Zoli's Build Tips...
Below is my Build tips and hints, based on my experience through my build, conversations with Caterham, and observations of Caterham 7 cars which others have built. All of the advice here is needs to be considered in context of your build and the problems that you may be facing, but please use the information here as a guide only, and as a way to help you understand and solve some of your issues.
Where possible I have tried to provide insight based around the build order of the Caterham Academy 2012 car. Since the build process is always changing, and evolving, I would always recommend talking to Caterham directly if you are not sure or want things clarified.
I hope you enjoy the build as much i have, and I wish you all good luck in building your Caterham Academy 2012 car. See you on the track !!!
Where possible I have tried to provide insight based around the build order of the Caterham Academy 2012 car. Since the build process is always changing, and evolving, I would always recommend talking to Caterham directly if you are not sure or want things clarified.
I hope you enjoy the build as much i have, and I wish you all good luck in building your Caterham Academy 2012 car. See you on the track !!!
Caterham Academy Build - 2012
Steering Rack:
- on the steering the manual says to put the washer the same side as the bold head, however with the new designed steering rack clamps this should now say to put the washer the end of the nut as the new steering clamps have a recessed area for the bolt head to locate into.
- the installation of the "SVA" hoods on the track rod arms requires that the ends of the SVA hood is removed. I used a stanly knife to remove the end of the SVA hood.
- on the steering the manual says to put the washer the same side as the bold head, however with the new designed steering rack clamps this should now say to put the washer the end of the nut as the new steering clamps have a recessed area for the bolt head to locate into.
- the installation of the "SVA" hoods on the track rod arms requires that the ends of the SVA hood is removed. I used a stanly knife to remove the end of the SVA hood.
Front Brake Calipers:
although i did not find this out until i had completed the Build and was filling the breaks with fluid, it would appear that the brake pipe connection which connects the flexi hose throught the front body panel to the brake pipes in the engine is not correctly described in the Manual. It describes passing the male end of the flex hose through a washer, through tthe bodywork, then through the smae kind of washer on the insdide of the engine bay, and then an "anti shake" washer through a lock nut into the female nut on the end of the pre-fitted brake pipe. Well i did this, and tightend as much as i could, only to find that it leaked fluid like there was no tomorrow when i filled the brake fluid up (post build).
On investigation it would appear that with all the washers and the lock nut on the inside the brake pipe nut will not travel far enough home to seal the brake pipe to the male enmd of the flex hose. To rectify this i had to remove the washer on the inside (not the antishake washer) and replaced it with a much thinner one (slightly over size). Once tightened this stopped the brake nut from locking against the lock nut before it was fully sealed (it left a very small gap between the female nut on the brake pipe and the lock nut).
I would suggest that to make sure you don't suffer the same issue, you ensure that once the connection is fuilly tightened that the Brake pipe nut is not against the lock nut (if it is then teh chances are you the nut is not fully home and will leak)
On investigation it would appear that with all the washers and the lock nut on the inside the brake pipe nut will not travel far enough home to seal the brake pipe to the male enmd of the flex hose. To rectify this i had to remove the washer on the inside (not the antishake washer) and replaced it with a much thinner one (slightly over size). Once tightened this stopped the brake nut from locking against the lock nut before it was fully sealed (it left a very small gap between the female nut on the brake pipe and the lock nut).
I would suggest that to make sure you don't suffer the same issue, you ensure that once the connection is fuilly tightened that the Brake pipe nut is not against the lock nut (if it is then teh chances are you the nut is not fully home and will leak)
Front Light bracket:
- bracket supplied with the kit is not the same as the one shown in the manual. It is actually a simpler installation, and should be located over the top of the front upper wishbone bracket before the nut is incerted into the front upper wishbone, and tightened.
This photo, and the ones below were supplied by Sean at Caterham to show how to attach the bracket, and was very helpful.
This photo, and the ones below were supplied by Sean at Caterham to show how to attach the bracket, and was very helpful.
Engine and Gearbox (alternative way to get it in):
Having just handed the car over for post build check, i was chatting to the mechanic and he pointed out that when they put the gearbox and engine into the car they dont normally join them. The normally put the gearbox in (full of oil and with the clutch already blead), and then put the engine in and slide it onto the gearbox spline.
I liked the idea of this and should i do another build i may try to do it this way, but for all those that follow me, this may be an option for you to try out and let me know what you think .... let me know...
- post script - I had to take my engine out for a gearbox oil leak and have now put the engine in seperate from the gearbox... it was fairly easy... the only issue was the starter bolt nut closest to the engine (this nut alone took me 3 hours to get out because of having to find the right tool to get access to it), which I am told Caterham North dont normally fit for the race cars.
Gearbox Mounting Bracket tip.
If you are planning on racing your car, Caterham North have recomended that you might want to put larger washers on to the gearbox cross member bolts. thier reasoning is that if you have a large shunt the standard washers which are part of the build could come through the elongated holes in the cross member and free the gearbox in the transmission tunnel. By replacing the washers with larger diameter washers this is much less likely to happen... I have taken this advice and increased the washer size on the bolts (and on the bolts for the seats too)
I liked the idea of this and should i do another build i may try to do it this way, but for all those that follow me, this may be an option for you to try out and let me know what you think .... let me know...
- post script - I had to take my engine out for a gearbox oil leak and have now put the engine in seperate from the gearbox... it was fairly easy... the only issue was the starter bolt nut closest to the engine (this nut alone took me 3 hours to get out because of having to find the right tool to get access to it), which I am told Caterham North dont normally fit for the race cars.
Gearbox Mounting Bracket tip.
If you are planning on racing your car, Caterham North have recomended that you might want to put larger washers on to the gearbox cross member bolts. thier reasoning is that if you have a large shunt the standard washers which are part of the build could come through the elongated holes in the cross member and free the gearbox in the transmission tunnel. By replacing the washers with larger diameter washers this is much less likely to happen... I have taken this advice and increased the washer size on the bolts (and on the bolts for the seats too)
Gear box tool:
As some of you will know there is little room between the gearbox and the chassis on a Caterham, so removing the gearbox filler plug is very difficult. I had some great difficulty in getting the plug out as i did not remove it until the gearbox was fitted. The actual removal was not the issue, it was the choice of tool that became the problem. I read that there were a couple of ways to do this.
1) cut down a 5/8 allen key so that it has 15mm to go into the plug
2) cut a hole in the passenger floor well and then gain access through the inside of the car
I have to say that neither of these were of any use to me because the quality of the bend in the allen key i chose to cut down meant that the 15mm end was warped and would not fit into the plug (didnt confirm this until i got it out), and the second option was a non starter as to acheive this i would not only have to cut through the floor well, but also through one of the chassis members (a definate no no). So how did i get the plug out.... ?
Well i used the end of the key that i cut off, and reduced the length to 20mm (enough to go into the plug, and still have hang out to get a spanner on it). This worked great and was easier to get into the hole that using the long handle of a shortened allen key. All the cutting was done using an angle grinder.
- post script - i have also heard of some academy cars being delivered with "square drive nuts" too.
1) cut down a 5/8 allen key so that it has 15mm to go into the plug
2) cut a hole in the passenger floor well and then gain access through the inside of the car
I have to say that neither of these were of any use to me because the quality of the bend in the allen key i chose to cut down meant that the 15mm end was warped and would not fit into the plug (didnt confirm this until i got it out), and the second option was a non starter as to acheive this i would not only have to cut through the floor well, but also through one of the chassis members (a definate no no). So how did i get the plug out.... ?
Well i used the end of the key that i cut off, and reduced the length to 20mm (enough to go into the plug, and still have hang out to get a spanner on it). This worked great and was easier to get into the hole that using the long handle of a shortened allen key. All the cutting was done using an angle grinder.
- post script - i have also heard of some academy cars being delivered with "square drive nuts" too.
Throttle cable and pedal:
When you install the throttle cable, it may become apparent that the capble is too long for the caterham (in my case by about 3 inches). I have been informed by Caterham that the normal procedure here is to insert a screwdriver into the end of the pedal (so it goes down the shaft of the pedal where the cable is to be located), and bend the pedal rearward until the cable held in place by the new pedal positioning.
If you wish you can also use silicant sealant on the plastic gromet which goes through into the hole in teh pedal box, but i chose to cable tie the throttle cable to the chassis (above the exhaust manifold) to ensure that the gromet remains in place.
Something i also was adviced when i had my post build check was that the plastic retaining end which sits into the whole in the pedal box was loose on mine (looked like it might fall out, Caterham suggested that if i wanted (not a requirement) i could put a short self tapping screw down throught the cut out of the pedal box through into the plastic of the cable,... i have now done this and it keeps the plastic nicely in place.
If you wish you can also use silicant sealant on the plastic gromet which goes through into the hole in teh pedal box, but i chose to cable tie the throttle cable to the chassis (above the exhaust manifold) to ensure that the gromet remains in place.
Something i also was adviced when i had my post build check was that the plastic retaining end which sits into the whole in the pedal box was loose on mine (looked like it might fall out, Caterham suggested that if i wanted (not a requirement) i could put a short self tapping screw down throught the cut out of the pedal box through into the plastic of the cable,... i have now done this and it keeps the plastic nicely in place.
Diferential installation:
The Differential is possibly the hardest peice to get right so far. the dificulty is the juggling of the differential, lining the bolts and then getting getting it centred as it needs to be with spacers. The Tip here is to get help.. this is one part of the build i would recomend you dont go through on your own.
The New BMW differential is a non LSD (Limited Slip Differential) which comes pre filled (but the fluid level needs to be checked). First you have to offer the differential up to get the lower bolts on, and then use spacers to ensure that the Dif equidistant from the outside of the car (not centred to the tunnel). the most dificult part of all is the location of the top bolt, which has to be puched through the top chassis bracket, through the differential and then back through the second chassis bracket, whilst also placing spacers into position to ensure the right amount of movement. For me this took a hammer (to knock the head of the bolt) and some strong rope and a screw driver to use as a tornique. the first part of the alignement is not difficult, but once the bolt is most of the way through i had issues getting the bolt into the second chassis bracket. o managed this by using a peice of strong rope and looping it from the diferential casing and through the "A-Frame" mounting holes in the outer chassis. then using a screwdriver through the rope I turned the screwdriver placing tention on the rope and pulling the differential towards the outer frame, and lining up the holes. this allowed me to push the bolt the remainder of the way home.
The second challenge for the differential installation was the removal of the left and right differential flanges from the new BMW diferential. Caterham recomended that this was done using the two rods virtically on either side of the flange and leavering the flanges off. I actually acheived the same result using a claw hammer (and the handle of my rubber hammer), on the rear side of the differential. To remove the left hand flange, sit with the flange directly in front of you (the rer of the car is to your right), place the handle of the rubber hammer virtically against the right hand side of the flange (to the read of the differential). now using the claw hammer, use the clawed part of the hammer under the flange, and hammer head against the handle of the rubber hammer, leverage the flange towards you. You may have to do this on both sides of the flange a couple of times, but with sifficient pulling the flange will simply fly out of the differential (or at least that is what happpend for both flanges on mine).
The New BMW differential is a non LSD (Limited Slip Differential) which comes pre filled (but the fluid level needs to be checked). First you have to offer the differential up to get the lower bolts on, and then use spacers to ensure that the Dif equidistant from the outside of the car (not centred to the tunnel). the most dificult part of all is the location of the top bolt, which has to be puched through the top chassis bracket, through the differential and then back through the second chassis bracket, whilst also placing spacers into position to ensure the right amount of movement. For me this took a hammer (to knock the head of the bolt) and some strong rope and a screw driver to use as a tornique. the first part of the alignement is not difficult, but once the bolt is most of the way through i had issues getting the bolt into the second chassis bracket. o managed this by using a peice of strong rope and looping it from the diferential casing and through the "A-Frame" mounting holes in the outer chassis. then using a screwdriver through the rope I turned the screwdriver placing tention on the rope and pulling the differential towards the outer frame, and lining up the holes. this allowed me to push the bolt the remainder of the way home.
The second challenge for the differential installation was the removal of the left and right differential flanges from the new BMW diferential. Caterham recomended that this was done using the two rods virtically on either side of the flange and leavering the flanges off. I actually acheived the same result using a claw hammer (and the handle of my rubber hammer), on the rear side of the differential. To remove the left hand flange, sit with the flange directly in front of you (the rer of the car is to your right), place the handle of the rubber hammer virtically against the right hand side of the flange (to the read of the differential). now using the claw hammer, use the clawed part of the hammer under the flange, and hammer head against the handle of the rubber hammer, leverage the flange towards you. You may have to do this on both sides of the flange a couple of times, but with sifficient pulling the flange will simply fly out of the differential (or at least that is what happpend for both flanges on mine).
Rear suspension tips:
One small tip here that the rear suspention assembly comes with a rear arm that has to be attached to the upper bracket of the Dion tube and bolted through the cabin to the outside of the car. Unfortunately there are two holes that you can use to set this up with. In the case of the academy car i am told that it should be set up using the lower hole.
A-frame installation:
The A-frame installation is fairly simple, however the connection to the Dion tube has two rather deep recesses where the bolt goes in. To tighten the bolt you will need to have a slim 19mm socket to complete this task. My standard Draper 19mm socket was too wide to be inserted into the recess by anout 2mm... so the easiest way is to either use a 1/4 socket set which seem to have thinner settings, or to use get a slim 1/2 drive socket.
Weather equipment (optional):
I have opted for the weather equipment, and here is a tip for those that will be fiting a boot cover (i think that this may be on all cars, not just if you have selected the weather equipment). Assuming you have a full roll cage and harnesses I would recomend fitting the boot cover to the Caterham at the point that you put in the harnesses. This would stop you having to remove the bolts (which is not easy when the roll cage is in place) to fit the boot cover when you do the weather equipment later in the build.
IVA stuff:
Well i have had some issues with bits of the IVA stuff...
It depends on where your car is going to go for IVA as to which items have to be done, so i would suggest that you ask the relevant Caterham location as to what they need for thier test centre.
For the nottingham IVA centre you will need things like the ones on the list below....
It depends on where your car is going to go for IVA as to which items have to be done, so i would suggest that you ask the relevant Caterham location as to what they need for thier test centre.
For the nottingham IVA centre you will need things like the ones on the list below....
Caterham North's IVA list (as at Nov 2011).. this changes constantly so it is always worth getting the latest one from Caterham
Rubber Trim
Bond rubber trim to the following areas so that it cannot be easily removed. We recommend using silicon sealant – WSG37 □ Edges around the fog and reverse lights □ Knee trim panels □ Lower edges of the indicator pods □ Edges around both front wings □ Wishbone cutouts on side skin. Trim around the steering rack cutout is not required. Bolt Caps Place appropriately sized rubber caps on the following bolts. □ Seat belt bolts □ Bottom the of ECU bolts □ Cap Suspension bolts on lower wishbone □ Bung hole in lower front wishbones Using the surplus washer pipe hose supplied cut off small sections to cover the following: □ Cat spring “hooks” □ Feed washer pipe over side repeater wiring on wingstay □ Inside balance pipe bolt - cap will need to be drilled and split to fit (AP uprated brakes only) □ Caliper mounting bolts (AP uprated brakes only) |
Split, feed and cable tie Rubber pipe over the following:
□ Brake pipes □ Top ball joints □ Cover L/H Steering column boss Radius Put a 2.5mm radius on the edges of the following components: □ Wiper arm □ Top shock collar □ Casting lug on the rear of the front brake Calipers (Standard Brakes only) Misc Additional work required: □ Earth petrol tank □ Tidy and insulate wiring in engine bay □ Insulate head lamp wiring □ Attach label to master cylinder □ Secure handbrake cable with P-clips □ Remove doors and hinges □ Mirrors to be mounted on windscreen □ Velcro on Momo steering wheel cover □ Label dash |
Most of it is straight foward, but here are some tips from speaking to the caterham mechanics....
- When you do the Knee trim... make sure you do it all the way around .. not just on the straight edge
- when you do the reversing and fog light, do not take the lens out, you need to push the rubber between the lens and the outer plastic whilst in situe... (not what I tried)
- on the wishbone cut outs, you only need to put rubber on the flared areas.. not all the way around the cut out
- Bolt caps have to be "siliconed onto the nut" to sop it falling off
- The rubber pipe over the "front" break pipe needs to be over the nut which goes through the outer skin of the car (on the end of the flixitube nearest to the car body). basically you have to get rid of the sharpe edge of the nut by covering it.
- The top ball joints refers to the nut on the end of the top wishbone on both sides at the front. this nut has to be covered to stop the edges from being "sharp".
- Raduising the wiper arm means filing the edge down to make it more rounded
- Radiusing the Top shock collar refers to the edge of the front damper and spring assembly, which needs to be filed down
- Radiusing the Casting Lug, is the circular lug which has a sharp edge and a dimple in the middle. all you need to do is remove the sharpe edge (and put in a 2.5 mm curve) using a file.
- If you have fully insulated your wiring loom (especially where it goes through the light stands) you should not need the grommit that they tell you to fit (so i am told)
My car passed the IVA without any hickups.... the only thing that was changed during the inspection was the angle of the heat shield on the cat. Apparently i had it too upright and it needs to be more angled to the side so that anyone walking past cannot catch thier leg on the edge...
Well it is on with putting the miles on the car now !!!
- When you do the Knee trim... make sure you do it all the way around .. not just on the straight edge
- when you do the reversing and fog light, do not take the lens out, you need to push the rubber between the lens and the outer plastic whilst in situe... (not what I tried)
- on the wishbone cut outs, you only need to put rubber on the flared areas.. not all the way around the cut out
- Bolt caps have to be "siliconed onto the nut" to sop it falling off
- The rubber pipe over the "front" break pipe needs to be over the nut which goes through the outer skin of the car (on the end of the flixitube nearest to the car body). basically you have to get rid of the sharpe edge of the nut by covering it.
- The top ball joints refers to the nut on the end of the top wishbone on both sides at the front. this nut has to be covered to stop the edges from being "sharp".
- Raduising the wiper arm means filing the edge down to make it more rounded
- Radiusing the Top shock collar refers to the edge of the front damper and spring assembly, which needs to be filed down
- Radiusing the Casting Lug, is the circular lug which has a sharp edge and a dimple in the middle. all you need to do is remove the sharpe edge (and put in a 2.5 mm curve) using a file.
- If you have fully insulated your wiring loom (especially where it goes through the light stands) you should not need the grommit that they tell you to fit (so i am told)
My car passed the IVA without any hickups.... the only thing that was changed during the inspection was the angle of the heat shield on the cat. Apparently i had it too upright and it needs to be more angled to the side so that anyone walking past cannot catch thier leg on the edge...
Well it is on with putting the miles on the car now !!!
Racing build (not to be done before the IVA)
Fuel Tap fitting ....
In order to fit the fuel tap there are a number of steps to complete.
1) Ensure that the Tap end is inserted and tight into the round barrel by screwing the tap into the thread on the side of the barrel.
2) Place the end cap over the Tap end
3) Now connect one end of the S-shaped connector over one end of the round barrel until you hear it click into place
4) Now you are ready to remove the existing fuel hose on the car.
a. First of all remove the existing fuel hose by pressing the release clip at the back (opposite the flat side) of the collar (see image) and pulling away from the fuel rail. If you are not sure if you are releasing the hose correctly have a look at the S-shaped connector and practice pressing the clip on there as they are exactly the same.
5) Now the end of the fuel rail is free, you can connect the other end of the s-shaped connector to the fuel hose.
6) With the fuel hose free you need to route the original fuel hose around the wires into a position which allows it to smoothly slide onto the end of the barrel, and which allows it to be cable tied into place so that movement of the hose (and therefore rubbing) is kept to a minimum.
Now you need to test the installation by running the engine and checking for leaks in all joints including the tap and barrel joint.
NOTE:- When I did my initial installation i had a leak between the Fuel tap end and the fuel tap barrel. to correct this I used a very small amount of ptfe tape on the thread and retightened by placing the nut of the fuel tap end into a vice and then turning the fuel tap barrel end like a tape until i felt it was tight enough (beware that I think this is made from aluminium and therefore overtightening could damage the threads).
1) Ensure that the Tap end is inserted and tight into the round barrel by screwing the tap into the thread on the side of the barrel.
2) Place the end cap over the Tap end
3) Now connect one end of the S-shaped connector over one end of the round barrel until you hear it click into place
4) Now you are ready to remove the existing fuel hose on the car.
a. First of all remove the existing fuel hose by pressing the release clip at the back (opposite the flat side) of the collar (see image) and pulling away from the fuel rail. If you are not sure if you are releasing the hose correctly have a look at the S-shaped connector and practice pressing the clip on there as they are exactly the same.
5) Now the end of the fuel rail is free, you can connect the other end of the s-shaped connector to the fuel hose.
6) With the fuel hose free you need to route the original fuel hose around the wires into a position which allows it to smoothly slide onto the end of the barrel, and which allows it to be cable tied into place so that movement of the hose (and therefore rubbing) is kept to a minimum.
Now you need to test the installation by running the engine and checking for leaks in all joints including the tap and barrel joint.
NOTE:- When I did my initial installation i had a leak between the Fuel tap end and the fuel tap barrel. to correct this I used a very small amount of ptfe tape on the thread and retightened by placing the nut of the fuel tap end into a vice and then turning the fuel tap barrel end like a tape until i felt it was tight enough (beware that I think this is made from aluminium and therefore overtightening could damage the threads).
Breather bottle installation - part 1 - the hard part
Having done a couple of track days and one with someone who had already fitted the breather bottle, I would recomend fitting this before you go out on track as there does seem to be a fair amount of oil collecting in the bottle when you run teh engine hard.
Below are the caterham instructions for the breather kit installation. note this is for the single 2 litre installation bottle, but I am lead to believe that caterham have had problems with getting the same bottles and are not using two 1 litre bottles on the later cars.
There are a few tips which are not in the document below, firstly, because you cannot remove the inlet manifold access to the breather outlet on the crank case is extremely limited. so to help that you can remove the throttle body by removing the air filter and then undoing the 4 screws at the base of the throttle body and moving the assembly to one side.
With some minor issues you can remove the existing pipes as per the instructions and can place the cap onto the outward of the two hose connections.
You should be able to add the hose to the crank case outlet pipe by feeding the new hose down between the middle two inlet manifold tubes. You can even put the jubilee clip on by sliding down over the hose until it falls into place. However tightening the jubille clip up is extremely difficult... in fact it was not physically possible for me to do it as my hands would not get into the clip and still have room to put a screwdriver (or small socket) on the end to tighten it. In the end my wife has to hold the clip in place by placing her left hand down between the middle two manifold in order to put the clip at the correct angle, and stop the jubilee clip from spinning round. Then with her right hand down the hole at the back of the inlet manifold she placed her hand in to push the screwdrive end onto the end of the jubille clip. I then slid a long flexi screw driver (with a socket on the end) below her right hand and she guided it onto the end of the jubille clip. I then tightend it up whilst she held the jubilee clip in place and the end of the srew driver on the subilee clip.
NOTE: I have spoken to Caterham on the sheer imposibility of doing the above for people who do not have small handed people at home and I have been told that there is a trip to doing the above.
1) Once you have removed the original rubber hose from the breather outlet on the crank case it should be possible to pull the plastic tube which sticks up from the crank case (from which you just removed the rubber hose) out of the crank case as it is located in place by a rubber grommet. This then means that you can assemble the new hose onto the plastic tube (including locating and tightening the jubilee clip) away from the car. Then simply push the plastic end back through the rubber gromit of the crank case tubing.
Please not that I have not done this, and so if you want clarification or confirmation on the technique I would suggest you speak to the engineer from Caterham midlands (Simon) who suggested this as an alternative to the method I used.
Remember to use jubilee clips on all the hoses and blanking pieces you intall as that is what Caterham recomend.
Below are the caterham instructions for the breather kit installation. note this is for the single 2 litre installation bottle, but I am lead to believe that caterham have had problems with getting the same bottles and are not using two 1 litre bottles on the later cars.
There are a few tips which are not in the document below, firstly, because you cannot remove the inlet manifold access to the breather outlet on the crank case is extremely limited. so to help that you can remove the throttle body by removing the air filter and then undoing the 4 screws at the base of the throttle body and moving the assembly to one side.
With some minor issues you can remove the existing pipes as per the instructions and can place the cap onto the outward of the two hose connections.
You should be able to add the hose to the crank case outlet pipe by feeding the new hose down between the middle two inlet manifold tubes. You can even put the jubilee clip on by sliding down over the hose until it falls into place. However tightening the jubille clip up is extremely difficult... in fact it was not physically possible for me to do it as my hands would not get into the clip and still have room to put a screwdriver (or small socket) on the end to tighten it. In the end my wife has to hold the clip in place by placing her left hand down between the middle two manifold in order to put the clip at the correct angle, and stop the jubilee clip from spinning round. Then with her right hand down the hole at the back of the inlet manifold she placed her hand in to push the screwdrive end onto the end of the jubille clip. I then slid a long flexi screw driver (with a socket on the end) below her right hand and she guided it onto the end of the jubille clip. I then tightend it up whilst she held the jubilee clip in place and the end of the srew driver on the subilee clip.
NOTE: I have spoken to Caterham on the sheer imposibility of doing the above for people who do not have small handed people at home and I have been told that there is a trip to doing the above.
1) Once you have removed the original rubber hose from the breather outlet on the crank case it should be possible to pull the plastic tube which sticks up from the crank case (from which you just removed the rubber hose) out of the crank case as it is located in place by a rubber grommet. This then means that you can assemble the new hose onto the plastic tube (including locating and tightening the jubilee clip) away from the car. Then simply push the plastic end back through the rubber gromit of the crank case tubing.
Please not that I have not done this, and so if you want clarification or confirmation on the technique I would suggest you speak to the engineer from Caterham midlands (Simon) who suggested this as an alternative to the method I used.
Remember to use jubilee clips on all the hoses and blanking pieces you intall as that is what Caterham recomend.
acad_breather_bottle.pdf | |
File Size: | 728 kb |
File Type: |
Breather bottle installation - part 2 - the easier part
Basically the next step is to install the bottle (or as i am told now the bottles). In my case i have a 2 litre plastic bottle similar to the screen wash bottle, however Caterham have said that they can no longer get the two litre bottle and are supplying two 1 litre bottles (one for each breather hose).
Fitting the bottles is realatively simple and is covered in the instructions supplied by Caterham, but there are a couple of ambiguous parts to the instructions.
1) Locating the Bottle
The instructions suggest fitting the bottle in the standard way to the blanking plate. well since for you and I this is not a usual taks it makes it difficult to fully understand what they mean. But basically they mean take the bracket amd rivit it in place (ensure you follow the instructions for the gap at the bottom of the bottle(s)
2) Fitting the P-Clips -
The instructions suggest using the "extinguisher nozel" bolt as a place to locate teh first P-clip, unfortunately to do this with the existing not was not possible, as with the P-clip in place it meant that the bolt did not reach. I got Caterham to send a longer nut which did the trip for me. the alternative is to use the drill holes for the two RivNuts which are supplier.
If you use the "extinguisher nozel" bolt then you only need to install one riv nut.
I installed my Rivnut 6cm further in (towards the back of the car) than the "extinguisher nozel" bolt (as recomended). You will need to drll the hole using the drill which is just larger than the rivnut. and then I would strongly suggest that you use a Rivnut tool to tighten the Rivnut in place (I did not have one so tried to make one up ising a nut, a bolt and a few washers, which was only partially succesful).
In the end i had to hold the Rivnut from within the car whilst I tightened the P-clip into place because the Rivnut had not tightened in place properly (I will correct this later but it works fine for me at the moment).
3) Putting the hoses into the bottle -
To do this I first put the bottle into the holder and the hoses through the p-clips so that i knew how long the hoses had to be.
I then drilled two 19mm holes into the side of the bottle so that I could locate the pipes fittings that are meant to go into the bottle (rubber grommets which allow the pipe to be slid into them). Once these were in the right place i offfered up the hoses to the other end of the "rubber pipe grommets" and then ensuring there was a little extra length in the pipe I cut the hose (remember you will need to be able to remove the bottle from the bracket, and tip out the contents with the hoses in place).
There all done.
Nose cone - putting the 7 in front of the grille
As part of the 2012 regulations all cars must have the noce cone 7 logo in front of the grille for racing, however for the IVA it has to be the other way around. So initially the car is fitted with it ready for the IVA.
now we have to get it ready for racing, it is a simple process to do, but basically there are a couple of clips on the inside of the cone which have to be removed and you can then remove then grille and amd then the Racing 7.
Fitting is just the opposite (although i did take the opportunity to paint the number.
Enjoy this is a simple job !
now we have to get it ready for racing, it is a simple process to do, but basically there are a couple of clips on the inside of the cone which have to be removed and you can then remove then grille and amd then the Racing 7.
Fitting is just the opposite (although i did take the opportunity to paint the number.
Enjoy this is a simple job !