wild bill

Anyone got a torch? I think i just trod in something. We'll need to clear up a bit and get the beer fridge working

thanks 7 and Nigel. If i put the tank on the bulkhead i'm stumped for space for the washer bottle. It's so tight a config in the s3. The only real space is on the crossmember. Also with the race line water rail im not running a pressurised system so the tank i ordered is un needed in that way. I'll BM my mobile 7 owver the break. No hurry.

Thanks 7 i'm with that. Once xmas is over i need to return the exp tank to Caterham and order the necessary bits.

it's not the bulkhead version its the one that mounts on the cross member between the rad and the engine. My thermostat threads into the side of the fillerneck on the raceline water rail. I thought the exp tank inlet was the bottom connector which is 15 (ok perhaps 16 makes sense) the bleed is the top outlet (5 or 6 mmm) If i run from the engine bleed What then attaches to the fillerneck overflow? Running the return to the heater return will be tricky as there's alot in the way between fron and back. The bulhead expansion position is taken by heater and washer bottle (IYSWIM) So many questions such minimal brain capacity

OK please bear with me this is complicated to explain. I have a 2.3l Duratec in S3 When i converted fro K series 11 years ago i kept the K series radiator (i tried the ford rad but there were fitting problems and there was no real reason to change so the original rad remained). I run a raceline water rail and filler neck. The filler neck has an overflow outlet of 5mm. Facing towards the rear of the car The main out from filler neck exits top left and then runs diagonally to the top right inlet on the rad. I have not run an expansion tank and all has been fine however i've been advised that it might be a good idea (by a mechanic that has known the car since 2004 helped with rebuilding bits and that i do trust). In fact since rebuilding the car i now get water overflowing and of course it cant then go back in which means there's less water in the system. This never used to happen and i am stumped as to what has changed. The other day i had lots of steam from under the bonnet on a run which made me pull over to check that a hose hadn't burst and dumped coolant everywhere. (It hadn't) which prompted the thoughts of expansion tank as a solution. Problem 1) Ordered the rover expansion tank (which is what the car had originally) but the diagonal coolant pipe runs directly over the mounting point. I can order a hose and connector to re route the pipework down the left then right angle turn and along behind the top of the rad and in to the top right. I think this is better than mounting the exp tank elsewhere. Problem 2) The overflow outlet from filler neck is standard apparently at 5mm but the inlet to the expansion tank is 15mm. Nowhere i've looked so far has a solution (merlin and demon) 1) Am i being mad here? Should i leave as is 2) Has anyone encountered a similar issue I've searched google for engine bay images but nothing helps. This is as good as i can manage in explaining. Thx in advance for any help as feeling thick

the washers went back in the position caterham said as i called them to double check. i think its 2 each side. The manuals vary over time and the original front was mangled beyond rec so i couldn't use the previous settings

Can't delete that post.Why is there not a "delete this post" button? Now moving on as life to short to spend trying to work it out

Jonathan it's a 97 supersport with widetrack. I'll delete the other post. No idea how it duplicated

Dear BC I need to set my car up properly for fast road use following my lamp post shunt. I've been driving the car for a month or so to see what i thought. I'd set the front suspension up as per the original set up but have bump steer which makes the car very twitchy. I have a friend who has a laser set up and can help but i need the relevant measurements if that makes sense? Can anyone advise? The rear is as it was. I think im talking toe in/out and camber Many thanks

Dear BC I need to set my car up properly for fast road use following my lamp post shunt. I've been driving the car for a month or so to see what i thought. I'd set the front suspension up as per the original set up but have bump steer which makes the car very twitchy. I have a friend who has a laser set up and can help but i need the relevant measurements if that makes sense? Can anyone advise? The rear is as it was. I think im talking toe in/out and camber Many thanks

I'm so close to finishing i can almost smell the burning rubber. Halfway down my 2.3 duratec block to the rear on the LHS just before the gearbox bell housing is a rubber half inch hose coming out of a black plastic housing which goes nowhere. I don't ever remember seeing it or disconnecting it and its not going anywhere and there's no circlip marks to indicate that it ever did. A sneaky suspicion says its a crank breather but that's just a thick guess from an idiot. Anybody got any ideas?

Thx All very helpful as ever. Nearly there. may go for start up tomorrow.

Could someone confirm the oil capacity for 2.3l duratec with filter and no oil cooler is it 5l? ive tried searching here and google and that's my best guess so far. Cheers In addition anyone running a 2.3 l duratec on throttlebodies in an S3 chassis could you tell me where you route the throttle cable? caterham supplied the LH drive cable which would make sense but its alot shorter than my previous cable which i ran down the chassis and across the front cross member then up under the TB's. This time i'm tempted to curve around and over the gearbox bell housing then up and under so a kind of large S. If not i'll have to get a bespoke made up but it's a bit of a pain if i can find a better solution. Thx

Mornin All My rebuild is almost complete. I run a 2.3 Duratec in an S3 chassis and the accelerator cable runs from the PB along the chassis rail, across the front cross members then along and comes up underneath and afixes to the butterfly on my Jenveys. ISTR it was a rover cable but Caterham want a bloody fortune for one. I have now replaced the standard ford rocker cover with a raceline cover so i no longer need a bodge filler cap or a bonnet hoop as everything fits correctly So qusetions are: 1) Is there another source to purchase and a part number for the existing cable 2) What about a shorter cable running into the top of the butterfly? ISTR this makes a less progressive throttle and i cant see what route it would take or whether tghis is even feasible. BUT it would take the tghrottle cable away from the promaries as the main advantage (although with lagging i've not had a problem in 9 years) What do others with the same set up do? Heeeeelp

I've been using my time waiting on the new gearbox very productively. We can now get to shows PDQ

Some kind dog owner's left a pile of white dog s**t outside the door i've cleared it up. Fridge coming on Tuesday....extra large Smeg

Christ this has been hard to find. Now i'm here i'm gonna clean up the mould and get rid of that dead rat in the corner, then i'll have a mop round. I've got some home brew here so no fridge required. I'll sort that next week for the G&T brigade....YEEEES you know who you are

Quick update, sorry for delay but dealing with kids and dementing parent sidetracked me. I thought there was a tag on the diff top with the type stamped. Took the boot floor out to look and ....nothing so i have no proof that the current diff is a 3.92 just a vague memory from previous rebuilds. The LSD was put in by Kendricks i believe in 2003 a year before i owned the car. With a 2.3 Duratec 190 lb foot of torque and around 240 bhp so my undertanding is 2.29 1st but what difference does a .87 or .82 final make in terms of the use i'd put it to. Will ring Steve today and get on with box and deal with diff later when its on a ramp. Trouble with SP is lead times but at least it's getting wintry and i can hunkjer down in the garage.

Thanks for all the help guys. Any further thoughts welcomed. I haven't had a chance to DC the diff ratio due to swimming and hip hop classes (my 8yr old daughters NOT mine!) and now the smell of sausages and falafels has distracted me but i'll get toi the garage asap

Ok My rebuild continues. Car is 97 S3 with 2.3 Duratec and currently 6 speed Caterham box. I thought i'd take the box to Road and Race for a refresh although it was fine when last being used, however as it's out currently it seemed worth doing anyway. Having spoken to them it seems parts are difficult to obtain at the mo and someone suggested talking to SP components. Their suggestion is that the 6 speed is very unsuited to the 2.3 and its true that cruising is at higher revs and changing gear is frequent. The diff i believe from memory is a 3.92. The suggestion is the 5 speed type 9? the cost is not bad considering i'd sell my current box but does anyone have any pearls to impart? experience in use etc. The car is not used for competing but for fast road and touring. BC i await

It seems there is no hard and fast. So apparently Caterham have recently started to use the 2 2 2 arrangement having previously recommeded widetrack as 0 4 0 possibly the change was to make factory builds simpler. There's loads in the archives on here too but it seems to be a suck it and see as washer movement changes steering feel and castor.

Hi Jonathan i checked, it's not a sealey it's a 'Blue Point' which is a snap on brand i think. Hi Tazio, Caterham really like to cause confusion but the note about distribution varying would seem to make sense.

Hi Tazio That is the standard arrangement of washers however Caterham's manual puts all 4 washers between the rear mount and the chassis leg and removes all other washers on widetrack suspension. This was to move the wishbone further back on the widetrack suspension in order to alleviate the heaviness of the steering caused by widening the track. It just seems odd to me but it's what Caterham state. The question that then arises is in the top wishbone what is the correct washer placement as this isn't mentioned as far as i can read unless i'm missing something.

There were 4 other accidents at the same spot in 10 days so maybe there was diesel or gravel on the road but i should have been more awake but my concentration was not great at that time for different reasons. Still it was at about 20mph luckily and bang head on so i got away very lightly. Only accident in 65000 miles of sevening. The rivnuts are ally and ive used stainless steel temporarily but intend to go nylon, although they,ve always been steel since i bought the car in 2004. Tool is a sealey professional borrowed from Beckington Motors who i live next door to. They'll put the engine and gearbox back in. Need to book my gearbox in to Phil at Road and Race unless anyone knows someone nearer to Bath. What i can't find anywhere is a proper diagram and explanation of the front widetrack assembly. I know how it goes together but it's the details like which washers where. I took photos on dis assembly but not detailed enough to see the washer positions. How difficult would it be for Caterham to put a diagram and explanation into the bag with the wishbone along with the relevant bolts and washers?