removing the guage. Dave H

My garage floor needs degreasing - I'm interested Dave H

Anthony, To try and sort of answer ypur questions in no particular order:- 1) We could all do with some Driver training (80% of drivers think they are better than average ). For the road you could try the IAM or a session with Hugh. 2) What you are after is to get the car set up so it feels the most comfortable and right for you. I wouldn't use CC. They will put a car together, they are not in the business of "fiddling" with it to get it perfect - thats what owners do. Talk to James Whiting, he'll give you loads of free advice on your setup, and if you take the car to him, he'll do it. 3)Get along to one of Adrian Elkins "Seven Maintenance for Dummies" courses, and learn how to DIY But mostly - enjoy the car. Dave H

Terry, I have used Lavender Motors in Haywards Heath for the last 11 years for the Caterham, with no problems - always found them helpful and prepared to assist in getting it through. Dave H

Paul, I run a Zetec, and purchase my filters from the local motor factors, just give them the make and code and they'll find what you need. Oil - Comma make one, it actaully says recommended for Ford Zetecs on the label (in small writing), can't remeber the name off hand. Thottle cables come from Caterhams (or Redline or James Whiting), they are made for the car - but, depending on the throttle set up you have, you may need to modify the standard item. Dave H

I cut one out of a piece of sheet aluminium I had (Actually the old Caterham floor which I had replaced). Make sure it's split, as the Xflow one should be. It does make life easier later. Dave H

Jan, James Whiting advised me to fit nice firm front springs (250lb+) for a Xflow - I now have 300lb on a Zetec. The rears should be a lot softer - 120 or 140lb, but like so many thins on the Seven, personal taste, car use and driving technique will all have a part to play. I fitted AVO shocks on the front earlier this year, and they transformed the handling. I will get the rears done over winter hopefully, ready for the good weather. Dave H

Ade, Parrafin, even dirty, oily parrafin is great for lighting bonfires 😬. I have used Gunk, it does shift the grease and muck really well, but the smell *confused*blllurrrgggghhhh. I prefer parrafin. Puremalt, Hayne do a Manual for the Ford Kent Crossflow engine. I don't have details, as mine has been borrowed, but I'm sure someone will post details soon. Dave H

D'Oh ❗ Multiple Posting Dave H Edited by - Dave H on 28 Nov 2002 15:42:38

Ade, To clean mine I used parrafin and rags. Parrafin soaked wire wool for the really grimy bits where it wouldn't hurt, but mostly parrafin - I think I used 2 or 3 gallons of the stuff in the end. You want a container you can put bits in to soak as well. Replace all gaskets to be safe, a set is only £40ish, and you shouldn't need to do it again for another 20 to 50,000 miles. Be careful with the rear crank seal, it needs to go inthe right way round, and it's very easy to damage it. The first sign of a problem will be oil leaking out of the bell-housing, and it's a right b****r to change with the engine in the car. I also found it much easier to fit the gearbox on to the engine and then install the whole lot, but, it's easier to take the engine out separately. This could well be different if you have a de Dion or an open bottom to you transmission tunnel. Dave H

Try Redline in Caterham. They get second hand ones in from time to time. Dave H

Ade, I'd get everything checked out by an expert, and replace it if it looks iffy. The Crankshaft should definatley be checked for straightness, ad may need grinding. I'd replace all the bearings, and clean and check all the other bits, just in case some swarf got where it shouldn't. Follow the advice in the Haynes manual as regards what to check - it's quite thorough, but all good advice. You should end up with a good engine when you've finished. One important thing to note is, some bits are not easy to find new, you may have to resort to reconditioned or second hand (scrap) parts. And forget trying to use a Ford garage - the last Xflow was built before the spotty youf behind the counter was born. I spent weeks trying to get hold of new push rods - don't bother, straighten them yourself, and adjust the tappets to suit. Dave H

Ade, The Haynes Xflow manual is invaluable. It takes you through a rebuild in a very structured way. The one piece of advice I'd give is to read well ahead, and make sure you have all the bits and tools you need before you start. If you get stuck, my number is in LF - West Sussex AO. I still have (most) of my old Xflow sitting on the garage floor, so I can use it for reference if necessary (my copy of the Haynes manual has been borrowed by another first time rebuilder). I do have a Kent 234 cam sitting on the shelf in the garage. It was in reasonable condition last time I looked, if you need one. Good luck, Dave H

Ade, When I stripped and rebuilt my old Xflow, I found a good starting point was to get a tray divided up into 4 rows, each row split into a number of boxes. The 4 rows are for each cylinder, with the boxes in each row for components, e.g. Inlet, Exhaust, etc. Label the box Front and Rear, and as each part is removed, put it in its compartment. I used a wooden tray, which had been around in the garage for a while, and had built up a nice layer of ingrained oil and grease, and I also placed an oil cloth over the tray when not using it. Anything which is being stored for any length of time, I'd wrap in an oily rag. Enjoy. Xflows are great to work on. Dave H

I was thinking that the off set check on the axle should indicate which way the bracket had compressed if it that was the problem. I would suggest, for a small amount, "easing" the bracket (technical term for bending it carefiully), or using some spacing washers to correct the alignment. I've had mine rewelded, as the orginal weld on one side started to split after running for a while with badly worn bushes, and it needed adusting afterwards. Dave H

YW Sin, A couple of points. It sounds like someone has tightened the bolt up as the bushes have disintegrated, distorting the bracket. this means the bracket will be very tight to insert the new bushes. Worth checking the alignment of the axle to chassis to ensure its all central. Mesure the distance from the back of the wheel to the chassis frame on each side of the car. The measurements should be within a couple on millimetres of each other. The other point is - don't oil the bushes - the rubber will disintegrate even quicker. Dave H

Don't leave it out - you'll get all sorts of muck on the clutch if you do. The plate should be split so the two halves can be fitted seperately - you'll never move the gearbox back far enough to get it in in one piece. Once split, it makes jobs like clutch changing easier - no need to take the engine out (on a Live Axle car) if you really need some space to work (Live Axle only) undo the prop shaft from the rear diff, undo the gearbox mounting bolts (2 of them) - If ou have teh remote gear lever you need to disconnect that as well. The gearbox will slide (and twist) back about 8 to 10 inches) giving you room to access the clutch/flywheel/back of engine. Dave H

Jeff, I'll have a rumage in the dark recesses of the garage, I think I have one which isn't required. Which part of the country are you in? Dave H West Sussex AO

Jam, Even though you are no longer a Seven owner, and are soon to desert us for distant shores, I hope we will still see you for a coffee and Sossiges on the 3rd. I'll arrange some descrete tintop parking (you can help hide Blatmans Green Machine ) Dave H