Mike Scott

Hi Rich, I need to check with SWMBO, but Sat morning should be OK. If you’ve taken the heater out you shouldn’t need the bleed tee, not if you do it the Scotty way 😬 😬 😬 I’ll drop you an e-mail direct to sort out times. Cheers Mike

Hi Rich, Are you still struggling with overheating ☹️ As I said I changed all the hoses on my 7 to silicon over the winter and think I’ve developed the knack of getting all the air out of the system If you want to pop around over the weekend we can get your car in the garage and have a look at it. Just drop me a mail, or a text, if you want to come around. Cheers Mike

Airhog, On my car the main negative (earth) lead for the battery bolts onto the engine block just below the dizzy cap. Did the “blue flash” come from this? Try checking the security of all earth leads; battery to engine block, engine block to chassis. Good luck Mike

Hi Guys, I’m looking for the combined wisdom from Blatchat for the best type of mirrors to go with an Aeroscreen; which I hope will be a Xmas Present 😬 What’s best for the side mirrors The small Racetech F1 style or larger GT style. Then for the central mirror, do I really need one given I’d have the 2 side mirrors 🤔 Do the club trackdays insist you have a central mirror, I would think they tend to obstruct vision. If I really need one, what style would be recommended and convex or flat 🤔 All constructive advice welcome Mike

I know we are not supposed to advertise on here, but would commend anyone with a standard VHPD set up to go for Oily’s drivability kit. He fitted this to my car on Saturday and it’s stopped it shunting like an old shunty thing at low speeds, and has given it more mid range torque as well I also got an invaluable teach in from Dave whilst he worked on the engine , and bacon butties into the bargain 😬. I’d better stop now or I might get drawn into one of his 1.9L conversions Cheers Mike

Hi Guys, I just thought it was worth updating this thread in case anyone else sees this problem. I finally got to the bottom of my flickering lights problem, stripping down the alternator it was a loose connection within the regulator pack . So it’s always worth stripping the alternator and checking the internal connections before forking out for a replacement unit . Cheers Mike

Hi Nifty, I’m off island (as we say around here) this weekend, but will take both belts off the car next week and send you the dimensions. Maybe your mate can get us the equivalent part numbers. Cheers Mike

Morning All, I’m doing a bit of preventative maintenance on my 98 SLR, which has a VHPD engine and Caterham dry sump system, and will renew the drive belts. Don’t want to scavenger pump belt to go bang on a track day I’d be grateful if anyone can help with the following:- 1)The part number for the dry sump scavenger pump drive belt. It’s a Gold pump and with grooved belt (the pulley has 3 grooves) 2)The part number for the alternator drive belt. Again a grooved belt with 5 grooves in the pulley. 3)Does anyone know a good source for these belts, I would need to mail order as I live on the Isle of Man. Cheers Mike

Chris, 2nd dibs on the vernier pulleys, I’ll pass on the Emerald. Cheers Mike Edited by - mike scott on 30 Aug 2006 17:16:30

Thanks for organising another great day Geoff , and for helping out with signing on my passenger who had a great (if a bit scary ) ride. The weather was poor ☹️ but the camaraderie great 😬. Cheers Mike

Hi Guys, Checked the mirrors last night when it had cooled down and they seem to have recovered their normal shape . They came with the car which is 7 years old now, so I don’t think there’d be much joy in talking to Spa. I’ll keep an eye on them, and if it happens again thought about pulling them back to concave by using a small rubber sucker (if you see what I mean) pressed onto the front glass. Cheers Mike

Hi Peter, The fridge isn’t big enough, plus Mary would complain if I drive through the kitchen. How I guess you mean just the mirrors. Thanks for the suggestion will give it a go . Cheers Mike

Hi Guys, I don’t know if this has been seen before. I have a set of carbon fibre bodied SPA convex mirrors and when the car parked up yesterday it was so hot the mirrors inverted to concave . Has anyone seen this before . Anyone know of a fix 🤔. Cheers Mike

A new thread so our message does not get lost on the end of Tuesdays crew. A BIG BIG thank you to Geoff and the team for putting on a cracking day on Wed 3rd; Geoff even managed to organise the weather This was my first 7 Club track day; what glorious weather , what a great circuit , what a fantastic club 😬 😬 😬. Thanks again from the Isle of Man cohort (Mike Scott / Matthew Biggart) Cheers Mike

Peter, Thanks a lot Mike

Hi Guys, Thanks to all above for the valuable advice . Re Kent 7’s comments, the tensioning pulley on my car is different to the one shown in your pic’s. Mine has a long threaded adjustment screw that looks like it should move the pulley to set the tension in the belt (if you see what I mean). The pulley seems secure but it just seems a bit odd that the adjustment screw is loose Cheers Mike

Hi Dave, Thanks a lot for the pointer on the earth connections. I’ll check it out this weekend and let the Blatchat community know the results. Cheers Mike

Hi Guys, Having had a chance to look around the 98 SLR I’ve recently acquired I’ve a couple of questions on the CC dry sump system. There’s a sensor mounted on the side of the bell tank at the bottom, is this an oil temp sensor, there's no oil temp gauge fitted to the car and no wire on this sensor . Could I use this a drain plug instead of taking off the “blue plate” 🤔 Secondly, the belt to the scavenger pump has a tensioning / idler pulley, but although this seems to be secure, and no slack in the belt, the threaded adjustment screw for this pulley is loose (can rotate about 1 turn in each direction) and there doesn’t seem to be a locking nut. Is this OK 🤔 Thanks in advance for any advice Cheers Mike

Hi Dave, Thanks for the suggestion, can you tell me on your car which earth connection was a fault. Was it the engine to chassis strap, or some other connection 🤔 Cheers Mike

Hi Guys, I’ve searched the archives on voltage regulators and charging problems but haven’t found anything like the problem I have, maybe Chris W or Andrew (Soupy) may be able to shed some light . The spec is a 98 SLR with VHPD engine, a Rover branded Magnetti Marrelli alternator (can’t see the model number) and Rover MKC104521 ECU. Having read the archives they suggest the voltage regulator is in the ECU, however my alternator only has 2 connections, a thick brown wire on B+ and a thin brown with white stripe wire on D+, there is no stud (or wire) on the W terminal. Now for the strange part Engine off battery volts = 12.6V Engine off lights on battery = 11.9V So the battery is OK BUT When the engine is running, throughout the rev range, and with the lights on or off, the battery voltage oscillates between 14.7V and 16.6V at about 2Hz This gives the lights a “racing pulse” when they’re on, as they beat at about 2Hz and is quite amusing to other drivers Any idea on what is causing this? Could it be the diode pack or the regulator in the alternator 🤔 Cheers Mike

Hi All, I’m not sure if this hijacking my thread or outright UDI ! Anyway thanks for all the ideas, keep them coming . I’ll check them out when I’m back from (God forsaken) China. Goodnight All Mike

Jerry, Thanks for the advice. I’ve tried that, disconnected the cable from the speedo and looked to see if was inner cable was spinning when it took it for a drive. No joy so I think it must be at the gearbox end. Cheers Mike

Hi Paul, I may well take you up on your offer but it may be 2 weeks before I can bring the car in. I’m off to China (again ) at the weekend and was going to have a quick look myself to see if anything had come loose. Cheers Mike

Hi Guys, hope someone can help. The mechanical speedo on my 98 SLR has died ☹️, no symptoms of flickering, it’s just stopped working. Looking through the archives it seems that the most likely problem is the right angle fitting and the quill drive at the gearbox end. I haven’t been under the car yet and just wondered if the drive system described in the archives is the same as that used on the CC 6 speed boxes and can you get to it from under the car without dropping the engine and gearbox . Cheers Mike

Hi Steve / Dave, I’m also in the market for a 6.5” x 13” SLR front, so if we can find a set we could split them. Drop me your e-mail addresses and we can keep in touch. Cheers Mike