r400 k series oil service
Discussion
hi, just bought a 2004 r400 k series engine car, by looking at the service book its overdue a service, i'm going to service the car myself, worked on loads of cars,last being a porsche 911 carrera 2 964 shape, which i serviced myself for last 4 years, so know my way round a spanner :-) my r400 has a dry sump system on it and need advice on the best method of draining all the oil out and how much oil to refill it? any advice will be gratefully received.
cheers shawn
cheers shawn
Shawn
Welcome to R400 K ownership. Great piece of kit
Easiest way to drain the oil:
Remove plug in sump.
Suck out bellhousing tank with oil evacuatin pump.
Some people advocate a drain plug conversion to the "blue plate" on base of tank. This is really an unnecessary complexity, weight and cost.
Whilst the oil is out, remove the scavenge pipe and check the gauze strainer.
Oil filter is Unipart GFE405 same as Rover OE.
5.5l to refill. I usually put in 5l. Prime engine and run, then top up to max on dipstick (measured within 10 seconds of shut-down)
Enjoy! 200bhp of special K
Peter
Welcome to R400 K ownership. Great piece of kit
Easiest way to drain the oil:
Remove plug in sump.
Suck out bellhousing tank with oil evacuatin pump.
Some people advocate a drain plug conversion to the "blue plate" on base of tank. This is really an unnecessary complexity, weight and cost.
Whilst the oil is out, remove the scavenge pipe and check the gauze strainer.
Oil filter is Unipart GFE405 same as Rover OE.
5.5l to refill. I usually put in 5l. Prime engine and run, then top up to max on dipstick (measured within 10 seconds of shut-down)
Enjoy! 200bhp of special K
Peter
Having just acquired my first dry sumped Caterham, thanks for the tips. However I fail to agree with the unneccessary weight addition and complexity comment regarding the addition of a sump plug in the blue plate in the bell housing. It's not complex to undo a plug, certainly less complex than fiddling about with vacumm pumps of varying quality and efficiency. They're also at least half the cost of the plug conversion anyway.
Another couple of things for me, the one I bought is lighter than the blue plate, or at least it's the same, secondly it's a magnetic plug that sits next to the gauze filter so ideal to take out any more metal particulates that don't get collected by the filter or other sump plug. It's nicely recessed helping to acquire other rubbish which will flow out when changing the warm oil.
Whilst I understand the vacuum pump idea, what it doesn't seem to do very well is get all of the oil out and therefore I'd be more concerned about what was left behind, perhaps unreasonably so. Just seems to me that trying to extract hot oil vertically out of a tower versus just opening the tap underneath to let gravity do the work is contra to logical thought.
The only other comment regarding the sump plug conversion is that it is very nicely made from what appears to be billet stock or at least certainly machined to shape, which given it's cost
it should be 
, but most of the decent pumps I considered where half the price and it's just another something to find a home for in the garage - not that I'm adverse to collecting tools and pieces of kit, just seemed largely unnecessary.
Caterham should have put a plug in the blue plate in the first instance...
Another couple of things for me, the one I bought is lighter than the blue plate, or at least it's the same, secondly it's a magnetic plug that sits next to the gauze filter so ideal to take out any more metal particulates that don't get collected by the filter or other sump plug. It's nicely recessed helping to acquire other rubbish which will flow out when changing the warm oil.
Whilst I understand the vacuum pump idea, what it doesn't seem to do very well is get all of the oil out and therefore I'd be more concerned about what was left behind, perhaps unreasonably so. Just seems to me that trying to extract hot oil vertically out of a tower versus just opening the tap underneath to let gravity do the work is contra to logical thought.
The only other comment regarding the sump plug conversion is that it is very nicely made from what appears to be billet stock or at least certainly machined to shape, which given it's cost
it should be , but most of the decent pumps I considered where half the price and it's just another something to find a home for in the garage - not that I'm adverse to collecting tools and pieces of kit, just seemed largely unnecessary.Caterham should have put a plug in the blue plate in the first instance...
have to agree with Johno here ... I have this one http://www.meteormotorsport.com/caterham/hardware/...
thanks for the advice guys, sounds to me which ever method i use its going to end up a bit messy, forgive me for my ignorance but where would i suck the oil from with the oil evacuatin pump? and if i do remove the blue plate and replace it with sump plug conversion is it fitted with a gasket or some sort of engine sealant?
cheers in advance
shawn
cheers in advance
shawn
I can answer this having just done it .. there is no gasket, but use a sealant, and take great care to get it all clean and flat or you'll end up doing it twice!
to suck it out you unscrew the cap on the tower (where the dipstick is), the oil will be in the bellhousing tank (as long as the car hasn't been standing too long, when it will drain back into the sump)
to suck it out you unscrew the cap on the tower (where the dipstick is), the oil will be in the bellhousing tank (as long as the car hasn't been standing too long, when it will drain back into the sump)
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