Caterham Sump Guards

[Mike Rohaley]

Skip,

Sure, why not. Modify the dimensions on the sketch and I will do it.

 

 

MichaelD,

Yes, I was just testing the waters to see if there was a need for these niche items. If you are the only one interested I can get some material and make a solo one too. I will take some photos to better show what I am offering first. Price to follow too since I need to figure out how much they cost to build.

 

Note for you guys taking sump dimensions: The drawing uses the line developed from the bottom of the chassis tubes, this line is not perpendicular to the ground (it tips up about 2 degrees towards the front of the car) Since the chassis tubes are the base for the guard, dimensions are based from this.

Edited February 22, 2010 by Mike Rohaley

[Boxologist]

skip, are u using the raceline wet sump w/ the miata block. If the skidplate fits the wetsumped zetec in an SV frame, i'd be interested. if there's no others looking for the same I can have someone local fab the plate.

[scannon]

skip, are u using the raceline wet sump w/ the miata block. If the skidplate fits the wetsumped zetec in an SV frame, i'd be interested. if there's no others looking for the same I can have someone local fab the plate.

 

I'm using the stock Miata sump. AFAIK Raceline doesn't make a sump for a Miata engine. There are some dry sump systems out there for Miata engines but very pricey and they only gain about 3/4" clearance over the stock sump.

 

I will put the Caterham up on stands tomorrow and take some measurements and post them here. I'll be looking at the distance below the referenced frame tubes as well as the distance between the OD's of the two frame tubes.

 

I suspect if that distance between the frame tubes is different either new holes could be drilled for the U bolts or the guard could be made a little longer.

[gjslutz]

Mike,

 

My sump cover fits close to the sump, and like yours will not cover the rear of the sump. I have added many scrapes to the cover, but none to the rear of the sump.

 

Gary

[Mike Rohaley]

MichaelD:

Here are a couple photos of the bellypan from my car. It has about 5 years and 35,000 miles of real world testing under its belt with no issues (metal fatigue or noise). Obviously this one is well worn and showing debris peppering but new ones will be pristine. If anyone is interested they are available for $275 (excluding shipping). The kit includes all mounting tabs (with aluminum rivnuts fitted) and stainless hardware, also 20-1/8" aluminum rivets. They are designed for non-SV cars with DeDion rear ends.

 

Oh yeah, the A-frame is just there for the sake of showing how it attaches. It is not part of the kit (I knew someone would call me out on that if I didn't state it first).

Edited April 3, 2010 by Mike Rohaley

[Croc]

skip, are u using the raceline wet sump w/ the miata block. If the skidplate fits the wetsumped zetec in an SV frame, i'd be interested. if there's no others looking for the same I can have someone local fab the plate.

 

 

Jon - Another alternative for you is to give George Alderman a call. They have a skidplate kit which is what I used and modified slightly for my car.

http://midatlanticcaterham.com/images/Caterham%20skid.jpg

 

 

Oops...sorry....just realized I hijacked someone else's post

Edited April 3, 2010 by Croc

[Alaskossie]

Mike,

I have concluded that due to my dry-sump on my 2007 Caterham S3 offering more ground clearance than your wet-sump, I do not need the level of protection afforded by your sump guard. for comparison, I have attached photos of my dry sump (with optional Caterham "sump guard bar" bolted on, of doubtful efficacy), and your wet sump.

 

Also, I would have to locate a hole for my dry sump tank drain, and possibly clearance for my two 110 V sockets you can see in the photo (one for oil tank pre-heater, and one for battery conditioner).

 

I may eventually design a similar but lower-profile sump guard and have it fabricated locally out of heavy-gauge aluminum.

 

I am interested in your rear belly-pan. Could the fixed piece that is pop-riveted to the existing body be attached by nut-serts, to make it removable if necessary? Any disadvantages?

[Mike Rohaley]

Sure, I can install rivnuts into that part. The screw heads (if put in from above) will not foul the seat bases markedly. FYI: There will be about a .040" gap between the plate and the floorpans due to the rivnut base verus .000" if standard rivets are used.

[Alaskossie]

Mike,

 

I was actually thinking of rivnuts in the fixed part of the Caterham bodywork, and bolting your flange on with bolts running from the outside through the rivnuts and into the interior.

 

I'm not sure that is what you meant by "screw heads (if put in from above").

 

i suppose the possibility of some rivnuts fouling the seat rails (I have adjustable seats) has to be considered.

[bsimon]

1409, 1410, 1411, ∞

:deadhorse:

[Mike Rohaley]

Alaskossie:

You mentioned in your above post about making your own sump guard out of aluminum. To save you some grief: My original guard was made from aluminum but proved to be too flexible and deformed more than I liked with repeated jack lifts. The material thickness required to properly make it out of aluminum negated the weight savings over steel (with my design at least). If you decide to make yours from aluminum, I wouldn't recommend any less than 1/8" thickness.

[Alaskossie]

bsimon,

 

Target: 1450

 

I'm getting there....

[scannon]

bsimon,

 

Target: 1450

 

I'm getting there....

 

The new "Fat Bastard". :jester:

[Mike Rohaley]

Mike,

 

I was actually thinking of rivnuts in the fixed part of the Caterham bodywork, and bolting your flange on with bolts running from the outside through the rivnuts and into the interior.

 

I'm not sure that is what you meant by "screw heads (if put in from above").

 

i suppose the possibility of some rivnuts fouling the seat rails (I have adjustable seats) has to be considered.

 

If the rivnuts are attached to your existing floorpan they will foul your seat bases, not the seat track. Since the seat bases slide directly on the floorpan the rivnuts will cause problems when you try to slide the seats back (that is why either rivets or screws should be installed from above).

[Alaskossie]

The new "Fat Bastard". :jester:

 

Scannon,

 

my S3 is "robust." Your SV is still a Fat Bastard.

[athens7]

Scannon,

 

my S3 is "robust." Your SV is still a Fat Bastard.

 

Isn't a 1450 lb S3 Superlight kind of like Kate Moss with a pot belly?

[scannon]

Scannon,

 

my S3 is "robust." Your SV is still a Fat Bastard.

 

Porky might be a better description for your ESL.

 

I stopped by Jeff's place today and your car sure looks lonely tucked up against the side of his garage.

[bsimon]

Isn't a 1450 lb S3 Superlight kind of like Kate Moss with a pot belly?

 

More like Kate Moss in a depleted uranium thong!

 

:drool:

[yellowss7]

1450 lbs in a Superlight???:ack: That HAS to be WITH Driver right? Or Did you mount a set of Moose Antlers on the nose cone?

 

Come on Tom, Spill it. How do you get an S3 Superlight to that weight? Even Mazda's beast isn't much more.

 

My S3 Superlight even with a heater, carpets and a windscreen, weighed in at 1164.

 

Tom

[Alaskossie]

Who said anything about DEPLETED uranium?

 

My car was weighed with one-half tank of gas, full (and somewhat duplicative) weather equipment (windshield, side screens, Caterham top, SoftBits bikini top, half-doors, wind wings, heater), and two fire extinguishers and mounts (those things are HEAVY!). It is a dry sump Duratec, with FIA roll bar and 15-inch Caterham wheels. On the plus (or weight-negative) side, it has an Odyssey battery, carbon fiber front and rear wings and nose cone, carbon fiber headlamps and rear light blocks, and carbon-kevlar Tillet seats.

 

My car has interior carpeting and engine bay and tunnel insulation. I weighed the insulation as it was put in, and it added approximately 25 lb. total. The front and rear wings are sprayed with bed-liner to reduce rock impacts, which probably resulted in them weighing about as much as unlined fiberglas wings.

 

The car weighed 1408 as specified above, not 1450. The "1450" was a lame joke.

 

According to Nathan Down an S3 Superlight R500 from Caterham weighs in at around 1220 lb in "race trim" (i. e., no windscreen, no paint, no heater, no fluids of any kind, no fuel, no weather equipment, only an aeroscreen and a rollbar). Caterham's objective was to get its bragging weight as low as possible, so that they could calculate "500" hp per tonne power to weight ratio. I'll bet there are few Caterham S3's racing in England that even approach that "bragging weight."

 

yellowss7, your S3 Superlight may in fact weigh 1164, but that is a weight that even the factory can't seem to approach with the current S3 cars.