EdWills

Hi Scott and MV8. According to the Jake Lamont/Tom Andresen book on how to build and maintain a competitive (yet legal) Formula Ford engine, (page 75 in your song sheet Scott), the FF rules in the U.S. allowed the Holley 5200 to be used in place of the 32/36 DGV. The Holley 5200 was 'basically a licensed copy of the Weber unit'. As you probably know, the Weber carbs are mostly manufactured in Spain these days. Not sure if Ferrari owners still insist on the originals from Italy though? W.

Hi Scott. You may have checked already, but on Amazon there is 'Weber Redline' (U.S.), listing a new 32/36 DFEV carb, or try Pierce Manifolds U.S. for the same type. The DFEV is the opposite throttle orientation to the DGV series of downdraught carbs, but is in the same orientation as the 32DFM that Ford and Lotus used on the 1600 Crossflow engine. The 'E' is of course electric choke, but a couple of sites on the web offer a fairly cheap conversion for manual choke operation. Lotus and Ford used a manual choke to operate the 32DFM (which was cast for manual operation). I purchased a kit on th' e bay' (Chinese manufacture, free postage, came out of Eastern Canada - go figure - must have a rep there!), and I can advise which is the correct kit to order (actually for a 38/38 Fiat Weber carb if memory serves as it is the same orientation as the DFV, but I will check). Do not go for the DGV manual choke kit (as I originally did - as one site noted it was o.k. for a DFEV - not), as it works the wrong way for the DFV choke cable set-up to operate the choke correctly. I beefed up the Chinese choke control (try saying that fast a few times), with a brass bush which I can send you gratis as I have a few. It makes the choke operate more smoothly and takes out the minor slack in the mechanism. You can carefully take the electric mechanism off (Peter Wallage shows how in his 'Ford's Kent Crossflow Engine' book, or I can photocopy and send the pics to you (with Credit to Peter and Valerie Wallage and Haynes Publications). I did purchase a couple of spare lock tabs for the carb from Pegasus, as the flimsy one on the carb may break when removing it. The Weber throttle lever may have to be removed as Lotus used a lever from their Type 51 Formula Ford car for the throttle (along with a pre-formed Lotus 51 alloy bracket). Ivey Engines (or Pegasus, or any FF tuner) can tune these carbs to your choice of tune. Note: I wish we had an Ivey type of machine shop in my location, but they have all retired - which is good for them, not so good for me! W

Hi John. Correct. Longstone has quite a good assortment of tires, and the price for the Pirellis and tubes seems reasonable considering other alternatives. Not sure what the cost of courier is yet, and the pound is creeping up against the Canadian dollar. I don't mind trying the Goodrich tires, as I have always heard good things from owners specifically regarding their snow/mud winter tires. Naturally being of a softer compound, they will wear faster than all season tires, but for the probable better grip (and driving a Seven in Alberta is maybe a 6 month option only - @jbcollier may have a better take on this?) they may be worth it. Just a bit of useless information, but the government in British Columbia, Canada, ran winter tires all year round on the government vehicles (possibly in the mountainous areas mainly?) replacing them in the fall - if they were at minimum tread allowance - with new ones. They reckoned it was cheaper than buying 2 sets - all seasons plus winters, and having to either change them on to the same rims, or storing each set on their own rims when not in use. And more useless info. In Alberta, there is nothing in the Highway Traffic Act to mandate when studded tires have to be removed, or when they are allowed to be fitted to a vehicle. Not many drivers here fit studded or winter tires, and this may account for the number of collisions we experience in the winter. Even some car rental companies charge more per day to rent a vehicle with winters only fitted. Winters plus studs do work better than all seasons in our climate, and I use them faithfully, removing them in April normally.. W.

Thanks all for the responses so far. I watched some Ytube videos from a forum member on usa7s who is rebuilding his Lotus Seven Series 4, and he wrote to me and suggested Vredestein? tires. I checked their site, but could not find the ones he suggested. Another Series 4 owner originally selling his car on Simple Sevens, suggested BF Goodrich mud and snow tires. Cheers Scott, I really like the look of the Dunlops (for FF), but I understand that these are cross-ply tires, and someone suggested in another forum that these would not be best for roadwork? I am looking at the Pirellis, and a set of 5 from the U.K.- with inner tubes - would suit my purposes. Could not find a dealer in Canada selling 13 inch size when I last checked. I am guessing that 13" tire size is now rather old hat and becoming rarer? Older Miatas possibly used this size, and of course a wide range of Brit cars used them. Thank you MV8 for confirming the 175 size. W.

Perhaps specifically for Lotus Seven owners on this forum regarding cars fitted with 13 inch rims. What are your preferred tire manufacturers using 175-70 R13 or 165-70 R13 profile? Or, as some Lotus Seven owners (and possibly as Lotus themselves originally advised as a possibility for the Series 3), using 185-70 R13 as an alternative option to 165s on the 5-1/2 J Cortina steel rim. Also, a tire (tyre) company in the U.K. that sells tires mainly for sports cars, advises to use Michelin inner tubes inside the Pirellis, Michelins and others that they carry. The previous owner of my car (in Canada) used inner tubes with the Pirelli Cinturatos, and neither of us experienced any problems - especially him - when he was racing and slaloming the car. He installed 185-70 R13s on the 5-1/2 J Cortina steel rims, but I wonder - for road use - if 175s would be a better compromise? Any thoughts and advice is much appreciated. W

Hi @JohnCh. Apologies. I should have realized that a new thread should be used - my bad. I will repost in a new thread. W.

Great forum idea with excellent advice. Also a great idea from MV8 re: dry graphite. Locksmiths use dry graphite to lubricate locking mechanisms (such as keyways, padlocks etc.) - never oil, as any kind of oil or lubricating fluid (grease, silicone) will just attract dirt and jamb up the mechanism. You can obtain grey graphite or use white 'talc-like' lock lube if the grey looks too messy in the engine bay. Possibly locksmiths will sell these to you, or perhaps any NAPA type shop? Cheers, W.

I only mentioned the possibility that the "9 inch" referred to the size of the rear brakes, as I never considered that someone would attempt to fit a very wide rear end to a Lotus or Caterham Seven. On so many occasions (including by my better half), there is always someone to prove me wrong! The Ford 9 inch rear axle is apparently up there in quality, build and desirability. It was used from 1957 to 1986 on Ford passenger cars and trucks. Jegs.com notes that it is 57.25 inches to 68 inches wide (doesn't mention if this is from flange to flange?), and only a few axles in the range could be shortened (these were mostly early 1970s axles as many later axle shafts had tapered ends). 1973 and later had 5 on 5 bolt circle (which the car pictured at the beginning of this post doesn't have). I found the attached photo in the Chris Rees book "Caterham Sevens" showing how wrong I can be. Graham Arnold, who was Sales Manager of Lotus, also published a book on the Lotus range of cars. In a similar vein, he published a photo of a Lotus Elan sporting very wide rear wheel arches and wide rear track, noting on the caption for the photo - "Please Don't".

I realize that the "Ford 9 inch" diff/axle assembly is a strong and robust unit used in Mustangs and the like, but coincidentally the final batches of rear axles that Caterham sourced from the Ford Mk. 2 RS2000 Escort series of rear wheel drive cars had 9 inch diameter rear brakes as opposed to the 8 inch (by 1-1/2" wide) on the original Escort axles that Lotus used on the few 2-1/2s and all of the Series 3 cars (the Series 4 also had 9 inch rear drum brakes). The 4-1/4 pitch for the wheel studs stayed the same as previous, but the Caterham cars now had 9 inch front discs and 9 inch rear drums.

Hi Scott. According to Tony Weale in his book "Lotus Seven". the first Marina/Ital axle. (81 spec.) was fitted to chassis 4002 TC R M in 1980. The first Mk 1 RS1600 axle was fitted in 1977 to 3601 TC R S, and the first Mk. 2 RS 1600 axle also in 1977. Weale adds the info in the indices section on page 236. Author Chris Rees also confirms 1980 for the Marina/Ital but has different dates for the Escort series (1975 and 1978). First long cockpit Weale advises 1981, Rees advises 1982. The V.I.N/serial numbers on the cars correspond with both authors, but the dates are off. Cheers, W.

Hi Both. Yes, that was what I was attempting to add (the correct web address that is!) - thank you. I guess the only part that appealed to me was the author's information on shocks and springs, and some of his calculations. Agreed it is more for track than road, and he did go heavier on his springs as suggested by Caterham and Redline for racing purposes. I should have specified his information only on the road spring poundages, as it agreed with others who had measured them. Cheers, W.

Hi Pethier - thank you. Yes I found it a tad difficult to find what I was looking for on the site once I found it again. The main point of the article I found was that the writer advised that the spring rates on original Lotus Seven Series 2 and 3s, was 105 lbs. for the front springs and 75 lbs. for the rears. As MV8 notes, this is about as small and light as you can get. Bearing in mind however that the Seven - as originally designed and built - was much lighter (1000 lbs plus or minus?) than the current Caterham cars of course. When Lotus built the one-off Seven S show car, the weight was increased quite dramatically, and the twin-cam cars were just as heavy. DSK advised that for a Lotus Seven twin-cam, spring rates should have been increased by 10% on the front from original, although they quoted that the front springs on a standard Seven were about 85 lbs. Mick Lincoln of the original Redline Components, advised that the rates were 105 lbs F, 75 lbs. rear. I have a chart sent to me by a gentleman who was originally on this forum, listing sizes and spring rates for the Seven Series 1 and 2 (plus the Lotus 11 Series 1 and 2). It seems that rates varied quite a bit during the years of manufacture of these cars and the way the cars were used. W.

Try 'Lotus Seven Eugene', then on the opening page click on 'modifications'. The car owner provides info on the work he did on the new car after a bad crash to the first one. I should have done my homework before just placing a web address on this forum. Duh! W

Apologies. Please see my reply to MV8 above. W

Hi MV8. My apologies. 'Iamscotticus' advised me that the web site I quoted leads to a forum not the page I originally saw and bookmarked on my computer.. When I google searched for 'Lotus Seven springs and dampers', a site popped up titled 'Eugene' and the web location was simply the address www.7-dna.com. I am not sure how best to locate the pages I found, but the web site owner provided some helpful information on his car. Great advice again MV8, thank you. W.

Getting back to the original question regarding springs for a Lotus Seven, there is a very good article on the web at: http://7-dna.com regarding the springs and dampers on the writer's car called 'Eugene'. He mentions the original spring rates that Lotus chose for the fronts and rears. David Kaplan of DSK advised in one of his publications on springs and dampers for a Seven that the springs manufactured for Lotus Seven Series 2 and 3s were not very reliable and would lose tension. Even Lotus in a letter to me admitted that the springs on my car were probably sagging badly (which they were) due to a less than optimal oil pan clearance. The Eugene owner has done some great research into this subject, and is worth a look at his site. W.

Hi Scott. According to a news release quite some time ago by Dave Bean (when he was still with us), he noted that the metal composition of the replacement crankshafts (SCAT) for the Crossflow - after Ford had discontinued casting them - was akin to steel. He detailed the metal composition, and I've searched for the bulletin, but so far cannot locate it. The Ivey crankshaft possibly comes from a different production facility, but should also be of a better quality than the original Ford unit and Ivey balances the units and sells direct or through Pegasus I believe. Some (most?) of the replacement Crossflow cranks are manufactured in China, but their metal processing is equal to, or in some cases now, better than original. You can get forged steel cranks from the U.K., but naturally they are expensive. The problem with the cranks in Formula Fords for example, is that the flywheel is often exposed at the bottom of the bell housing, and off-road excursions could result in the flywheel hitting the curbing (a very momentary sudden stop?) with the engine still trying to turn, putting extreme stress on the crankshaft. They didn't last very long this way. Otherwise the original cranks and the latest ones are good for their application. Note: This last piece of information is according to various engine tuners detailing the cranks in books and articles that I have. Many early U.K. engine tuners suggested that steel main caps should be fitted to the blocks for racing purposes, but the new block that you have has the beefed up caps and stronger bolts, so these should be more than sufficient. One engine tuner advised that you could safely rev an engine with a steel crank fitted, quite a bit higher than the recommended maximum for the original Ford crank, but this should need to take into consideration the balance of both the crank, the flywheel, and the clutch cover. The older rounded mains caps of the 2737E were not as strong as the replacement square caps.

John. This from the Calgary Herald March 2/2025. Most appropriate

Also John, when they've filled in some of the potholes. I used to drive up to Edmonton using a rental car as I didn't want my personal vehicle being damaged by the roads to and from Calgary and Edmonton. Calgary is now suffering from poor maintenance on our major ring road, and vehicle repairs for many motorists are becoming the norm due to bad paving and snow plough damage. It's what you get living in a northern climate with freeze/thaw conditions, but the city sure takes its sweet time to fill in the holes in the spring when the weather improves. W.

If you can find a set, DSK manufactured a very good quality set of springs for autocross use with 125 pound fronts, and 90 pound rears. This would not be too extreme for road use on a Seven. W

Hi. Would a farm tractor dealership be of use? Many of the farm tractor manufacturers such as Massey Ferguson, John Deere etc., produced silencers in imperial sizes that look like your unit, and they may have the right size for the Seven. Your unit certainly looks original. I found a company in the U.K. that produces an oval silencer identical to the unit used on the original Series 3 (not the later round one used on the Twin Cam and Caterham models with the leg protector fitted). They sell the stainless steel cover, imperial size tubes for welding to the cover, wire wool, internal baffle and fibreglass to pack inside the silencer, all as separate items. A round silencer similar to yours is also available. See: http://www.jetex.co.uk. I have used this company, and found them very helpful. Hope this helps.

Hi John. Glad to hear that Dave Bean came through for you. If anyone else needs springs or dampers for a Seven, you can check at: https://www.anglocanadianlotus7.ca and click on "Lotus Seven Series 2 and 3 Dampers (Shocks) and Springs". There is a spring manufacturer mentioned who produces springs for Avo shocks. I haven't checked to see if the supplier is still in business, but an email may confirm if springs are still available. Lotus (Colin Chapman) deliberately kept poundages low for the Lotus Seven. The original Redline company advised that for track work, the spring rates could be drastically increased at the front, but with the state of some of our Alberta roads and highways, the ride - with heavy poundages - would probably shake out any of the fillings in your teeth. 75 or 80 lbs. rears seems to be a good option... W.

Hi Dave. Glad it worked out for you. Mike told me that he had received another order after mine, so good to hear that he came through for you. Mine was in great condition like yours. If you don’t end up using it, someone will buy off you. W

I have been advised by Mike Brotherwood in the U.K. (one of the few constructors remaining in business who repairs Lotus Sixes and Sevens), that he has 9 original Ford 100E aluminum pedal brackets for sale for the Lotus Seven models (Series 1, 2 and 3). Each one comes complete with the pedal pivot pin installed, and they are in various conditions ranging from very good to some with rust on the pins. Prices may vary, but I just purchased one for £140 plus £26 postage (insurance included) to Canada (if it ever arrives with our postal system still in trouble!) I am not selling them for Mike Brotherwood, I just want to pass on the information should any Seven owner require one, perhaps replacing a Caterham unit that has had one of the bracket arm/lug sawn off for use with a cable clutch, and wishes to convert to hydraulic clutch operation? Mike can be contacted at: mikebrotherwood@aol.com He accepts Paypal, but please contact him directly as there may be other payment options you can use. W.

Just to advise that I have received information from Mike Brotherwood in the U.K. that he has some of the original 100E pedal brackets for sale if anybody requires one.. I have added this information to the parts for sale section W.