The hoses that connect the oil tank, dry sump and oil cooler are notorious. They use a specialised connector that have a draft angle on the threads which in turn means that they are quite easy to cross-thread. Inspecting the male connector it was slightly reassuring to see that they are replaceable parts, machined from aluminium and fixed to the engine block with caphead bolts. Dry fitting one of the hoses to the easily accessible connector on the top of the oil tank allowed a practice run. I found the best technique was to visually align the connector from two directions, and then slowly turn in an anti-clockwise direction. Listening and feeling for the click as the two threads openings pass each other, and then slowly reversing direction. With the two threads engaged, despite the draft angle, finger tightening the rest of the way brings confidence that the threads are not crossed.
The challenge then becomes doing this in the confined space of the engine bay. The hoses were well labelled by Caterham and therefore easy to identify. The hose fitting between the rear sump connector and the base of the oil tank is relatively straightforward to fit because of the access from below the chassis. It routes in an easy curve avoiding moving parts.
Rear sump to oil tank
The second oil pipe can be more awkward if it is first routed through the chassis. The trick is to allow the pipe to hang below the sump and chassis whilst it is fitted to the sump connector - then the pipe can be persuaded up through the chassis, under the steering rack and into position to reach the oil radiator. I will make this connection once I have the radiator fitted.
The third and final oil pipe has easy access at the oil tank and is easily routed down to the oil cooler.
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