Alaskossie

I have bought the nicely-made CC carbon fiber air filter cover for my Duratec 2.3 to satisfy my c/f cravings (this is the same one that appears in all the recent C500 test photos). In installing the cover over the existing foam air filter, I see that it is a press-fit around all sides -- meaning that no air is passing through the foam air filter at these locations. Does the c/f filter cover significantly restrict the amount of intake air reaching the engine (thus having a negative effect on power output)? Do CC offer a narrower-profile foam air filter for use with this cover, so that the cover does not fit tightly over the filter and close off the air flow at these points? Alaskossie

Over in the Colonies, we use pickup truck bed liner, usually applied by a specialty company that sprays it on the beds and sides of pickup trucks for durability and dent resistance. It doubled the weight of my c/f rear wings, but that's not much of a weight penalty in the larger scheme of things. Alaskossie

"The engine bay layout was just lovely." Any photos to share of the engine bay layout?? Alaskossie

BB, RiF has volunteered (threatened?) to turn out some lovely CF wide-track flares, but he has yet to get on with the project (apparently he has the molds, but not the time). I'm one of several who may be anxiously awaiting the finished product... Alaskossie

All interesting points -- but the slight forward weight disadvantage of the Brise pales in comparison to the logistics of trying to plumb a d/s tank on a LHD car, where the d/s ports are on the driver's side and any shortened footwell is on the passenger side.... and there is no room to run oil lines over the bell housing to reach a d/s tank on the footwell.... Perhaps the oil lines should go forward, around the front of the engine, then under (or over) the primaries to reach the d/s tank.....? Alaskossie

Dave, I have specified a drain plug in the bottom of my Brise.. Alaskossie

Thanks for the advice on the Brise d/s "kidney" tank. I did not choose an EasiClean tank in front of a chopped passenger footwell because the Duratec exhaust primaries are exiting close by there (LHD chassis). Also, the intake and outlet piping from the dry sump pump would be unnecessarily long, and would have to pass under or over the bell housing to reach a tank mounted on the passenger footwell. With the Brise, the outlet and inlet are where I want them, with very short runs to the dry sump. Thanks for the advice on lagging (insulating) the Brise tank to maintain operating temps. I had considered adding a jacket of cooling fins, but apparently the tank being in the airstream behind the fan may give enough (too much?) cooling, as it is... The tank heater I am installing is an internal heating element to plug into the mains, to bring the oil up to operating temp before a blat.... requires planning ahead somewhat.... Alaskossie

Just ordered my Brise "kidney" d/s tank with custom features (internal heater boss, drain plug, specific port layout and sizing etc.) from Mr. Brise today. His quote to me was £295 plus shipping. I consider this a fair price, in part because this seems to be the only available tank designed to fit in that particular location, particularly on Arch chassis. Alaskossie

I’m trying to find the correct Ford part that is the “Duratec starter support bracket” that supports the nose of the starter. This part is shown on Ammo’s website as the “rear steady bracket”: http://www.raceco.com/ It is shown in the Duratec build photos as the “starter bracket”: http://www.btinternet.com/~threeferndrive/Fullsize800x600/DuratecInstall/Starter_Bracket.JPG Somewhere I came up with the Ford part number of Ford 1128963. But that part number doesn’t work in USA, and none of the Ford Duratec parts diagrams over here shows the steady bracket in any US Duratec installation. Any suggestions as to correct part number? Sources? TIA Alaskossie

Do these half-doors, as installed actually hinge (or simulate "hinging") at the front, or must they be removed entirely for entrance or exit? Anybody designed an actual hinging mechanism for half-doors? Blatter, I'd love to see detailed photos of your installation (the photos you were unable to attach to blatmail). My email is tmeacham@gci.net Thanks. Alaskossie

Has anyone had experience in painting the underside of the bare ali bonnet with heat-resistant or reflective paint? Would this help in keeping stains, etc. off, or making clean-up easier? Any other reasons to do it -- or not?? Just wondering...... Alaskossie

I bought a set of Powerflex bushes for the rear A-frame on my S3 DeDion, and was not impressed with the "jury-rig" nature of the Powerflex kit, compared to the bushes it was replacing. You had to figure out a combination of several loose metal and urethane pieces and washers to make up the width of the CC bush being replaced. A set of well-engineered exact replacements for the CC-supplied parts, with urethane replacing the rubber, is what is needed. That sounds like what Autobush supplies. I'd be up for a complete set. Alaskossie

(Apologies for hijacking my own thread....) Vinnie, yes, I was in the group of 3 Sevens stopped by the flashing lights the first time that day (I have photos!); and I drove past the second time as you and the Barnett brothers were sitting on the ground by the Park Police car, with your hands behind your backs.... I warned you beforehand! I'm assembling my own S3/Duratec 2.3 Seven in a friend's garage in Colorado (10 trips down there to work on it so far, since July of '07). Lots of good advice from Ben Wofford and Nathan Down at RMSC in nearby Denver (Ben is now with Caterham USA, and Nathan has left to work with a vintage race car restoration company in Boulder, Colorado). Now, back to our scheduled programming... Alaskossie

Vinnie, I've got you there -- I live at N61.13.05 (there is another Caterham here, a yellow SV, but my own Seven S3 is presently being assembled in Colorado, several thousand miles south of Anchorage). Didn't I meet you on the "How the West Was Driven 2005" Sevens Tour? -- and weren't you involved in that incident with the plod in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado?? Or do you choose to remain silent....?? Alaskossie

I spotted the new, sexy (and pricy) carbon-fiber R500 intake/airbox in the CC online catalog, and decided that my car needs one. But I can no longer find it shown there. My e-mail to CC about it has not drawn a response. Does anybody know if this airbox is available from CC? Or are all of them going on to new R500s only? Alaskossie

Peter, Thanks for the advice. How difficult is it to remove/replace an upper diff-mount bushing? Alaskossie

In the build of my 2007 S3, I mounted the diff and centered it, and later thought I could center it better. The long upper fixing bolt was extremely difficult to undo, and seemed to be binding. I finally got it out half-way, decided it was not worth the risk to try to force it out all the way to add washers, re-measured to see if the centering was accurate (it was within limits), and re-installed, with coppaslip on as much of the bolt as I could reach. Reinstallation was even harder, with me underneath holding the wrench socket on the bolt head and my friend torque-ing with all his might on a “cheater bar” to get the bolt head to finally seat on the under-bolt washer. Little slivers of rubber were seen peeling from the left-side diff-mount bushing. I’m sure the bolt’s recommended torque value was very considerably exceeded. I assume I’ve knackered the bushing, and that either the inner or outer sleeve has torn its bonding from the rubber. Given the fact that my car has not even been on the road yet, it is worth my effort to get to the bottom of this problem and cure it now, or to just drive the car until something breaks? Alaskossie

I recall reading somewhere that you should drill carbon fiber from the finished (exposed) side through to the unfinished (hidden) side, so that if the cut edges splinter when the drill or hole saw cuts through, the splintering will not be visible from the finished side. Alaskossie

Please be sure to let us on BlatChat know what their solution to this is. Alaskossie

The configuration of your passenger footbox sounds like the configuration of a lhd driver's side footbox on an Arch Motors-derived S3 (the footbox on which the fabricated steel pedal box is mounted). The lhd driver's footbox has a horizontal panel, through which the steering shaft passes in a grommet. Perhaps that is why BBL (and presumably me, when I reach that point in my build), will have interference problems with the 2.3 Durtatec bell housing and the driver's footbox. Alaskossie

Brent, thanks for the "hands-on" advice. i am planning to have the Brise tank fitted with both a temp. sender boss and a boss for an in-tank heater element. Tom Alaskossie

Mick, Ii can't seem to get into Blatmail, so I'll give you my e-mail address "in the clear." It is: tmeacham@gci.net Thanks! Alaskossie

Mick, Can you e-mail me the drawing and photos of the Brise tank that you mentioned you have? I am currently specc'ing a Brise tank for my 2.3 Duratec with internal Cosworth dry sump bits. I don't think I will have the clearance problems mentioned, but would like as much information as available before I order the tank. Thanks. Alaskossie

I presently have the stock PVC cam cover. I bought the nice Raceline black crackle cam cover and a c/f plug-valley insert, then discovered that these are not compatible with the coil-on-plug design of my Cosworth head (so eventually I'll try to sell them). Cosworth USA has promised me one of their soon-to-be-released alloy "Powered by Cosworth" cam covers. Alaskossie

I have purchased a Raceline water rail for my Cosworth Duratec 2.3, and am about to begin installing it. It appears that one of the threaded bosses or lugs cast into the Duratec head (below and near the breather port on the cam cover) projects out much too far, and will have to be trimmed back almost entirely, in order to get the water rail to fit close to the head, as intended. Have anyone else come across this problem? (Perhaps the various Duratec head castings differ in their threaded bosses and lugs?) And if so, I assume that the offending threaded lug must be entirely ground off? This is unfortunate, because this threaded lug is one of two that is used to attach the lifting sling to the engine........ Any advice appreciated. Alaskossie