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420S build in Ohio


hyper7

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Figured out the "missing" hose thing - turns out they don't send a roll of hose anymore, you just cut it off one of the other coolant hoses.  Makes sense, but probably shouldn't be in the manual in this order, should just have a note to save the extra hose when doing the cooling steps.

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Hyper is an appropriate handle.  You are burning it up with this build.  Going for a "solo-regular garage" speed record?  Keep up the great work.  You must be hyper anxious to enjoy the driving.

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On 8/31/2024 at 5:26 PM, JohnCh said:

Nope, you should have a black part called the dry sump guard that fills that gap.  It's one of that parts that can be a little fiddly to fit or you luck out and the bolts align perfectly.  Caterham uses the same bellhousing for wet sump and dry sump cars, but because the dry sump pan is so much shallower, you end of with the step and resulting gap.    

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Side note for future readers, I needed to replace the shoulder bolts shown above with regular m8x40 bolts with spring washers - I found online that others got replacements from Caterham directly, but I just grabbed them from the hardware store instead of waiting. 

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Went to slap on the radiator this evening in the hour I had, and seems like I'm missing something else - can someone confirm these are the brackets I'm supposed to have? I found a picture on https://www.caterham420rbuild.co.uk/post/19-radiator-and-fan

That looks like what I need, but of course nothing in any of my boxes or on the pick list.

 

The front of the car has brackets coming out the front, but I need a 90 to mount the radiator

 

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Once again I can’t offer any first hand helpful insights. But these are photos of the rad mounts factory built (so I’m 60% sure it’s right). 
 

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Got to work running the plumbing, and attaching the exhaust pipes (minus the actual muffler because I don't have the correct one yet)

 

Two observations -

1) thank god for https://www.tiggercaterham.co.uk/post/plumbing-preparation

I was so lost trying to follow just the picture in the book. I absolutely could not have even attempted this without the better pictures/descriptions.

 

2) the exhaust springs are AWFUL.  My hands will hurt for a couple days I'm sure trying to get those damn things over the hooks. Eventually got them, but required waaay more force then I wanted to use 

 

Also, anyone have a better way to route the heater control wire? It's clearly designed for RHD

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Figured out routing for the heater wire - had to twist it behind the battery tray.

 

I also don't like my throttle cable routing...

 

 

Received the missing radiator brackets yesterday and got the plumbing buttoned up, also got the steering column in...but I screwed up.....

In reading blogs, they all said to put the bushing into the steering column first because they seemingly all use the removable steering wheel, which I do not have.  I had already pushed in the bushing before I realized my mistake, and basically destroyed it pulling it back out.  Oh well, live and learn, new one is ordered, so the column is put together without the top bushing for now 

 

Also for anyone else reading this in the future, for LHD, do the steering column BEFORE the airbox, and before the plumbing.  It was all in my way and I had to take some of it back out to get enough space to work.

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On 9/7/2024 at 3:57 PM, hyper7 said:

2) the exhaust springs are AWFUL.  My hands will hurt for a couple days I'm sure trying to get those damn things over the hooks. Eventually got them, but required waaay more force then I wanted to use 

 

Was that using the zip tie method or just brute force?

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3 minutes ago, JohnCh said:

 

Was that using the zip tie method or just brute force?

Both.  5 zip ties and still needed brute force on both.

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It sounds like either the springs have gotten stronger, or the cat bypass pipe places the hooks slightly closer to the hooks on the primaries.  I used either two or three zip ties and remember thinking it was surprisingly easy.

 

You are making great progress!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Did some heavy lifting over the last week or so and got the diff and rear axles all in place. Also got the seatbelts and roll bar in...starting to run out of things to do 😭 

 

Edited because yeah I'm an idiot. I figured out my question.

 

 

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Edited by hyper7
I'm an idiot
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  • 2 weeks later...

Been a little while since updates - was out of town for a bit, and then just busy.

 

Cycle wings are on, rear suspension and axle is "done"

 

I don't have the fixing pack that contains the piping for the rear wings, so they are just sitting there for now, but finishing up carpeting the boot/trunk and will be installing seats this week.

 

Still need to adjust the handbrake before I feel comfortable riveting down the cover, and then just a few random things (nose cone, bonnet, coolant, wipers, mirrors, silencer whenever it arrives) and its basically done.

 

I have a TON of leftover bolts/nuts/washers/rivets/etc...which makes me nervous.

 

Also expected to find what lives in this hole...and just didn't. Guess another email to build support is coming.

 

 

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Another stupid question - I didn't get any "power adhesive" in my kit, which I assume is normal for US specs, but what did people use instead? I went with regularly available loctite power grab, but I don't feel like it's really holding that well.

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I used 3M Epoxy as outlined here

 

Caterham tries to make up for missing parts by giving you a lot of extra fasteners.  I have several pounds left over from my build.  

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Pretty much done, just waiting on the shipment of missing parts to wrap it up.

 

Battery tray

Rear wing fixing pack with piping

Wiper switch

Silencer

 

I'll put an additional layer of glue on the wingstays (the power grab was just falling off, so I peeled it completely off)

Then just need to fit the washer fluid bottle, tighten the wheel hub nuts, rebleed the brakes, and fill it up with gas.

 

Then pray that I didn't miss anything....

 

 

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