SvenDriver

I open the door...... [at both ends]

WIMPS will do the job but are a bit awkward - getting in and out is more of an assembly job. I have a set and use them during the winter. They more or less eliminate airflow in the cockpit. I have modded mine so that they also fasten onto the doors with some press studs. This helps to stiffen it all up.

A 6mm BOLT has a head of just under 10mm. It will be a lot easier to cut a bolt and make a mini-tool to do the job. I'd suggest cutting a 6mm bolt to size, nylocking a pair of nuts onto it and then using a ratchet spanner.....

Or you can just remove the studs before refitting.... Simply get two nuts from your bit bucket and lock them against each other on to the exposed stud. Use a spanner on the nut nearest the block and the thing should unscrew (don't over-torque). Then remove the nuts from the stud to refit.

Airlock is unlikely. It first blew up when joining the motorway. It isn't possible that an airlock would have been in the system at that point. It was after this that I replaced the thermostat (pointlessly). There is fluid in the radiator and in the pipes. I'd dropped the pipes off to drain it in the first instance. There might still be air in the system but there is no sign of anything circulating the fluid. Suggests to date are Head Gasket and Water Pump with the bet on the Head Gasket so a compression test is next I think.

No cooling going on - popped the release valve on the resevoir. Thought it might be the thermostat so replaced it. That wasn't it. 🙆🏻 Radiator fan is not kicking in and radiator is not getting hot (radiator is however flowing freely between the top and bottom plugs. So I guess the next thing to check is water pump ? How easy is it to replace [i have Haynes] and I am barking up the wrong tree? Edited by - SvenDriver on 29 May 2005 11:40:49

I did see a TR20 and TR30 at stoneleigh. It has a detachable head unit that is like a big bike computer. Might be worth a look as a Rogue Angel.

I always carry a spare. Had one go on a track day comming out of a corner hot on the heels of a Ferrari that didn't do corners. Towing back to the pits - major embarrassment.

I looked at the pictures of the baffle and the price etc. If you look at just the materials cost then £160 is a fair old wodge. However, if any of you guys have tried to manufacture components from scratch then you'll know it can take a surprising amount of time even for something as simple as the baffle. This is never going to be a volume product and so you are not going to get volume pricing. I'm not saying it's cheap. It's just that getting to a baffle that works would take a wee while and this cost has to be reimbursed from somewhere. At £160 I hesitated about flashing the cash. After a few deep breathsI just might...

After seeing scrapheap challenge tonight I couldn't help but notice that one team had an Intercity 125 style air horn - all 150db(?). It struck me tht such a beastie might be fun on a 7. Anyone know where I could find such a beastie? 😬

Sorry ☹️ Full of cold. Long week. 20 messages for me from the office when I got back - lots of panics. Everything was fine. No leaks. Guagues normal. No noise. All wonderful. Caterham couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone so I went straight home.

A big thank you to Mark (& Alex Not-Wong). It all took 3 hours for 1.5 men for Engine out, fit (1 minute!) and engine back. So more of a drive through service really. I have now put 'Overhead Crane' on my mental list of tools that every 7 owner should have.....

I run 1144 on front and standard on back. This has changed the brake bias (deliberate) and made the whole thing much more evenly braked under enthusiastic breaking.

Gearbox rumbles when the car is in neutral and clutch is engaged. It sounds a little like a well oiled diesel engine or metal chattering under oil. The CRB noise (when clut is dis-engaged) sounds something like a bad diesel engine with the bonnet open or a piece of particularily bad farm machinery. It is the sound of metal oscillating against metal in a manner not suitable for even a thrash metal band.

It is crap design by Caterham. The article summary is that the bearing is designed to be maintained under a load of 80-120N and when kept within these operational parameters will work indefinitiely. If it goes outside of these loadings then the bearing can distort the bearing housing. Once that happens, badness ensues. I have a date with a bearing next week, So I'll see what it looks like. I'm expecting to see housing distortion....

YHM

Well, consensus is that it is 6-8 hours labour to drop the engine out and put it back in etc. etc. It is something I would not even try to attempt even with an A-frame and so on. It's gonna be a lot of work. So soone else can do it.

Well, I've bitten the bullet and booked the thing in to be done. £12 for the CRB £390 to get to it.

🙆🏻. Nothing like English engineering. In the last 12 months I will have had to replace: Speedo Oil Sender CRB

Maybe this is an 'They all do that sir', but I don't think so... When I am stationary and push the clutch down I sometimes here a rthymic noise that sounds a little clackety and a little like an engine under oil starvation. It can be quite loud - much louder than engine on idle. If I push the clutch pedal down further it gets worse and if I raise it (before biting point) it gets less worse. It is a noise that has developed in recent months that I don't believe was there before. This suggests to me that either: a) Something is loose that shouldn't be b) Bearings are close to failure point. c) Evil pixies have set up a percussion band under my bonnet. I am at the moment ruling out c). Any ideas? Edited by - SvenDriver on 12 Oct 2004 22:44:24 Edited by - SvenDriver on 12 Oct 2004 22:45:07

Couldn't find any Plus Gas but Halfords Own-brand stuff did the job. With everything stripped down the foam baffle looks to be in good order 🙆🏻 I'll replace it anyway and order an oil sensor.

This 'quick' job is turning into one of 'those' jobs. I've already had 2 tool-shop trips to get hex drivers that I was _certain_ that I had somewhere ☹️. Anway, one bolt is amazingly stiff. I have soaked the area with WD40 above and below and put a WD4o filled pad onto the top of the exposed bolt (not the head, the other end!) and am planning to leave it alone for a day. Any other ideas?

Coincidentally I was in Halfrauds this afternoon, saw the 5/40 at £15 for 5L and grabbed 2 bottles - one for now and one spare.

I've ordered a foam baffle.

Mark, dunno. According to the service cycle (12K?) Given the diesel clatter the foam baffle would be my guess. However, I have had fun with the LAMBDA probe being loose (someone else cross-threaded it) and when it is properly fitted oil pressure seems better bizarrley. How much work is it to fit a new one? Presumably unbolt the sump (dozen hex bolts) and plug it in - plus an oil change of course....