Support Team andy_harries Posted January 20, 2019 Support Team Share Posted January 20, 2019 Hi allI joined the club recently and have been ploughing through the extensive back catalogue of guides, technical briefs and posts, but a combination of my lack of searching and winnowing skills, and there being quite a few different engine and car types have left me with a couple of simple questions still to be answered.The car is a 2016 Roadsport R with a 125hp 1.6 Sigma engine. Its road legal, with my guess being that its life will be half spent on country lanes and half going around a track.I'm only very vaguely competent with a spanner - I owned a Subaru Impreza previously that I'd fettled with myself to make it better for the track (upgraded brakes, changed the intercooler, installed oil and boost guages etc) but that was a while ago so be gentle!Oil - I'd used Silkolene with my Scooby when tracking it, bought from Opie Oils. Assume Fuchs Titan Race Pro 5W 40 (the new name for Silkolene it seems) would be a good choice with significant time spent on the track?Tyre pressures on the track and road- I've currently got Avon ZZS (185/55/R13). My plan is to get an additional set of wheels and put tyres that work better in the cold and wet on them, but for now what would be a good set of pressures to try for the road and then also for the track in colder weather?Torque for wheel nuts - couldn't see in the Ikea style build manual I downloaded?Battery cut off - Is it enough to flick the battery cut off switch when leaving the car in the garage for a couple of weeks, or will I still need to get a battery conditioner? On the Scooby I had a detachable connector so when I knew I wasn't going to use it for a few weeks I would quickly disconnect the battery which would save it from draining too much. Obviously long periods of storage would need a conditioner anway, but hopefully it'll only be 2 or 3 weeks between runs out on the road or track.Size of hex key for radius arm bolt behind the seat. The guy at the dealership mentioned that one of the things to check is whether the rear radius arms are loose after significant track running (he races a roadsport and finds he needs to tighten his from time to time). One side of this is in the wheelarch, but the other is down the side of the seat and looks like it needs a long stubby hex key to get to it without taking the seat out. Anyone know one that would fit (not just size of bolt, but slip down behind the seat into it)?Specific Caterham-y things to check when tracking it. As with the Scooby I'll need to check things like fluids, wheel nuts and tyres when preparing for a track day, but like the radius arm bolt, are there any other things that are more specific to caterhams that I wouldn't think of (like ensuring the pin is out of the extinguisher in the boot) ?Thanks in advance - apologies if I've missed something obvious in the guides etc that answer some or all of my questions (don't worry about just posting a link in your reply, I'll make sure I dig through and then bookmark for next time!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Wheel nuts 55lb ft or 75Nm. Allen key damper top ... 3/8" AF on my 2002 car. Maybe a metric 10mm now ? Edit ... just re-read your post .... radius arm bolt, not damper top bolt. I think a metric Allen key fits the socket head on my imperial car. Don't recall the size .... just get your metric keys out and try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 20, 2019 Member Share Posted January 20, 2019 Welcome.2 x Private Messages sent.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Ford recommend a 5W30 oil. I use Mobil 1 on road and track, but any good brand would be ok. Duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikecocker Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I always used Comma Xtec 5w 30 as recommended by CC. Good price on ebay. Imo more important to change regularly, than spend loads.18 psi cold75 NmI always turn off master switch every time I get out of car, and have never had a battery problem, no matter how long I leave the car between outings. Allow the immobiliser to start flashing before isolating.The radius arm cap head bolt is 10mm so you need an 8mm hex wrench. Depending on whether you can slide the seat out the way, or in my case it was fixed quite far forward, and I needed to shorten the short leg on a long series wrench.I always spanner checked after events, but after a couple of times you will know where the problems are, which may vary on different cars. In my case, it was radius arm bolts, engine mounting bolts into block, top wishbone balljoint locknut and diff mounting bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team andy_harries Posted January 21, 2019 Author Support Team Share Posted January 21, 2019 Very helpful, thanks for the replies all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 23, 2019 Member Share Posted January 23, 2019 Andy: Email sent.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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