philwaters

Hi, just read on their web site about having a header tank as part of the system. Has anybody done this - how does it fit in? Also, is it possible to create a bypass in the system for faster warm up by taking a second pipe from the heater connection on the water rail down to the radiator? Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

I agree, but it is a case of making the most of what you have without spending loads on moving things around in the car. I'm sorry, but I still feel good when I do the work yourself and can feel the effect. It may not be perfect but if it is better than it was before then thats got to be good - right. Even better if it costs 40 quid and you know you've made the difference. Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

This is true, but then the cost of the scales are a one hit deal, which you can use whenever you like - or more importantly - whenever you change something on the car like remove spare wheel or fit new spring or dampers etc. You also have the satisfaction of doing the job yourself and, with no offence to any companies out there, you know the car will be looked after.... ok - who mentioned DeathStar? You will also get a much better understanding of what effects things and can therefore bore loads of people who make the mistake of asking you about it at the pub wink.gif Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

Nice to hear from you Tony, what have you been up to - haven't seen you since the Quaife visit. Can you tell me how your temperature acts - does it cycle hot then cold then hot again and so on or is it dead steady? Is it quick to warm up from cold and how does it react in traffic jams etc? (not that you get many over in the States!!) Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

Steve Foster, Nigel Mills and myself have a bit of practice at doing this. I can send you a spread sheet program to help if you like. you enter the weights from each corner and then it tells you waht to do at each damper. We used two scales under each corner so as not to overload them, with a home made (by Steve) bridge to spread the load. It is good to have a freind who can wander around and take the readings for you while you are in the car. Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

Brent, Thanks - I will call later if that is ok, so I can have the ok from the other half teeth.gif Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

Hi Steve, I recently tested a K-series car with the Alcon brake system and was very impressed. It didn't have the same feel to the AP set that were on another (VX car) but they certainly stopped the car well. The AP's had a lot stiffer pedal, but I now think this is down to the master cylinder. I more recently (Friday) went to Cadwell and passengered in both cars, two sessions in each, and there wasn't a lot in the bracking. The AP's had the edge for bracking hard and late, but then it had A021R's and the other car had A539's (not as sticky). I think the Alcons are at least worth looking at (James Whiting sells them - see www.jameswhiting.co.uk under performance parts). I will be getting these next year after my 2lt Zetec goes in this winter. I have also seen the Willwood ones and they look good - but don't know of anyone with these fitted. (p.s. any comment on my cooling thread) Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

Hi guys, I think the guy you mean Brent is Nigel Mills at the North Hants meet. I think he went for Dunnell large diameter exhaust pipes and that has caused the tight fit. I don't think this is a normal probel if you use James's pipes - as I now have. Dave, you make a good point about the housing as I intend to buy the engine from Raceline and it will, unless I tell them otherwise, come with the water rail. This would mean that it may not come with the original Ford housing. I suspect they get these with the engine and sell them back or something. Brent, I would very much like to come and have a look at your engine installation, whenever you have lifted the bonnet at the club a crown gathers and I give up trying to see the bits I want to. Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

Hi guys, I'm trying to sort out my zetec installation spec at the moment. I picked up my exhaust last night from James Whiting ready to polish during the dark evenings and had a good chat about the cooling side of the installation. I am intending to buy the Zetec from Raceline along with most of their bits, but I am now wondering about which water solution I should opt for. James's incorporates a bypass system with a header tank which is very similar to how Ford intended. Racelines is very smart and looks the buisness but I read on their website that they drill a hole in the thermostat - as I believe you ended up doing Brent. I am just wondering if anyone has any experiances of either systems, good or bad, that they can pass on to help me make my mind up. Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

Testing Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" Caterham on the brain, Caterham around the body! wink.gif

To get back to the question for a moment, it will partly depend if the car is going to be newly registered or not. If the car is being converted then the emmission requirements will be those of when it was first registered. If, however, it is a new car and this will be the first time it is registered then it will need to comply with the necessary. (i.e. you can drop a brand new engine into a 10yr old car and not need a Cat fitted) This is where it gets tricky as it is not a bike anymore so does it get classed as a car and therefore need to pass car tests? I would assume that James (W) has not developed a cat for the car and that it therefore doesn't need one - BUT I WOULD CHECK WITH HIM and also talk to the SVA people - yo don't want to turn up and get caught out at the last hurdle! Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" wink.gif

Certainly sounds like the A-frame bushes. This job is pretty stright forward, just a pain as they are a tight fit. I use mole grips to compress the bushes and then gently press them up into the axle with a sissor jack. Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" wink.gif

Sounds like a good plan to me. My car rolls slightly at the back due to the soft dampening, but the front stays very stiff. I like this set up as it allows the live axle to ride the bumps whilst the stiff front gives very quick turn in response. I am running 310lb front springs. However, changing springs will normally require adjustable playforms to get the ride height back - as you say. Hope sofening the dampers solves your problem. Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" wink.gif

I think stiff springs on the rear will make a Live axle skip around a lot. Can you fit De Dion springs to a live?? I thought they were very high rates (170lb) and not suitable for a live car. I run 115lb rears and think they are about as high as I want to go. If I adjust the dampers to too 'hard' setting then the back does skip about and is very prone to oversteer and is generally not very confidence inspiring. I suggest you check that the dampers are not set to high in terms of damping, I run my Spax at around 2-4 clicks I think and more like 4-6 on the front and find this works well. Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" wink.gif

Thanks guys, ooops didn't mean to start a war of power amongst you 1700 boys teeth.gif Honest Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" wink.gif

Hi, Just a quick question, more for my own curiosity really. With all the talk of the old 1700 supersprint giving less than the 135bhp that Caterham claimed does this mean my 1600 x/flow is similarly no where near the 100bhp they quote. I am changing to a 2.0l Zetec this winter with around 160 (I trust Raceline on this) and was going to work out the increase in power/weight and it got me wondering. Anyone with rolling road experiance ? Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" wink.gif

Easy now children - you know if you fight one of you will get hurt - Steve I think it might be you wink.gif Phil Waters "Darling, DO you love the 7 more than me?" "Driving OR Fixing?" wink.gif

What age cars do you have? I have a 96 car and changed to the new grill (7) a couple of years ago. Unless they have changed the design I can't see why it won't fit. You deffinitely need some mesh behind it though - My first drive out with it fitted resulted in a nice hole and good old Rory off in search of Rad Weld to get me home. Phil Waters The car in front must be less in control teeth.gif

Dispite Steve's slurr to the contary I do actually do other things than just polish bits of my car.... I just wish I could think of an example - Doh! [;] Sorry been on Holiday so slow responce I always use about a 600 grit wet and dry, using it wet, and then work up to 1200 grip usually, mainly as I have trouble getting finner stuff than that. I then use Autosol (Halfords sell it) on a soft rag to do the polishing. If the area is big then I have also found the buffeting pads that attach to drills are pretty good to, but be careful not to press too hard or to run too high an rpm as this will cook the Autosol and its a bugger to get off again then! For the exhaust you could try gently clamping your drill in a vice or workmate and then working the tubes on the revolving pad. I keep eying up a grinding machine which you can then fit a polishing pad to - just need a bench to bolt it too now smile.gif Phil Waters The car in front must be less in control teeth.gif

And I'd probably already flattened it a bit by then too wink.gif Phil Waters The car in front must be less in control teeth.gif

Arr Sorry Allen, my mistake then - I'm sure Ol' Henry would approve of the Raceline/JW much more wink.gif Phil Waters The car in front must be less in control teeth.gif Edited by - philwaters on 21 Sep 2001 15:07:42

Arnie, Yes I was going Anti-ways and the position sounds about right. It was on a downhill section with trees linning the road on the left hand side and a field (I think on the right). The road seemed to be 'puckered' up in several places and I just didn't see the biggest one smile.gif I checked the engine mounts when I got home and they seem to be fine - being a light X/flow I think the front just bounced as 'one' wink.gif Phil Waters The car in front must be less in control teeth.gif

Hi Brent, So 2.0l it seems to be then, I'll just have to put up with the extra power. I was mostly enquiring in case the 1.8 has a more revy nature that might make it more desirable, but it seems not. Thanks for the offer of help - no doubt I will need to pick your brains over the next few months if you don't mind. I have decided, as I believe you did, to use the Weber 3D ignition - was this easy to fit? Did you need to get anything to go with it - coil etc? Phil Waters The car in front must be less in control teeth.gif

Hi Allen, Am going for a new engine and bits, mostly from Raceline and Jame Whiting, so number of 1800 verses 2000 isn't a worry. I take you point about the 40 Carbs though. Raceline supply a lighened flywheel with either engine as well. Phil Waters The car in front must be less in control teeth.gif

Hi Nigel, Yeah, I have seen the low sump and it looks really good but I am planning a Zetec this winter so mine will do for the last few nice days we get this year. Also I think I have clouted mine so often that it is about as high now smile.gif Phil Waters The car in front must be less in control teeth.gif