chrisp993

Jmaz ... I just installed the steering column and your post gave me one of those "I'm so dumb" moments. In my case, I reasoned that since the tie rod ends were 12 turns out ... I *assumed* that meant they were both the same distance from rack center and by measuring the wheels straight ahead (ref. rotor edge to front lower wishbone bolt) I could set the wheel straight and then insert the lower column in the rack at that position. Done. But, of course there is that assumption in there ... Long story short (the detail is updated on my blog post) based on your comment I went back, taped a zip tie indicator to the steering hub and looked for how that ended up when at full lock each way. Sure enough it was almost (but not quite) even; full lock right was about 15deg right from vertical whereas full lock left was about 5deg left from vertical ... I was close, but no cigar. So, disassembled (hey, loctite works!) and moved the lower column one spline CW and, bingo, I was there!

On the Econoseal pins it's a bit different - and I got it wrong! I was doing a little digging into pins and seals - specifically why I had grey seals vs. stock yellow and whether this made a difference - quick answer on that is that colors do correspond to wire sizes, but they aren't that consistent and the important thing is to choose a seal that is "snug" on the wire. But in going down this rabbit hole, I found that on Econoseal, the rear wings are actually meant to grip the seal and not just the wire insulation. This is shown in BigCol's excellent post on Fitting Econoseal Connectors - scroll down for the picture and you'll see what I mean. I think my connectors are OK, but pinning them in the proper way ensures the seal gets pulled into and really plugs the connector. And now, my OCD exists in this world where my connector seals are not quite 100%

Done properly you only need a tiny section of wire, enough for the forward crimp on the pin, so cutting and re-pinning should only lose ⅓" or so of the wire. In the picture you only need the wire between the green lines ... the section I've crossed out is surplus (my sloppy work, too much bare wire on all the pins!) and in fact occupies the space that the connector's internal catch needs to click into in order to retain the pin.

Quick experiment with some black self-fusing silicone tape .... seems like a clean black out solution? And I know from past usage, this stuff is completely weatherproof.

Thanks for the complement - like the car, the blog is a work in progress! Hopefully it's a resource for others as I've really leaned on blogs for help. And a record for me as my memory fades! FWIW, tightly bundled in heat shrink - and crucially, without pins - the 5 wires from the headlight were no problem to push through the bracket. I did slide the grommets off and spray silicone lube but I wouldn't worry about doing it again. For me the PITA and most time spend would be the need to replace the pins. OTOH if you didn't want to replace the pins, then the wires would be trickier to to be fed back and I'm guessing could only go through the bracket one at a time? That would also limit heat shrink to just the headlight end, not the full length? Regarding the look ... I don't think I'll really know if it looks weird until I put the nosecone, hood and front wings on. I'll try and remember to report back when I get to that point.

Gotcha. Sounds like you need to repin the end of the wire with a new pin? What parts did you buy? Check my blog post for the exact pin (which did match OEM) that I bought. Message me, I'd be happy to send you a couple of those pins in the mail if you think that would help? Car is still in build, but hopefully these give you some idea? I just need to black out that large nut!

Howard, is it the crimp on the pin/connector in the engine bay that is bad? Can you tell if it's the chassis side or the headlight side of that connection? It is straightforward to remove the pin from the connector using a very small thin (like jeweler's) screwdriver, you just need to pull out the yellow guide and then release a small tab: video example. If the pin crimp is bad, you may be able to improve it by putting it in a crimp tool and trying to crush the crimp a bit more. Alternatively, the tool and some pins is maybe $40. When you ask how does it look, which part did you want a picture of?

I also just completed the headlight wiring for my build - long blog post here - but the short version is that I ditched the indicator pods and went with aftermarket LEDs (integrated turn signals) and just took all the wiring through to the engine bay where I crimped on pins to match the factory wiring.

Imagining Crockett & Tubbs in this ...

Thanks ... and good point!

Thanks for the offer! May need some help with details ... the Build Manual can certainly be a bit vague and a quick photo of a Greg-built car could be the perfect answer. I still go back and forth on the color. Have always loved green (with yellow, but like your silver stripe as a more modern choice!) but was tempted away by something a bit brighter. Hopefully won't offend to many with my comment 😳

Hello! I've been lurking for a while but am in the early stages (second week!) of building a 420R. I've decided to blog the build, for several reasons (i) I've found online build blogs to be a fantastic resource and help (thank you!) and so I wanted to contribute what I can back to the group, (ii) documenting the process for myself and (iii) as a way of connecting with the Caterham community. Never blogged before and having a rocky start self-teaching Wordpress, so apologies for any mistakes and expect the format and structure to bounce around a bit ... but for now, the blog can be found at Caterham Chronicles. There is information on the blog about why I'm building, spec etc. I started with installing the engine and am now progressing through the front suspension. I'm finding it enjoyable, frustrating, challenging, and rich with lessons. I'm really happy with the process - hopefully stay that way throughout! Again ... Hello! Any questions, fire away