Shortshift

Oh - I like the heat shrink tubing idea. Neat and simple. James

Just use a hot air gun (carefully, of course). Aim the hot air jet against each of the four locating tabs in turn and using finger and thumb just bend or ease each tab a smidge outboard. A single smidge is all that is required; two smidges or even a tad will be too much... James

I know of one further CSR owner who has today notified DVSA following the incident he had some while back, now, with sudden catastrophic failure of the clevis bracket. My brackets appear to be fine (had a really good inspection!) but it looks increasingly as though the failure mode is time-dependent as much as it is usage or mileage related. A case of when, rather than if, there will be a failure? Rather concerning. James

Gareth - can you add that as an attachment or as a linked-document as it's not legible at present? James

Here you go John: James

And, for completeness, here is the Technical Bulletin wording issued by CC in 2008 after having released the updated dipstick: "OWNER TECHNICAL UPDATE NOTICE Update number 002 Date of release 07/01/08 Applicable to CSR200 and CSR260. Build period – all CSR ENGINE MAINTENANCE We would like to remind owners of the additional maintenance requirements of the high-performance Cosworth engines in the CSR200 and CSR260. The Cosworth engines are hand-built race-tuned units and as such require a little more attention than a mass produced engine. However, with this attention, the engine will continue to be a strong and reliable power plant, as proven in the CSR Masters race series, where the near-identical specification regularly runs at race speeds in extreme heat, on slick tyres and for extended periods with only routine checks and top-ups – clocking up thousands of circuit miles. The key criteria for the Cosworth engine is the oil level. A special revised dipstick was introduced in 2006 and issued to all original owners, along with detailed instructions for checking the oil. The dipstick is identified by its single-piece metal design, looped end and machined flat section. If you do not have this item, please contact Caterham Parts. The oil level should be at the top of the flat section. However, on the CSR260 engine which uses a race piston, and in common with other hand-built engines, each engine will vary slightly and if the engine is not breathing some oil into the catch tank (which it should), we would recommend finding your own level above this. After a track session, you should expect just a small amount in the bottom of the tank. If you’re not getting this, overfill the engine at approximately 250ml a time, until you get this. Oil levels should be checked after every track session (assuming 20 minutes of track time), which is good practice for all cars! We would also recommend checking the oil level every 500 road miles. James Gibson Service Manager, Caterham Cars" Despite all of the above, I still use the 'add until it overflows into the catch tank' method! James

That's a good point, Mick (though important to point out that the dipstick is not used with the oil cold and having drained down). The original (ca 2005) dipstick was superceded by a later specification in 2006 that encouraged a greater quantity of oil to be in the system and my notes say: "The updated dipstick is made from 5.0mm diameter stainless steel rod, which is 58cm long up to the lifting ring (ie: total length), 24cm up to the maximum level and 21cm up to the minimum level." So a minimum of 8.25" and a maximum of 9.5", as Mick says. My advice is to aim for the maximum reading! James

Replying to #5 Unfortunately, Matt, that video has no relevance to the CSR260 configuration which is substantially different. I tend to use the 'add till it comes out into the catch tank' method. Not ideal but, hey. And with CSR engines (and the 260 in particular) it is best to err on the side of caution by making sure that, if anything, the engine is a tad overfilled. They do tend to use a fair bit of oil in everyday use, let alone on track. Too many of these Cosworth built engines have been wrecked by running low on oil... James

Here you go Brian: https://www.racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/110614/caterham-csr?Published_by_Mike_Walters I thought I'd linked that to you previously, just after you bought the CSR? Plenty of images there and little doubt it's the same car! James

And also that the car seems to have fewer miles on the clock now than when it was advertised for sale on racecarsdirect.com several (four or more??) years ago. Look, I'm not saying the car isn't fabulous and I would be the first to agree that CSRs are designed for fast track work, but... James

Yes, all good Brian, but I think you're being a tad economical about the car's background... James Description:Caterham CSR 260 in Norfolk Yellow with V5 and Y7CSR registration plate. The car was first registered in 2006 and was used solely as a road car and sold to its second owner in 2012 who maintained it for road use as well as competing in NSSCC races in road trim until it was sold on in 2018. The present owner had the car modified into full race specification by the highly regarded Caterham specialist Luke Stevens and has competed in the NSSCC finishing 3rd in A1 class this year. All parts required to convert the car back to road legal spec are included in the sale. Full specification is as follows: HWR 2.3 Atlantic Spec race engine with steel crank, fully rebuilt in September 2019 with 45 minutes running time. A new AP clutch was fitted. Quaife 60G sequential 6 speed gearbox with Geartronics paddleshift system. The air compressor and accumulator were replaced for new in 2018. Upgraded prop shaft. AP racing brake master cylinder. Billeted rear uprights and new wheel bearings. BTB stainless steel exhaust system. Caterham race steering rack. Tillet carbon seats. FIA 40 litre bag tank. Full roll cage with drivers side impact protection. Carbon rear boot covers. Spa data logger and lap timer. 8" front wheels and 11" rear wheels with Pirelli slicks. 15" Black gloss Caterham wheels included. Removable Caterham passenger side aluminium tonneau and support rail. All spares in photos included. The car is stored in a heated garage and has only 14600 miles from new. Sale to fund a move into historic racing.

Carole I'd recommend that you get a genuine Ford (OE) Ka mirror sticky-pad, that you clean the screen with IPA or similar and then warm it up (hairdryer) in the area of placement prior to pressing the mount to the screen. Press and hold for 30 seconds. Voila! James

Hi David I'll drop you a PM so you can pass on your contact's details. James

"Most people that race CSR 260s will routinely opt for a butterfly system..." Which explains the reason they were fitted to your car by a previous owner? James

Just come across another identical failure on a CSR this morning, being tended-to by a well known independent Caterham specialist near me. The list grows... James

Remind me, please, James - what was the build date of your engine? James

That's a very nice collection! I think of the new M2 as the spiritual successor to the brilliant, compact M3's of previous years (E46 era). And the Macan is hard to beat as a solid all-round daily. As for the green thing in the middle... James

I know it's small consolation, James, but the step-by-step voyage of discovery (and hopefully also of the rebuild, in due course) are really interesting. Please keep posting! James

Sounds good, James. The diff struts are just pennies in the scheme of things, but I get what you're saying. Good luck as you delve deeper, James

Umm... whilst it's out, James, why not upgrade to R500 spec (or get Stuart Cresswell to do a trans-continental F275 conversion)? You know it makes sense... James

I seem to remember that double valve springs are not the answer, as they allow each spring to resonate independently within the assembly, leading to fretting between the springs and ultimately to fatigue failures. There's quite a history of spring failures in the early R500 Duratecs (that Mick A helped educate me about) but, as I understand it, the single Cosworth conical spring with standard caps has been used across Caterham's higher-revving/more heavily loaded engines for quite some time now, without problems. I know your engine if 420 spec but maybe there's a lesson here from the R500 experience? James

Hi Mrp I am looking for a half hood for an SV/CSR with standard rollover bar. Is it still available? James

Glad you got to the bottom of it, Shaun, and thank you for sharing the eventual solution here. James

I'd ask the OP to contact Lucy or Jordan in the Club Office in the first instance as they will be running a reserves list. That also allows Simon M to keep abreast of the expected attendees and, importantly given the need for pre-event registration online, will make sure there are no hiccups. James Simon's little trackday helper