JohnCh

For the AiM display, rather than attach it so the screen is in the same plane as the dash where it's prone to severe glare on a sunny day, I designed a two-part bezel that tilts it forward a little over 20 degrees and doubles as a clamp to attach it to the dash. This positions the display directly at the driver rather than over their head. Because the seat and steering wheel are not orthogonal to the dash, the seat and wheel were temporarily installed and adjusted for me, then the display location was optimized so it is centered in the steering wheel when viewed from that position. This means the display looks a bit off center when viewed from anywhere other than the driver's seat. Still to come are the steering wheel mounted buttons and the hidden glove compartment which will mount in front of the gear lever. -John

Time for a long overdue update. The past month has been marked by a lot of activity but not much in the way of results. Between shipping delays, incorrect parts, two snowstorms, one ice storm, one windstorm, power outages, and the flu, things have taken a lot longer than expected. This has been compounded by far too much head scratching on how to make everything fit. Every aspect of the Caterham is very tight compared to the Westfield. Things I assumed would be easy to fit based on the Westfield, are anything but on the Caterham. Because this update is long and picture heavy, I'll break this into a few posts. First up, the dash - part 1. Before working on the dash itself, this was a great opportunity to de-immobilize the car. With that out of the way, the 420 gauge and switch sub-loom was removed in preparation for the 620 replacement loom, which has been on order for….months. The immobilizer is the bottom loom in this photo. Although the blank dash Croc acquired from Westermann for CatKong was well made and fit without any fettling, the dash they sent me appears to have been made from a different mold. The quality is not to the level that I expected. The hole for the steering column is offset by 1/3", the shape was off and required removal of 1/8" - 3/16" of material around the shoulders of the dash so the scuttle would fit, there are few places where mold surface imperfections are visible when the light hits it just right, and the surface was scuffed. Some time with 80 grit sandpaper, a file, and a buffing wheel made things acceptable from a fit perspective, but the cosmetic issues still bother me. In some light, it looks great. In others, it looks old and a little worse for wear. To be fair, the stock dash also arrived with some scuffing, albeit, not as severe. I plan to leave it as-is for now, but prior to gluing it in place, I may remove the display and switch gear then tackle it again with a more aggressive polishing compound. If anyone has experience here, I'd love the advice. Cutting the holes for the switches was a little nerve-racking. First challenge was drilling the holes in precisely the right spots. To facilitate this, I printed a drill template sized for a 1/16" drill bit that placed the switchgear to the factory 620 spacing, and aligned everything correctly in the vertical plane when rested on the lower hoop. Second was the drilling method. The Internet experts have a lot of opinions: specialty spade bits, sharpen normal drill bits after every other hole, only used carbide bits, drill backwards, only get the size close, then finish with sandpaper, etc. Through a little trial and error on the small section of dash cut out for the AiM, I discovered that a stepped drill bit works great on carbon fiber. I used normal, unsharpened drill bits, increasing in size from 1/16" to 7/32" then switched to the stepped drill bit and prayed to multiple deities. To add a little more rigidity, a backing plate was printed out of carbon fiber impregnated nylon. This is a great material for car parts as the carbon fiber adds rigidity, and the nylon is chemically resistant, and can handle 160C temps. I'm using this material for the other 3D prints that are part of the build. -John

As long as we're talking about yellow Elans... I've lusted for an Elan since I was a kid and was finally able to scratch that itch 4 years ago. It's ridiculously narrow, immense fun, and shockingly competent for a car introduced nearly 60 years ago. The previous owner spent a bunch of money on a mechanical and interior refresh and various upgrades, including springs and shocks from Tony Thompson Racing in the UK, RD Enterprises header, small alternator, alloy fuel tank, Euro-style intake, bigger radiator, dual cooling fans and a few other items. I added a hollow front ARB from Kelvedon, Michelin XAS FF tires (very grippy), swapped the spare tire for a lightweight compressor and tire repair kit, gear reduction starter, a programmable 123 Ignition that had the curve set on the dyno, and spent a lot of time tweaking the rebuilt Stromberg's to improve throttle response. The car tips the scale a touch under 1500 lbs and never ceases to impress down a back road. -John

I find a hybrid approach is best. Use a single thread to document the build and ask questions along the way. When you run into an issue that is more of a standalone problem not necessarily unique to you, and you aren't getting an answer in the thread, then it is useful to broaden the net with a new post and update your build thread with the answer or a link to that other thread. This way your build remains fully documented in a single thread, but when needed, you can get more eyeballs on the problem. That standalone thread may also be easier for others to find in the future via search if they are running into the same problem.

That sounds like a challenging project! Definitely start a thread in the Build section so we can follow along. Cheers, John

I'm not sure what the situation was 10 years ago, but the current Michelin XAS tires are quite good. They come in both standard and FF (Formule France) versions, the latter of which Michelin refers to a competition compound and is what I run on my Elan. It's quite sticky and has exceeded all my expectations. Downsides are they require a tube and they are expensive. I've heard good things about the CN36. I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions in April. -John

Very cool! Did a little digging and apparently it was a Cobra-powered S3 run by Dan Morgan in 1966. @SevenAmerica, who knows all things Lotus 7, may know more. -John

As a reference, and absent an answer from someone who actually understands this stuff, Caterham fits -12 plumbing to the oil system. Granted these are longer runs to the dry sump tank and oil cooler, but I'd be hesitant to use something as small as -8. -John

Hmm. Roughly 320hp at the crank in a se7en. That should be...adequate? -John

Graham, as I recall you previously mentioned that head is capable of 275 whp with the right cams and throttle body. What's the goal?

Perhaps we've found your new avatar? -John

Glad you found a car so quickly! I'm looking forward to reading your impressions once you have a chance to put some miles on it. -John

Bruce Beachman is a fan and has already put some of their parts on CatKong. So yes, the site has already been very bad for your wallet. For those who haven't seen their site, they do some very cool catch cans and also low profile, swiveling banjo fittings that can save the day when connecting to an ORB port and space is tight -John

I don't need one, but I like them and have always had them in my cars. Given I have no idea where I'll take this engine in the future, I like maintaining that flexibility. I've never had trouble with a one drifting but will keep the safety wire in mind if I do. The dial gauge that screws into the NPT port makes it easy to monitor.

The regulator-damper is an uncommon part made by Radium Engineering here in the PNW. My fuel rail does not have a damper, and while not strictly necessary, I view it as a nice to have. This part combines the adjustable regulator -- which I need as I'm eschewing ECU control of the pump -- and the damper into a single component that simplifies the plumbing. Overkill? More than likely, but so are most of the other things I'm doing to this car http://www.radiumauto.com/FPR-D-Fuel-Pressure-Regulator-Damper-P1716.aspx -John

My car's color is similar in how it changes color based on lighting conditions. I've yet to capture a photo that is close to reality. I can see why you call it Violently Violet, although Gaudy Grape is also accurate I sent you a PM about clicks to post. I think you may be unaware of some forum features and are taking the more scenic route. Cheers, John

Hmm.... He teases us here on USA7s, but posts a photo of the car on BlatChat? Suddenly I don't feel so bad for making the prank call to customs a couple of weeks ago about contraband in his shipment -John

I'm tossing the factory line and replacing with AN -6 Goodridge 910 hose for both feed and return. The 910 is a smooth bore PTFE with an Aramid braid cover. It's lightweight and flexible. -John

I've finalized V1 of the fuel system. If it all fits together and I didn't make any mistakes, there won't be a V2...but we all know that's not gonna happen. Fingers crossed anyway. It seemed easier to start from scratch which resulted in the following design. Most of the parts are either already here or in transit. I should have a better sense over the next few days if V2 will be necessary. One open question is the lid for the fuel pump assembly. The stock part is 1/8" thick plastic with moldings on the surface for the various fittings. The replacement piece will either be cut from flat 1/8" Acetal sheet or 3D printed from Nylon. The material difference is down to availability. Acetal is the best gasoline and ethanol compatible option from the company that water jet cuts from a supplied file (Sendcutsend.com), whereas Nylon is the best if I 3D print it. Although my current printer can't handle that material, the new one arriving tomorrow is set up for it. Nylon is reputedly very tricky to print, but if I can make it work, it's preferred as I can redesign the lid a bit and improve some aspects. The Hydramat ensures the pump can access every last drop of fuel in the tank and acts as a pre-pump filter. Unlike Caterham, I'm also adding a post-pump filter that will mount in front of the tank and is accessible for maintenance via the plywood boot panel. For a fuel sensor, I'm using the same unit I have in the Westfield. It's a Centroid capacitance sensor with low fuel warning light output. I decided to splurge on the regulator and purchased the regulator-damper combo from Radium. Actual mounting location will likely be just in front of the pedal box or on top. I need to work out where the airbox will sit before making that decision. AN-6 line is used throughout, with the pump rated at 255 LPH. That means plenty of headroom should I later decide to add a lot more power so I can spin more often when attempting to drive in a straight line. -John

What about the cams? The stock pistons limit the amount of valve lift the engine can accommodate, which roughly equates to cams that cap out at about 210-220hp. It seems odd that the person wouldn't have fitted more aggressive cams to get into the >220hp range if they went through the effort of rods and pistons, unless the engine had an issue, and they were simply rebuilding with an eye towards the future. Without knowing the backstory, the lack of an oil pan and the price would be a bit of a red flag for me, and I would go into this assuming it would need at least a refresh. But at $1100 for a long block, if it works, it's a good deal and I wouldn't worry much about the resell price I mentioned earlier. As you know, you'll spend a lot more getting the engine and chassis ready for the swap. BTW you didn't mention ECU in your list above. Do you have an aftermarket ECU that can be reprogrammed for the Duratec? If not and you are running the Ford ECU used in many Zetec Caterhams, you should make sure that can be reused. Aftermarket ECUs aren't cheap. -John

I dug into the fueling a little more yesterday. Removing the fuel line was maddening until I figured out that the three little tabs of the quick connector which hold it in place must be lifted away from a hidden ring around the outside of the fuel line and not pushed towards it as I had initially assumed. With that removed, the fuel pump assembly (FPA) was lifted out of the way for closer examination. Based on various measurements, it's pretty clear why so many people complain about the factory fuel level sensor accuracy and the actual tank capacity. The bottom of the tank slopes forward at about a 23 deg angle. The FPA mounting is also tilted forward but only about 8 deg. Because the bottom of the FPA must be in contact with the fuel for the pump to retrieve it, and because the tank floor slopes away so severely, there is about 0.9 gallons of fuel that it cannot touch. The fuel level sensor float -- or at least my float -- is set so that it's about 6mm below the bottom of the FPA when fully extended, meaning it's reading that some fuel is still in the tank when the fuel pump can no longer reach that available fuel. My current plans are to either modify the FPA so it will work with the Hydramat -- which will allow the pump to reach all available fuel -- and a capacitance sender or throw it away and start from scratch. I'm leaning towards the latter, as ultimately, I think it will be less frustrating and work better but need to do a little more research. -John

When you say forged 2.0L, what are the specs? The following parts are the same: Exhaust, bellhousing, clutch slave cylinder, engine mounts, starter, alternator & mounts. The intake ports are shaped differently and larger on the 2.5L head, so the intake won't fit. Dry sump is worth a call to Raceline who make the dry sump for Caterham. They list the 2.0L, 2.3L, and 2.5L dry sump separately and all at the same price. However, it's not clear to me if the pump or any fitting locations are actually different, or if this is simply done for marketing purposes; I didn't ask when placing my order. One thing to consider is optimal spec to minimize your losses when selling the 2.0L. If you pull the dry sump and oil pump (specific for the dry sump) you will need to buy a new oil pump and a wet sump. The latter isn't cheap. Given the price difference between the two (about $750 including pump) and the extra cachet the dry sump listing will have, it might not be worth removing the dry sump on that engine and instead selling it as-is. That's the process I'm following for my 420R engine that I'm putting up for sale in the near future. Note: if the 2.0L isn't using the Caterham/Raceline dry sump, you may also have to redo the oil lines as port locations and fittings may not work. -John

I have a set, although I can only comment on appearance and weight as I'm still in the build stage. For my SV, Simon recommended digressive valving in front with 275 lb springs and standard valving with 150 lb progressive springs in the rear. They shipped with Hyperco springs though, which are blue. I forgot to weigh the fronts before installation, but the rear pair are 5lb 4.8 oz lighter than the factory 420R Bilsteins. -John

I've reached a point in the build where I need to get off my butt and start thinking through the fuel, dash, electrical, and wiring changes I'm making. Towards that end, I pulled the honeycomb to access the fuel tank area and also removed the in-tank pump. The original plan was to go with the combination of an external pump, Holley Hydramat, and capacitance fuel sender with low fuel warning light. I don't want to use the factory's returnless style system with ECU controlled fuel pump, as I prefer the tuning and troubleshooting simplicity of a return style system with adjustable pressure regulator. However, I may now opt to keep the factory in-tank pump, remove the PWM controller and run it flat out, then add the return run and regulator. I do want a low fuel warning light, since that has always come in handy on the Westfield, but I should be able to configure something based on the factory fuel sensor output to the AiM display. Looking at the available space for a cold air box, it was apparent that curved air horns would make better use of available space and enable longer inlet tract length. I fabbed up this curved extender that adds about 35mm of effective length and points the opening towards the horizon rather than the sky. I may tweak the design a bit before printing up a set, but it seems close. With the flywheel, clutch and pressure plate installed on the Esslinger, I decided to compare weights of the 2.4L to the 2.0L. Over the years, I've read weight differences between the 2.0L and 2.3L that ranged from 5-7kg. With both engines similarly dressed -- no alternator or starter -- but with the different intake systems, the delta was 5.0 kg. To verify scale accuracy, I weighed an object at 1.3 kg on my small scale then added that to the engine. The weight increased by 1.3 kg telling me that 5.0 kg difference is pretty accurate. One unknown in the weight comparison is how the 2.3L forged crank in the Esslinger differs in weight from the stock 2.3L crank. Not sure if it's lighter or heavier, and if it's just a kg or 2 different or if it's more dramatic. -John

I've been remiss in updating this thread. Rather than one really long post, I'll break this up into a couple. First, the rear suspension. Part of it is in place, but I need to sort out the reluctor rings for the traction control before the halfshafts can go in, which in turn are holding up the De Dion ears, hubs, and brakes installation. To make this a one-person job, I threw together a wooden cradle for my floor jack. Very stable and made that part of the job uneventful. A big discover during this stage of the build was the inaccuracy of the current Ikea manual. In their effort to make the manual better for visual learners, they opted to drop a lot of important text from the previous manuals. Apparently, Caterham thinks reading is hard. Consequently, things like mentioning the diff should be centered in the chassis based on measurements from specific spots which will likely result in different number of washers on either side of the diff, are no longer mentioned. Instead, the Ikea manual shows equal number of washers on either side implying better-than-actual chassis accuracy. There are a number of other times where the older manual comes through with important information, so my advice is to use both. Lining up the holes was fairly easy on the two bottom bolts, but the long top bolt was too misaligned to thread in with pressure. I really, really hate bashing a threaded fastener into place, but there was no other choice, so I pulled out the BFH and beat the bolt into submission. The De Dion, A-frame, shocks, and ARB were straightforward. I'm sure some of you are looking at the photo above and thinking to yourself "Nooo! You put the rear shocks in before the rollover bar!" That was intentional. Bruce Beachman is of the belief that the rollover bar should be the last thing to go in and since I may need to remove the fuel tank, which requires rollover bar removal, I opted to follow his advice. That means the rear shocks will come out at some point in the future. -John