JohnCh

This raises the question if the gauge failed due to age/vibration or if something wonky happened with your fuel pressure to pop the seal? Have you been monitoring that during your diagnostic sessions? -John

There is a lot of information not currently on the site that may have been asked elsewhere or proactively answered on a blog. if we started a thread with pointer information for each of those, we would blow up the site. It's better to let people ask the questions when they have them, then those who know the answer, or who have a pointer, can provide it at that time. This ensures we get additional context that may not be addressed in that linked content. Alternatively if someone ran into an issue, figured it out on their own or found the information on their own, when they post to proactively share the information, they can provide context for the links. -John

Welcome @jzleach! Are you planning a new build or a pre-owned Caterham? If the latter, there are a couple of nice cars currently listed in the for sale section and if you haven't seen it, @Croc updates the thread below each weekend with cars listed elsewhere. -John

Is there a question or point here or are you simply creating a new thread to point people to existing content? -John

Let's please try to keep this on topic. -John

Please, please start a build thread in Off Topic when the time comes. I'm sure a lot of us would love to follow along. Are you keeping the NB engine stock? -John

And I'd appreciate everyone keeping item 7 from the Guidelines in mind when posting. Disagreements are fine, being an ass is not. And yes, you can quote me on that. 7) Politics: from time to time we'll hit a hot button issue. For the most part we have been able to keep the posts on-topic and issue focused. As long as that continues, we can enjoy a civil discussion. When the name calling starts it lowers the enjoyment of the forum for all of us. Thanks, John

Love the sound of that engine! That doesn't look like a particularly pleasant spot for a breakdown. Glad it worked out well. -John

Absolutely keep us posted. Regardless of which path you choose, there will be people with knowledge or direct experience to share their perspectives. There generally isn't one right way to do it (although there are often a lot of wrong ways) so its important to really think about what aspects are most important to you now and how that might change in the next few years. Best not to spend the money twice if it's not necessary. -John

There are some folks here with SVT engines that will hopefully weigh in. I believe some may have made the switch from the standard Zetec. Given the use you describe, how confident are you that 200-210hp will suffice long term? The advantage of the Duratec is less weight and a much higher power ceiling, but it's not a straight swap as you note. If 200-210hp really is all you think you will need for the foreseeable future, I'm not sure I'd make that investment, but I would strongly consider the SVT. It has a number of upgrades over the standard Zetec and could be a more straightforward project with future upside if you wanted to dig into the internals. Swapping cams and adding Throttle Bodies should get you pretty close to you initial target and don't require opening the engine, unless of course you wish to rebuild it first. -John

I like how the word "Top" is on both the top and the bottom of the lens. That will drive perfectionists crazy Looking forward to hearing your impressions once they are installed. -John

Hmm.. Maybe we should have a local field trip to view CatKong. I have a custom "I'd rather be driving a Westfield" license plate frame I need install on the rear of that car. -John

Who knows, you might get tapped to help me install mine and will then have first hand experience on how to do it -John

Thanks Greg, that's what I figured and makes the decision easier given I'm running a different ECU. An external set up with return and inline regulator won't require ecu programming so that aspect is easier, as are troubleshooting if things go wrong, and replacing parts if they do. A little more weight and not as elegant as in-tank returnless, but probably a better choice for me. Thanks, John

On the newer Caterhams with returnless fuel injection and the in-tank pump, do they control fuel pressure via voltage adjustments to the pump, or is there an integral mechanical fuel pressure regulator in the tank? I'll need a more powerful pump to address hp levels on my incoming Caterham and am assessing options: keep things returnless with a higher capacity in-tank pump, or go with a return system with external pump. I'm leaning towards the latter, but would like to understand the stock system a little better before making any decisions. Thanks, John

Your oops helped me finally realize this video thread is not in the video forum. Moved! -John

There's been an electric Westfield in Barbados for years that's reasonably fast. Nicknamed the MegaWatt, here is an 1/8 mile run in 6.462s seconds at 109mph. I'd tell you to turn up the sound, but... -John

Only mentioning it because it's so basic it's easy to overlook: have you checked the fuse and/or relay for the fuel pump? -John

I'm still recovering from watching your last video, but towards the end I did notice what appears to be a bleed port on the top driver's side of your radiator. Hard to see from the angles, but it also looks like that might be higher than your expansion tank. If it is, another option is to jack up the front of the car as high as you can to raise that point, and bleed from there. That said, methodically following the steps outlined by @Croc and @ashyers should be your first course of action. For power flushing, check with your local auto parts stores. One of them may have something available for rent and you can probably rent a small nail gun air compressor from Home Depot. -John

It's a longshot, but check with Bruce Beachman at http://www.beachmanracing.com/ and Josh Robbins at http://rockymountaincaterham.com/. They both stock parts and could have one in stock. Classic Carbon in the UK also makes them, but they appear to be out of stock. -John

There is no universal right or wrong, there is simply what's right for you. Couple of additional points to consider. If you are going with a Duratec with cams, you will likely use 7000rpm or potentially 7500rpm for the redline, not 6200rpm (even Ford sets the limiter at 6750rpm for the stock engine in the Focus.) Although for peace of mind I'd upgrade the rod bolts to ARP for that higher figure. Tom and his engine guy can provide recommendations for your engine. The problem with the really short 1st gear is usefulness. When I first built my car, the 2.0L Duratec had stock cams and Jenvey throttle bodies, a 3.92 open diff and the stock Type-9. If I eased out the clutch, then nailed it, the rear tires went up in smoke and I was banging off the rev limiter within 15-20 feet. Next, I swapped in a 3.62 diff with limited slip. Now I could make it a bit farther, but anything close to 3/4 throttle in 1st was still pretty pointless. It simply couldn't put down the power. Next I went to a BGH gearbox with the 2.98 1st. Yes, I could still get a little wheel spin in 1st, but it was entirely usable and it has never felt remotely tall. Hopefully others will chime in with their experiences, which may be different than mine. Best thing to do at this stage is gather a lot of input, then make a decision based on which aspects are most important to you. -John

I'd do a little more research on this. The stock 1st gear is absurdly short on a Se7en, particularly with a 200hp Duratec. I'm not sure what options Tom has available, but a common gearset upgrade is often referred to as the Long 1st Gear box. First is 2.98 and the remaining ratios are the same. There are closer ratio sets available that have an even longer 1st (BGH offers 2.83, 2.75, and 2.66), and taller 2nd-5th, but those gear sets are generally better when coupled with a shorter diff ratio. Speaking from experience, and having run 190hp, 210hp, and ~225hp Duratecs, 2.98 is not too long for street driving, is actually usable, and puts you back in the sweet spot after the shift into second. I will caveat this by stating my car has a 3.62 diff and 205/60-13 tires, so my gearing is 3.6% shorter than yours, but I'd still get more input before locking that aspect of your order. -John

I split this thread into two. If you are looking for the discussion on Birkinson's recent Birkin order, please go here:

This is a great topic and worthy of its own thread, so I've split it from Croc's initial thread on his visit to Tom's shop. -John

Westfield has been doing the Eco Boost for several years (the Sport 250), but I prefer NA in a very light car. I've spoken to Tom in the past and wouldn't hesitate to buy a car from him, but one of the draws of the Caterham is the fact that Bruce Beachman's shop is just 10 miles from my house. Now that might be something that @BruceBe lives to regret, but it is a great perk for me -John