AdamQ

Graham, thanks again - Apologies, I seem to have muddled things up nicely so I'll clarify the facts. The rattle happens in all five forward gears at the same RPM (about 2800). With the car at a standstill, there's no rattle if one simply revs the engine to 2800 RPM either with the car in neutral and foot off the clutch or with the car in gear and foot on the clutch. This suggests to me that the rattle is not directly related to the engine and the ancilliaries (though I don't think it rules them out completely because of the differences there must be between a loaded and an unloaded engine). To me (and this is perhaps how I've muddled things) the drivetrain sort of starts from the back face of the flywheel and so the speed of some elements of the (my!) drivetrain matches the speed of the engine rather than the speed of the wheels. Those elements would be the clutch and gearbox input shaft I guess? Anything else? I've run out of mud to stir into this particular pool of water, so I'll have to stop ... Adam

Hi Graham, good to hear from you - I hope all's well. The rattle occurs in all forward gears (I haven't checked reverse yet!) at the same RPM so I don't think the drivetrain can be ruled out yet. The only things removed for the RR session were the nosecone and the bonnet (and a heater hose was removed during the session by the car itself resulting in a lot of steam and a small heart attack for the loving owner!). Both bonnet and nosecone have been off and back on many times since the RR and I hope I'd have got the dzus secured correctly at least once, but I will check! TBH, I'd have said that it was a stronger rattle that one would expect from something like a dzus or the throttle cable. I appreciate that there's a difference between what's going on in and around the engine when a stationary engine is revved and when things are under load, but I have a nagging feeling that you might have a point about the drivetrain. The noise seems (I find it desperately difficult to tell precisely) to come from around the bulkhead area which doesn't rule out the fore section of the drivetrain. Your suggestion about axle stands has lit a big - I'd got as far as thinking of talking nicely to Steve at the RR, but it hadn't occurred to me that I could do as you suggest - I'll give it a go. The conversion has definitely worked out well. The work was done over at John Howe's and it was a lot of fun (most of the time!) and the result is well worth it - a comprehensive write up is in the pipeline ... Cheers, Adam

Thomas, thanks for the suggestion, but the rattle's there when the bonnet is removed and the throttle cable doesn't really come into contact with anything else. Adam

Thanks Ric and Mark. The fan shroud is a good suggestion - hadn't thought of that. The alternator seems secure when wiggled by hand, but I'll take a spanner to it. The rattle happens without the bonnet in place and there is no spark plug cover on the Duratec (well, not on mine anyway - sort of wish there was as a search of the archives suggested that was favourite to be the cause!). Adam Edited by - AdamQ on 18 Jun 2008 11:28:18

Thanks Mark. I've had a good poke around and have done a bit of pushing and pulling of various components, but I'll do as you suggest as I can't claim to have made a completely thorough and methodical check. (203 is a good number - that's what mine is!) Thanks Tom. Sorry to hear about your silencer. Hopefully mine is OK as it's new, though stranger things have happened I guess ... I'll get my stethoscope out! Adam

Morning all, I have a rattle and any ideas as to the cause would be appreciated. I'd describe it as a medium-frequency metallic rattle - a classic rattle to my mind. The car is a recent 2.0 l Duratec conversion with a new (well, reconditioned) gearbox. The rattle occurs in all forward gears (I haven't checked reverse) at 2800 rpm and then disappears fairly soon after that (difficult to tell how quickly as the engine noise obviously increases). The rattle does not occur if one sits in the car and revs it to 2800 rpm whether in neutral with foot off the clutch or in gear with foot on the clutch (I've also dipped the clutch whilst in motion at the point the rattle arises and it goes away (though this is slightly vague as obviously the engine speed increases quite rapidly when the clutch is dipped). The rattle hasn't been there since the completion of the conversion - it cropped up after the car had completed a rolling road session and about another 100 or so miles. Specifically, it came on after a short blast down a straight section of dual carriageway. As I say, any thoughts would be gratefully received. Cheers, Adam

Simon, There's a map for a 2.0 Duratec with TBs here. It's for 330 cc/min injectors at a pressure of 48 psi (about 3.3 bar I think) and Raceline 210 cams. Good luck with getting it up and running - mine had its first road outing last Sunday having been mapped by the two Steves a few days before - I can confirm wholeheartedly that it's definitely well worth all the effort! Adam

I don't know the categorical answer to the question, but I do know that Brian and Chris at BGH stated to me that SX75-90W GL4 was the oil to use in the type 9 gearbox (and they were most insistent that it was GL4 and not GL5), the inference being that SX75-90W is the stuff that Caterham sell. Adam

Thanks all for the help and suggestions. I put the TPS on the other end of the throttle spindle yesterday evening and that has solved the problem. Brent, I looked closely at the TPS but it's not reversible - I thought that you might be right and that I might be able to push out the white nylon centre and turn it around, but that's not the case. Jon, I was hoping to be able simply to swap the wires as you suggest, but the TPS seems to be designed to rotate only one way from idle (I think I was lucky not to damage it during my attempts to calibrate the TPS), though I suppose I could mount it with the centre bit at the other end of its travel at idle if that makes sense ... Cheers, Adam

Thanks Johnty - I'll give that a go later. Adam

I'm getting an error when I try to set up the throttle pot with the Emerald and I was hoping somebody might be able to help. I've followed the instructions in the manual and then those given by the software but I keep getting an error message - something like "Error! Min is 66, Max is 0" (or vice versa). I've just swapped from a K series to a Duratec (it runs by the way - not sure who was more surprised, me or the engine!) and so the TPS is now rotating in the opposite sense when the throttle is pressed and I guess that might have something to do with it. I've pressed the button on the throttle pot set up window with the icon that looks a bit like the IE reload button thinking that that might reverse the sense, but it doesn't appear to have made any difference. I realise that I could simply mount the TPS at the other end of the TBs, but the wires are too short and I'm lazy. I guess I could maybe switch the wires on the TPS as well, but I'd rather solve the problem than simply find a work-around. Off to see the two Steves on Thursday (another question: is is plain chocolate or milk chocolate Hobnobs that one has to take?!) and I'm sure they'll know what to do, but in the meantime any suggestions would be appreciated ... Cheers, Adam

Darren, It was a pleasure to meet you and a pleasure to be of some slight help. Very pleased to hear that everything is now in working order - good news indeed! Hope to see you again some time. Adam

Alex, YHM Adam

To me 'optimum' is the best set of compromises that can be achieved for the car as a whole and my taste (possibly dubious, but 'de gustibus non est disputandum' as they say [pretentious prat mode off]) means that I'd simply prefer not to have a hole, even if it means sacrificing a few torques. And in a year or two when I want an upgrade, what could be cheaper than a hole (alright, and some trumpets/trumpet spacers)? I plan just to buy a net, untie one of the holes from it, and stick that in the bonnet ... ... Sorry - bit of Friday flippancy creeping in. Adam

Mike has kindly sent me a picture of a 2.0 Duratec installation without a bonnet hole. It's the 'Racing Green' Seven. Link here. Adam Edited by - AdamQ on 12 May 2008 15:48:06

Posted on behalf of Mike: Thanks Mike. Interesting reading - it's good to know that it can be done (and I'm sure Andrew_H will be pleased to know this as well!). Adam

Ah, that's the sort of challenge I like! Seriously, thanks Timbo, Dave and Brent for the information. I'd still be interested to know how you get on Andrew. Adam

Prices again, post BTTT

Andrew, I'll be very interested to hear how you get on so shall 'watch this space'. Good luck! Adam

Thanks Brent. Adam

Given the following: that it's going to be extremely tight, that it might well/will compromise engine performance, and that I'm being an aesthetics tart, does anybody know whether or not it's possible to install a Duratec with DTH throttle bodies in an S3 chassis without cutting a hole in the bonnet? Cheers, Adam

John, I'm not, I'm just reverting to the wheel that was around before somebody reinvented the hydraulic version of it! As for the CRB point (and I'm not considering a redsign there!), if you've got two components each with specific probabilities that they'll go wrong at some point, then the combined probability that one or other of them will go wrong at some point is greater (though I will concede that if it was necessary to replace one, then you'd probably replace the other at the same time). If it suits, I'll be over as soon after 9.00 as I can make it as, weather-permitting, I'm playing golf at 2.00 [fortifies himself against the next barrage of abuse ...]. Simon, Thanks for the information - all valuable. As I say, this is two parts an innate (but by no means stubbornly fixed) preference for a cable, two parts a genuine interest in the possibility, and one part for JH's amusement. Adam

Ammo, Is this bellhousings? If so, will they be the shorter/narrower (depends where you're standing!) ones that allow the engine to be mounted 18 mm further back and use the shorter gearbox shaft? Will do. Thanks for the help. Adam

AMMO, Thanks for the reply. Good to know that I'm not the only one who's thought about it. In answer to your questions, yes, it is for a Seven; as for the reasons why, it's largely just an innate (and perhaps irrational) preference for the simplicity of the cable over the hydraulic arrangement. Also, whenever I try to bleed something I end up with clutch fluid everywhere (especially on the paint) except where I want it (the air stays there) - slightly tongue in cheek, but you know what I mean. Also, and I might well be wrong here, it appears from the pictures I've seen, that replacing a hydraulic clutch actuator is an engine-out job whereas, and I might also be wrong here, replacing a cable is a relatively straightforward affair that can be done at the side of the road if necessary. And there's the weight saving of course . Adam

Just wondered if anybody (but mainly the Duratec chaps) has, in the course of their research, stumbled across a cable-operated clutch for the Duratec? In their FAQ on the Duratec, Minister imply that it's a possibility, but when I spoke to them they said that they'd never actually built/produced one (with good reason, somebody will no doubt suggest ). Cheers, Adam