Kitcat

Both are good ideas. I am toying with having the bottom rebuilt, so swapping in a new oil pump is definitely a simpler way to go. Randall: Where did you get your oil pump and was it for a Zetec SVT? Parts for it seem can be hard to source. Blaine, I only put 30-40 miles on my last oil change (using your special oil formulation) before the wheel (literally) fell off. Is that enough mileage for an oil analysis?

I believe he sold Caterhams with mostly bike engines. And, as I recall, he is/was somewhat famous (infamous?) for calling the Stalker, a "Storker," a vague reference to its alleged portliness, causing initial outrage, followed by years endless mirth that continues to this day. Wish I had thought of it first:)! He was clearly an enthusiast of the highest order. And a Caterham lover, perhaps to a fault.

Occasional visitor and member, 1TurboFocus,(aka TurboTom) is an acknowledged Zetec guru. See his website Focus-power.com. He says 165-170 is about max for a Zetec without going too crazy. And his numbers are for a car with stock intake manifold, adjustable cams, compression ratio 12:1,(100 octane only), head work, lighter, balanced forged rods/pistons and a variety of incremental hp secrets including an earlier, smaller intake manifold, a stock but different throttle body. Sticking to pump gas, but bumping compression from stock 10.2:1 to 11.2 you lose about 5hp or so (ballpark 160-65a). My relatively stock Zetec SVT made abt 155 hp on the chassis dyno, which Tom says is pretty stout. As a side note, the Zetec SVT was designed/modified from the stock Zetec by Cosworth for Ford. Although it was built on the same assembly line, it incorporated many changes, resulting in a 15-20 hp bump over the stock Zetec. It was advertised as 170 hp (at the flywheel) which translated to approx 150-55 hp at the rear wheels, much better than the stock 129-137 hp at the wheels.

Further thoughts: my Caterham's water temps run anywhere from 1/2 way to 3/4's up the gauge. If my oil were super hot, one would think the water would be too. Also, I have a 2 quart Accusump. That means I have a spare 2 quarts of oil sitting in a tank cooling off for 1/2-3/4's of every track lap. It is mounted high on the bulkhead on the passenger side where the seat back would be (if I had a passenger seat). So its in the cool airflow. It comprises 33% of the engine's total oil capacity (roughly 4 qt +2 system) and is cooling much of the time, then getting injected into the hotter engine oil in corners, then back out. All of which suggests that the oil pressure drop is not due to heat. We shall see what the new gauges say.

Andy: Great car/engine spec. Nice to see you finally got your se7en (I waited 45 years...). But as a wise person once said: There are no sports cars in assisted living:). Tom: Let me know if Jeff's new ECU/tune produced any special numbers on the chassis dyno. He's already too fast!

I ordered my SPA oil temp/pressure gauge from King Motorsports in Wisconsin (use the Google). As to optimal oil temp being 213, that doesn't seem peculiar to Zetecs. As far as my very limited research shows, every engine works best if oil is a bit above 212 F since that is the boiling point of water. Hence any water that has adhered/accumulated in the oil system is then burned off. Ditto other realted oil pollutants. I will count on folks with actual knowledge to correct me here if warranted:).

Wow, so cool! I am looking forward to many more posts and pix. If it takes 2 hours to go 23 miles, its not a driver's paradise, at least in the congested parts. I thought Japan had stringent licensing rules/tests for drivers? Does your American license qualify you, or are there tests awaiting?

Thx John! I have ordered the dual gauge. I am using the oil pressure gauge I borrowed from my mechanic, so I had to buy a new one anyhow. As you say, not cheap ($300.00) but it's a 2fir and fits in the existing hole. Maybe lots of worrying over nothing. My Miata ran 35-45 pressures for 12 years of track days with no adverse effects. Or, I will soon need a new engine rebuild.... I Googled and found nothing to confirm Zetecs like high oil temperatures. So dunno.We'll see what my temps actually are once this get installed. Since track day season is over, I likely wont be back on track for 4-5 months, so it will be while before I know anything. I also snapped off a half shaft at my most recent track day so am waiting for that replacement to arrive to become mobile again (Currently have 3 wheels and a jack). That's sidelined the car for now.

Thx guys. My last event was chilly all day, never got above 50 degrees. I dont have an oil temperature gauge, just an oil pressure gauge(which I have replaced 2x). I can add an oil temp gauge though, that probably makes sense. What brand/model do you have? I dont know how many miles on the engine but since it competed (successfully) in events like the 25 hours of Thunderhill before I bought it, I will assume it is well used. I had the head, valves, etc., rebuilt 2 years ago. I know, as you suggest, low oil pressure can be the sign of more ominous issues-like a dying engine (oil pump is shot which often suggests other components are as well). And getting to the oil pump is not easy. So my search has been for superficial solutions first, in the hope of staving off an expensive rebuild or replacement. I have run 5-50, 10-60 and most recently, 20-50 weight fully synthetic oils the last three track days. It had the "highest" oil pressures with 20-50 weight oil, but by 5 lbs psi at most.

One of the best (and cheapest) improvements that I made to my racing Cat was replacing the 9.5" (240mm, approx) steering wheel with a 13.5" (340mm, approx) wheel. Both removable via quick release. The little wheel just wore me out at the track, esp with max caster and sticky race rubber. The much bigger wheel gave me more leverage and made it less tiring and provided much better steering feel. It would probably been less of an issue on the street, with normal caster/tires.

After trying many solutions to my persistently moderately low pressure at track days (40-50psi), I have decided to try adding an oil cooler. Even my former X-flow came with one. What system are people using, if any? Caterham has one available for Duratec engines, but not Zetecs. Thoughts, suggestions?

Definitely interested in all of the gory details. And I agree, remembering how it all goes back together is a major challenge (take lots of pix!). Seems like having a large (and heated- thx Paul) workspace is essential? Given how hot the cockpit gets (its really an extension of the engine bay), what about adding some heat shield materiel while your at it? What other shortcomings are you focusing on? What will you be doing to add hp? What color or color combos are you considering? So many questions:)!

Definitely interested in all of the gory details. And I agree, remembering how it all goes back together is a major challenge (take lots of pix!). Seems like having a large (and heated- thx Paul) workspace is essential? Given how hot the cockpit gets (its really an extension of the engine bay), what about adding some heat shield materiel while your at it? What will you be doing to add hp? What color or color combos are you considering?

Craig blew a head gasket about 1/2 way through yesterday's race, while running third. The winning Joe Huffaker Midget, and the 2nd place Volvo P1800, were too strong for the Lotus guys. Brian Linn finished 4th in his Lotus Seven, just behind the 3rd place Miata. I watched it live on the SCCA website yesterday and it was a good race for many of the positions, though the top 2 guys just drove away from the rest, averaging a 1-2" a lap advantage. I know Craig, a past FP champion, was disappointed, but he gets an A for effort, and another A for keeping the Lotus 7 legend alive.

I have an old set of fossilized tires on an old set of rims that I put on for the winter, as my car is stored in an unheated garage. I take off my lightweight wheels with expensive Hoosiers and put them in my heated basement. And I guess antifreeze is a given? Like others, I use a car cover.

The higher the octane, the more stable the gas (or so I am told). So fill with 93 octane, or even race gas if you want to splurge, after adding Stabil.The problem with winter driving, beyond the obvious, is that salt can adversely effect the car's aluminum/steel via electrolysis. When I had a street-legal Caterham, I always waited til a heavy spring rain had washed the roads clean.

Great news, thx for update! How did they track it down? Any thoughts on how we all can prevent similar issues going forward? Let's hope the hype for Hurricane Michael is overstated, or that it veers away from your area, enough is enough!

The top and side curtains on a Caterham fit into the boot, so neither is bulky or heavy, esp the top. The frame for the top folds down into the boot as well. And once you get the hang of installing them, its a 5-7' operation. Most Caterhams come with a very quickly installed tonneau cover that snaps in (1') and keeps the rain out when parked. The Caterham top has lots of window area so it easier to see out of, with the top up, than say a Miata. The large rear window zips out so it turns into a bikini type top, esp if you store the "doors" (side curtains) in the boot. But none of this answers the Lotus 400 vs. se7en question. I'd guess that the 400 is a much more civilized vehicle. The se7en is noisy and hot and has no lockable storage. I am sure it is a more visceral ride with the wind in your face, the muffler right by your left arm, the road 3" from your butt, etc. I have owned and ridden motorcycles and that experience more approximates a se7en drive than any car I have ever owned. At the track, who knows? Certainly up to 100 mph, the se7en will give a 400 a run for its $. Once aero comes into play, the seven will likely drop back. I am sure the se7en will respond to driver inputs more immediately than a 400. It weighs less than 1/2 and has a race car suspension, steering, brakes etc. The immediacy and unfiltered intensity of the se7en is what gets most of us hooked. So hooked that we overlook or disregard its many shortcomings as an every day driver. I'd love to drive/own a 400 tho. Maybe the best of both worlds?

The annual SCCA Runoffs for the national championship are October 16-21 at Sonoma Raceway, just north of San Francisco. I know USA7s member Craig Chima is going and competing in F Production in his Lotus 7. Sports Car magazine even predicts he will take 3rd. I dont know if that's a curse or not. I am pretty sure he's hauling all that way from Ohio (2,500 miles) in the hope of gaining another national championship. Apparently the track is not a big hp/areo venue, so se7ens stand a chance. Who else is going, either as a competitor or spectator? Good luck to all se7ens, may the force be with you:)!

I use a WIX XP (51393XP). It claims to be designed for harsh driving, extended driving, heavy loads, extreme driving (racing). Somewhat larger than standard, and not esp cheap, but hopefully up to the task of track days. I am sure there are lots of alternatives.

I always say the first lesson we track day drivers have to learn is humility. There is always someone in a clapped-out '71 GTI (or Honda Civic:)) who just leaves everyone for dead. Your Civic must be pretty special as it is faster than your se7en, no? I dont think anyone was faster than 1'31" at Tbolt during this year's USA7s fest (except maybe Shane?). Your cruising lap of 1'34" in the Civic was about my best time this last July.

Fun event, great driving but....WOW, terrifying course. An accident will happen and that will be that. Pedestrians in harm's way everywhere. I used to help run our local auto-X and we were scrupulous about keeping the viewing area distant from the track. And all those in attendance, including drivers and non-drivers, family and friends, signed waivers of liability.

Yes, from another early '2000's Superlight owner, congratulations on your purchase. The colors and spec of your car are unique. All newly purchased Cats need some fettling (some more than others:)). It's all part of the fun. New, sticky tires will make a huge difference in performance. Wear goggles and ear plugs, if you are not, whilst out and about. And be prepared to answer endless questions from passers by. I look forward to seeing you and your car at NJMP next year.

Well, he was flying the flag, he probably thot that made him special:).

About that adrenaline bump: Hurley Heywood says he now gets in a race car a 70 year old but gets out a 25 year old:).