cobra cams install

watman02

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so after having to move the p/s resovoure the hydro boost(and now I have to bleed the brakes:icon_frown: ) remove part of the harness, clutch cable from clutch pedal assembly. and that was just to get the dam valve cover off.
HPIM1942.jpg

and It looks like this at that point

then loosein the sprokets and the cam girdles.
HPIM1943.jpg


and remove the cam
HPIM1944.jpg


HPIM1945.jpg


then reinstall the cam sliding in the sproket first and drop it in the mains and tighten the mains down evenly!!!! torque to 10nm in a cross patteren.
torque the sproket bolts to 40nm plus 90 degres. NOTE: the intake cam bolt to sproket in the 96-98 cobra cams is a m12x1.5 and the Mach1 is a m10x1.5
F*CK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well thats the end of the work on the drivers side for now on to the pass side
Remove the throttle body (for clearance) the left side heater core hose and the fuel line going over the valve cover once the cover is off fallow the same procedure as above.

so now I have to find a bolt and all the Ford stores are closed so it wont be done this weekend.... so much for my weekend install
 

2007ShelbyCobra

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it would not be bad IF THE DAM BOLTS WORKED!!!! ARRRRGH

good read so far. Im more than willing to try it on my car, but I have very little hands on internal motor experience. Luckily you make it seem easy. Im trying to buy the Cobra cams for my Mach as well. Also thanks for posting you need to buy a bolt, I would have been pissed if I was in the middle of an install and found that out, nobody has mentioned it till now.

:read:
 

watman02

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ya, your wellcome for the bolt info I never found that info out either till now. and honestly the hardest part is getting down to get the cover off. Making the wood block to hold the timing chain in place also took some time. Ill post some pics of that when im done using it.
 
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watman02

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Im no engine builder but degreeing the cams advance to regain low end power then takes away from upper rpm power and being that these cars dont have a lot of low end torque any way I decided to spend the money that I would have used on adjustable cam sprokets on 4.10's instead that should gain me back all my lost torque via gear ratio.

as for the termi the secondary chain tensioner is different but other than that it is the same.
 

Sniperdog

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Different as in its.,, only and engine builder should do it??

and thanks,.,

I think it's very cool you are doing this :rockon: it might give me the cohones to to mine myself :thumbsup:.,,.

my neighbor just put a cam in his 03 viper along with porting heads and I had a boner :-D
 

watman02

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I dont know what your mechanical knowlege is but the hardest/most time consuming part is just getting down to get the cover off. But try it if yo dont have the tools then dont but if you have tools, give it a try if yo get down to the cams and think you can or dont want to then put it back together but youll never know if you dont try.:burnout:
 

Sniperdog

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I dont know what your mechanical knowlege is but the hardest/most time consuming part is just getting down to get the cover off. But try it if yo dont have the tools then dont but if you have tools, give it a try if yo get down to the cams and think you can or dont want to then put it back together but youll never know if you dont try.:burnout:

I even have a lift in the garage :-D

Sent with Riddla's massive johnson
 

Krwy

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Nice. I'm gonna tackle my install soon too. Great tip on the cam bolt thread pitch. I would be pissed if I peeled everything down just to be held up by the damn bolts.

How long did it take you to peel the driver side apart?
 

watman02

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it took me about 5hrs to have the drivers and pass side covers off and the drivers cam replaced then it took me about 45 min today to replace the pass side cam and clean the sealing surfaces for the valve cover gaskets. check with your ford dealer for the cam bolts I had them look up for a 97 cobra and they had the bolts in stock and they work i installed them today they were 8$ each.
 

watman02

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ok so the local Ford dealer had the intake cam sproket bolts in stock!!!!! wow I couldnt belive that. and the valve cover gaskets will be in tomarrow morning.
So I took apart the other side(pass) and replaced that cam. the issue I ran into with that side was the timing cover was too close to main timing gear. as you can see

HPIM1948.jpg


so I endded up not removing it. I compressed the tensioner and locked it with a paper clip(same as other side) see pic

HPIM1949.jpg


and removed cam mains and was able to get the cam out with the tensioner compressed and some wiggling. lubed up the new cam and installed (using vise grips as my holder) and slowly tightend down the cam mains alittle bit at a time on both mains

HPIM1950.jpg

Pic is after cam is torqued down

now I just need valve cover gaskets and is time to put it back together.

oh hear is a picture of the main timing chain block i made to hold the main chain aginst the tensioner guides you can kinda see it in the pic.


HPIM1949.jpg


here is what the tool looks like

IMG
 

na svt

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Im no engine builder but degreeing the cams advance to regain low end power then takes away from upper rpm power and being that these cars dont have a lot of low end torque any way I decided to spend the money that I would have used on adjustable cam sprokets on 4.10's instead that should gain me back all my lost torque via gear ratio.

Not true at all, you can advance the cobra intake cams to a 106cl before it affects peak hp. The highest hp stock cammed/intake'd combo made 390rwhp with the cams at 106/118. The problem with not degreeing them is that you can end up with one cam at 112 and the other at 119 which absolutely kills power. I can't see doing all this work and not wanting to get the maximum benefit.
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RacerXHG

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Also thanks for posting you need to buy a bolt, I would have been pissed if I was in the middle of an install and found that out, nobody has mentioned it till now.

:read:

Actually, not to be a pain, it has been mentioned quite a few times when doing the 96-98 cam swap. The reality is, when you buy used Cobra cams, not everyone sends the bolts with them. Mine came with 1 original bolt! I had some new 8.8 grade bolts that I got locally though. Try and get the bolts with the cams when buying these! Cloyes secondary intake cam gears advanced 4° should be sop with this swap too. :beer: Nice job BTW OP!:beer:
 

watman02

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na svt: why would one cam be at 112 and the other at 119 that makes no senes???

also the car is running just have to bleed the brakes and I think the clutch cable fell off at the tranny side cus I hooked it back up and not the clutch is not disengasing whent he pedal is depressed.
 

watman02

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thanks RacerXHG I got the bolts from ford so it was really not a big deal but if some one could explaine the major benifit to advancing the cams. cus in my mide making the intake open sooner would increase low end torque (witch is what everybody says is the reason for doing this) then you must lose top end power(take from paul to pay peter as the saying goes) as these cars Suck on low end power any ways and I have 4.10's sitting in a box. I would rather have the little more upper rpm power as opposed to the minimal gain on the low end. If anyone has a dyno graph or and disporve my idea on how this works then please help thanks
 

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