jradley

If you buy the pedal stops from Caterham, they are designed to be located under the pedals mounted through the angled part of the footwell. However, that only works on newer cars.... I did mine the same as Grubbster, photos here and here. However, my throttle pedal stop is only just long enough and that is with having moved the throttle pedal onto the rearmost mounting. YMMV. Whatever you do, make sure the pedals cant jam under the stop John

Is there not also an increased risk that it could get stuck under the pedal stop ? You really don't want that to happen John

Hi, After quite a battle fitting my apollo this weekend it's finally in, but one of the elbows into sandwich plate adapter is leaking..... I fitted the pipes to the plate away from the car and had done them up pretty tight - tighter than those on the tank itself and they don't leak. I did however have to slaken and redo them a couple of times to adjust the angle to get past the alternator and block. How tight can these be done up beofre it's too tight ? Is it likley I have knackered the washer in the elbow fitting or more likely it just needs tightening some more ? Also, do you know what size the nut is - I was using an adjustable spanner to fit them on the bench but this is too big to get in now it's on the car. I think it is possibly 1" but am not sure. If I have to take the sandwich plate off, how much oil will lose ? Cheers, John Edited by - jradley on 1 Mar 2010 16:31:29

I have a spare alternator belt so may just do that. But, I didn't thinkit is too much hassle anyway - the big pipes don't have to come off - simply undo the top braided hose, take off the jubilee clip (or cable ties) holding the tank and lift it off its bottom plate and slip the belt underneath - voila, job done. I'll see what it looks like in practice though. Cheers, John

Just a quick folowup to say many thanks for all the hints and tips. I got the non return valve sorted by speaking to Matthew at ThinkAuto and he made up a custom braided hose with the valve in-line. Not cheap but an easy solution. Now I just got to fit it all :) Cheers, John

Thanks Alan - I think I'll get the valve. Re the ThinkAuto parts list, I've seen mention of a FBM2099 ALLOY BULKHEAD NUT -4JIC whatever that is ? I figure what the valve is, but any chance you could explain what the other parts are and how they are used in conjunction with the hose & fitting that goes through the cam lid. That would really help a lot if you can. Cheers, John

Hi, Took a look at the job in hand tonight - it seems that the tank will foul the (silicone, if that makes any difference) top radiator coolant hose. Is that likely to cause any problem ? I can't see any other way of posittioning the hose (or tank) to avoid it ???? Also, I have seen talk about the £60 worth of non return valve for the top braided hose to the cam cover - is this thought to be necessary or surplus to need - never could find a definitive opinion on that one. Cheers, John

I did mine not so long ago and using the sizes quoted in this thread worked just fine, ie 5 of 40-43mm and 1 43-47mm (Mikalor clamps, Caterham supplied silicone hoses, K Series wet sump). Edited to add: I bought my Mikalor clamps (Supra) from here and they were similar price to the ebay link you provided, only you can buy individually rather than in lots of 10. They also do JCS if that is what you prefer. John Edited by - jradley on 11 Feb 2010 15:37:02 Edited by - jradley on 11 Feb 2010 15:42:13

I don't think it affects the value at all, but it does mean it wont fit my car ☹️ (I think) Cheers, John

Not necessarily - my car (EU2 SS) only came with one key fob and the potential issues of it going faulty has always been a worry for me. Something like this would be ideal, without the cams. The only question is a 1.6 SS MEMS the same as a 1.8 SS MEMS ? Cheers, John

Hi, Sometime over the next few weeks I hope to fit an apollo tank. Having read loads of threads here and seen some photos on the procedure I still have some unanswered questions which hopefully you can help with......here goes: 1) Mounting plate - I don't have a rivet gun, is there any other way I can attach it to the chassis rail (eg. self tappers ?) or should I see if I can borrow a rivet gun from someone ? Also, should the plate have some rubber foam to sit the tank on - mine didn't come with any but I do have some foam strip spare similar to that used on the nose cone where the bonnet sits and I could make something up - is this necessary ? 2) Is it a good or bad idea to use some Blue Hylomar on the faces of the doughty washers for the pipe fittings and drain plug ? Also, good or bad idea to smear some on the rubber gasket of the sandwich plate ? 3) What torque should the sandwich plate be tightened to ? Too loose and I guess it comes off when trying to remove the oil filter at next oil change, too tight and I strip the threads in the block 4) For thread locking the nut inside the cam cover, can I use Loctite "Lock N Seal" - ie this stuff ? 5) Lastly - when examining the tank I found some tiny swarf particles on the threads of the bosses where the pipe fittings go. I assume the tank is upstream of the filter (?) but even so is there any way to flush it safely before fitting ? Also there is some swarf on the magnet on the drain plug which is reluctant to come off - any ideas how to effectively wipe it off ? (Note the whole kit is brand new from Caterham BTW) Any help and suggestions much appreciated. Cheers, John Edited by - jradley on 22 Feb 2010 21:05:19

If you do end up draining the system, you might consider installing a bleed tee here. Makes refilling and bleeding a doddle. John

I had exactly the same problem and ditched the o-ring. I'm using a a Mikalor clamp and have had no leak problems. I'd be interested to know what other people say though, as I've never been sure I did the right thing. Cheers, John

When I was filling my gearbox recently I stuck a finger in the filler hole to see if I could feel the level of oil....and got it stuck I got my finger out by dipping it in the oil (since it was full to the level) and thus lubricated my finger and managed to get it out. Scared myself witless as there was no one else in the house and I was effectively stuck in the garage under the car and out of reach of any phone or anything to call for help. John Edited by - jradley on 12 Dec 2009 00:28:02

sorry if this is hijacking the OP's thread, but I think it is on topic...... My car is nearly 9 years old, 24k miles. Previous owner for 4 or 5 years kept receipts for everything, but no record of cam belt change, hence my concern that it may need doing. I've currently got the radiator out so I figured while access is even easier I'd take a look. I whipped off the top cover today and the belt is a Gates branded belt, rather than Rover/Unipart, and looks to be in good condition, so I figure it has been replaced. However, since I just don't know it's history I think replacement is a good idea. I've ordered the Draper cam lock tool from a local motor factor - £3.50 :) Cheers, John

Which reminds me, I think my car is probably overdue for cambelt change...... How easy is this to do with the engine in the car and what is the prescribed method for locking the engine to undo/retorque the crank pulley ? Cheers, John (good video btw)

I don't think I have any option but to leave it in and see what the radiator people say. Thing is the repair was going to consist of spraying the inside of the rad with a special epoxy paint and I'm not sure how that would affect the switch. They were going to do this free of charge, but if they now have to replace the head tank or do solder work I'm guessing it won't be free anymore. Andy, any link to the in-line type switch - I can't find anything through searching ? Cheers, John

Hi, I removed the radiator today with a view to sending it off to have a minor leak repaired (where the vertical vanes enter the bottom tank). I have an issue with the fan thermostat switch - basically I can't get it out, and may have knackered the radiator even more in trying. It is *very* solidy stuck in - I have a sneaky suspicion a previous owner may have stuck the thing in with something (god forbid chemical metal or similar) but can't tell what. In trying to get it out I have managed to bend where the boss is soldered onto the head tank - see photos here and here. Any idea how I might get it out (assuming it's not stuck in with chemical metal in which case it will never come out) ? Also, could a radiator repairer cut out the old boss and solder in a new one in which case all I need is a new switch, or, will this have likely written off the radiator ? (BTW I am only assuming it will now leak where I bent it but even if it doesn't I don't think I'd trust it) When/if I get a new switch, does anyone know what temp the standard Caterham one triggers at as I may shop around motor factors to see if I can get it cheaper ? Cheers, John

Hi, Many thanks for all the hints and pointers. One thing I'm rapidly learning about Caterhams is there is often no right or wrong way of doing things, only what works for you on your car.... It turns out that the position as recommended by Caterham would only seem to apply to newer chassis, or at least different footwell designs to mine. Mine has a small angled bit at the bottom then a vertical section. With the pedals on their rearmost position the stops are way too short to fit down in the footwell, so that wasn't an option afterall. I have fitted them in the top of the pedal box, which was actually quite easy to do and they seems quite practical. I think I would have to seriously abuse the pedals to risk bending anything so they should be fine. I've put a couple of photos up here and here which may help others in my situation. Cheers, John

What temp do you have as the "red line" ? Also, when the temp goes up does the radiator fan switch on - if not check the connections to the switch have been put back on right. I have noticed on my car driving in colder weather the cooling effect of the radiator is significantly more than it is in warmer weather - I know that may sound obvious but its not something I've ever seen effect my tin-top. However in colder weather the 7 temp is less stable than it was before. Stopped at traffic lights the fan will cut in but cruising along the temp will fall quite rapidly and indeed the faster I go the lower the temp. Cheers, John

Hi, Having moved my pedals to the rearmost mounting I decided to fit pedal stops, since the concensus of opinion is this is generally a good idea and now I have more pedal travel I figured even more so. The clutch pedal stop is just a straight bolt with a disc welded on the end, and it seems most people mount it through the top of the pedal box where the master cylinder bolt would go if it were a hydraulic clutch. So far so good. The throttle pedal stop however is the same but comes with a collar cut at 45 degrees to angle the bolt when fitted, which doesn't make sense if fitting it to the top of the pedal box. Confused I gave CC a call. Apparently, neither of the stops should be fitted to the top of the pedal box at all ! It seems they are meant to go through the leading face of the footwell so the pedals push down onto them, limiting their travel that way, rather than acting at the top of the pedal (where the leverage is greater). Does anyone have any photos of the pedal stops installed this way ? Apparenlty new builds out the factory are supplied this way as standard. I could do with a looksie to see where exactly to drill ! Cheers, John

Hi, Ever since I replaced hoses about a month ago I have been trying to track down a small coolant leak. I know the rad filler plug washer was weeping (easily dealt with) but I have now discovered that the rad itself is leaking too It's weeping from where the vertical vanes enter the bottom tank of the rad, on about 5 of them on the left hand side. The rad is an all aluminium one (k seies) made by a company called PMA. They have suggested it can be fixed using some special kind of epoxy, which they will do for just the cost of carriage. Do you know if repairs like this are reliable and worth it or should I seriously consider a replacement ? If this type of repair is comon, do you know of anywhere local to Reading that would do it perhaps cheaper than the carriage costs of sending it back to PMA ? Cheers, John

Hi, Many thanks for all the replies. I have decided to leave it be for all the reasons Simon has mentioned. This all stared after I moved the brake and clutch pedals onto the rear mount as I'm rather short and had to drive with a cushion even with the seat fully forward. It was only on subsequent inspection I realised I could also move the throttle pedal back a notch too, so they are all now back in their relative positions, with the throttle pedal about the right distance below the brake rather than stupidly lower, as it was before I moved it. Now all I need to do is figure out how to fit clutch and throttle pedal stops as there are no holes in my pedal box so I'm going to have to make some :) The sheer thought of drilling holes anywhere in my car makes me queasy ! Cheers, John

Hi, I would like to level my throttle pedal with the brake and clutch. The problem is the throttle cable is just to long. I have adjusted it at the TB end as far as it can go but with the pedal level with the others there's just way too much slack. I figure I can cut off the ferule (is that what it's called ?) at the pedal end of the cable and then thread the cable through both the slot at the front and hole at the back of the pedal, then attach a new ferule onto the cable at the back of the pedal (instead of slotting it down the hollow pedal tube as standard). Question is, can you buy ferules to do this and how do they attach to the cable reliably ? Or if I shorten the cable an inch or two can you get ferules to fit on the end of the newly shortened cable ? Failing that, any other ideas ? Cheers, John

Hi, So presumably I can just ignore the hose that would go to the plenum (since it hasn't got a fitting for it) and then when it purges it would simply purge to the atmosphere instead. I can see why it would be more environmentally friendly to purge to the plenum where possible though. Does purging to the plenum aid cold starting per chance ? I can imagine that the vapour in the tank would be greater after the car has been standing for a while and purging that to the plenum would make the initial mix richer, possibly aiding starting ? The new plenum is also different in that it has two sensors where mine has one - looking at the number of connectors I think mine has a combined temp/pressure (?) whereas the new one has them separate. My combined one (if that is what it is) will fit the new plenum and I will just have to leave the other sensor in place unconnected. It's all a bit scary finding differences like this though, and very hard to find good info about it. Cheers, John