SanderGA

I made a call to SBD Motorsports. As always, they are knowledgeable and helpful. I need to start making that my first call when things like this come up. They asked me to provide photos of all the relevant parts such as the ECU, ignition coil, distributor, etc. They are going to supply a new MBE ECU (9A4i I believe for 345 GBP without VAT) along with a wiring harness suitable for my car. They put a suitable map on the ECU before they ship it. I'm going to ask them to also include a crank position sensor and an ignition coil. Mine might work but they are 30 years old and I want this all behind me. My hope is that I will need to install the new ECU, ignition coil, crank sensor, and connect the wires and I'm all set. I'm sure it won't be that easy. The wiring harness for the ignition circuit is integrated with the wiring harness for the rest of the car so I'll disconnect the ignition wires from all the places they go. I can't pull the wires for the ignition circuit out of the existing OEM wiring harness. The wiring harness provided by SBD will be separate for the OEM wiring harness. I don't think that's a problem. Assuming I get the new ECU and wiring harness installed, I know what I'll be thinking. Why not install a Motogadget M-unit for all the things that are not ignition related? Then I pull out the original wiring harness and I have a completely rewired 1993 Caterham HPC with modern electronics with Bluetooth! Problem for another day. At the moment, I think I'm just going to proceed with the new MBE ECU, wiring harness, crank position sensor, and ignition coil. John raises the issue of my outdated distributor so I'm going to give some thought on that (issue that would never have occurred to me). I'll keep everyone informed.

Thanks for all the input. There’s no current coming off the ignition coil to the distributor. I’m not skilled enough to check for gas but when I try to start it, it stinks of gas so I’m assuming it has fuel but not spark. I’ve been working with people on the Lotus 7 C20XE Facebook group. They’ve guided me through the process of checking the ignition coil and say the problem is that the ECU isn’t functioning. They give two reasons the ECU won’t function. The most likely explanation is that the ECU failed. It’s an MBE 906 circa 1993 and apparently they have reached the end of their life span. The other reason the ECU might not function is that it’s not getting a signal from the crank position sensor. I am working on checking that. (The C20XE Facebook group is a great resource. If I was in the UK that would be the only place I’d go. Unfortunately, some of their solutions work a lot better in the UK than the US. If I was in the UK I would have already put the car on a flatbed to someone that fixes these things . Not so easy hear. SibI thought I’d raise the issue here. I thought I had a lead on a replacement ECU of the same vintage that I could just plug in but that doesn’t appear to be the case. From the feedback above, I’m going to check the power to the ECU and learn how to verify that it’s getting fuel. I’m also going to pull a spark plug and see what that tells me. Back to the original question, is there a modern ECU I could install as a replacement and, if so, how big a job is that?

I got a 93 HPC with a C20XE last year. The engine was originally tuned by Swindon Racing Engines to 218 HP. I drove it cross country last October and for the most part it ran great. I let it sit for about a month and now it’s dead. It will turn over but won’t fire. The possible reasons in descending order of probability based on my diagnostics and reading are: 1 - dead ECU that needs to be replaced 2 - dead ignition coil 3 - crank position sensor is not working 4 - bad distributor The ECU is an MBE Systems 906 and apparently they are all dead or near dead. If If I can find a working one that plugs in I’ll go that route. If I have to do something other than a direct replacement I’ll put in a modern one. Are there any ECUs people recommend? How difficult is this? Specs are pre 93 C20XE distributor 45 DCOE Webers

So this is comical. I took my car in for service at a local shop I’ve used in the past on 1/4/21. My punch list is (1) install new 6 point harnesses, (2) replace thermostat with one I provided, (3) replace radiator temp sensor and see if that makes the fan work, (4) tune 45 DCOE Weber carbs for my elevation, (5) address oil leak in joint in dry sump hose. Harnesses installed but crotch strap omitted so I’ve got to take the seats out again. Thermostat was lost or thrown away rather than installed. Jets were changed on the Weber but they clearly weren’t tuned and the gas fumes are overwhelming. Oil leak was deemed not an issue and not addressed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Anyway, I need someone to tune the Weber carbs. Does anyone have someone they can recommend in the Atlanta area?

That’s so Roswell! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

He definitely did not but then he started talking about an engine swap. I’ll be curious if a buyer pays anywhere close to the premium paid on the last sale. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m told they are Revolution wheels. Oddly, I’ve never actually seen them. I had the 16” HPC wheels installed for my cross country trip as I wanted more ground clearance. They are being shipped to me. Assuming I can find some ultra high performance DOT tires in 14” those wheels will go back on the car. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I made an effort and googled it to no avail. What is WCM? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

SMDH. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes Croc, The license plate holder and spare tire holder in the photo you sent appear fine. The license plate light was broken and the metal piece of the light that attaches to the license plate holder was bent forward 90 degrees. I appears the bumper of the SUV went over the license plate holder hit the light and then the spare tire which absorbed all the impact. I’ll check the welds in the rear of the frame and the attachment of the spare tire holder when it’s on the lift in the next few weeks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We've seen people pay a big premium on BaT recently and then make posts here that reflect that they didn't know what they bought. I might be one of those people but any premium I paid pales when compared to what some others have paid. Clearly, BaT is seeing a bull market. Good for them and the rest of us. The buyers on BaT, yours truly included, are lured in by the ease of finding a car we always wanted but never would have searched out. If you offer goods with a limited supply to a newly expanded market prices go up.

Sitting at a light yesterday an SUV ran into my rear end. I have the welded spare tire carrier and the spare tire was along for the ride. Most of the damage appears to have been to the license plate light. The spare tire holder is a round bar and the license plate holder is a metal plate with rolled over edges welded to the top of that bar. Neither the license plate holder nor the spare tire carrier show any damage. The lower piece of frame across the back behind the gas tank where the spare tire carrier is attached remains straight. I assume there's no damage apart from the license plate light. Safe assumption or should I check further? Thanks, Sander

It is largely false but like most conspiracy theories it has elements of truth. The gentleman speaking is a poorly educated religious fundamentalist who is not an authority on anything. For example, he says the House has 475 members and if the President doesn’t concede, the decision goes to the House. Those are both false. The House has 435 members and the election can be decided by the House but only if certain conditions are met. A candidate refusing to concede is not one of those conditions. Facebook is basically the best source to get the worst possible information. Unless you have researched what is said, please don’t repost. People who don’t fact check things and then repost information that is incorrect on Facebook are a significant issue in our electoral process. I’ve been painstakingly polite in my response. That’s not normally my MO. If you are from Brighton in the UK, you are well advised not to comment on things you know nothing about concerning the US election. If you are a US citizen, you’re advised to stop posting false information that can be easily checked. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

True but after the holidays I’m going on a diet and working out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I assume it has a thermostat but I don’t know for certain. The behavior does seem odd. If it has a thermostat and it closes the water flow it should heat up nicely. It’s odd that doesn’t happen. I’m going to check that. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I expected rain and took both the top and the tounneau cover. I agree a helmet would be a great thing to have and I almost took my Bluetooth full face helmet as audio would have been nice. I guess the downside is that the helmet takes a good bit of space and it’s one more thing that might be stolen. That reminds me. I had a messenger bag that I used as a “go bag”. It held valuables such as my laptop and cameras. Whenever I walked away from the car I took it with me. It rode in the passenger seat so I also kept things in it I might need while driving such as lip balm, change for tolls, my wallet, and ear plugs.

Here's a summary of what I needed for the trip. This will be my packing list going forward. Items marked with an * are items I didn't have but will take next time. Great weather. I did 20 days without a drop of rain. I was so lucky in that regard A car in good shape. I was fortunate the car I got was well maintained. Honestly, it was crazy to do the trip in a car I hadn't done a shake down run with and gotten familiar with. If I had owned the car for six months and driven it before this trip, none of the problems I encountered would have happened. Doors, sunglasses and ear plugs AAA membership. I thought I could get this last minute. You can but only the basic level which offers a 7 mile tow. To get the high-end AAA membership you have to be a basic member for 90 days with zero tows. After the 90 day period, you can upgrade to the membership that offers tows of up to 200 miles. Here's a list of tools I ended up with: Socket wrench Metric and imperial sockets Metric and imperial wrenches Vice grips Screwdriver with interchangeable tips Stubby screwdriver for removing the nose Hex keys in metric and imperial Pliers Needle nose pliers Wire snips Torx wrenches (there are no torx fasterners on the car but as I change things out, I add them because they are so much better than the alternatives) Blue lock-tite Zip ties Thin and thick sharpie Crescent wrench Air pressure gauge which I now use at least once a day SAE powered electric pump Jack and tire changing kit including any necessary key to remove the wheels Baling wire Duct tape Voltage tester Test lead Wire stripper, cutter, crimper A couple of inline fuse holders A couple of switches. Ring and spade electrical connectors Butt connectors 18 gauge wire in a couple of colors A charged cordless drill with drill bits (seems excessive but was a huge help) Replacement bulbs for headlights, tail lights, turn signals - Test all lights before the trip Fuses Fuse puller Map of fuse placement in the fuse box At least two SAE plugs connected to the battery, fused and run to the cabin and one with an in-line switch SAE to USB converter to power my phone (Note these will drain the battery over time so pull it every night or switch it off. Quadlock windshield phone mount, Quadlock phone case and Quadlock wireless charging head Spare phone with SIM card from provider Spare eyeglasses Eyeglasses leash to keep them from blowing away Consumables and spares Oil as I burn a quart every 1,500 miles Clutch cable Throttle cable Brake fluid Rags Nitrile gloves Slime and/or tire plugs Waterless hand cleaner Something to clean the windshield Silicone tape for bad hoses Gas can, funnel and siphon I hope this list is helpful. Feel free to add anything I didn't include that you would feel is helpful.

Fortunately, my ears are not ringing. After the first few days I wore 3M disposable ear plugs except for about 30 minutes each day. I can definitely see this car bringing on tinnitus. I went without for 30 minutes each day to see if there were any disturbing noises I was missing. The most I ever put in the tank was 8.5 gallons at about 155 miles. At that point the needle was very close to empty. I believe it's a 10 gallon tank with 8.5 usable gallons. My fuel consumption is down to 18 mpg. I'm hoping I can increase that by tuning the carbs. It's clearly running rich. The questions at the gas station are generally ok but when I'm trying to get something done or concerned about something they can get annoying. If I was a 65 year old woman looking to meet a man, I'd get a Caterham and just drive from one gas station to the next because every 70 something man in the zip code will come talk to anyone driving a Caterham. Thankfully, one of those men pointed out my flat tire which I wouldn't have noticed for a while otherwise. Here's my list of things to address: New windshield as mine's cracked and chipped, etc. Refresh the rear suspension as it seems really worn out. Front seems to have been restored sometime since the car was new. New rear wings as mine are full of star cracks. Check the carbs and timing and put it on a dyno. Switch to my smaller 14" wheels. Hunt down and address the worst of the rattles. New muffler as mine's pretty well shot. New oil lines for the dry sump as they have some minor leaks. New temp sensor so the radiator fan will work on its own but leave in an auxiliary switch. New tail lights as these are too dim. High mounted brake light. New engine mounts. Replace bent steering column. New front pads and discs. Reinstall the parking brake. Fix the squealing I get when I let the clutch out in first and second. Seems to be coming from the rear end rather than the clutch. Maybe switch to a hydraulic clutch with a slave cylinder outside the bell housing. Change to a thinner oil so the car will reach operating temperature in daily driving. Determine if I'm hearing detonation or not and if so, address it. Hook up reverse lights. Fix turn signal. New mirrors. That's pretty much my list of planned maintenance and upgrades. Most of my "upgrades" are just putting the car back closer to new condition or regular maintenance. I really don't see a need to upgrade the engine as it has more horsepower than I can use already. The suspension easily pulls over 1.0 g so there's no need to upgrade that. I just want it closer to the way it was when new. I was very fortunate to get a great car that did the trip with almost no drama.

It’s finished! 5,100 miles and I’m home. Only car related event of the last two days was a flat tire. Odd thing was that I probably drove on a totally flat tire for between 50 and 1,000 miles. I never noticed. A guy at a gas station pointed it out. The car is so light the sidewalls support it. It didn’t seem to harm the tire. The drama was that I didn’t have the key to remove the wheel cover to remove the nuts to change the tire. I put 16 ounces of Slime in and it has held 18psi for 900 miles. The key is in my spares pile in Utah. I’ll have that shipped and be able to change the tire. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One thought I’m having is pulling the heater out. It’s woefully inadequate and the pull knob is very hard to move. I’ve been afraid of busting open a hole in the cooling system by pulling the stuck knob and finding myself stranded. Rather than a heater, I want to keep heated electric motorcycle jacket liners in the car that I can plug in. It would be much warmer. Is pulling the heater difficult? Would anyone perceive it to be a downgrade to remove the heater? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I love the idea of the M-unit and as the new owner of a 27 year old car, I know electronics aren’t forever. However, I’m not inclined to pull out my existing wiring harness and replace it with an M-unit. I can see that going very badly and my new car sitting idle for a very long time. What I’m thinking is installing it, by which I mean bolting it to the car, and then using it as the fall back system as electrical circuits fail. For example, my radiator fan, and right rear turn signal have failed. My brake lights also failed but I got them working again. Can I install it, switch those circuits over to the M-unit and leave the rest of the wiring as is? I know I would need to hook up the ground and positive from the battery and perhaps a couple of other things. I’m really asking if a staged approach is possible and makes sense. Thanks for any thoughts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Marfa to Austin today. Around 450 miles. The car just runs so nothing to report there. I’ve now covered over 4,200 miles on this trip and have 950 to go. I was certain I was going to run out of gas twice today. Both times the needle made it almost to E and I covered over 150 miles on each tank full. When I filled up, the car took 8.3 gallons each time. It appears I have an accurate fuel gauge. My fuel consumption has dropped to 18 mpg. When I get home I’m having the timing checked and the carbs adjusted then putting it on a dynometer. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As the guy that bought that $30 set from Harbor Freight and who has now driven the car 3,000 miles, I certainly agree. I have been fortunate though as I’ve been able to defer and perform almost all my repairs within walking distance of an auto parts or hardware store. While I haven’t had many repairs, my collection of tools and parts has mounted to the point that my boot is nearly full of just that. My ideal repair kit is modeled on the Cruz Tools motorcycle repair kits which are make specific. So for my BMW there is a Cruz Tools kit that has what you need for the bike and only what you need. My goal is to create something similar for the 7 but because it is both imperial and metric that’s a bit more difficult and the kit will be bigger. Ironically, the motorcycle has more storage space. Fluids are also critical. I’ve added about a liter of coolant and two of oil in 3,000 miles. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agreed. It’s a huge improvement. Thanks to John for reaching out to address the problems I was having. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Check the ‘gram @caterhamchronicles or wait until tomorrow. Like many, many people, I am constantly frustrated by the forum sites inability to provide an effective mechanism for uploading a photo.