Angus

Been doing some more research: AMP are now made by Tyco (apologies if you already knew that) Here is the catalog for SSC connectors This looks like the Plug assembly. Note that it is keying type 'A' from your pics. And I think this is the housing that you want

Is the screen washer bottle fixed to the pax footwell end plate with rivets ? They can work loose and the rattle can sound like its coming from under the dash. To fix, drill out the rivets and replace with bolts / nylocs and large flat washers to spread the load. Other than that, many things seem to be prone to rattling at 2500 - 3000rpm. It seems to be a particularly resonant frequency. It might be the frequency at which the inherent vibration in a 4-cylinder in-line engine is at its peak. Other specific things I can think of to check: to check: bonnet is tight and not touching engine, heater not loose, pipes, wires etc not free to vibrate. Angus Angus

Hi John I think the TPS plug may be from the AMP SSC (Sealed Sensor Connector) range. Have a look at the AMP catalogue here, page 56 onwards. The 3-position plug assembly is shown on page 59. As they are designed to connect to sensors, there may not be a separate mating plug half. However, I wasnt sure what the 'CAP Housing' on p62 was - that may be a mating part - difficult to tell from the dimensions. Regards Angus

Tim, I think this has been done but I cannot recall by who or when. Someone has certainly done a mount onto the hinge with no doors.

While we are on the subject of crimping, how critical is the actual crimp tool ? What I mean is that there are several (many) different types of connector and pin used in the wiring looms. Accepted they are pretty much all F-type and there are 2 or 3 different diameters, but beyond that are there differences that warrant a different tool ? For example do different manufacturers pins need different tools or is it a case of one tool should do F-types of a given diameter ? Has anyone got a list ?

One thing you could try to see if the sender unit is working is as follows: 1) Fill the tank 1/3 to 1/2 full 2) Disconnect the sender at the tank under the boot floor. 3) Connect a multimeter to the sender set on the ohms range, set to about 200 ohms scale. It should read somewhere between approx 10 and 150 4) Rock the car back and forward - you should hear the fuel sloshing about. Alternatively jack up one side of the car and then the other 5) Observe the meter. You should get quite a lot of change in the reading. If you do then the sender is OK, and your problem lies elsewhere. If you dont then its probably time for a new one. Happy hunting ! Edited by - Angus on 29 Mar 2011 19:56:50

I made my mudflaps detachable. Each is held on by three wingnuts and can be removed without any tools with the car on the ground. They are made from rally car mudflap material. See pics here.

Rattie Glad you got it fixed. Could you be more precise about exactly where the chafing occured ? A pic would be helpful. The reason I ask is that the exit point at the back of the coil cover is a known problem area, which I have eliminated by using a large grommet. Thanks ! Angus

*redface*Beaten to it ! I recall that Reg Price (ex-Caterham designer who developed the original Watts Linkage) saying at the time that the ".....Superlights do not need to lift for the Bomb Hole (at Snetterton) ... " Not sure how true that is (or was) but the modification was intended to improve the handling under racing conditions.

The Watts linkage as fitted to Caterhams helps to control longitudinal movement of the ends of the de-dion tube. This reduces rear wheel steer and helps the car to feel more planted on the road. With a single radius arm the DD tube prescribes an arc under suspension bump and rebound, when viewed from the side of the car. This causes the DD tube to twist and hence 'steer ' the rear wheels. A watts link effectively alters the length of the radius arm and thus allows the DD tube to move in a near-vertical line (at least over the majority of its travel). The wikipedia entry linked in the above post has a good animated diagram (imagine you are looking at the side of the car and the red dot is the DD tube), and the last paragraph refers to the Caterham application.

My advice with locking wheel nuts (especially McGard) is NOT to fit them. If the keynut breaks / rounds off etc it is almost impossible to get the wheel off without damaging it. The problem is that locking wheel nuts are not capable of transmitting the same torque as a normal hex nut. So a jammed or corroded or overtightened wheel nut will often not budge before the lock breaks. And how often do wheels get nicked ? Locking wheel nuts are more trouble than they are worth, IMHO. Angus

Michael I am pretty sure it is. You could check with Caterham if you wanted to be certain.

I used the Cartek switch It looks a pretty neat unit and your installation is vey good. I would need a new scuttle though for the different hole pattern. Do you know if it passes racing regs ? Angus

What do people do with a battery master switch fitted ? (In the normal place inside the windscreen stantion). Has anyone got a neat solution that avoids having to disconnect and unbolt it each time you want to remove the scuttle ? Angus

Lee, If you mean the rivets on the lower rear corners of the scuttle, then yes you probably will need to put the washers back. They are only on more recent cars though. I assume they are there as spacers and leaving them out you will risk unsightly distortion of the scuttle as you tighten the rivet / self-tapper / bolt. Looks an awkward job to fit them though. Angus

The factory method of locating the tank is to fix some foam strip to the rear tubes and then clamp the tank against them using the angle piece. I needed my tank further forwards to allow clearance for a removeable spare wheel carrier. I made up wooden spacers, two for the tubes and two for the lower rear corners, each faced with foam. The effect was to move the tank forwards by about 2cm whilst still locating it securely. Fortunately the angle strip fixing bolts are long enough to accomodate. Angus

Guy The tank should not rely on the boot floor to hold it in place. To prevent the tipping action you describe the rear face of the tank either needs to be back against the rear panel tubes. Normally there is some foam strip as a buffer. If you want the tank further forwards then make up a couple of spacers (wood is fine) maybe faced with some foam strip to sit between the tank and the tubes. Also a block in the lower rear corners sitting on the chassis angles will help. Angus

And dont forget to jack up the rear, remove rear wheels and wash under the rear arches, both the inside of the fibreglass and the ali panels. While you are at it give the powdercoated components a wipe down. Always hand wash, do not use pressure washer or hose. Angus

Pat I have fitted the oil temp sender for the Stack in my R400. (Well actually Caterham did it at 1st service 😳). It fits into the blue plug in the sump. I cannot remember the exact details but the wiring is already in the loom. It wasnt a big job. Oil temp rarely climbs above about 65 degrees. Either I am over cooling it or not driving it hard enough ! Angus

Light Green (Kawasaki ?) with two black stripes. Couldnt see too much because of the armco. Saw you heading South near Pyecombe on the A23 just north of Brighton at 2pm today. Was in a tintop heading north. Angus

I am 99.9% certain it is a BMW unit. I think, but am less certain, it is out of the 130 Coupe. As Martin says, given the mounting, any Caterham diff will not be silent. However it shouldnt drown out the engine ! Mine did, and I have taken it to Road & Race where they are working their magic. TBH, although I havent received the letter (yet, and maybe I wont - my car is three years old) I would still go down the R&R route to fix a noisy diff. To me, a new diff, for which the chassis was not originally designed, is a step too far away from the original car for my liking, especially as it adds weight (I assume). I accept that others will have a different view, and some others may be put off by considerations of cost, or weight. Angus

OK thats the price .... ....and what is the weight difference ? any details on that ?

The BMW diff is a cast iron unit I believe, and so together with the carrier will likely add additional weight. And - together with new prop and driveshafts will likely not be a cheap option. Anyone got any more details ? Angus

Hi Drifter Bonnet fitting is a bit of a nightmare. Very few bonnets fit well if you look hard. Some things to try or check: The position of the nose cone will affect the bonnet. Check that it is on correctly. Sometimes they dont go far enough back. You can relieve material around the cut-outs for the front ARB, or in extreme cases reposition the DZU fasteners. Check that the foam strips front and back are in place and not damaged Also you can carefully form (bend) the edges of the bonnet to get a better profile around the nosecone and at the rear round the scuttle. Do this with by hand, but very carefully - it ie easy to do too much or in the wrong place. With the rear clips it doesnt matter if they are not dead centre, so long as they latch. You can form the U-section clip piece, either offset to one side to better catch the lug on the bonnet, or shorten it (squash it, IYSWIM) so that it pulls the bonnet down more. Angus

Having done exactly this job today: If you are careful you can get away with only removing one driveshaft. As you lower the diff on the jack having removed the top bolt, carefully twist it sideways and the other drive shaft will come free. I choose to remove the LH driveshaft as the longer run of brake pipe allowed more freedom to hang the caliper out of the way. You might also be able to get away with not releasing the front of the A-frame, but I didnt try this. Angus