Piers300

It’s worth checking the fuel sender gasket, as modern fuel does it no good and it falls to bits.

Also check for splits in all the rubber tubes between the petrol fill point and the tank.

Piers

If you order a 360 with a dry sump, then you will always yearn for the 420. Personally, I would be more than happy with a 310, but having driven the 360 engine in the Caterham R300 Duratec demonstrator some time ago, it was a great engine. I have not driven a 420.

220 bhp in the 420 is a rapid machine and you need to be pretty handy to exploit it to the full. In the 310 you would be probably having just as much fun while driving it hard. If you do that in a 420, you won’t have your license for long.

Piers

Very well done and good to watch.

I’ve just looked at the specifications and there are no details about the charge rate, voltage or current. I would want to know a lot more about the charger before connecting it 24/7.

There are battery chargers and there are battery chargers!!!

The old fashioned trickle charger is not good for Caterham batteries unless monitored constantly. The problem is that in “boost” or “ trickle “ charge setting, the charging voltage and current remain constant. So it you forget about it, it will ruin your battery. It is however good at charging completely flat batteries.

what you need is a constant potential charger. This is fully automatic and can be left on 24/7. With this type of charger, as the voltage in the battery rises, so the current reduces. When the battery charger voltage and battery voltage are the same, then current ceases to flow. I.e. it’s switched on, but it is not charging. If the battery discharges, the battery charger will automatically start charging again, till the battery is charged.

I have an Accumate and it’s been in the same battery for 8 years. There are a number of other quality chargers and it’s worth paying for a good one. Most have the facility for quick connection.

Piers

Trust all well Simon   Regards  Piers

JV. I have to agree with you completely. My Banner is now 8 years old and is connected to an Accumate too. It is connected 24/7.

Piers

A warning light that is dimly lit, is often a sign of a diode failing and giving half wave rectification. I had exactly this on one of my old cars. You could have the alternator repaired and some repair shops may be able just to replace the diodes.

What sort of battery charger are you using. There are "Battery Chargers" and there are "Battery Chargers" .

They do different things. Some have control, some don't. Some battery types require a special chargers.

1) Constant Potential Type - i.e. fully automatic and can be connected all year. Good for lead acid. Maintains the battery by monitoring the voltage and automatically increases and decreases current. When the voltages are equal - no current flows so it is on but not charging. If the internal battery voltage changes, the charger automatically starts charging again. There are a number of excellent products you can buy for this type of charger.

2) Standard Trickle/Boost Chargers. These should only be used short term (and monitored often) as they will keep on charging till it boils your battery. Don't use these on the 7 long term, unless the battery is flat as a pancake. Once fully charged, disconnect.

I've been out of the Battery Charger industry for a few years now and things have changed. Plenty of good kit out there. I've got a Banner AccuGuard 1800 and it's been on the same battery for the last 10 years. No issues at all.

Piers

switch the hazard switch about 20 times and then try.

I too have a 2004 R300. Is the loop for the antenna around the key mechanism. Has the wire come adrift. It makes a big difference if correctly positioned.

Piers 

Really enjoyed that. Well done.

Piers

Can you not remove the fuel gauge sender unit and have a look ?

Assuming K series injection.

Piers

I’ve got a Machinery Mart Compressor with integral air tank. Every time I use it, I drain the air from the tank and open the bottom vent valve to drain any water. My question is, could I leave it charged with air for days/weeks, so I can use it quickly when I need to ?  

Over the last 34 years, I have had to replace the clutch cable three times on my first 7 and 3 times on the one I have now. I have two spare clutch cables in the car. Every time, except the first, it has failed at the clutch fork. Very poor design I think.

Piers

When I had starting problems on my 2004 K, I spend two years trying to find the problem. The best improvement I got was cleaning ALL the earth connections to improve the volts drop on cranking. As with you car, it had never been done before. My problem turned out to be simple, a bad earth connection on the ECU. S & C found the problem in the end. I documented it on here under A Reluctant Starter. It’s quite a long read.

So if the battery reads 9.2 volts after settling and unconnected, then you have a Cell gone down. When charging,it will read about 13.2 volts and should settle to around 12.5 volts approximately. You need a new battery.

For me, I have a spare clutch cable and throttle cable, with the nipple taped to the cable. Also an exhaust bobbin, plus suitable tools , all wrapped so they don’t rattle or slide around.

Before you buy a new battery, I would clean up every earth connection.  The one from the block to chassis gave the best improvement and all others. When I did this to mine, I had a dramatic increase in voltage drop on cranking. If no improvement, then a new battery needed.

OK Graeme. Will keep you in the loop on things when it opens up. We do meet for early Sunday Blats, normally starting from the Shell Petrol station in Faversham . We normally have five or six 7's which is enough in convoy. We often end up at Headcorn aerodrome or Tenterten fisheries for breakfast. 

I live just outside Barham and Paul lives near Bridge. Both of us have green and yellow Sevens. There is also an orange R400 in Elham.

The spot was during lockdown, so was not you. What model have you got?  We have quite a few 7’s around here and we often meet up, but not at the moment of course.

Hopefully, we will see you in the area, once we get clear if this awful virus.

Piers

Not spotted by me, but who was out in Barham, Kent today.

Piers

Green and Yellow R300K

Ian - Just looked up the Toyo Web Site and it shows TR1 rather than T1R.

Is this (TR1) an updated tyre on the T1R, if so, is it a good replacement for CR500 195/45/15, which are no longer available. I don't do track days, just road use.

Plus the Avon replacements are 195/50/15 section and this will hit the inside of the front wheel bracket that holds the wings  and it will all need changing.

Quite an expensive undertaking when these tyres are cheap.

Trust all well.

regards

Piers

Someone’s looking for this information.

7WOTW. I’ve searched the CC web site and cannot find this kit on their web site. What section was it in ?

Thank you.

Piers