jmaz

A simple "vacuum assist" for coolant fill When adding coolant, I was finding that the rate at which the system was filling was going REALLY slowly. This was after having disconnected the top hose connected to the heater manifold piping and having remove the plug from the top RHS of the radiator. I could track the fill progress by running a long zip tie into the radiator plug opening, in dip-stick mode. I decided to try to speed things up by sucking air from the radiator plug opening using this large 200cc syringe. It worked well. (The syringe isn't as giant as it looks in this pic. It's about 8" long.)

I've finally gotten all the major mechanical stuff done. Fair amount of head-scratching moments but no real problems. I'll list some of the challenges, etc. at some point, but nothing that others haven't already written about in the various build blogs. The only issue that might be unique to the Encore is the radiator hose routing, since the Encore uses a 420 radiator but has the Sigma engine's intake and outflow locations. The hose to the bottom of the radiator runs right underneath the overflow bottle. Without doing something to lift the hose, it would rest lightly on the steering arm U-joint. I managed to lift it to rest just slightly clear of the U-joint using zip ties and a P clip, and I added some silicone tape around the hose to avoid rubbing if the hose sags. The top radiator hose is squeezed tightly up against the top of the bottle, so there's not room to pop-rivet mount the bottle any higher. I'd considered moving the overflow bottle to the RHS of the engine bay to free up clearance for the radiator hoses , but didn't like the idea of a plastic bottle with oil in it being that close to the headers.

Has anyone managed to get an IEEPA refund yet for any kit or parts purchased during the past year?

Thanks. The remote, single reservoir that’s serving both the clutch and brake system is a different arrangement compared to older cars I’ve had. Re. the vent hole, should that be in the cover plate over then pedal box? Is the pedal box itself a location for corrosion?

As far as I know, there’s nothing unusual about them on this car other than having an up-rated brake master cylinder.

Thanks. I was originally thinking of using one of these types of brass fittings but began wondering if galvanic corrosion between aluminum and copper content in the brass might be a concern, at least over the long term. However, since the temperature sensor "submarine" is brass, as is the fitting for the heater, maybe the addition of one more brass components wouldn't matter. The Gates T-piece has only one barb on each of the arms, so the pex version's additional and probably stronger barbs would be an advantage, as you note.

I'm continuing to make slow-but-enjoyable progress on the 310. Some of the more noteworthy things include: Radiator and fan: The 310 Encore uses a 420 radiator with front-mounted fan, with an aluminum deflector plate that gets attached to the base of the radiator. I had to make some modifications to the deflector to make extra clearance for the lower two fan mounting bolts. Engine plumbing: Still not totally done since I decided to upgrade the blue engine-to-modine-to-expansion tank T-piece, and will use a Gates 28635 nylon-reinforced plastic T-piece, following a couple of recommendations received. I appear to be short one hose clamp so bought a replacement from NAPA. The Caterham-supplied clamps have noticeably thicker steel for the clamp band, which maybe yields less stretch over time. Ideally, I'd like to get replace the NAPA clamp with the Caterham version at some point. I'll also go back through the plumbing and wiring to add spacers, zip-ties, adel clamps, etc. where warranted. Headers and collector: This was an easy job, and a treat to add the fun visual aspect to the car. Other issues: The shorter of the two ground cables that Caterham had supplied is too short and won't reach from the battery ground to the mounting point on the top of the passenger footwell. They sent the version used on RHD cars. Rocky Mountain Caterham is sending the correct-length cable. I'm also waiting to get a set of crutch straps (again to be provided by RMC), which I'll install before putting the seats in.

Thanks for that kind offer and suggestion re. the pex version. I'd gotten another recommendation for the Gates 28635 T-piece (from Josh Robbins at Rocky Mountain Caterham), so I've ordered one for around $8.00 from Amazon. It seems like one of those strange ways in which Caterham does things, where they could easily and cheaply upgrade a part but choose not to.

For my 310 Encore build, I'm considering replacing the supplied, blue-plastic T-piece that connects the engine, modine and expansion tank with the one recommended here (Gates 19mm T-piece, part # 28635) (https://caterham420detailedbuildblog.co.uk/2019/12/19/engine-plumbing-part-1/) or a stainless steel version. The Gates one (nylon-reinforced plastic) is designed specifically for auto use and might be more durable overall. Any suggestions or experience re. this t-piece would be welcome.

Thanks, this is useful info, for sure. It's a bummer that a LHD pedal box has limited adjustment. I haven't gotten to the point yet in my build where I'm fine-tuning the pedal situation, but I'd gotten the impression from build blogs, etc. (mostly, if not all, UK blogs maybe, and thus RHD) that there was a fair amount of adjustment possible.

Are you satisfied with the CaterLED 3rd brake lights? Any issues with the installation?

Your Spitfire's got a carburetor, not fuel injection, right? I'm trying to remember all the things that would go off on my former carbureted cars - TR4 and BMW 2002. Clogged jets and fuel filters weren't unusual. You note that the car had been sitting for a few years. Had the old gas been drained? The other common failure source was burnt or out-of-gap ignition points. Thing about the old technology is it was usually possible to get the cars to run, even if poorly. My newer (former) fun cars (Alfa Spider and Ferrari 328) were more of the "either runs or doesn't" mode. I'm hoping that my Caterham will be more predictable and easier to diagnose/fix.

Was it the pins that weren't fully seated in the connector body, or was it a problem with the connectors themselves?

What 3D print model did you use for the Spa mirrors? Is it one that you can and are willing to share? What type of print filament did you use? I figured I'd try to get the Eccles version mounts from somewhere, but no idea how long that might take. Ordering anything from the UK these days seems to be a crap shoot, what with tariffs, backlogs, etc.

A black stripe + nose band like the old Lotus would look very slick. Wasp-like.