David K

The seven community has never been particularly married to one power train over another. It's just been question of how much horsepower, and can we fit it! The chassis is the thing. I'd love to have a powerful electric engine with a smallish battery to get me around the track 20 or 25 times. The car could remain well balanced, and have the eyeball pressing torque of an electric motor. Count me in when there is a mainstream modification for our cars.

I sandwiched a bushing with a through-bolt after going through three bobbin/silent blocks. As others mentioned, it's probably a symptom of another problem. In mine, I'm certain it's engine mount welds (long story). The result was the new fixed point pushed all the vibration to the muffler, which soon was making an unpleasant rattling noise. The sooner you re-adjust the exhaust, the happier your muffler and bobbins will be.

Lost my temperature gauge yesterday, so I figured it was an air bubble and not my sensor. I needed to clean the system anyway, so I drained all. Refilled with cleaner and water. And of course, now all works fine. Over the year of inactivity, I must have developed a nasty air bubble somewhere in the system. I tried all manner of burping it last week when the fan would not work, and I was sure it was full of water. Turns out not so. Good news is I don't need to get a new sensor from the U.K. Much appreciated, and apologies for crying wolf, and all.

I'll do that, and I'll wire for a relay. Honestly, there is none. When that sensor switches on, it's directly carrying whatever amps the fan is asking for. Perhaps that led to the problem in the first place.

It's definitely hot enough. I took the coolant to almost boiling and it filled my expansion tank. Separately wired gauge was showing much higher temp than usual. I could see the sensor was fully submerged in the radiator. Time to find a sensor. As long as I'm moving on a track, no need for it. But for lazy Sundays in traffic... Many thanks Graham. David

Yes, I was able to jump the sensor to get the fan to run without a problem. I don't see any relay on the circuit, though it may be somewhere I can't see on the fan housing. I'll take a look. Edit: Looks I'm direct wired from the fuse with a hot wire to the sensor, then straight to fan with a ground coming out. Temp sensor has to be the culprit, but its a first for me to see one fail.

I drove the Zetec for the first time in about a year today (long story), and I found the radiator fan would not trip. Fuse good. I jumped the fan to ground, and it spins just fine. Non-Focus setup, with radiator from PMA, U.K. I tested the thermostat on the stove-top, and it tripped w/in about five degrees Fahrenheit of target. I took the water hotter, and resistance hovered between .8 and .9 all the way to boiling. Would that level of resistance stop juice to the fan? Clamp connections were solid and tested to '0.0'. I don't see any other players in the circuit that could cause a problem. Fluid system was bled, and I could visually see fluid in the radiator covering the level of the thermostat. How is the connection bridged inside the thermostat? From the outside, the system appears pretty fail-safe.

Probably hallucinating, but I'm pretty sure I just saw a bunny flogging a Caterham in an ad during Monday Night Football. Going to splash some ice water on my face, and then off to bed. That's a sign to get some sleep.

Mmmm. A Ford Racing head. If you choose a new direction and are left with a spare Ford Racing head for a Zetec, I'd be happy to dispose of it for you.

Raceline Zetec Elan? https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/d/lotus-elan-s3/6731995869.html

Best to your wife, Jim. I hope all resolves well.