Cooling system modification

Plumbing diagram

Back in September I had gone to the Seattle motor show, where they had 3 sevens on display. One of them had the coolant system overflow bottle mounted near to the scuttle. This is more convenient as you can actually get at it when you want to top up the system by just removing the bonnet. The nosecone can stay in-situ!

So I set about the job by partially draining the cooling system. I removed the overflow bottle and found a threaded insert already in place above the passenger side foot-well -so I fixed it there.

Here is the old plumbing diagram for reference

I replaced the T piece by the water pump inlet with a bend in the hose leading back to heater outlet. Thus removing the hose that used to lead forwards to the reservoirs old location.

I install the T piece close to heater outlet. Then led a hose from the relocated T to the reservoir. Finally connected the small overflow hose after shortening.

Relocated coolant resovoir

Revised plumbing

Oil Temperature Gauge Upgrade

Dec 29 & 30

I had researched installing a new Oil Temp. Gauge and a found that a common solution was to use an identical temperature sensor as used for the coolant temp. gauge and share the existing gauge by means of a switch. I had purchased an additional sensor some time ago.

Temp sensor fitted in oil sump bung

Temp sensor fitted in oil sump bung.

First job was to remove the sump oil drain bung, thus draining the oil.
Then, I installed the sensor into the oil drain bung by drilling a 9mm hole in the center and tapping a 10mm x 1mm pitch thread. Then refitted the bung & re-filled the oil. I ran a new green wire from the sensor to the back of the dash panel.

Oil sump bung fitted in place with new wiring

Temp gauge removed from dash

Temp gauge 3 pin connector

Next job was to remove the water temperature gauge from the dash panel. Its held in place with a U bracket and 2 thumb-wheel nuts. Then unplug the 3 spade connector fitting.

Original temp gauge wiring

After cutting the 3 pin connector

I had to separate out the feed wire and spade connector from the others and did this by cutting with a Stanley knife & wire cutters.

New wiring with switch and added green wire to oil temp sensor

Next I made up a  harness with a changeover switch. The center pin of the switch was soldered to a wire with a female spade connector leading to the gauge signal pin. The first side pin of the switch was soldered to a wire with a male spade connector that will connect to the original water temp signal. Last pin is soldered to the green wire coming from the new sender on the sump. All solder joints were completed with heat shrink sleeving. Then plug it all together and install the gauge back in the dash panel. Oh, and before that drill a 3/8″ diameter hole below the gauge to install the switch.

Wiring installed, waiting for gauge to go in

Completed gauge wiring, ready for gauge to go back into dash

New oil/coolant switch under temp gauge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The switch changes the gauge to read either coolant temperature or oil temperature.

Suspension Adjustments

Dec 27 & 28
While the 7 is off the road, I set about adjusting the front suspension to get is closer to spec.

1.      Adjust the Caster angles for the front suspension. When the wheel alignment was done the caster was 4.9 degrees on the left and 5.5 degrees on the right. The spec is 4 degrees +- 1 degree. To get the adjustment requires changing the spacer washers on the lower wishbones, to allow the wishbones to move backwards and reduce the caster angle.
There are 2 thick washers in place, each measuring 2.36mm. Thin washers measure 0.79mm.
For RHS, reduce from 2 thick to 1 thin washers, =3.93mm. The upright measures 230mm, Tangent =3.93/230 = 0.017, angle = 0.98 degrees. New castor angle = 4.52 degrees.
For LHS, reduce from 2 thick to 1 fat &1 thin washers, =1.57mm. The upright measures 230mm, Tangent =1.57/230 = 0.0068, angle = 0.39 degrees. New castor angle = 4.51 degrees.

Before & after Caster adjustment

2.      Adjust the Camber angles for the front suspension. When the wheel alignment was done the camber was -2.2 degrees on the left and -2.5 degrees on the right. The spec is 1.33 degrees +- 0.3 degree. To get the adjustment requires moving out the upper wishbone ball joints by 1mm per screw turn.
The upright measures 230mm, so 1 turn = 1mm, Tangent =1/230=0.00435, angle =0.25 degrees
For the RHS, 4 turns will reduce camber from -2.5 to -1.50 degrees.
For the LHS, 3 turns will reduce camber from -2.2 to -1.45 degrees.

Camber adjustment calculation

Mishap

Damaged cycle wing

Dec 26
Had a mishap, fell off the road on a downhill left bend covered in ice (Cabin Creek Road approaching I89S). Hit the left hand front wheel & cycle wing on the right rear of a Honda Civic which had run off the road from the same patch of ice earlier than I did. Both cars stuck in the snow at the side of the road. The Civic was unhurt, but the 7 got a broken front wing, a bent wing-stay and a bent upper wishbone ball joint assembly. I ordered an upper wishbone ball joint assembly from Jon/ Caterham USA. I going to try & fix the wing & bend the wing-stay back.

The damaged ball joint in situ

Bent ball Joint

Looking back for Christmas

For Christmas I got a panoramic rear view mirror and center console saddle bags that Dot made. Both installed easily.

Panoramic rear view mirror at top of windscreen

Console storage installed