StevehS3

2 hours ago, SM25T said:

What is it for ?

I don’t know. I assume it indicates a manufacturing batch number or something like that. It is a nasty spike to push into the radiator though. 

Separately, that sharp yellow spike pushed into the radiator fins can be a future problem if it vibrates and punctures the radiator. 

1 hour ago, Miker7 said:

Appreciate that's "normal", but on my roadsport I can't adjust the springs so i was wondering if my height is "normal" for 14" wheels or if it indicates something is amiss? On the bright side, i should have no issue getting onto the brake rollers this evening for the MOT.

I think it somewhat depends on the engine fitted. For example, the Sigma is a less-tall engine than the wet sump K or Duratec, so an extra 10mm under the sump might give a similar ride height. 

I emailed them to ask about ZZS. They didn’t reply. Why are some companies so poor at communicating! 

I recently setup my Sigma which was a case of using Easymap to accurately setup the TPS and throttle stop. Slight adjustments allowed it to idle cold and hot without hunting or needing to touch the throttle when cold to avoid stalling. When hot I aimed for zero Idle Air Prop Term Degrees to maintain the target RPM. 
I thought I read that the Duratec TPS wasn’t adjustable ie doesn’t have a slotted fixing to allow rotation. Based on my findings, there  isn’t much scope for getting it just right without being able to tweak the TPS position. 

At the time (my last car)  I had 6” front and rear wheels so the ride height was just a bit higher but equally front to back so I left it as it was. The problem arises with 8” rears which I have now. The corner weighting would need a tweak. If I change to R888R from ZZS I don’t know whether I will take some height measurements at each corner and tweak it myself or take it back to be corner weighted again. That would obviously be better. 
I don’t know about the compounds. What I did notice was that on track R888R seemed to get hot much quicker. The extra side wall does make them feel slightly different too. At my level I would be happy with either but I would prefer to remain with ZZS if that is possible. 

I have run ZZS and R888R on 13” on track and road, wet and dry.
I have a slight preference for ZZS and would pay more for them but R888Rs are great. 
I personally didn’t find the sidewall felt stiffer on R888R but I have seen others comment on that. In fact if anything I thought they were slightly more compliant perhaps due to the higher sidewall. Although R888Rs are less expensive I found they didn’t last as long. 
All very subjective but that’s my thoughts. 

The Original Cafe Racer LED lights seem to be a good choice considering factors such as legality, price, performance, both size options and looks (obviously that is subjective but not deviating too far from the original looks is my choice). 

1 hour ago, Jonathan Kay said:

And I once had a CTEK smart conditioning charger that appeared to complete its cycle but wasn't charging the battery at all. That took me months to diagnose and left me even more cautious than before.

Jonathan

That is an awful fault condition. Not something I would consider ever happening. I will check mine now and again to be sure it is charging correctly.

Having hit a huge pot hole in the dark the other day I wondered if there were any more experiences or products to consider?
I try to keep my car to standard spec and legal but driving in the dark with the huge pot holes is awful and quite off-putting.

According to Caterham Parts the Sigma uses the same radiator and I haven’t heard of them needing such frequent replacement. So if the problem is specific to the Duratec it is perhaps more likely to be the top hose as suggested earlier. It clearly isn’t good as supplied. 

My 310R is used for road and track days. I changed mine from the R position to the S. Unfortunately I did it straight after buying the car so I can’t make a comparison. My reasoning was that I put more emphasis on it feeling better on the road (even if that compromises the track capability a bit). 

1 hour ago, GerardB said:

Update -

Thanks all for your suggestions, It seems to now be fixed!

New plugs didn't make a difference, it still cut out after 12 seconds so following a suggestion from Steveh I disconnected the battery and left it for half an hour for the ECU to fully reset.

Once reconnected, the car is back to normal.

Basically, turn it off and on again!

It is my go-to solution for technical problems 😀

I still feel unsure about fitting 205 width R888R tyres on 8x13” rear wheels. It is outside of Toyo’s Approved Rim Width and it seems 6x13” would be a better match. 

1 hour ago, dikko said:

Thanks SteveS3 and Malcolm (I WILL check!). Original dynamo I will go for I think for same reason, period looks etc. If my electrician/advisor turns out to be right a Dynamator will be done. A tractor might be thing I need for Trials except it might be against regs... Hope it goes well.

An electronic regulator housed in the original housing would help get the best out of the dynamo. Mine charges at all times when moving ie when not idling and is set to 14.1V at 11A max. It works well.  https://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/reproduction-rb106-and-rf95-regulators.php

I have been through a similar Dynamo vs Alternator thought process for my vintage tractor. I decided on refurbishing the dynamo and replacing the original regulator internals with a solid state version housed in the original enclosure so looks the same. A blend of maintaining originality whilst making it usable. 
Other options are fitting an alternator as your mechanic suggested (personally I don’t like the look of modern alternators) or fitting a Dynamator which is an alternator housed in an original Lucas style housing. Example here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391648227817?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Zz_MRG2qTPS&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=N1mAWR0DS2q&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Is Wavetrack cheaper than Tracsport?

Still got my 4K miles carbon plate Titan sat in the corner of the garage.

If it was just one requiring refitting, could it be bonded back in with such as Araldite metal repair putty? It is seriously strong stuff. It can be drilled and tapped like metal. 

Actually, looking closer I think you have a gap too and it is clamped onto the face of the bush. 
 

Mine appears to be tightened against the bush. I presume the face of the bush is longer than the A frame mount. I don’t remember a chamfer on the washers but it was some time ago. 

Edited to say that neither of my assembly guides mention chamfered washers and they appear plain in the drawings. 

6 hours ago, Tigs said:

Can anybody share what size R888rs they are fitting in place of ZZR/ZZS for 13inch staggered wheels? I'm in need to tyres and was a little late to the party about Avon stopping production...🤦‍♂️

If I go the R888R route I think I will change the rear wheels to 6” and go 205 rears with 185s on the front. Both 60 profile. Perfect sizing for my 310R.

1 hour ago, Nick Bassett said:

Thanks Jonathan - interesting about 'Nova' and what they might bring to the table...

I have emailed Nova and asked the question.

From my 2016 Metric chassis build manual. 
 

I keep wondering about these AO52s. Available in 13” 185/205, 14” and 15”.

https://www.northamptonmotorsport.com/product-category/yokohama-tyres-northampon-motorsport/yokohama-advan-a052-tyres/

They would raise the car height 1cm compared to ZZS but at least the front and rear heights would increase by the same amount. 

I do a nut and bolt check at least once a year and the only ones that have ever needed nipping up are on the radius arms. Might be worth checking those and also the marked area of the chassis. As an observation I would apply some corrosion protection to the tubes.