Benedict.

I find the CD version worse than the online one. They definitely do do a printed catalogue, but they obviously print far fewer than they used to and try and get people to use the online one. For some things it works fine, but it's so much easier to flick through the catalogue, scan the pictures, then choose the spec of what you want (LED colour, number of conductors in a connector etc.) from the table below. I still often refer to our 2002 catalogue in the office

I don't suppose anyone has a spare set of RS catalogues clogging up an shelf / office anywhere? Even ones from 1 or 2 years ago would do, as I'm totally fed up with trying to find bits on their 🙆🏻 *mad*king website ❗ The paper version we have in the office is from 2002, so just a little out of date now. The company I work for don't seem to spend enough to qualify; our logistics chap has tried and been fobbed off politely declined, and my own personal use isn't even on the radar. Could probably pay postage, if it's not too expensive, or can collect if it's within blatting distance of Leicester. Donation to NtL definitely waiting as well 😬 Yours in desperation, Ben Edited for speeling Edited by - _Benedict_ on 29 May 2012 17:08:51

Johnny, YHBM ref stanchions. Cheers, Ben

... just noticed someone's selling compatible ones on eBay for half the price that Stack want, here Cheers, Ben

Charlie, The ZX9R sensor worked connected straight to the stack input. I had to mount it carefully so that the flat face that "saw" the original sprocket (nut?) on the bike, "saw" the prop bolts instead. This flat face was on the side, not the end. I'm sure I just simply used the 2 central cores (not the grounded screen - I'm not even sure that it goes all the way to the sensor!) connected to the sensor I honestly can't remember paying any attention to which way round they went, though it's a good few years ago now so I may have made reference to the wiring diagram for the ZX9. Cheers, Ben

Quoting James.S: These are fantstic - best adjusters on the market. Have used CC, Willans, Luke in the past and none are as good. Speak to malcolm. here Absolutely I've just bought some and Malcolm was very helpful / patient with me - also they do a club discount (they'd dropped off the discount page of the members' area for a while, but are back on now). Ben

Quoting Stationary M25 Traveller: Permabond A131 Perfect. Found and now ordered. Thanks Ben

Quoting Stationary M25 Traveller: Just an oil resistant thread sealing compound. I use one that is like a thick white liquid. Only need a drop or two. Cheers; any idea what it's called? Thread sealing compounds on ebay seem to be for plumbing / gas.

On the installation instructions for my Stack Gauges it recommends using "Teflon Sealing Compound" and not to use tape. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7831014/teflon.jpg I've not managed to distil much concrete / useful information from googling or searching eBay, so wondered if anyone here can advise as to how essential / advisable this really is, and if anyone has any idea if there are different types, which one should be bought, and where from? Thanks, Ben

Many thanks Ian, YHM Ben...

Can anyone tell me what the thread size is for the smaller of the bolts holding the FIA rollbar down. There are 3 bolts on each side that screw down through the triangular-ish shaped plate, 2 are the standard seatbelt/harness size but there is a third man smaller size. Many thanks, Ben

Quoting Jonathan Kay: Interesting explanation: is there a suitable LED that could replace the ignition warning bulb? Jonathan Unfortunately LEDs only work on such a low current (you have to limit it with a series resistor, though these are sometimes "built in" and quoted for certain supply voltages) that this fails to suitably excite the field windings. In practice, you need to use a resistor of similar resistance (and power dissipation capability) in parallel with the LED (and it's limiting resistor) to get the functionality as well as the funkyness of the LED. You can put the above mentioned diode in series with all the above to prevent run-on, if this is happening by this means. Cheers, Ben edited for speeling... Edited by - _Benedict_ on 20 Mar 2012 20:41:37

Quoting Johnty Lyons: So please explain since you have stated it yourself how the field windings are getting excited with a diode in place as Your posting confuses me. *confused* Hi Johnty. If you'll permit, let me go through the whole thinking process. Apologies if the initial bits are the proverbial "Teaching your Granny to suck eggs" Firstly, under normal operation, when you first switch the ignition on, it puts 12V on one side of the lamp. The other side is connected to the field windings thus "activating" them, as with current flowing through them, they are now effectively a magnet. As this current is also flowing through the bulb, it lights up. When the alternator starts spinning, when the engine is running, it now generates it's own 12V (OK closer to 14) which it also supplies locally to energise it's field windings. This means that the bulb now has 12V on bothsides of it (ie 0V across it), so now goes out. The problem here however, is when the ignition switch is turned off. This switch takes away the connection from the battery/alternator 12V to all the ignition switched circuits. You'd expect them to drop to nothing and everything switch off. However, the bulb in question now has 12V at the alternator end, and it's other end is connected to the ignition switched wires. Electrically, this means that the 12V from the alternator is conected through a resistor (the bulb) to these wires, and therefore to the coils of all the relays that power the ECU, fuel pump, etc. In practice, this proved to leave 3.5V across these coils. Experimentally I ascertained that (very surprisingly) 3.5V was enough to hold in every 12V relay I could find to test. This suggested to me that the power "leaking" through the bulb was causing the engine to run on. I proved this by disconnecting the bulb and the engine instantly stopped, and never failed so to do. Quite a few other people found this as well. OK, sorry, this is getting quite long. The diode. To solve my problem and still have the lamp function as it should and provide the initial excitement for the coils I decided to use a diode. This diode was connected in series with the lamp, such that it would conduct electricity in the "direction" of the alternator. That is to say that before the engine started, it would allow current to flow from the 12V from the ignition switched wires, through the lamp, through the diode and though the field windings. When the alternator starts, the light still goes out as you have 12V on both sides of the lamp/diode pair. However, when you turn off the ignition switch, current can no longer flow from the alternator field supply to the lamp as the diode is preventing this. There is no voltage at all "leaking back" (horrible term, but it seems to describe things quite well), the relays all open and everything stops. I hope I've clarified things and not made them worse, Cheers, Ben

Quoting Paul Richards: Ben Interesting. Seems like you are on the right lines. Could it be that the 3.5 volts is not only causing the running on, but also causing the light to remain out. Probably won't be able to get round to it for a couple of weeks, but I think I'll fit a diode and take it from there. Can't do any harm. I wonder. Could it be that the alternator normally has a diode in it (or similar) and this has failed 🤔 I suspect (though have no memory one way or the other now) that you may find the alternator lamp may be glowing faintly, as it has ~8V across it, as opposed to 12; have a look at night ❗ 😬 Before you do mess about fitting the diode, I would be inclined to prove it one way or the other by just removing the bulb. You'll then know if it's worth the effort. I'm very sure that it isn't standard to fit such a diode, I think it's just a fluke of the way Caterham wire things that it happens to hold in the correct relays. Cheers, Ben

To stop your engine(s) running on, try removing the alternator warning light bulb (Temporarily, just to check - NOT PERMANENTLY) Honestly! When I first acquired my previous seven, I had a running-on problem and cured it with a diode in the line between the "charge" light and the alternator, such that the lamp could illuminate and provide power to initiate the field windings on the alternator, but not allow current to flow "back" through the bulb and hold in relays that keep the ECU (etc) switched on. I posted about it (under my alias at the time of my last seven "Dai-X"); hang on, I'll have a quick search. *opens another window and does a search* Ah - there it is: Quoting ME as "Dai-X": Sorted it at last ❗ Got even more confusing last night as found that when the ignition was switched off with the engine running, the ignition-switched 12V lines behind the dash had ~3.5V on them Proved that, unlikely as it may seem, that 3.5V is enough to hold closed every 12V relay I could find so decided that that this erroneous 3.5V was holding some relays in - I'm guessing the ones in the MFU that switch the ignition/injection etc and keeping the engine running from the permanent 12Vs that feed these realy contacts. Spent aaaaages trying to find and understand how the flippin'eck 3.5V was arriving here when the engine was running and eventually had a light-bulb moment - ah there's a smiley for that: *idea* Having previously completely ruled out the alternator (after only considering the main output) realised that it could be the alternator warning light - When the engine/alternator are not spinning this light is on, as the top of it is connected to the ign-switched 12V and the bottom to the "starter" cct of the alternator. It uses this supply to initiate the field windings (IIRC). This "input" then rises to 12V thus extinguishing the bulb (as it has 12V either side now). In my case, this 12V from the alternator was then "getting through" to the ign-switched 12V lines, obviously dropping ~8V accross the warning light leaving enough voltage (and supplying enough current) to hold some relays on. Take the bulb out and the engine switches off fine on the ignition key. Shove a diode in series with the bulb, "pointing at" the alternator and bingo - it now works as it should. Turn the ignition key off and the engine dies instantly while the ECU stays powered for a short while while it does something to the AICV (maybe another question answered there) and then goes off. Blimey that was 6 years ago ❗ The whole thread is here Cheers, Ben Edited by - _Benedict_ on 20 Mar 2012 18:51:46

Thanks chaps. Any recommendations on an oil sucker? There seem to be quite a few different types available; some of the cheaper ones have bad user reviews, but it's often difficult to tell if that's down to the user or the kit. Cheers, Ben Edited for grammar what was poor like. Edited by - _Benedict_ on 13 Mar 2012 20:51:44

Can anyone tell me what the capacity of the Brise "Kidney" Tank is, the one that sits in front of the engine? The rest of the system is the Pace dry-sump system, as far as I'm aware. Also, in the absence of anything resembling a drain plug, what's the most effective way of removing the oil? Is it a case of sucking / pumping it out? How can you tell that you've got it all out? (I can measure what I've removed, but I'm not sure that actually proves anything) When it comes to refill / check the level, how far up the tank should it come? Actually, any related tips/info on this setup would be gratefully received and no doubt save me time/headscratching, Thanks in advance, Ben

I had a stack tacho/dash with integrated speedo on a previous (previous) car and found that the speedo sender from a ZX9-R motorcycle actually worked perfectly. The car had a ZX9-R engine and I just changed the angle of the sender to see prop bolts rather than sprockets. Given that, I would suspect that a wide range of sensors available at bike (/car?) breakers would probably work for no more than coffee money. Cheers, Ben

Quoting Diff: R5xx is still going strong. Ian Hi Ian That's good to know, hope it's being enjoyed. Cheers, Ben Edited by - _Benedict_ on 20 Feb 2012 13:37:10

Quoting StuB: ... hope to see you around the Midlands area soon Absolutely I'll have to come to Hathern at some point, not been there for years. ISTR it's changed date (note to self: must check!) Or if you ever pop down to Caterham Midlands, I'm only about 5 minutes away - in Thorpe Astley. If I'm in then the kettle's always on 😬 Ben

A huge thanks to all who responded to this ad, especially StuB, 😶‍🌫️ as I've now agreed to buy the car he pointed me towards It's a low mileage, well looked after roadsport, with a great 209bhp DVA K, DS, w/track, LSD and more. I will make a few changes to suit myself, the lowered floor being an essential one so I can physically drive it; it'll be great to work on something other than the tintop again and roll on the summer 😬 ETA: Better update my sig! Edited by - _Benedict_ on 17 Feb 2012 11:15:21

Assuming it's still available I'd suggest having a look at "boom-box" carpet, ie stuff marketed for covering wooden bass speaker enclosures in airfix adorned Saxos and the like. I seem to remember it varies tremendously in finish, quality and price - though typically with this sort of thing there's not always a correlation between them. If you can find the right stuff though, it looks good and is very, very light 😬 Ben

I've no idea if they're any good, but I noticed these while surfing eBay! Thought they might be worth pointing out. Personally I need to find a car before I think about alternative lights though 😬 but for future reference I'd still be really interested to see any of the options mentioned in this thread fitted to a 7. Cheers, Ben

I've always used self-amalgamating tape for this. If you're careful when you apply it (with a bit of extra stretch at the start/end and care stepping up the locknut onto the TRE) it keeps the water out and so the thread/locknuts emerge good as new; once it's amalgamated it looks quite good (IMHO) and is easy to remove. Obviously it's not re-usable but is very cheap and a single roll from screwfix will last many applications. Ben

There's a rather big one here It's certainly large, looks like you'd get the rest of the brass section in it, not just thr trumpets 😬 Ben. Edited twice 'cos I can't spell Edited by - _Benedict_ on 2 Feb 2012 13:28:32