diggerman

Curry powder Peter

Just read Lowflying and slightly puzzzled by Graham McDonalds statement on the ending of Duratech engines. Once the Caterham stock has gone, is that the end? What will replace it? Will the Sigma continue? Does anybody know? Peter

Phil. I scrounged it from a builder friend. It is for covering carpets during building projects. I cant remember the brand name but will ask if you like. Peter

Eugene, yeh thanks, don't know what I was thinking ...... Peter

Not sure i ever put this on Blatchat, but seeing other new builders in the vicinity thought it might provide some ideas. The Temperance 7 came to our anniversary bash. I thought they would provide suitable background music for the build. Unfortunately their gig was before the kit arrived so I couldn't shoot them with the car. Peter Edited by - Diggerman on 20 Mar 2013 23:41:07

Unless you are in the "mine's bigger than yours" camp and you want a reliable, easy revving, great sounding engine with plenty of power for ordinary road use, that you dont have to fiddle with. ....... Get a Sigma! Peter

Hi Martin, I was two cars behind and as amazed as you by the antics of your rear nearside 😳 It was really odd that all 4 nuts came off at the same instant. All were on the road at about the point the wheel came off and found by the several Penn Seven scavengers who went looking for them. One thing occured to me. No washers were found? True these a smaller / harder to find etc, but is it possible that in an absent minded moment they got left on the garage floor. If so that would explain the consequences. So pleased there were no consequences. Peter

Yoko 048 13in - 18psi Peter

I use a length of flexible stainless chimney liner. It is about 4in dia so is a loose fit over the exhaust but interestingly that creates a Venturi effect so that fresh air is sucked in the gap, thus keeping the garage air clear. I locate it to the exhaust using a short bit of coat hanger wire with a hooked end that attaches to the bobbin bracket. Peter

Para 2 Oily above is the best advice. You should only be removing high spots so that the head ends up same shape as cam. ie ROUND. When you finally get this cam turning perfectly suggest you award yourself my favourite Danish breakfast. Danish pastry with glass of Gamel Dansk. Enjoy Peter

On the subject of spinning resistance. It should spin freely like the other cam. If there is an interference fit on any bearing surface, particularly steel to aluminium, there s a danger of the softer surface being picked up by the harder. Hope I'm not being too depressing 😬 Peter

Welcome to L7C. Be really careful to make sure the trolley jack is on a smooth surface so that it is free to move as you raise the car. When raising the second end of the car it is easy to tip the car off the first set of stands if the jack can't move to compensate for its motion through an arc. Same when lowering the car! Did that make sense? Peter

You need some of this. Engineers blue Smear it on the bearings. Assemble as described by Oily and when the cam is turned it will rub off the blue at points of contact. This will help identify high spots. Peter

I presume you are talking about the thread at the bottom of the vertical, that secures the bottom wishbone. Here If so you shouldn't re-engineer this as it is a critical safety item and you probably have little choice but to replace. Didn't really understand how the thread got damaged, the two sides should be exactly the same to fit? Tomorrows another, better year. Peter

The bearing surfaces are not that good. Looks to me like at some stage the cam has suffered poor lubrication and that there has been a tendency for the the bearings to 'pick up'. The old cam would probably go on for ever but the new cam will suffer mirror image damage to the current state of the head journals. That probably wouldn't be catastrophic but during the run in stage may result in rapid initial wear. If you go ahead with installing the cam, I would make sure that the oil supply to the journals is not impeded in any way and that the new cam, installed with no valves, turns freely with no apparant tight spots. Hope it goes well. Peter

The Speedport App looks like just the thing but seems to be very specific to certain cars. My aim would be software that is Caterham and ipad friendly. On a slightly different subject it would be really interesting to have some specific training on engine management systems and access thereto. Does anyone know if he club has ever, will ever do this? Peter

....... An iPad? Does anyone know if software exists to use an iPad instead of the conventional laptop? Peter

As ever the answers not that simple ....... Blended or not Peter

I'm a classically trained mechanic. 5 year apprenticeship in the 60's. My training for wheel nuts was to ensure dry but clean running nuts (new nuts and studs if any risk they had been over tightened) and clean tapers with no burrs. Nuts tightened to about 75% of recommended torque in a pattern of 1 3 2 4 and then to correct torque in same pattern with a torque wrench. Short road test then re torque. Anything different to this resulted in a kick up the 🙆🏻 Using grease was a kick up the 🙆🏻 followed by a double summersault. Peter

. Same here Peter

Well done Ian. You were one of the first to respond and hit the nail on the head! Peter

Thanks P the L, I clearly misread that bit. The side bolts on my car had not come loose but I have no idea whether Cat Mids had used Nord-lock or not. Might have a look when I get a chance. Peter

Following all the comment on the diff problems I have spent the morning in the garage with the car on axle stands to have a good look at the situation. couldn't drive as it was hissing all morning. The car is a 2010 150SV Roadsport and has now done 12000 miles. 6000 of those have been with the BMW diff which was one of the first retrofitted by Caterham Mids. I checked all the mounting bolts. They were all tight having never been checked since installation. The brake pipe on top of the dedion is undamaged. There is a small mark in the powder coating that lines up with the sharp edged protrusion on the cast backplate of the diff. I have taken a flat file to that sharp edge and chamfered it back about 5mm horizontally and 8mm vertically. This should give the dedion considerably more travel before it can make contact. My car does not have adjustable ride height and with the standard shocks I can see no way that the dedion could ever get anyway near the top carrier bolts. (Which on my car are not recessed) so my recommendation to anyone with a standard car is to file off that sharp corner to prevent contact. I am curious as to why some cases of bolts coming loose/falling out have occurred unless the cars in question are set up with a low ride height that causes the bolt heads to hit the dedion hard enough to loosen them? My experience with quite a few miles of wonderful quiet motoring is that the bolts do not come loose! Any further thoughts? Peter

That's a twin circuit MC. Peter

I gather I can bend radius's using a special tool or a socket of suitable diameter, but what else do I need apart from pipe? Any tips or experiences of doing this? Wouldn't recommend forming over a socket. You are likely to squash the pipe and potentially restrict flow. Only bend using a proper brake pipe bender. I agree with others. Buy new pipes from Caterham. Much easier and much safer. Peter