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Anti freeze actually has a lower thermal capacity than water. This means that it needs a bigger temperature range to carry away the same amount of heat, so adding anti freeze can actually raise temperatures if the cooling system is overloaded. Production cars cooling systems are designed to work at full power in the hottest places in the world with something in hand. Air in the system can seriously compromise the cooling capacity so is the first thing I would check. Water pump is the next as I understand that there are both colckwise and anti clockwise pumps fitted to zetecs depending on fitment of air con. Have you got the correct pump? Just some thoughts.

If you have the normal 40A alternator 50A should be good. 63 is what ford had on early sierras, I have not checked what they fitted later. I would be checking for any problems with the wires rubbing causing shorts, the original fuse went for a reason, the reason is normally a short. If replaceing the fuse and it holds up then it is checking all other circuits to find anything not working to try narrowing down where there could be problems. Good luck

Mine is rated 63A. Could go a bit lower as I have no high power loads. One thing to remember is that the batttery charge current goes through this and I have a 50A alternator so with a new battery (takes a larger charge current than a clapped out one) I have a bit of headroom for when the alternator gets enthusiastic.

I am fairly certain that the extender is a robin hood part made out of surplus bits. I always thought that this was to adapt a rover metro rack that richard stewart got a bulk surplus buy on.

I think that the MT75 box had an integral bell housing and ford did not fit it to the pinto.

If a change of diff cuts out a gear change this might help getting to 60. My setup requires 2 changes to get to 60, I would be quicker if I only needed a single change. As 1st is a sierra stump puller gear probably your best bet is a modified box with a higher first.

Wish I had seen this when my tiptop alternator died.

On my car the intermittent relay is red

Your understanding is right. Ignition off engine stopped the bulb is at 0 volts both sides bulb off. Ignition on engine stopped switch side of bulb will be at 12v and the alternator side of bulb at 0v bulb lights and passes a small current (limited by the bulb resistance.) ignition on engine running both sides of the bulb now at 12v bulb off. ignition off engine running (for a short while) switch side of bulb now at 0v and alternator side still at 12v (untill engine stops) bulb lights but does not pass enough current to keep sparks going so engine stops. That is how it should work, I hope that this helps.

The alternator exciter wire allows the alternator to start charging the battery at lower speed. Without it you have to blip the throttle to start charging. The battery (ignition in old terms) light on the dash has an other function which is to allert you that the battery is not chargeing when the engine is running before the engine stops due to a flat battery, one cause of on charge is a loose or broken fan belt which as it also drives the water pump should cause you to investigate before the cooling system boils dry.

I have an adjustable fan switch https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/adjustable-fan-controller-thermostat I run it set to 90C. Not had overheating problems with it at this setting. I do not have any vents in the bonnet all the cooling air goes out through the bottom of the engine bay or through the trensmission tunnel. I am running a standard 2l pinto with DGAV standard carb and a coolman robin hood radiator. I did have problems of cooling untill I mounted the fan direct to the radiator.

very much doubt ignition as opening throttle increases the pressure in the cylinder at spark point, this increases the voltage required to get a spark. Ignition problems normally show as hesitation when putting foot down.

I had the same problem and built the car with the same pedal setup and clutch from the doner but it never worked well. I only drove the doner about 20 miles and clutch was good (the car had other problems) so I was supprised that it did not work as well in my exmo. First thing I found was that the mounting provided by robin hooh had the cable outer stop nearer to the peddle than in the doner, a stack of washers helped. Then a couple of years later I came across a stall with a full selection of pawls for the ford pedal and fitted the largest (black as they were colour coded) and it transformed the gear change.

I used the sierra system but it involved a lot of cutting and welding. stick with the lucas.

Glad that the simpler solution worked. Got to wonder why the fuse blew.

I had this problem and also had a spare stalk sourced about 15 years ago. Fitted the spare stalk and found that I now had 2 horn switches, one switched the live and the other switched the earth, 1 extre relay sorted and now both work. So I took the old switch to bits, if you do this split it in a bag as bits go everywhere. I found that the plastic had aged (doner was 1983) and brittle. There were 3 copper bits that had been formed with a pip to interlock with the nylon carriers to allow assembly, the nylon carriers are now hardend and worn, I have only managed to get 2 positioned for reassembly at a time, getting the third locked often results in both the other 2 pinging off. I have not given up yet, it has passed several boring hours of covid isolation. I will attempt pictures latter.

Fluid level test switch has to be part of the fluid level switch so can not be on the dashboard. Handbrake switch is there to show that the bulb has not blown.

down to the inspector and luck of the draw I guess. I have the test switch but without the lable.

Normal ford wiring is actually in parallel so that either low fluid or handbrake on lights the bulb. The wire goes from the handbrake switch to the low fluid switch which has 3 connections two of which are common in the fluid switch, the third is the earth connection. The wire from the handbreak connects through the fluid level switch so that disconnecting the fluid switch will cause the handbrake to fail to light the bulb. There also needs to be a labled test button incorporated in the fluid level switch.

I also used the square facet but only use it to prime the system. So I put a T in the fuel line before and after the mechanical pump. I wired a push button switch to power it so it only works when I press on the switch so no need for an inertia switch, this means that I only have to put up with the noise for a few seconds.

Seams a shame to get this far and not get a propper drive of the car.

I might not go out in the rain but I have been caught out on long trips many times.

I had this a couple of years ago. The ignition switch was coroded inside and whilst it was putting power to the coil when in the normal run position but moving on to the start position it dropped power to the coil. I soaked the switch in switch cleaner and opperated it from the off through to the start positon lots of times and it came back to life. I am told that you can still get this part new from ford but I have not bothered.

Choke stuck on?