Angus

Yes you can get the vertical kit directly from CC (or at least you could in 2008). From my invoice the part number is 79708. Dont know why its not on the website - you will need to ring the parts department.

As well as a standard boot floor carpet, Caterham also do a 'vertical' boot carpet set, which lines all four sides of the boot space. This is quite effective at reducing some of the noise, and also protects the ali panels from dents from heavy objects sliding around. Angus

One of the differences in the nose cone is the area around the lower wishbone front mounting. On earlier cars the nose cone was cut away and the head of the wishbone mounting bolt was visible when viewed from the front of the car. On later cars the nose cone shrouds this bolt head. I assume this was done for SVA compliance, but I dont know the date of the change. Angus

There are rumours that CC are trialling a BMW-sourced diff as a replacement for the Ford item. Is this true ? Has anyone got any details ? Is it a straight swap ? Is it quieter ? Is it available as a LSD ? FWIW, I have exactly the same problems as the OP. However I was told by CC that the noise was 'within limits'. Earplugs do work well as a stopgap solution, but I am considering getting the diff rebuilt by eg R&R, or a replacement unit. Hence my interest if CC are changing their offering. Angus Edited by - Angus on 13 Nov 2010 13:28:12

Peter Could you post some more details of your larger tank ? I would like to increase tank capacity and 47l is a good size. I know Andy does a larger tank as a standard aftermarket fitment, but he gets the extra capacity by extending vertically into the bootspace. Do you have this tank or have you gone some other route ? Angus

My two-pennyworth: I have the 5-points, for both driver and passenger, with leather seats. I find them perfectly comfortable, even on long journeys. The key is to have the lap belts tight. No butchery of the seats, and relatively quick to do and undo. Convenience in use becomes a real bugbear if you are using the car a lot, getting in and out. The 6-point is really designed for racing, and whilst it could be considered marginally 'safer', for me the reduction in convenience was the reason I didnt consider it. Angus

Paul I have an R400D, S3. This did not come with the spare wheel carrier fitted and it was not even an option when I specified the kit, although it was on the SV. The chassis (metric) did though have the bosses for the carrier. Subsequently I have fitted the CC wheel carrier as a fully demountable item. This gives me (IMHO) the best of both worlds - spare wheel (and increased carrying capacity) when touring, and reduced weight etc when blatting. I cannot help on the RB's as I dont have them, and they are not on the upgrade list. Noisy diff cure is top ! Angus

The R400 Duratec does not have an oil temperature sender fitted as standard, even those with the Stack dash option. However the wiring is in place in the loom. For a wet sump installation a standard Stack temperature sender can be fitted into the large blue plug on the side of the sump. The wiring tail exits from the engine loom in the vicinity and can then be connected. A pre-drilled sump plug is available from CC: here Angus

I had this problem with stiff head restraints, admittedly on a new build. I got Caterham to 'ease' the tubes and holes and now they are much better. I dont know exactly how they did it, but probably a vice / hammer and a file ! I didnt go the modified tonneau route as in my opinion the pockets look baggy and untidy. Also if you need to move the seats around (different drivers etc) the tonneau may no longer fit. Angus Edited by - Angus on 6 Sep 2010 17:32:22

Dave If reducing diff noise really is as simply as adjusting the castellated nuts then that has to be worth a try. Can you clarify your post ref the castellated nuts: ? I think what you are saying is to turn both anti-clockwise ? Does that loosen them off or is it a reverse thread ? So is the net effect of what you have done to allow more sideways float on the diff internals ? Rather than move the carrier unit from one side to the other ? Or am I just being thick ? Angus

John Excellent write-up. Angus

MH I havent done this, but a couple of observations from looking at my R400 dash wiring, which has the stack dash factory fitted. (However note that I have the old style rocker switches, so there may be further differences) 1) The main wiring loom is very different between the stack and non-stack dash. The stack unit has a 19-pin socket, the plug of which is spliced into the main loom. There are two sets of wiring diagrams in the back of the build manual (download here). So be prepared to change the main loom, or at least some radical surgery with a big connector wher the loom exits the tunnel. 2) Even with the stack dash loom there are a lot of redundant connectors under the dash. They look like connectors for the analogue guages, why they are left in the loom is not clear. I'm sure it could be done much more neatly and efficiently - one the list of 'one day' jobs ! 3) You will probably have to remove the scuttle (if you dont already have a removeable scuttle) to give you decent access. 4) Good luck if you decide to do it - please report on here or perhaps an article for Low Flying ? Angus

My socket, which was an aftermarket fitment, is mounted into the front bulkhead on my R400 above the passengers knees. It is connected direct to the battery with an in-line fuse. One day I will change this arrangement, as I like just one wire to the battery. Angus

John Thanks, and YHM Yes, sorry, typo in my mail address. You guessed correctly ! Angus

Be very careful before you make this change. It is not reversible because as the previous posts mention you have to cut down the piston rods to get an acceptable pedal angle and clearances. These comments refer to an 07 metric chassis. Other cars may not be such a problem. Better IMHO to live with the pedals in the as-is position and move the seat. Angus

A less drastic solution is to trim or file a couple of mm or so off the edge of the panel at the sides and rear. Before removal mark the areas to be trimmed, and remove as little material as possible. A couple of trial fits might be neccessary to check all neccessary material remived. Assuming you have a boot carpet (recommended) then the edge will tuck down and fill nicely the now slightly larger gap between the floor and side skin. Angus

I got Halfords spare bulk kit No 11 here. Not perfect as it has an extra two large round bulbs for internal lights but it has the main Caterham bulbs. Angus Edited by - Angus on 28 May 2010 13:32:48

Thanks Mav - seems like at least one other out there - anyone else ? Sounds like from what you are saying self repair is not an option. Good idea re James at CC aftersales, iI'll give him a call tomorrow. Angus

Preparing for a blat this afternoon I discovered a huge river and puddle of hydraulic fluid running down underneath the side of the car, coming from the front RH damper. It was coming out of the top where the piston exits, and was dripping off the bottom onto the floor. Looked like it had been going for a while and I guess the damper must be nearly empty of fluid. I have no idea what has led to such a catastrophic failure. Last used the car a couple of weeks ago, and I did have it up and down on axle stands last weekend. No work anywhere near that wheel though. Damper is adjustable platform Bilstein as fitted standard to R400 Duratec, about 2 1/2 years old. Has anyone seen this before - is it a TADTS with Bilsteins or have I got a one-off 'early life' failure ? I assume some seal inside has gone, can I take it apart and repair it or is it finished ? Finally, whats the view on driving (gently) the car as is ? With the unit on the bench damper and spring function seems fine as best as I can test it. Angus

Check that you have continuity beween the earth wire on the repeater and one of the main chassis rails. With cycle wings the return path for the indicator repeater is the brake line - there are rubber bushes in the way everywhere else (eg wishbones). Angus

Probably not. The CC dash has a lot of its functions locked down. It might therefore require being reflashed by Stack to 'unlock' it before the upgrade would work. I might be wrong though - give Stack a call - they are very helpful. Angus

I need a single 6.5 x 15 10-spoke wheel. The type as fitted to recent cars. (Anthracite type ?) Doesnt have to be perfect - want it as a spare for touring. Ideally with tyre already fitted, wear not a problem, so long as it is reasonably legal. Anyone got one they are willing to part with ? Thanks, Angus Edited by - angus on 5 May 2010 16:55:41

Jim Sound like you have the Duratec / Sigma tank arrangement. The fuel module is a large round white unit, secured in place by a black plastic lock ring. This ring will unscrew (tap it round with a screwdriver, or make up a 'spanner' from some timber or metal offcuts). The module itself is from a Ford Focus. (as an aside, this fuelling arrangement is very inefficient - see here for a post on this subject). However you have very little leeway on the rotational position of the module. This is because of the fuel sender float arm that sticks out the side of the unit, and will crash into the side wall of the tank if rotated too far. here are some photos of the fuel module. Regarding the fuel pipe, the black corrugated plastic (if that is what you have) is just a protective sleeve covering the actual pipe, so depending on your kink you may not have too much of a problem. You can try and work some slack into the pipe by redoing the tie wraps and perhaps working some excess back fown the tunnel from the engine bay. You can disconnect the pipe - there is a flat piece on the connector that you push in with your fingernail to release. Angus Edited by - Angus on 2 May 2010 17:52:28

You shouldnt need to remove the bootfloor and tank. The lights should be held in with screws going into rivnuts. Take off the lens and bulb and prise out the silver reflector and you should see some screws. Be careful not to break the plastic - it is quite brittle. However the cable is integral to the light unit, and getting at the plug on the end behind the rear skin can be tricky. There is some slack in the cable, enough for the unit to dangle free. That may be enough for what you need. Angus

I'm pretty sure Caterham factory use Gillingham, address here. Certainly Gillingham is the nearest test station to Caterham Angus