build K-Series Gbs Zero

[fry61]

That box will be perfect for your engine!

 

As for registration, there was someone else on one of the fb groups who got theres in 10 days too just this week

 

 

Pretty slow I'd say --- Florin's IVA 16-2-2011 registered/plates made/fitted & first trip on 19-2-2011 But the Poole DVLA did the build inspection before test!!

[nelmo]

5 weeks!!!

 

Five!

 

Weeks!

[fry61]

Look on the bright side --- think of all the petrol saved

[brumster]

5 weeks!!!

 

Five!

 

Weeks!

Your handwriting must be dreadful ;-)

[brumster]

Spent yesterday lifting the engine and box out, and dropping in the new 6-speed. Was hoping to be an in-and-out in a day job but other things came up that delayed us a little.

 

Firstly, while it was out, it made sense to swap the new quick rack into the chassis, so that swallowed up an hour while we swapped over the steering arms.

Also changed the engine mounts for new ones just as a precaution really.

 

Engine and box out, it was fairly straightforward - crack the Caterham bellhousing off the 5 speed to swap over onto the 6. The gearbox input shaft cover needed to be transplanted across also, since the one on the 6-speed doesn't have a clutch release bearing portion (probably was hydraulic on the car it came out of). But it needed machining to clear the layshaft front bearing retainer, so I had to mill 5mm off the bottom of it. No big deal thankfully, but swallowed up another half hour.

 

Fitted the new TTV flywheel, along with a new input shaft bearing and sleeve which are needed on the K-Series to take up the end of the gearbox input shaft in the flywheel. I then re-fitted the old AP uprated friction plate (very little wear) with a brand new uprated AP cover plate, and the long-style release bearing. There are 2 listed for the old 190mm Ford clutches; a low-height and a high-height one. Caterham list the short one for their cars but, having them both to try out, the short one doesn't sit on the gearbox shaft sleeve enough for my liking, so I've retained the taller bearing to give better actuation and keep the clutch release arm operation consistent.

 

At the moment it's all back in the car but we ran out of time re-attaching everything, so will continue tonight with the ancillaries. Bit *bleep* off with myself that the exhaust exit on the side of the body has taken a knock and chipped off some paint, so I'll probably end up putting some trim on that to hide the war wounds. Tiniest of things but it's really *bleep*ed me off >:-(

 

Interesting to note the Caterham 6-speed doesn't need that plastic "shoe" in the gear lever mechanism, you know the bit that the gear lever slots into? On the caterham they've left meat on the metal part of the mechanism in the gearbox, and the lever drops straight onto it (metal to metal). Shift quality feels good as a result!

[brumster]

Oh dear, a bit "fell off" and needed to be replaced.... :-)

 

[David S]

Will it fall back on for MOT ?

Edited March 8, 2018 by David S

[brumster]

Will it fall back on for MOT ?

It may well do, yes

 

Actually I should big up John at www.304stainlessexhaustparts.com who I used for the short section of tube. Normally I go to Simpson Race Exhausts but they've got a bit expensive in the past few years so I thought I'd try someone else. Did John a little drawing, he was quite happy to put the 10 degree kink in it and the swage, and reasonably priced at £17 I thought... plus postage, mind.

Edited March 8, 2018 by brumster

[brumster]

Well, the car is back together following the gearbox transplant. Not really worth any photos since there's no real visual difference between old and new.

 

The Caterham 6 speed box is largely a drop-in replacement although I have found out that the engine seems to be fractionally forward compared to previously. We're talking mm; taken up easily in the adjustment on the engine mounts so not something that really caused an issue except that when I came to put it in, the front crank pulled was just interfering with the front crossmember of the chassis. Since the front pulley on the K-Series includes a secondary run for something or other (power steering pump probably), I simply chopped it off so the problem was sorted easily....

 

 

So other upgrades, some covered on my fuel surge thread, include :

• Foam in the fuel tank
• Replaced fuel sender with vertical enclosed float-style filter (needed for the above)
• TTV light weight flywheel
• AP racing clutch
• De-cat
• 2.5 quick rack
• New engine mount rubbers

Unfortunately since the weather seems to have other plans, a conclusion on what it's like will have to wait a few days as I neither fancy a freezing to death, nor R888's in ice and snow, to be brave enough to go out in it but the wheels do at least turn (tested with the car up on stands)! One thing I did notice is that the engine is noticeable more responsive and lively now, with the new flywheel, which is hardly surprising given it must be half the weight of the one that came off.

 

Watch this space, I guess. Some sun now please

Edited March 18, 2018 by brumster

[brumster]

Hoorah, the new gearbox works!

 

 

Unfortunately, I don't think the foam has... oh well, worth a try I'm not ripping the tank out now until maybe next winter. Time to enjoy the car.

Edited March 19, 2018 by brumster

[brumster]

4 wheel alignment done today, made such a difference of course (hardly surprising)....

 

The back was initially toeing out, but we packed the rear bearing carriers out with washers to getting it toeing in slightly. I'm a bit 50/50 about leaving the washers in versus either machining a spacer plate for the rear of the carrier, or else removing the brake mounting bracket and essentially shaving a very shallow chamfer into it. We are essentially talking 1.25mm on one side, and 1.5mm on the other, at the rear edge of the bracket. I don't really like the idea of the carrier face not being fully in place on the hub. But main thing was to prove the theory of how much to adjust, which we managed luckily with the first attempt. Turns out 0.25mm of washer behind the bolt equated to roughly 1mm of toe change. We went from 8mm toe-out to just under 2mm toe-in.

 

We then set the front easily enough to 2mm toe-out.

 

Camber we didn't dick with, but we came out with 1deg30 camber on the back on one side, and 1deg on the other, and the same but opposite on the front. I'm not going to really faff over the camber all that much, or certainly not at this point in time anyway... the values are sensible for the road, I'm happy with them.

 

Naturally car drives night-and-day different now. Steering so much more consistent, car tracks straight and true and the steering feel and load-up in corners is progressive now, whereas before there was a lack of centre feel and re-centering effect. So I'll stick with that, feels good to me and car is more sure-footed. Just need to do the rear spacing "properly", a bit like camber wedges, but not to adjust the camber but rather the toe. I suspect the milling maching might prove useful once more ....

[Thrashed]

Were did you get it done? Having mine set up and the shocks dynod was the best performance upgrade on the whole car.

[brumster]

Local place where I know the owner, he's got one of those 4 wheel laser alignment gizmo-thingies. Spanners, in Coleshill. Phil's a top chap.

 

I'd have gone to Matt but he's just too busy and it sounds like it's an all-dayer thing too. Since he did the shocks and springs I don't really need that aspect doing so much, and I know the corner weighting was pretty even from the IVA (I've got the numbers somewhere, I can't remember them exactly but there was nothing scary about the weight distribution). So this will do for now. I'll explore the car's handling over the coming months and decide whether it needs a more in-depth session or not. For now, at least it's not diving all over the road with the tiniest bit of camber change/etd !!

[brumster]

Little cherry on the cake; treated the car to some new seats - the ubiquitous Odyssey seats from Intatrim....

 

Ordered at Stoneleigh, ready 6 weeks later, look nice - just set the car off a bit better than the previous onces I had from the Exmo that were blue (to match the Exmo)....

[nelmo]

Identical to mine - good choice