Klunk

I think FiFi might be Delbert's car (F1 8lat). Either that or his dog was christening your wheels Hope the weather stays fine for you. Giles

Check a cam sprocket hasn't moved on one of the cams. I know one owner whose R400 had this problem after a track session.

Hi Andy, What state are the o-rings under the pump jet cover screws. If these are poor (or the wrong size) fuel will spray out of here when accelerating. Guess how I know The choke opening with the gauze is an air intake and does not have a gasket. This shouldn't be the problem... Regards, Giles

Have to admit I was referring to K set up. Clearly they are very different as I would say the idle gap is 2-3mm on the K. The voltage at idle on the TPS centre pin (with an MBE) is less than 0.5v at the start position in the map according to Steve Greenauld. Strange

Hi Geoff, I don't have RTBs but have worked on a few so from memory: The outer pins are earth and 5v with the centre pin being the output you want at 0.45v. The adjusters are: Centre (grub screw and hex lock nut) - balance between throttle bodies to ensure both pulling same air Nearest head (bolt and locknut) - idle set stop Nearest filter (bolt and locknut) - full throttle stop (to stop barrels going beyond fully open) Can you clarify what you mean by barrel gap? Not sure what the 6mm refers to. As far as set up goes. To start with fully open the throttle and set the full throttle stop and, at the same time, use the centre screw to roughly set the barrel balance. Use your finger to feel when the barrel becomes parallel in the body. When both pairs are the same that will do to start with. Close the throttle and measure the voltage at the centre pin on the TPS. Adjust the idle set stop until it reads 0.45v. The barrels should just be opening if you look down the barrels. Reset ecu and start car. Until the barrels are balanced properly it may be necessary to wind the idle stop in when first started. Once warm, use a synchrometer and the centre screw to balance the barrels so all flow the same. Once done check the voltage at the TPS again using the idle stop as before. If you have a good base map that should be enough until you get it mapped properly I'm sure others will correct/clarify Regards, Giles Edited by - Klunk on 22 May 2014 18:27:12

Bit of a daft one this one, but the rad fan is running the right way when it kicks in? I.e. Not trying to cool the engine with hot engine bay air. I managed to wire the fan in reverse ( ) on a rebuild and it exhibited exactly the same symptoms. Regards, Giles

Probably something vague like the engine warning light comes on! 😔 At a guess, the first thing is probably the coolant temp rising followed by cam/lifter rattle, bottom end knock and then your engine leaving the car in pieces via the block/sump

Does it change with revs. If so you could have overtightened the alternator belt or it could be the cambelt guide pulley. Giles

Roger, I read that as high resistance at empty, low at full. To test you can short across the sender and you should get full scale deflection. Regards, Giles

Looks like a Hornet to me. They used the cortina running gear and suspension which is what appears to be on the front. Worth more like £1400 From his last comment it looks like few people have pointed that out to him! 😬 Giles

Hi Kev, If visually okay, smooth running and no grease coming out I would say they are fine; especially as you know the history of them . Regards, Giles

As mentioned above, you have the patience of a Saint. Personally, I think you need to be demanding they give you a car now - preferably an R400 or current equivalent. With the best blatting months approaching, this would at least ease the pain until your car is complete. What pump are they using in the 620r? They seem to be able to get hold of those okay, although I suppose the tank may be different. This really has gone beyond a joke in my opinion 😔 😔 Hope it gets resolved in the very near future - surely they don't want to risk the bad press Giles

Is the throttle cable too tight/caught somewhere, thereby holding the throttle open? Giles

Hi Phil , No, you don't need Thackery washers if you have the rubber washers and cups as these are the Thackery replacement. Thackery's are prone to breaking over time so best avoided. Regards, Giles Edited by - Klunk on 21 Apr 2014 21:19:54

Edited by - Klunk on 20 Apr 2014 10:33:15

Looks like things are starting to happen. Just a shame, as you say, that it has had to get this far. Why have they not explained the internal changes before this time? At least expectations could be managed. Hope all goes to plan and that you have sparked a logistics revolution within Caterham. Modifications to standard items really should be done in house to eliminate this kind of problem. Outsourcing everything just means you loose control unless you impose tight rules and fines on suppliers. Giles

The first minute of seems strangely appropriate.

Maybe they would like to know that when I built my Westfield in 2000; not only could I pick up the kit on the date I was given but I was only missing about 10 rivets for which they were very apologetic and they arrived the next morning. Added to that, I purchased several upgrade items on spec from the stores and only once was an item out of stock. That arrived a couple of days later as promised. You can say what you like about the cars, but you can't knock that for service. They sell hundreds of cars a year (210 in 2013, 12000 since started) with none of the brand advantages Caterham have. The thing that should worry Caterham is I'm aware of a couple of potential high end Caterham owners who decided to buy a Westfield simply because of Caterham's lack of interest. As Stu says, a business that can afford to squander it's product advantages in this financial climate doesn't deserve it's success. I love my Caterham but this kind of behaviour towards new owners sometimes leaves me feeling ashamed. Count me in for the feedback delegation Giles

I'm sorry you are experiencing these problems but I'm afraid they appear to be all to common. IMO Caterham have relied on brand desirability for too long. Basically "If you want a genuine Seven then you have to put up with our rules". To date this has served them well relying on mild mannered enthusiasts (beards optional) who treated a parts delay as a 'build highlight' and something to talk about over a pint. That might have worked the 70's and 80's but is simply unacceptable in the current climate. As fast as Caterham are filling their bath with new ideas someone forgot to put the plug in and when the ideas run out their business will disappear down the drain unless they get a hold of this. I have lost count of the number of new owners I have spoken to who have had nothing but trouble in the same vein as you. Poor quality/poorly designed parts, damaged parts, incomplete orders, bad engine maps - the list is endless. The usual supportive pats on the back from Blatchat of "It'll be worth it in the end" or "TADTS", whilst well meant, are little compensation to the new owner who has just spent a significant amount of money on what may have been one of their life goals. The current 'blitzkrieg' of expansion into foreign markets, whilst fantastic news for the Seven, will only exacerbate the problems you have experienced as kit sales get in the way of turn-key sales. I really hope that Caterham will suddenly announce that they have a plan for resolving this otherwise I fear the brand image will be irrevocably damaged. C’mon Caterham sort this man out and somebody find the plug! Giles Edited by - Klunk on 10 Apr 2014 12:56:33

Did you check the butterflies look the same down each carb when closed and fully open. Just trying to eliminate a twisted spindle. What about swapping all the jets etc over from one carb to the other and seeing if the problem shifts? Air leak on the rear carb mounts (misab plates)? Starting to clutch at straws I afraid...

Agree with Elie, it does sound like a balance issue. As well as using a synchrometer look down the carbs as you open the throttle to make sure all looks okay. Do you have bypass screws on the carbs? These are sometimes covered in white caps and consist of a adjustment screw and a locknut. If these are open on one carb and not on the other these will also cause issues. Check the seats on the idle mixture screws. If screwed in too hard they damage the seats enlarging the hole. So for a given number of turns out the flow will be different. Unlikely, but worth checking Finally check any jets you haven't changed. Sometimes these are drilled out so may say one thing but be another. Regards, Giles

I seem to remember they are 4mm diameter and 8 or 10mm long. As Nigel says, Bruce will confirm what size they use. I get mine from an eBay company "abouttownbolts". Good quality, good price, and quick delivery. Regards, Giles

It was a Clarke one (Machinemart code CAT73). Fortunately a local Sevener had one I could borrow. If you look on Amazon/EBay you can get a similar one for around £30.

I tried doing a similar thing a few years ago and, after about an hour of cursing, drilled out the rivets and removed the panel in about 10 minutes. With an air riveter it took me another 20 to put it back on. Half an hour worth spending if you wish to keep your sanity Regards, Giles

. You can't beat a bit of cardboard engineering! Regards, Giles