bsimon

James, I saw the piccys of your new engine. That's some nice stuff there! I noticed that you have a Caterham dry sump pan. I'm assuming you have the rest of that system. Did anyone give you a copy of the MSWord installation document? If not, I can fwd it to you via PM.

I'm assuming you are using a drysump setup that retains the internal Vauxhall pressure pump, yet uses external belt drive pumps to scavenge the engine sump. (Caterham/Titan) Measure the thread on the engine's front cover with a pair of calipers. The OD of an M20 nipple is very slightly less than .787". A 3/4-16 is under .750". Buy a filter that fits. Using a M20 on a 3/4-16 nipple is just asking for a catastrophic failure. I found this about the WL7064. It looks as though it is a 3/4-16 and not an M20: From http://www.wixeurope.com > Part Number: WL7064 Principal Application: Dacia 1.3, 1.4; Renault Fuego, R4, R5, R6, R9, R11, R12, R14, R15, R18 All Applications Service: Length: 78.000 Height: 59.000 Outer Diameter Top: 75.000 Outer Diameter Bottom: Closed Inner Diameter: 0 Thread Size: 3/4 Anti-Drain Back Valve: Yes Since the original Vaux cover uses a M18 thread, I believe your cover has been upgraded to 3/4-16. This means you can use any of the filters I mentioned. Wix 51335 (Renault R5) should be a direct replacement. The Wix 51348 (PT-cruiser) filter is less than an inch longer and does not extend below the lower chassis rails. CHECK THE THREAD On YOUR ENGINE!

When I had a wet sump, these are the parts I used. Wix 51335---------Renualt R5--------2.485 high Wix 51348---------Chrysler PT Cruiser----------3.404 high (there is enough road clearance with the wet sump front pump cover mounting.) Both are 3/4-16 thread. Caterham, Swindon, and SBD use this thread, as do most GM Gen II engine builders They change the nipple in the pump housing to do so. The original Vauxhall is an M18X1.5 metric thread. Try WIX Part # WL7129 3" high. Should still have plenty of clearance. Don't know if you can cross this up into a US available filter. Be sure of your nipple thread as the metric and imperial filters will kind of interchange. (with disastrous results when they fall off)

Hey Karl, Put me in the queue. If Paul and Mike back out, I'll buy your parts.

Overall nice design, but the grill needs some work. It looks like a very art deco appliance. Think Arvin portable electric heater from the 1940s.

For the Hazard lights, of course. :jester: I wired the module this way so I didn't have to use push buttons on the tiller. I wanted to retain the look and use of the original Lotus/Caterham toggle switch for the indicators. Since you cannot activate both module inputs at the same time with a centre off toggle, I used the original hazard circuit, including the relay and rocker switch. My SDC module only controls the indicator functions. ...that, and it was an easy-peasy 10 min. chore to hook it up this way. Two buttons in the steering wheel is nice, but I didn't want to chase down buttons, coil cable, mounting points, etc. I didn't find it necessary, as the index finger on one's left hand can tag the indicator switch rather easily when negotiating traffic. Your hand doesn't even have to leave the wheel. edited to add: If you wire the module up like the SDC diagram, it's not quite legal. DOT requires the hazard signals to work with the ignition switch turned off or the key removed. The same goes for DVLA in GB.

Here's how to wire the SDC module into a Caterham using a single switch.

:iagree::iagree: Skinnie's ushanka has all the proper aero characteristics for a well weathered Seven pilot. Need to add one of those "NOTUS" badges to the visor though...

How much for the porous VX head? I'm guessing that it's stripped of valves and such. You mentioned it being "hi-flow". Not being familiar with QED's work, are the intake ports opened up bigger than std. gasket size?

Basically any dog box can be driven satisfactory on the street, be it a sequential on an H-pattern. The only mildly irritating part is the backlash in the dog clutches. When you get in "speed up-slow down" type traffic, you get lots of clunks an bumps as the engine takes up the slack on or off the throttle. IMHO, a pretty minor issue for a Seven type car.

Hope he has a nice bevertail safety on that frame. Without one he might get a ....... stubbed toe. :jester::leaving:

Spotted this on BC. Gotta love it... Here

RE: Lotus Badges Not that it's critical to this discussion, but all Caterhams had Lotus badges until 1980 or so... var Poo=pedantry.off SetComment(Poo); -

I don't know if you can do this without destroying something, but thread locker compounds can be loosened with heat. The molecular bond is permanently broken with elevated temperatures. Maybe applying the tip of a soldering iron on the grub screw itself may break it loose without melting the surrounding assembly?

If you have the standard 22mm fan switch, there are some alternatives available that have different on and off settings. I would still have an over ride switch as the switches do seem to shoot craps fairly often. Here's a BC thread with all the common part numbers and temps. http://www.blatchat.com/t.asp?id=130287

Wot colour are the unused clams?

Alan Jackson used to own a Caterham SV.

ZZ Top Stevie Ray Vaughan Roy Bucanan Jethro Tull Leon Redbone Steppenwolf Lynyrd Skynyrd The Hollies JJ cale Dave Allen Coe (If that ain't Country...) Disco and Rap blow chunks...

300 does seem a bit harsh, however there may be differences in the spring inclination geometry between Birkin and Caterham that makes the higher rate necessary. Adjustable dampers would be nice. They're positioned relatively high on my short list of upgrades.

Caterham typically used either 150 or 170 fronts and 180 rears. After the mid 90's, the rear dampers were lengthened to use a 90/180 progressive rate spring. My car, of similar weight to yours, had 170s on the front and 180s on the rear. There were some 250 and 300 springs available for the VX race cars, but I've heard they are a bit harsh for road use. My car always felt a bit wishy-washy so I changed the fronts to 225s and retained the original 180s on the rear. This mixture, along with the fat VX front ARB, seems rather planted without rattling your teeth. I am using a rear ARB as well. Not very scientific, but I was happy with the results.

That is correct. The only communication a dry sump system should have with the outside world, is though the the oil tank.

But you are already venting the rocker cover. The hose from the rocker cover goes to the top of the tank, which is in turn vented to atmospheric pressure through the catch can. If there is pressure in the head, it will flow out to the tank. If there is a vacuum in the head, it would be relieved via the same path. Some builders actually close off the vent line with a check valve to create a large vacuum in the engine. It's supposed to make the piston rings seal tighter and create less "wind resistance" for the crank. I'm not a big fan. I think there may be more wear issues with sealing components, including the rings themselves. Bottom line, all engine breathing in a dry sump system should be done through the tank.

Filler cap should not be vented! You want he scavenge section of the oil pump to extract any blowby (smoke) and process it through the separator features of the oil tank. It wouldn't be the first oil sender that failed on a Caterham. I suspect that more senders go bad than remain accurate. 100PSI seems a bit strained for a Pace or Titan oil pump. I gave up on Caterham senders (VDO in my car) and installed a mechanical gauge for peace of mind. The flow into the oil tank is relatively low pressure. The scavenge section of the pump is designed to move large volumes of oil and air out of the crankcase and into the tank for separation. They don't use much pressure as it would tend to entrain more scavenged air into the oil. Only the pressure section of the pump is designed for the higher oil pressures needed to lubricate the bearings and such. The pressure tap at the filter is the true oil pressure.

70 PSI should be about the highest oil pressure you will ever see in a cold xflow. Typically 60 (4 bar) is full pressure with warm oil. If you're getting anything over 70, I'd suspect the relief valve is stuck shut or maladjusted.

I don't know if it's any help, but here's how Cosworth plumbs the coolant system without a heater matrix.