john milner

When mine failed at an MOT I watched the mechanic use a ball joint separator. Next time I needed it done I bought one. There are ways of hitting the thing with a pair of hammers but I never got that to work. Easy job with the right tool. A glue repair of the gaiter might be even easier. Laser 0282

I did fit an Hellier anti-surge gated baffle when I ditched the foam. From what I have read it most likely does something but not a lot. My theory was that I will be worse off in one way but better in another. The foam is the wrong place to reduce surge so it being some kind of aeration filter makes the most sense to me. Similar to an Apollo tank but cheaper, no space required, no plumbing but probably less effective.

I had a similar thing. It was the first sign of a failing battery isolator switch.

Some exhaust wrap for a few inches to a foot around the primaries may also help with reducing heat to the starter.

Three benefits to a regular engine without that has not been tuned up in some way such as increased compression. 1/ Less likely to rot old fuel hoses. 2/ Some cleaning although probably not enough to warrant frequent use. 3/ Shareholders of oil companies become richer.

Have had just a drilled gasket for several years now but when I did do annual foam changes I saw no sign of break up. I ditched the foam to play it safe because of others with horror stories and it was an awkward job to change. Old foam breaking up makes a lot of sense as it does in engines that are hammered during races but why regularly changed foam in a road car breaks up does not. As the K Series gets older there will be increasingly owners that have no knowledge that a lump of rotting foam in their sump even exists. Someone with more knowledge than the most of us decided the engine needs foam so there may be some risks (aeration?) in removing it that a drilled hole or three is not going to help.

Looks good

I use "car" on my Banner although I do not use it for long periods. Mainly stick it on for two-six hours before driving when the weather is cold and it hasn't been started for a week. I also use a battery cut-off switch to protect from battery drain.

Some photos of mine here: https://www.caterhamlotus7.club/forums/topic/228410-heater-matrix-repair-replacement/#comment-2339888

I fitted the one off Ebay a few years ago. It is probably a better quality than the original. My car needed some minor plastic cutting to get it to fit but others say theirs slotted straight in.

Some joints will fail an MOT because of small hole or perishing but this joint has nothing. Surely something is better than nothing in most cases.

I did a Know Your Seven session at Caterham years ago. The man (not a Caterham employee) running it said to add a drop of 3 in 1 occasionally. I followed this advice and mine lasted over 20 years & 82.000 miles before getting an advisory. It makes sense to me to lubricate when a bearing has aged a bit but might not be best from new. It does seem odd that this joint does not have some kind of cover to reduce road grime and weather.

The car is on axle stands. I jacked up the lower wishbone and that was enough to straighten things out. One side off now. The new bearing was too tight due to what was probably a few drops of bearing lock so cleaned up with a wire brush attachment on a Dremel. The nyloc nut is not a regular nut as it is about half height with a spacer thingy attached. Circlip is the key ring type. Quite easy to get out thanks to a small indent on the wishbone although the circlip is now partly unwound (semi-mullered but reusable).

I did not understand where the spacer was located. Thank you for the information above. I think I have got it. As for bearing suppliers I have now got a set from Autosport Bearings & Components. They were about half the price of Caterham and delivered in 24 hours at standard first class postage rates. Undoing the lower nut is causing more hassle than I realised. I think I am going to have to pop the top joint to get the correct angle on the lower nut for a socket to fit in the recess.

I am not sure what the spacer is within the circle. Mine looks like the upright bolt going straight through a bearing ball. Underneath the nut is recessed in the wishbone but I can feel the dome of a nyloc nut.