JohnCh

I'd start with the easy stuff. Do a visual check on the caster washers to see if a previous owner set that up with a lot of negative caster. Also closely examine the various ball joint rubber boots for tears. Next, with the front end jacked up, grab a front wheel and move it back and forth to get a sense for what the friction feels like with the system intact. Movement should be pretty smooth. Next remove the steering shaft from the rack. Rotate the steering wheel and confirm there isn't friction in that assembly and it rotates smoothly. Now try moving the wheels again and reconfirm smoothness. If something doesn't feel right there, reattach the steering shaft, remove the tie rod ends from the uprights and check steering rack and both wheel assemblies to see where the problem resides. Positive caster creates more self-centering and increases steering effort. Negative caster, just the opposite. Given your symptoms are heavy steering (positive caster) and lack of self centering (negative caster) I suspect stiction in the ball joints, steering rack, or steering shaft assemblies is at least part of the problem. One caveat to all this is that what you consider heavy, others may consider normal. However, given you've owned a Seven before, it does sound like something is amiss. -John

I second the recommendation for those Esco jack stands. They don't damage the undersurface, are very stable, and as shown in the photos can raise the car quite a bit. -John

Agree with this! Adding to the irrelevency, I'd pull the valve cover and look over the cams for any markings to determine what's in there. Even more irrelevency if this is a Will Sours engine; I purchased a used 2.3L head from him in 2006/2007 timeframe that was supposed to have stock cams. I later discovered it actually had custom ground Web Cams. Providing that company with the number stamped on them revealed they were ground to specs that seemed to mirror those of the Kent DTEC20. Not sure if this was standard fare for Will (but interesting nonetheless to me ) -John

Back then, couldn't you order a Caterham from a US dealer without the engine and install what you wanted? I believe @scannon did this when he went with a turbo Miata engine for his build. 2003 is when the Duratec started landing in a few cars (I ordered my conversion parts from Raceline in late 2003 from their initial production run) so not out of the realm of possibility that it's the original engine. -John

SBD has very good setup and rebuild instructions for their ITBs here. Might be a good thing to look over given the rough running. Obviously a lot of other reasons could be responsible for that behavior, but always good to start with the basics like balancing the intakes, setting correct fuel pressure and initial throttle plate angle, and ensuring no air leaks. -John

Um...because you know just enough about Duratecs to be dangerous? @UlfarE I'm curious about the car's history. You mention above the engine has covered over 20k miles, and the Hillbank ad states the car had just under 500 miles. When did Hillbank sell the car and was it to the person from whom you purchased it? Any indication of the original owner's name in the paperwork? -John

Ah, I missed the gallery on the Hillbank site. Definitely ITG filter (no slots). Those ITBs look very similar to the SBD units from that era. If so, that's a good sign. It might have been done right. -John

I can vouch for that That looks like a Pipercross air filter. The ITG is similar, but the bottom of the air filter attaches differently and doesn't have the two tabs that go through slots in the backing plate. Do you know what the car is running for an ECU? What about Throttle Bodies, or does that picture above mean you have the Webcon Alpha engine setup? -John

I've always had good luck with Magnecor on my cars, including my old Crossflow-powered Westfield. They have standard setups available for most engines, but are also happy to adjust lengths and boots to accommodate a specific need. -John

I just visited WSCC and see you already started a thread there, but they got a picture and we didn't! Granted it's just a photo of a giant box in a truck, but still... -John

Hi Dan, Congrats on the arrival! Westfields are pretty rare in North America compared to the UK so not sure we have any active members with the Miata-based car, but there are a few of us with the standard Westfield who might be able to help with aspects along the way. Definitely start a build thread. Also, the WSCC forum (Westfield Club in the UK) is huge, with a lot of helpful folks, so if aren't a member there, I suggest joining. Cheers, John

Thanks Andy, I appreciate the offer, but given the differences it's may not be worth your effort. I would still need to measure specific reference points on a new build to see how your engine placement differs so I could adjust the air filter backing plate to bonnet cut out measurements. If I'm doing that, it's not much more effort to run string from scuttle to nosecone to mimic the bonnet location and take measurements from the head to the strings. If no one else has any information, I may try that approach ( @Pokeywarning: there may be an incoming request to stop by your garage again with a tape measure). If that is still inconclusive or proves too difficult given the location of the stock 420R intake, then I'll take you up on your kind offer and let you know which reference points are most helpful. Thanks, John

@The Fuselage great story! If you decide to sell, I'm sure it would quickly find a good home, but perhaps you should think about it for another year. Just to be certain -John

Thanks, I've been watching that thread, but no one is actually providing data except for the Caterham RB setup which is a lot shorter than the Jenveys. I have more confidence in this group to actually answer the question -John

Is anyone running Jenvey TBs on a Duratec in an SV without a hole in the bonnet? If so, how long are the air horns in your setup and how deep is the filter? Given I'll be running a 620R nosecone, the intercooler ducting can be repurposed as a cold air feed for an under bonnet air filter, so I may opt to initially go that route and forgo cutting the bonnet until after I can compare air horn lengths on the dyno. However, I have no idea what will actually fit, or if something appropriately sized is even available for the 50mm TBs (apparently options are limited for the bigger Jenveys.) Thanks, John

-John

The software upgrade has completed and everything has re-indexed. If you see any new issues, please start a thread in the Issues & Help forum. Thanks, John

Duplicating the announcement in red at the top of the forum for those who miss it. I need to take the forum offline today at noon PT to perform a major upgrade to the software. Based on how things went in test, it should be back up by 12:30pm. However, sh*t happens, so keep your fingers crossed. The upgrades are almost exclusively to the back end. Therefore don't expect any changes to functionality or look and feel. If work gets in the way, I'll need to reschedule this upgrade and will update both this thread and the announcement at the top of the forum. -John

I'm not sure how this is wired, but if the relay is upstream of the the inertia switch, have you confirmed it is getting power and switching correctly? -John

Hopefully this weekend won't be the last nice one in the area before winter fully kicks in. Assuming weather cooperates, do you have an eta for when you can take your first proper drive? -John

Wow, +80hp from 4400rpm to 5400rpm. That should make it entertaining. -John

Quite a different aero setup than before! Is there a noticeable difference between the two? -John

According to the estimate, the dyno tuning charge is only $1200 so just a couple hundred above your high number. Given they are starting from scratch, $1200 is reasonable in the Seattle area, particularly if they are tuning for drivability. Why do they have a line item for a MAP sensor but not a TPS? Aren't you still running the ITBs? -John

I checked the route book from that leg of the USA2005 tour to confirm my deja vu feeling from the photo. It's the same hotel. -John

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this adventure (and hopefully seeing more photos of the Giulia Super). It sounds like a great trip. BTW the photo of the hotel in Cambria looked really familiar; it turns out it's the same hotel we used for the USA2005 tour. Small world! -John