Monday, November 05, 2007

Bit of fettling

Sometime ago I had to mount the alternator the other way up as the caterham exhaust manifold left the wires dangerously close to the primary pipe on No1. This meant I had to adjust the engine mount. As seen below, no room for a bolt head with a washer and split washer below the head.
Best solution was just to bore a recess hole into the tube and then fit a socket screw with an allen head rather than chop down the mount and weld it up again. This way it'll sit flush...Have to source a 1/2" UNF allen bolt 3" long... Apex Fasteners are useful for odd stuff.
Pretty damn pleased with engine mounts...I spent a while considering them. The E-Type mounts make it virtually hard mounted, the only thing they allow is damping of vibration, there will be no vertical, or sideways rotation or movement on the engine. The raked angle means the engine cannot move side to side as it would need to tear the mounts, and the stiff mounts mean it can't flex on the mounts up or down..Have to get on with that Strut brace sometime, no priority on that, probably make it from alloy tube...After all its a 1/3rd the weight of steel!
Similar clearance issue on the starter motor, all caterhams have the block shaved, as done already, but again no room for bolt so socket screw again.

Having an evening off the paint while it slowly bakes. I'll add a bit more paint on a few areas later then get it topcoated later this week.

Engine mounts and few final brackets can go for powdercoating now...Just need to baffle the sump next and fit that and the engine can go back in, need to source some more funny sealer first.

Oh and those throttle bodies will fit, 270mm flange to trumpet, so should be able to fit them straight on using the standard ITG powerful foam filter. Probably buy them, as the carbs on the car are worth alot and the manifold, trumpets, regulator, fuel pump. Infact I can sell all that buy those throttle bodies and Megasquirt box, injection filter, pump, lines and come out with a profit or atleast break even...So, I could probably even sell the throttle bodies on for a profit...So why not. It will stay on carbs for the time being as its easier for me to handle the tuning and whatever and I need a bit of time to get the whole car in touch...Call that a sideline project for next winter. I want to leave some stuff to do!

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