Kitcat

Put the new Hoosiers on. You will be amazed! They need to be heat cycled once anyway, to cure. Then you will be ready for us on 6/27-28. And for track days, consider something like a Toyo RA1 after the Hoosiers wear out. They don't have the ultimate grip of a Hoosier, but they get better, not worse, with heat cycles. And you can drive them for years. I did a track day once w/a CSR 260 and it had no trouble hanging w/the 'Vettes on the straights.

First spin/off track??? Tom, you have been slackin. I consider it a good event if i don't have at least one.

I saw some (to me) fascinating dyno results posted under an different thread yesterday. So fascinating, in fact, that I thought they deserved their own thread. And to get things started, i have posted my X-Flow's numbers from a 4 years ago. They're my engine's pre-tuneup figures. The post tune up sheet is lost. Numbers were the same but A/F ratio was back to a safe level. 20110603070635617.pdf

Sounds like a blast! Not this year tho, that weekend is taken.

Michael: I will be there both days also. I am in the process of reserving a track-side suite thru Tom (YellowSS). Not the cheapest option, but convenient. I will be interested in how your Zetec-powered car stacks up against the new heavy hitting Duratec-Cosworths, as well as the Rover powered Yellow SS. You went whizzing by my X-flow at LOG 30's track day, so no mystery there. Mike M.

I noticed that Amsoil now makes an oil for our older flat tappet type cars. It's called Classic Car Z-Rod and is a synthetic for older engines. Comes in 20-50 weight among others. Its ZDDP content is unusually high: zinc 1377 ppm, phosphorous 1265 ppm. I know it's somewhat controversial to run synthetics in X-flows, but mine has successfully done 28K miles, thus far, mostly on synthetics (much of it Mobile 1- which doesnt have that much ZDDP). Not sure what the cost is tho cant be much worse than the Red Line synthetic I now use. I am going to give it a try. Mike M.

Welcome-you will fit right in here! (And, let the upgrades begin:)). Mike M.

Google "cherik's super seven" for one person's account of that engine swap. Bottom line: it's not simple, but it is possible.

Search: "Right-hand".

Rbt: Your car keeps looking better! 2bone-great classic 7 and great job making the Al shine. Looking at the 2 cars shows how much the identical classic shape can be differentiated with paint/windscreens/accessories.

Any se7en is a "smile factory". Congrats on your purchase. Also nice to see some good words abt 7's/Elans. I have had nothing but exemplary service from Chris but know not every one here has had had such a positive experience. In Ohio it was so much simpler to register my Cat: a single 20-30 minute visit to the BMV for combined "inspection"/paperwrk and off I went.

I also bought my Caterham from the for-sale part of this forum on May 31 (2007). Mike M.

2 years ago, new plugs, wires.

Everything's nice and dry under the hood. I played w/it yesterday and idle IS ok, just cant run hard/cleanly thru the rev's. I tried pulling off plug leads and the water "misting" approach and learned nuttin. I will try Loren's suggestion next. We have had almost 40 days and 40 nights of rain here (more like 60-60) so that ain't helping, I am sure.

I went to a track day at Mid-Ohio last week (in my M3-it was raining). A guy arrived w/his GTR on a trailer. I thot, wow, he will own the track in the rain. But my grandmother wld have been faster.

Thx. Yes a big idle problem. I will also double ck radiator hoses. Perhaps a leak is supplying moisture, it's happened before....

My car uses the Petronix Flamethrower electronic ignition. I am no expert (obviously), but I thot that eliminated rotor issues???

Yee-ow! I know the X-flow sounds good but I'd match your sound against it any day. Car looks terrific too.

Jon: Looking good! I like the little cone catcher by the rear fender. What did you finally come up with for an engine? How do you get your vehicle to and from the auto-X? If you drive it, do you do so on your A6's? Mike M.

Well, the car started right up and ran like a top, or at least like a X-flow, after baking out in the sun, initially. Then, after 10 miles of zooming around, cough, sputter, backfire, backfire. It started acting up as I was bending around a nice left handed turn but I had done that multiple times on this brief blat w/o a hic-cup. I limped the last coupla miles home. It runs, just not cleanly or strongly. So I don't think it's a moisture issue. Other thots?

Could well be. We'll see how it runs this afternoon, after baking in the sun all day. Last time I had the problem I was coming out of a rainstorm (Hmmmm.....).

About once a year, my X-flow starts to run like crap. Today is such a day. Rev's up roughly, sputters and stutters at low speed, and stumbles on acceleration. It does best accelerating with part throttle, full throttle causes more un-eveness and missing. And tons of backfiring, much more than the usual pop on deceleration. Typically cured w/some hard driving. Usually 10-50 miles or so does it. Any ideas? Bad gas? Clogged gas filter? I was down to 3 gallons but it had run well on the same tank up til now. I had just washed it today but that hasn't been a problem in the past. When I drove off today it just stalled out and wouldn't re-start for 10.' Lots of cranking but it would not fire up. Finally after resting a bit it started and I drove to the gas station and filled the tank w/quality gas and drove for 10 miles. It's better but still rough and not its usual robust self. Theories? Mike M.

What is the proper plug gap?

Tom: Are passengers permitted at this event? Mike M.

Not sure how your filter is set up. Mine is down low on the intake side of the engine. The filter is upside down and must be filled w/oil before being installed (which I didn't know since all other filters on all my other cars were installed open side down). FWIW.