Logan Colbeck

Help! I need to access a thread I saw some time ago on eliminating an airlock in my Duratec cooling circuit. Anyone recall this or can offer comment? Many thanks in advance, Logan.

Many thanks for all of the input. I have gone with Guy's modification to the gearbox top. A fiddle, but I hope it will be worthwhile!! Logan.

Hello Jonathan, The notes you sent and your comments on the reversible ratchet will be put to use in the morning! Many thanks for your help---most reassuring!! Logan.

Hello Duncan, Very grateful for this. I shall dwell on your comment and the notes from Jonathan and have another go in the morning. The thought of even less room to attempt this is awful! Logan.

Hello Jonathan, I am in Alton, Hants. I have tried using a cut down key as recommended in the GT KY7, but not with a wrench. I wondered about drilling through the tunnel side, but there is a chassis member in the direct line of sight! Many thanks for your swift reply! Logan.

I am forcing myself to complete this task after putting it off for six months now. The car has done 6700miles and was first registered in May 2015. I have followed the GTKY7 advice, but the modified 10mm tool defeats me when attempting to engage the plug. Other than abandoning the task, has anyone a successful method for this? Thank you in advance, Logan

Greetings to all of you who have help me. I have located the blown 7.5 amp fuse caused by the failed sender and replaced it----first unplugging the coupler behind the rear wheel as recommended by JK. The engine started immediately as predicted in two of the earlier posts!!! I have contacted CC and they are to send me a new sender overnight. So I should have a resolution to all of my issues in the morning! So, with the combined input from techtalk and CC, I have a resolution within three days. But, more importantly, I now know that the sender is classified in the fuse system as an instrument, and once the fuse goes, so do all associated instruments, including the engine running permissives! I have sourced a couple of spare 7.5 amp fuses for my tool kit in the car and would commend this action to all owners with electronic senders located at the rear offside wheel. Many thanks to all again!! Logan.

That is interesting SM25T. I have tried to start my car after removing the sender, but it will not! Do you have any other information on this effect, as I was planning to drive it with the satnav as a speedometer. Best wishes, Logan

Many thanks, Jonathan. I shall contact CC on Monday. Really grateful for the advice! logan.

Many thanks for these comments. I have removed the rear wheel and spotted what appears to be a chafed insulation to the sender cable. I have removed the sender and it's plug to the loom which is a three pin connector. My working assumption is that the chafing is responsible for an electrical short and I need to replace the sender and cable. Problem------it's not listed as a CC spare. If any of you kind folk know of a source, or can guide me to a replacement, I would be most grateful. Thank you for responding so promptly!! Regards, Logan.

During a blat this afternoon, my speedometer stopped indicating and stopped logging miles driven, though it did display the accrued mileage and the trip mileage. It is a two year old Duratec with about 6700 miles on the clock. It was very muggy at the start of the blat, and there was condensation in evidence on body and engine . Any views, before I start taking things apart? Many thanks for any contributions!! Logan.

Hello Slap-ed, CC have supplies of this part in stock and I got mine by return for £40. The part number is SN 3M4Z-8676-B 1 475 495 EN 3M4G-8676-BD BPMS No MFL 001 (Not sure which of these is the CC part number, but all are quoted on the box which is a genuine Ford item) The part was made in Mexico, and has a stainless steel shroud. That is very important, as the original plastic restraining posts snap off in time and tend to fall into the water pump delivery chamber. Nether the part I removed, nor the new part is inscribed with a temperature rating, but it is obvious from the springs which is the 82C part. Before you fit the new part, put them both in a pan and slowly boil them. The difference in the opening temperatures will be immediately obviious as the temperature rises. You will also notice that the thermostat feed connection is shorter than the 100C part. This actually helps, as on a S3 you have greater clearance from the chassis when refitting. If you want more, let me know, or email me on logancolbeck@yahoo.co.uk. Regards, Logan The lower tank now gets hot!!!

An update for those with the will to follow this. I visited PGM the other day on an unrelated matter, and mentioned my ongoing frustration with the fan being on all the time. One of the team at PGM felt the upper and lower radiator tanks and remarked that the lower was cold, despite having just completed a run of 60 miles. He coupled the engine to his computer and we could see that the fan was programmed to come on at 97C. He suggested that the thermostat could be malfunctioning. The next day, I removed the thermostat and tested it in a pan of water on the Aga. It opened at 100C!!! In other words, the fan kept the thermostat shut!!! I have now sourced an 82C thermostat from CC, fitted it, and my problem has gone away. The engine runs at a steady 86C ish, and the fan cuts in only in heavy traffic, or on the approach to my home which is up a long slow drive. You can see my other attempt to cool the engine in this month's Low Flying when I waded a ford! Logan.

I am selling all my motorcycle gear now that I have the Caterham: Heine Gericke jacket XL fluourescent yellow, done 62k miles, £100 Heine Gericke salopettes XL, black, 70k miles, £75 Furygan jacket, XL, black, 35k miles, £100 Yellow and black lightweight jacket, never used,armoured, XL, £75. Two pairs of armoured boots, 35k miles each, size 10.5, £35 each pair. Take the lot for £300! Collect from Alton, or postage at cost.

Thanks for that. The owner before myself built the car, did about 400 miles in it and then traded it through Caterham South. I traded up to a new S3 175 bhp Roadsport which suits me better. The Monaco was very sweet----wish Alan well with it!

Saw my old car in Low Flying this month----a Monaco SV in black with a Sigma engine. Anyone admit to being its owner?

Many thanks for these comments. I have tried the O ring route, but the result is the same. I then added a further 0.5 litres of oil, as this is the quantity said to represent the difference between top an bottom on the dipstick. I now have a reading about half way up the tell-tale on the dipstick. I will run the car out on the next dry day. Meanwhile, I think that the extended drain time may have caused the problem, or at least contributed to it. But many thanks especially to it from Hampshire. My wife has a Duratec in her Mondeo and I will check that in the morning! Logan.

Has anyone experienced this? I did the first oil change on my Duratec the other day. I drained the oil, and removed the old filter. Then realised that Ford had given me the standard oil filter, which is too long for a vertically held unit. The car stood without oil for 24 hours whilst I sourced the correct filter. I then replaced the correct unit, full of oil, and added the balance to make the required 4.5 litres of 5/50 spec oil and after checking for leaks, ran the engine upto temperature. On checking the level as per the book, could not get a level indication!!

Feedback from my visit to Crawley today. I drove the car down in the morning and arrived at 0945, about two hours earlier than planned. I was seen within minutes by Paul and technician and Caterham racer, Lee. They hooked up the car to a laptop via the wired-in diagnostic terminal and, with the engine still running brought up the water cooling circuit mimic. This was a multi-icon display which included engine rpm, induced draft fan status and water temperature gauge. The fan could be seen switching on and off every 30 seconds or so, as the water temperature varied between a low of 96 degrees centigrade (off), and a high of 98 degrees centigrade (on). Thus the fan is modulating within a temperature envelope of only two degrees. Lee confirmed that these are the design conditions for a Duratec engine, and that it did not need to be adjusted. Clearly, whilst in motion and at speed, the air flow over the radiator is designed to keep the water temperature at or about 96 degrees centigrade. The operating manual says that normal is between 90 degrees centigrade and 100 degrees centigrade. My engine is maintained at or about 96 degrees centigrade (the gauge is difficult to read accurately) when travelling in steady state conditions on a motorway. So there we have it. A design envelope of two degrees centigrade means that the fan will cut in almost as soon as air flow falls, or, of course as soon as load increases to produce more heat. Grateful for more comment and, of course for those given so far. And really superb response from the team at Crawley! Logan.

I am booked into Crawley CC 1100hrs on Friday 29th May. I will gather all of the technical datavIbcan and report back. Logan.

Thank you all for your input. I will be in touch with Caterham South in the morning as Ian suggests as I too believe that the ECU controls this parameter and will need a laptop to adjust it. Grateful none the less for each observation which collectively have enabled me to get to know the water circuit in more detail. I will post the result of my contact with Caterham. Logan.

My new Duratec 175 (1500miles and only two weeks old) seems to have its cooling fan on permanently. Anyone had similar experience and know where to find the means to increase the high temperature set point?

Hadn't seen this in my earlier searches. I am based in North East Hamshire-----where are you? Just to be clear, my car is to be an S3 with standard roll bar. (Caterham still in the process of registering it). Would you take £65 for it and could you accept BACS transfer?

I need a half hood and shower cap for my S3 . Are there any available at the moment? I need them for Wales blast in May!

I have sold my Roadsport SV and have kept the half hood which is now offered for sale. It is in SoftBitsforSevens red and is difficult to photograph as the colour distorts. Specification is as follows: Colour SBfS red Fits SV chassis Driver side easy in Been in use throughout 2014 season Looks new but has one minor scuff mark Comes with protective roll bag for attachment to roll barI will send photos via email if asked. I need a S3 replacement if anyone has one. Make me an offer!