griffined
SVT driver
2000 Ford Mustang Cobra R FAQ version 1.5
Compiled from posts in the Cobra R forum at www.svtperformance.com
Send corrections, updates, suggestions to [email protected]
Changes from previous revision are in BOLD type.(in attached Word doc)
Historical and technical info
Q: How much were these new?
A: MSRP was $54,995 when new. MSRP included a $3000 gas guzzler tax. There were no options, all 300 cars were Performance Red. Unlike some of the previous R’s, no racing license was required to purchase a 2000 R. Many dealers added their own significant markup on top of MSRP. There are many stories of 2000 R’s selling for 75k, and of dealers who placed a 2000 R in the showroom, and turned down offers of even more money for it. Since there were more SVT authorized dealers (approx 760) than 2000 R’s (only 300 produced), a lottery system was used to determine which dealers orders were filled. Dealers who had sold more SVT vehicles in 1999 got more chances in the drawing, but once a dealer’s entry was pulled, they did not get anymore chances. Thus, a dealer only got 1 2000 R to sell if they were selected in the lottery.
Paint code is ES Performance Red. 2000 Cobra "R" Mustang
the '00 "R" came with 30# injectors run at 55psi
T56 gear ratio for a 2000 R
1st 2.97
2nd 2.07
3rd 1.43
4th 1.00
5th .80
6th .62
Q: What’s the top speed and is it electronically limited?
A: Top speed around 170-180 MPH based on drag and RPM limits, not electronic. The addition of the rear wing and front splitter create additional downforce to keep the car stable at high speeds, and reduce the top speed by about 5 MPH.
Q: How fast was the 00R in the ¼ mile?
A: Magazine tests of stock 00R’s were in the range of 12.7-13.2 One forum member reports an 11.80!(Mods?) The R was designed more for road racing that drag racing, but less weight and more power don’t hurt ¼ mile times.
Q: How much does it weigh, and what’s the weight distribution?
A: 3590 lbs with a 56/44% front to rear weight distribution
Q: How did Ford describe the R’s motor?
A: With glowing praise, of course.
"The basis for the Cobra R’s engine is Ford’s Triton 5.4 liter V8. The engine makes use of some heavy-duty racing technology such as a forged steel crankshaft, Carrillo billet-steel connecting rods, and forged aluminum pistons. Ford engineers produced an engine capable of 385 HP and 385 lb/ft of torque, which is street legal, EPA certified and very drivable given its high output power. The engine also features specially developed high flow aluminum cylinder heads, with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Underneath, a Canton Racing Products oil pan provides additional oil capacity, and much improved windage losses and oil control under severe racing conditions. Cooling the synthetic Mobil One oil is an air-to-oil cooler system mounted just behind the front fascia."
Q: What’s the difference between the R’s motor, and the 5.4 in the Navigator?
A: Differences between an R’s motor, and the 5.4 in a Navigator
'00R heads are completely different castings than any of the other modular 4v heads to date--save the '05 GT which uses a slightly modified version of the '00R heads. '00R heads use a +2mm exhaust valve sizing (32mm vs. 30mm) and even have a specific vavletrain (featuring a Dodge Neon adjuster) not shared with any other head. '00R heads flow more stock than a stage II (80-85%) set of ported Navis.
The rods are billet steel
Crank is a regular forged ( 8 bolt) Navi unit.
The '00R engine has stock dimensions (no extra stroke) those being 3.55"x4.165"
Oil Pan - Canton Oil Products racing oil pan (9 quarts!)
Pistons - forged pistons (much stronger for racing)
Intake - a special "R only" intake plenum - this one SVT will NOT sell you if you are not an R owner - so you'll have to resort to something else in the aftermarket.
Headers - short tube headers for increased flow of spent gasses
Cast iron block
Main brgs... Federal Mogul 153M
Rod brgs..... Federal Mogul 7250CH
Primary timing chains.. YR32-6268-AA
( These differ from standard 5.4 chains in that the outside edges are polished to reduce the chances of burning the plastic guides)
Cam sprocket Bolt... F8ZZ-6256-AA
Secondary chains...... F3LY-6268-B
Lash adjusters YR3V 6C501 AA ZZ
(Forget getting these from Ford.. They don't exist. They however are under the valve covers of 3 million DOHC Dodge Neons. And.. the parts from Chrysler were updated around 2003 and are actually a better part than the oem Ford stuff.
Alternator..... GL-485-RM
This part was used on '96 and up SOHC mustang GT's
Throttle cable... 1R3Z-9A758-CA
Clutch fork... XR33-7515-AA
Q: How much power does a stock motor have, and what about one with modifications?
A: Most stock motors dyno about 405 at the flywheel rather than the rated 385. This means something like 330-355 RWHP on the dyno for a stock motor, and 370-400 for one with a modified exhaust and a chip. At least one 00R owner has installed a custom fabricated non-intercooled turbo kit. HP is supposed to be in the 500-600 HP range.
Q: Did these cars come with an owner’s manual?
A: The Owner’s Manual is Black Binder with all kinds of cool stuff inside like resumes of the mechanics who built your car, a certificate of authenticity, decals for OEM’d parts on car and some various assortments of Ford manuals, most of which are standard Mustang stuff. A metal engine plaque with adhesive backing containing the VIN and build number is in the binder. Most owners have left it in the binder. Then there is one small one that is a supplement specific to the Cobra R.
Q: Where should I search for my build sheet?
A: Build sheets have been found in the front fenders and on the rear bumper under the rear bumper cover if it didn't fall off in transit.
Q: What does the calibration sticker in the passenger side door jam say? Mine’s pretty weathered.
A: The calibration code is KGU2. This code is also on a sticker on the plastic cover for the service port on the computer in the passenger side kick panel.
Q: Didn’t the car come stock with front brake ducts?
A: Yes. They should either be installed on the car, or still in a plastic bag. If they are missing or you need a replacement or spare set, you can get them from http://www.seanhylandmotorsport.com/
for about $300. The ducts were made of carbon fiber by Multimatic. All of the spare ducts were sent to Sean Hyland and there’s no further production planned.
Q: What kind of front seats are standard?
A: The '00R seats are specially-made Recaros, similar to Sports model They have not only the Recaro stitching, but also have the Cobra R emblem stitched in. You can not get these from Recaro with the R unique stitching. They use unique rails to mount in the car. There is a not-so-obvious support at the front of the seat that can be pulled out for folks with long legs.
Q: What’s good for cleaning all of the stuff that is attracted to the cloth seats?
A: A lint roller, or the sticky side of some tape can be used.
Q: What kind of shifter does it have, and can you upgrade it?
A: A B&M Ripper was stock for the R’s T56 6 speed transmission. The Steeda Tri-Ax shifter for the R does not require 12v switch for reverse like some GM applications, and many like its firmer more precise action.
Q: What exhaust was standard?
A: The stock exhaust system consists of a Bassani X pipe (this is the pipe which is shaped like an X and connects directly into the headers at the rear of the motor just in front of the transmission) with stock "street" Cobra (1999) Catalytic converters (all 4 of them) and then a Borla side exit catback exhaust attached to the rear of the X pipe. The Borla exhaust consists of a single center mounted pancake looking resonator and two mufflers to rear and on each side of the resonator, which then connects to twin outlet side exit chrome tips on each side of the car just in front of the rear wheels. Many owner’s feel this setup is too quiet and have done mods to improve the sound and gain some extra power, typically around 30-40 rwhp and similar torque gains if a custom chip is installed at the same time.
Q: What size and kind of tires and wheels come on this car?
A: Stock OEM BfG KD’s are very sticky(100) and wear out quickly and throw pebbles up on car, and aren’t good in the rain. They are great for the track. Tires sizes are 265/40/18 all of the way around. Wheels are 18” x 9.5” OEM Cobra R’s with a Cobra R center cap. Lug nuts are 13/16th and chrome plated(same as 01 Cobra) Locking lugs were not standard. Chrome plated OEM wheels are now available from FMS http://www.gefracing.com
Q: Can you remove the front splitter and rear wing, and why would you?
A: Yes, the front splitter is held on by DZUS fasters, and can be removed for loading and unloading from a trailer, or for slow tracks or street driving. You may wish to remove the splitter and rear wing if drag racing to remove extra weight and aero drag. The holes in the rear trunk lid for the wing will be left open if it is removed. If you take yours off, be careful as the studs are tight in the holes and it will chip the paint a little when you pull the wing off. It will not be visible when you put the wing back on though.
Q: I noticed some bubbles in the paint on the hood and front fenders of my car. Are any others like this?
A: Bubbles on the hood and front fenders over the headlights are common on some cars. Some folks pursued a correction via Ford SVT thru their local dealer. This is a manufacturing issue, and not due to environmental fallout or issues specific to a single vehicle.
Q: Can you get the splitter, spoiler, and hood from Ford Motor Sports?
A: Yes, the Cobra R specific body parts are now available.
2000 Cobra "R" Wing (part # M-16600-R00)
2000 Cobra "R" Splitter Air dam (part # M-16601-R00)
2000 Cobra "R" Hood (part # M-16612-R00)
If you order a splitter, look in the Maintenance section below for the note about the attaching hardware.
Q: I just bought an R. Are there any things I should check?
A: Keep in mind that the following things may have been reported by as few as one person, but you might want to check them.
Check the driveshaft bolts. They may have locktite on them but still not all of the way tight
Check the nut holding the battery cable to the fire wall. There was a nylon polyloc and was it not tightened down. The car might die sometimes because the power to the computer would be interrupted.
Check screws/bolts on the top of the fuel cell (the inlet from the fill line) of the tank for looseness.
Check Master Cylinder cap for leaks.
Check oil cooler adapter under the oil filter for leaks.
Check if your lug wrench fits your lug nuts.
Look for spots inside your headlights. The epoxy used to assemble them may have created discolorations. This issue also occurred on some 01 Mustangs, which had their headlights swapped out under warranty. Don’t assume the headlights on your R are also covered. At least one forum member was told they are not.
An 00R owner’s list is maintained on this forum, and you should look for it, and post your information so that it can be added/updated. So far almost 40 owner’s out of 300 are recorded.
Q: What shocks and springs are used on the 00R?
A: The 00R used Eibach springs. Fronts are 800 lbs (Ford part # SVE 27827A YR3V 5310AA), rears are 750 lbs (Ford part # SVE 27827 YR3V 5560AA) The shocks were from Bilstein.
Q: What’s the ride height on the 00R?
A: Measured from the ground to the highest point on the inside lip of the wheel well openings. 27 ½” front and 28 3/8” in the rear.
Q: Were there any Canadian 00R’s?
A: A couple 00R’s were sent to Canada, but they were not street legal since they lacked daytime running lights, and the speedometer and odometer did not offer metric readouts.
Q: Are the hood vents on the 00R functional?
A: No. The prototype 00R had open vents, and some folks have modified their hoods to open the vents, but from the factory they were solid fiberglass.
Q: What kind of gas is required, and what kind of MPG do you get?
A: Premium gas, of at least 91 octane is required. The 00R’s 6 speed transmission allows for good hiway gas mileage. 22.5 MPG and higher is possible with a steady cruising speed. Around town gas mileage is dependant on how heavy your foot is, but 14-15 MPG is typical. Open track events, or any pther activity that sees a lot of WOT might bring the MPG down as low as 8 MPG!
Maintenance and modifications
Q: Are there any safety recalls that I should check to see if they have been performed?
A: Yes, two of them. One has to do with the emergency brake releasing while parked, and affected all model Mustangs. The center console has to be removed to perform the fix, but the typical amount of time required is less than an hour.
The second safety recall 01S15 is specific to the Cobra and Cobra R’s rear IRS knuckles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published a recall affecting certain 1999-2000 Ford Mustang Cobra and 2000 Mustang Cobra R automobiles. The affected vehicles were manufactured between November 1998 and August 2000.
If the ball joint assembly where the lower control arm attaches in the rear knuckle on certain of these cars moves forward or backward from its installed position, greater stress will be placed on the knuckle casting. If this occurs, the casting could fracture, allowing the corner of the vehicle to drop, and the lower control arm could contact the inside of the rear wheel. In some cases, steering of the vehicle could be reduced. 8,100 automobiles are affected by this recall. Dealers will replace both rear suspension knuckles
You should have received a recall letter in the mail from Ford if you are the original registered owner. If you call (800)Ford-SVT or your local dealer with your vehicle’s VIN, you can get a blank copy from any SVT dealer. Then you need to fill it out and call a number located on the recall notice to get them to send your parts to your SVT dealer of choice. You can then schedule the recall fix. They will not let you just pick up the parts and install it yourself.
While they are doing the recall work, make sure they do an alignment. Make sure they use the R specs which are:
Front
Camber -2.5 deg
Not adj stock Caster +4.75
Toe -0.10 deg (point 1 degree out)
Rear
Camber -1.5 deg
Toe +0.10 (point 1 degrees in)
Make sure they tighten down the rear tie rod after the knuckle replacement or a rear alignment. Several people have had problems with the dealership not tightening everything down. The center nut that holds the halfshaft down to the hub to should be at 250 ft lbs. Also check the lugs. Check to see if they left the dust shield on the rear parts. The knuckle comes with them installed, so if the dealer didn't remove them and you don't want them there, take them off. The stock knuckles on the R don't have them, the regular Cobra does. They are held on be two bolts. Remove the rear tire and you can reach in behind the rotor to get at the bolts.
Q: What exhaust modifications have owners done?
A: Bassani makes a complete exhaust upgrade, consisting of a better flowing X pipe, and a better and louder catback system. The system is 1/4" larger diameter than the stock system, further increasing air flow. You can choose an off road X pipe without cats, or a street legal version X pipe with only two very small hiflow catalytic converters that has higher flowing cats than the stock system. You can install either an X-pipe or catback, or both. The catback exhaust consists of a single straight through design muffler which connects to side exit polished stainless steel tips which are flatter but wider than the stock tips. Owners that install both report a much louder and meaner sound! The catless X pipe with new catback creates the loudest combination. The catback only upgrade is a little louder than stock. You can get this from a number of sources, including Houston Performance. They offer a discount to some groups, and since the complete upgrade is about a $1000, it’s worthwhile to join a group to get the discount. Join the SCMC for $15 bucks a year and you'll save 15% on the Bassani if ordered from Houston Performance. At the time this FAQ was written, The Bassani part numbers and prices were as follows:
1. Bassani X-Pipe (part #2KCR-3) $440 *NOTE is this w/Cats
2. Bassani Cat-back (part #2KCR-420) $612
Q: What issues should I consider if I upgrade my exhaust, other than loudness?
A: The improved flow of the upgraded exhaust creates less backpressure, and under heavy deceleration, some backfires may be noticed. The custom computer chips typically eliminate this. The upgraded catback has side exhaust tips that are similar to the stock ones, but not the same. Most folks think they look better. Owner’s of the Bassani cat back can order extra tips directly from Bassani.
Q: If I decide to upgrade the exhaust, any suggestions or tips?
A: It’s much easier to do using a rack, than jack stands. If you are using jack stands, you can jack the front up on the K-member and put the jack stands on the lower A-arms. Jack the rear up by the differential housing, and place the stands on the lower rear A-arms. You may have to jack it up a bit in the front, to get the stands in, then go to the back, and repeat. You might not be able to jack under the rear with the front way up off the ground. Be sure to chock the wheels until they are all off the ground.
FIRST THING --- disconnect the positive lead on the battery. You will be working in close proximity to the main power lead on the starter, and that can cause problems if shorted.
REMOVING THE X-PIPE
If you are installing a new X-pipe, removing the stock one can be a challenge. You must remove the RH front O2 sensor with a 22mm open ended wrench to get a better, somewhat straighter shot at the upper bolt. Do this from the outside, at the passenger side wheel well liner.
The right hand header bolts may be on VERY tight, and have seized or been cross threaded. Work it loose by hand first, and then used an impact wrench to work them off. You might have to use a torch to heat them. Use a 3/8 drive 15mm deep socket with a U-joint wrapped in electrical tape to keep it from flopping around, and a 12 inch extension to remove the passenger side nuts.
Use the same basic setup with a 6 inch extension on driver side. All other O2 sensors can stay on the X-pipe until you remove it. Just be sure to take the connectors loose, and don't bang the O2 sensors up.
The collector stud/nut is an M-12 metric stud, and you might want to replace the flange nuts with 7/16 Tri-Alloy washers, M-12 stainless steel nuts, and use a lot of anti-seize. Be sure to get M-12 nuts if replacing them. The dealer may show M-10s for the stud size and that is wrong on the R’s.
Remove (2) 13mm nuts on the back mounting bracket on the X-pipe and (4) 15mm nuts, and the X-pipe is ready to drop out. Just wiggle it back and forth and it will drop out. Be careful you are not under it when it comes down. If you slide some cardboard under the car prior to dropping the X-pipe and muffler assembly out, you can drag it out from under the car a little easier when using jack stands.
Both rear O2 sensors may be galled in the bungs so you might have to get new ones. The O2 sensors are the same as the 99/01 Cobra. The passenger side collector gasket is also a Cobra common item.
XR3Z-9G444-?? Front O2 Sensors (Green) 2 Each
XR3Z-9G444-AA Rear Driver Side O2 Sensor (Blue) $ 79.20 list
XR3Z-9G444-CA Rear Passenger Side O2 Sensor (Purple) $ 79.20 list
XR3Z- 9450- AA Passenger side Collector gasket $ 7.22 list
Run in the 2 rear ones, and the driver side O2 sensor and reverse the removal process. Be sure to put plenty of anti-seize on the threads. Make sure the anti-seize is compatible with O2 sensors.
While hanging the X pipe you may find it was easiest to line up the passenger side collector, wedge the muffler connections together, and then start the nut on the passenger side upper stud and run it down snug. This will hold the X-pipe up enough to get you started. If you cannot get the rear hanger to line up, then just spray some silicone on the little rubber isolators, take the hanger off, place it in the X-pipe bracket, and start the nuts, then replace the rubber isolators.
REMOVING THE MUFFLER
You may choose to take it off in 1 piece. You could take it apart by breaking the band clamps loose and pull the respective parts off.
Hose down the rubber hangers and pins with silicone spray, then move them back and forth to work the silicone in and they will come right off.
Hang the center section on the rear hangers and line up the muffler to the X pipe. Set all 4 bolts (14mm on both nut and bolt) in place and tighten them down evenly. You may wish to add an extra washer (5/16) on the bolt side so that there is a washer on both the nut and bolt side. Use a U-bolt or band clamp on the driver side muffler input pipe to secure that pipe.
Next hang the resonators and side pipes, and be sure that the hanger pin is under the exhaust tip. Then place the remaining clamps on the resonator-muffler connections and the resonator-tip joints. At this point you only want to lightly snug down the clamps and then stop and check the alignments. Once everything looks good, proceed to evenly tighten everything down.
You can use Walker 2.5 inch muffler band clamps instead of the U-bolt type clamps on the muffler-resonator joint and the front muffler and exhaust tip joints. Using band clamps allows you to take things apart if needed, which is not easy to do with U-Bolt type clamps because they crimp the pipe.
Q: What should I know about a chip mod?
A: If you are planning on racing events governed by a sanctioning body, you should check their rule. For instance the SCCA has rules about chip that requires it to fit inside the original computer. Some chips called rotary chips have an external switch that allows for multiple programs to be used. In this case, they would not be allowed by the SCCA. Some owners recommend the R.A.C.E. Systems chip. With it there are no more annoying deceleration backfires, a much better AFR calibration, and more power during shifting, and much snappier low end. It is a rotary chip (Autologics 4 bank) that allows for multiple programs. You might use program #1 for regular pump Premium gas, program #2 for racing gas’s higher octane, and #3 for valet mode, with a 3000 RPM limiter.
Q: Is there any thing that tends to break on these cars?
A: If you go open track road racing, or drive at high speeds (over 100 MPH) for extended periods of time, there is a good chance that the rear differential will become damaged due to excess heat. The design of the rear IRS pumpkin is not one that promotes cooling of the differential lube. There is a solution in the form of a rear differential cooling kit, which is recommended for the applications described above.
The differential cooler modification was issued a Ford part number, and can be purchased from Kenny Brown for about $1799. If you belong to SVT Cobra Mustang Club, they will give a 10% discount off of that. It is SCCA legal. The differential must be removed from the car for installation, which may take 10 hours of labor. Typical mounting for the cooler has been in the trunk area, but some forum members have mounted there’s on the outside of the car, below the rear bumper and behind the fuel cell. Advantages to mounting it outside are less heat in the car and better airflow, but it is more prone to damage. Typical installations use a temperature switch to cut on at 180 degrees, and off at 160 degrees, as well as a manual switch. As an alternative to the KB kit, some folks have sourced pump and cooler parts from www.racerpartswholesale.com and custom fabricated the cooler on their own for much less.
If your stock differential is damaged, some forum members have replaced the stock unit with other differentials. Check your specific application, as it may require the installation or one or both new half-shafts to match it, and some machining work. If you remove your rear diff cover and see a heavy bodied dark gray substance that seems to have separated from the gear lube and is clinking to the bottom of the cover and diff, then you probably have cooked it.
Some folks have reported cracks and breakage of the one piece disk rotors when used under very demanding circumstances at race tracks. Brembo and others sell two piece rotors that fit the R. Forum members report that BAER rotors will not fit the stock Brembo calipers.
The front splitter generates a lot of downforce and pulls on the front fascia. When you reach speeds up in the 130 to 150 MPH range, the front splitter can start shuddering and shaking. It is believed that the front fascia (bumper cover assy.) is not supported well enough to take the forces that are put on it from the splitter. If you grab onto the front fascia and pull it up and down you will get that whole assembly to move. This will eventually cause the front fascia support up by the headlights to break, which is a lot of work to get replaced. Owners have fixed this by creating a support for the splitter and fascia. You could remove the four plastic push in clips (two by the headlights and to underneath the fascia) and replace them with bolts that hold everything tight. One forum member used a 1/4"-20 speed nut on the support member and installed a 1/4"-20 stainless steel Phillips round head screw on the top of the fascia. On the bottom he removed the plastic fasteners and installed two self threading 5/16"-18 zinc plated hex bolts with integral washer. You can make a bracket to give additional support to the fascia. Some folks have tried using expanding foam in the fascia and splitter to add rigidity, without adding a lot of weight. Forum members have also installed aluminum bracing inside the splitter itself, and have reported this additional stiffening eliminated the shudder, at the expense of a little more weight. Search the forum for details and pictures of these mods.
If you either can't or don't want to reinforce the front fascia area to make the splitter stiffer, leave the splitter at home when driving at moderate high speeds. If you are going to the track and need the downforce of the splitter, you must fix it or it will tear itself apart. The splitter also reduces your ground clearance in front to about 5”. If you drive with it on, you have to be extremely careful of curbs, speed bumps, and driveway entrances. Sooner or later it will scrape and crack on something.
Q: What kind of clutch is used, and can it be upgraded?
A: The clutch is the standard 99 Cobra unit. The clutch is a weak area only if you miss a shift. An upgrade does exist. The Apex Motorsports dual Kevlar clutch is great for track but really stiff for street use, requires small mod to the clutch stop to be made.
Q: Are the pedals right for heel toe operation?
A: You have to modify the gas pedal to be the same height in order to heel toe properly.
Could might consider replacing (with a custom-fabbed replacement) the throttle cable mount and move it back approx 1" which raises the gas pedal level with the brake pedal. Some have found they never had wide open throttle the way it was set up from the factory. They saw only about 75% open with the pedal jammed into the floor.
Q: Does the R have IRS wheel hop, and can anything be done for it?
A: Yes, it can have hop under certain conditions. Paul’s Performance and Ford sell braces and urethane bushings for the IRS designed to eliminate/reduce wheel hop
FRPP part number is M-5030-F and it is the FR-500 brace. List is $ 175.00 The 00R had a 4th member brace that the 99 and 01 Cobra’s did not have. It did NOT have all of the mounting points the FR500, the 03 Cobra, and aftermarket braces have to tie the rear pinion housing together.
Q: Does anyone sell a shock tower brace that will clear the R motor?
A: Kenny Brown sells a shock tower brace that barely clears the engine. You may be required to also use the KB caster/camber plates if using this brace.(check)
Q: What would be a good street tire to use?
A: BfG KDW or Bridgestone S01’s are better for street use. They will last longer, and work better in the rain. The Nitto 555 Extreme is great for street racing. Kuhmo MX’s are gaining a repetation for offering great dry performance at a modest cost.
If you want to try and replace the originals with KD’s in the same size, you may have a bit of a challenge. You have to call BF Goodrich and provide documentation that you have a 00R, they will release a set of tires to your dealer. They supposedly have *some* tires set aside for us. Officially they are not available to "everyone".
Q: What would be a good track tire to use?
A: Forum members report the Hoosiers are the best gripping, but they don’t last as long as other tires since they come with 4/32 of tread. Kuhmo makes some track tires (Ecsta V700) that aren’t quite as grippy as the Hoosiers, but last longer and cost less.
Q: How much larger of a tire can I use without creating a problem with rubbing?
A: 275/35x18 tires work OK. However, as they are smaller in diameter, your speedometer well be off a bit. At 6500 rpm in fourth gear, you will run 143.5 mph with the 265/40 x 18 and 139.3 mph with the 275/35x18. 275/40x18 tires will rub on the front fender well. Larger tires can be used on the rear, but you will not be able to rotate them from front to back. Due to the nature of the negative camber used in the front suspension, this makes it difficult to even out tread wear over all four tires. Some forum members have reported success with 285/35x18 tires. Always check for clearance between the rear tire sidewall and an IRS bolt in the rear of the car when using oversized tires and rims.
Q: Does anyone make a car cover for the R?
A: California Car Cover item # 16208WG is a custom made cover for our R's http://www.calcarcover.com
Q: What should I know about in order to change the oil?
A: 8.5 to 9 quarts of oil are required at change time. Mobil 1 Synthetic 15W-50 was used at the factory and a synthetic oil like this is recommended. It uses the same oil filter as a 4.6 Cobra, which is the Motorcraft FL820S or equivalent(Mobil1 M-210). Most folks remember where full is on the dipstick. Anywhere between the lower and upper holes is in the range. Put 8 ½ qrts in the car and wait for it to drain into the pan before measuring. Most will go ahead and place the last half quart in because it won’t be near the top of the range. Some forum users will run between ½ and 1 quart more oil if they are at an open track event, and do not have a dry sump, or Accusump system. This is insurance against oil starvation if high RPM’s pump all of the oil up to the heads, and drain back is slow due to g-forces.
Q: What about installing an “Accusump”?
A: While there have been no reported problems with oil starvation, you could install this to help get and keep oil into the engine before start up and during extreme cornering at the track if the oil in the pan moves away from the pickup. A good place for the install is behind the front fascia, in an area that won’t block airflow to the radiator, but is still close to the engine.
Q: What’s a good brake pad replacement?
A: Hawk brand pads are good for replacements. There are different compounds depending on the desired application. Typically the race pads require a higher temperature to work, and thus should not be used on the street for daily driving. Heavy duty race pads also tend to be harder on the rotors, and leave more brake dust.
HPS (street pad)
Plus (higher grade street pad)
Black (all purpose pad)
Blues Race (race pad) *recommended by multiple forum members for track usage
HT10 (severe duty racing)
Other forum members report good results using Performance Friction pads on the track.
Q: What should I know before bleeding my brakes?
A: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE, RUN THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR LOW ENOUGH TO SUCK AIR INTO THE MASTER CYLINDER WHEN WORKING ON YOUR BRAKING SYSTEM.
Several of us have had this problem and the master cylinder which is in the "R" is much more difficult to eradicate the air out of it. Which is a major pain to restore. The Ford dealer has a special computer that can be hooked up to allow for bleeding the ABS brake system if air gets into it’s lines.
Q: Why won’t my gas gauge go all of the way to Full when I fill up?
A: Most won’t reach Full unless you fill the tank very slowly. Typically an indicated 3/4 is full and owners fill it up around 150-250 miles on the trip odometer to be safe. 13-17 gallons to fill up after low fuel light comes on is what has been reported. Design implementation is supposed to limit the 20 gal fuel cell to 18. The stock Ford fuel level sending unit and computer were used with the Fuel Safe fuel cell.
Q: Why doesn’t my Temp gauge go above the Normal range when I run the car hard at the track?
A: The Temp gauge is damped like Cobra and Mustang models It will still say normal when at 250 degrees. You should get real Oil and Temp gauges installed if you run at the track, or care to find out about a problem before its too late.
Q: What reading do folks with real gauges see when running at the track.
A: Forum members report water temps in the 230-240 degree range, and oil temps in the 240-250 degree range with lots of WOT at the track. Some forum members have made a custom gauge mount from particle board and vinyl, designed to mount 2 1/16 gauges in the radio delete area.
Q: What’s that stuff on the air intake tube, ahead of the throttle body?
A: Rumor is that the strange black box that comes out from the air intake pipe (before the throttle body), is to reduce the noise level of the 00 R. When asked at a racing event, several Ford engineers came to the conclusion that the funny little black box was a noise suppression device, nothing more.
Q: I think I might want to drive this on the track. What things should I consider besides track tires, gauges, recall work, fascia fix, diff cooler, and the other stuff in the FAQ above?
A: There are safety items, like a helmet, racing harness belts, and a roll bar that you might want to purchase. Two piece rotors, racing brake pads, check and change your brake fluid, a larger front sway bar, ultra light rims, subframe connectors and jacking rails, and of course a truck and trailer to haul all of this stuff around.
Q: What should I do if I have a flat tire?
A: The spare tire on the 2000 R is only 17" in diameter, instead of the 18" rims which are mounted on the car. With our independent rear suspension setup, if you mount this thing on either side of the rear of the car, with an 18" rim/tire on the other side, you are sure to toast the differential because of the extreme differences in rotation speed.
Therefore, if you have a flat on one of the rear tires, you should move one of the front ones to the rear, and put the spare on the front of the car until you get the tire fixed/replaced.
Q: I want to put a stereo in the car. What’s an easy route to take?
A: Wiring for OEM Mach460 stereo is already in the car.
If you get the appropriate adapters found at most fine AutoSound stores you can drop a system into your car, and not have to hack up the existing wiring harnesses, or waste many days building your own custom wiring harness.
The door speaker wires are already in the doors, complete with the funky Ford speaker connectors. The rear deck has the wires taped on top, under the deck cover. Just remove the back seat carpet and board and pop 2 trim clips and snake it out. You can bend it a bit, and it’ll come right out. If you insist on removing the side trim in the back there are 3 trim clips on the outside, and 1 under the upper window molding (IE not worth the effort, I broke a mounting tab on my lower molding, resort to bending and cajoling the deck cover out ). You'll find 2 funky Ford speaker connectors there.
Door and Deck Speakers are 5x7s. You can put a bit of weather-strip foam around the housing to isolate and seal the speaker from the deck/door. You do have to drill 4 holes for the doors.
NOTE ---- To get the door panels off, pull out the window control panel, and unscrew it, remove the door handle cup, and 2 screws, and pull up and towards the inside of the car and the panels come right off, reverse the procedures to reinstall. Install the lower clips first, and then press the door panel to the door, and whack, whack, whack on the top, until it seats.
The main power/speaker connectors are taped up behind the glove box to the main harness. It is a grey, and black set, and a phone type clip for the Mach460 Amp. The grey connector is for power, ground, illumination, remote turn on (IE amplifier) and Remote Antenna. The black connector is for your speaker harnesses.
The difference between the Mach460 and the base line unit is an extra set of cables or two that go to the amp and such. It had the connectors for the "Premium" sound system in addition to the base stuff. Extra speaker cable harness, etc.
It should be fairly simple to just drop in a factory system, or drop in an aftermarket using harness adapters. The harness adapter has a factory connector on one side, and bare wires on the back side, and basically would emulate a factory head unit. That way, all of the power, ground, antenna power, etc are all right there, tie that into your stereo harness, and just plug it right into your factory connector. The same applies to the speaker harness connector.
On the speaker side, Ford uses a funky 2 conductor connector for the speakers, you could just cut them off, and tire your wires into the cut end, stuff the bare wire to the speaker into the connector and tape off, or look for a speaker connector converter. It does the same thing as the radio adapter, and would just plug right into the factory connector.
anyways, the Mach 460 sound system is a complete AM-FM-CD with a separate amp for speakers and I think it came with some form of a subwoofer...maybe not...it is just a very nice factory sound system. The fact that they left wiring in the car for a radio was a god-send.
As for dropping the stereo in, all of the stereo wiring is there up under the dash and in the doors and back deck, so if you go with Ford equipment, it is plug and play.
You do have to drill holes for the speaker mounting screws in the doors and if you do not want to hack up the wiring, etc, there is enough room in the door channel tube to run the speaker wires thru there. I ran the rear speaker wires straight back under the dash, and on top of the tunnel, and under the carpet and under the rear seat delete panel. Then cable tied up to the speaker holes.
If you troll around, Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc you can find the factory wiring adapter for the main harness, and if you get stuff from Crutchfield, they'll sell you the adapters to tie into the factory speaker harness. You will need something for an antenna, as there is not one on the fender.
Q: What is the proper torque for the lug nuts?
A: 95-100 lbs
Q: What should I consider if thinking about a roll cage?
A: The cost for a custom built roll cage will be between 2-3k dollars. It’s best to contact a builder familiar with the various sanctioning body’s rules, so construction materials and methods meet their requirements. You should also let the builder know what kinds of harness belts you will be using so they can ensure the mounting and other installation issues are compliant with the rules. You may be able to reduce the cost if you are willing to do the interior removal and replacement prep labor yourself. The type of finish applied to the roll bar (power coat, paint, chrome) will also affect cost.
Q: Would the 2000 R benefit from battery relocation?
A: Yes, moving the battery to the rear of the car on the passenger side would benefit front/rear and side to side weight distribution. Racing supply houses sell aluminum battery boxes, which would be a good idea since there is no barrier between the trunk and cockpit.
Q: Can a 2000 R have a turbo or blower installed?
A: Sure if you’ve got the time and money. Due to the low volume nature of the car, lots of fabrication would be required. There have been at least one turbo and one blower equipped car show up in magazines or in public where someone was able to take pictures and ask questions. In each case the power was over 500 HP and TQ, and getting traction was an issue.
Q: How should I flush and refill my radiator and cooling system?
A: There is a cooling system drain plug on the block. It's on the driver’s side just below the rear most freeze plug. It's a 3/8" female hex pipe plug that’s very easy to see and get to. There may be another one on the passenger side but if there is, it is completely blocked from sight by the starter. Drain the radiator using one of the hoses under the right side (facing the motor) of the radiator. You will see a small junction with multiple hoses attached to it. This is where the thermostat is located. You may wish to change it while draining. You can get one (same part as a 1999 Cobra) at a Ford dealer. Open one of these hoses at that junction where the thermostat is and let it drain for a while. Take off both caps so it can properly burp while it is draining. After it is fully drained, replace the thermostat (if you've taken the old one out that is) and replace the hose and drain plug you took off to do the draining.
If you really want to completely remove all of the old coolant remove the heater hoses from the engine connections and suck the old coolant out of the heater core and hoses with a shop vac. Refill the heater core with a mixture of 50% anti-freeze (a suggestion would be extended life coolant) and distilled water. Never put tap water, especially well water, in any engine or cooling system you care about. You may also want to put some bottles of "water wetter" in there also. You will need to fill it and let it burp several times to purge the system of air which has been introduced during the process, adding more distilled water each time. After about 2-3 times, start the engine, let it idle a little while, and then keep filling as needed. After about 4-5 burps/fills, run the car at idle with the heater on high to open up the thermostat and to get the heater evaporator core full. Keep repeating this process purging the system of more air each time. Run the engine and heater until you get heat out of the heater. This will be sure you don't have any air in there. Keep checking your overfill tank as it may need a quart here and there until all of the air is out of the system.
Q: How do you access the K&N air filter?
A: The only way to get to the filter is to remove the passenger tire and partly remove the fender wheel well shroud by unscrewing a few screws in front. Reach inside of the fender liner to get to it. This may be a special order part #, so allow some time for delivery.
Q: What brake fluid should I use?
A: The factory fill was DOT3 (Ford HiPo) Some forum members have done a complete flush and fill using a brake fluid suited for higher temps, such as DOT4. See the warning about not letting the master cylinder run low when bleeding the brakes.
Q: What spark plugs should I use?
A: Motorcraft # agsf-12-fm1 were the stock plugs, but some folks have used a NGK replacement plug Part #3951.
Q: What hardware should be used to attach the splitter? It comes with some fasteners, should they be used?
A: Here are the part numbers to order the rivets and the squeezer:
Call Jay-Cee Sales & Rivet at 1-800-521-6777
Squeezer: TP-888-2 Hand Rivet Squeezer with 2” yoke AND part number 200-4504 1/8” Tubular Set for rivet squeezer (this is the insert for the squeezer)
Rivets: part# T125F002500 Oval HD Semi-Tub “430” stainless steel rivets (1/8” X ¼” X 7/32”) [these come in packets of 100]
These are for attaching the DZUS fasteners onto the splitter. You should use the supplied rivets (pop rivets) for attaching the springs onto the bumper.
Compiled from posts in the Cobra R forum at www.svtperformance.com
Send corrections, updates, suggestions to [email protected]
Changes from previous revision are in BOLD type.(in attached Word doc)
Historical and technical info
Q: How much were these new?
A: MSRP was $54,995 when new. MSRP included a $3000 gas guzzler tax. There were no options, all 300 cars were Performance Red. Unlike some of the previous R’s, no racing license was required to purchase a 2000 R. Many dealers added their own significant markup on top of MSRP. There are many stories of 2000 R’s selling for 75k, and of dealers who placed a 2000 R in the showroom, and turned down offers of even more money for it. Since there were more SVT authorized dealers (approx 760) than 2000 R’s (only 300 produced), a lottery system was used to determine which dealers orders were filled. Dealers who had sold more SVT vehicles in 1999 got more chances in the drawing, but once a dealer’s entry was pulled, they did not get anymore chances. Thus, a dealer only got 1 2000 R to sell if they were selected in the lottery.
Paint code is ES Performance Red. 2000 Cobra "R" Mustang
the '00 "R" came with 30# injectors run at 55psi
T56 gear ratio for a 2000 R
1st 2.97
2nd 2.07
3rd 1.43
4th 1.00
5th .80
6th .62
Q: What’s the top speed and is it electronically limited?
A: Top speed around 170-180 MPH based on drag and RPM limits, not electronic. The addition of the rear wing and front splitter create additional downforce to keep the car stable at high speeds, and reduce the top speed by about 5 MPH.
Q: How fast was the 00R in the ¼ mile?
A: Magazine tests of stock 00R’s were in the range of 12.7-13.2 One forum member reports an 11.80!(Mods?) The R was designed more for road racing that drag racing, but less weight and more power don’t hurt ¼ mile times.
Q: How much does it weigh, and what’s the weight distribution?
A: 3590 lbs with a 56/44% front to rear weight distribution
Q: How did Ford describe the R’s motor?
A: With glowing praise, of course.
"The basis for the Cobra R’s engine is Ford’s Triton 5.4 liter V8. The engine makes use of some heavy-duty racing technology such as a forged steel crankshaft, Carrillo billet-steel connecting rods, and forged aluminum pistons. Ford engineers produced an engine capable of 385 HP and 385 lb/ft of torque, which is street legal, EPA certified and very drivable given its high output power. The engine also features specially developed high flow aluminum cylinder heads, with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Underneath, a Canton Racing Products oil pan provides additional oil capacity, and much improved windage losses and oil control under severe racing conditions. Cooling the synthetic Mobil One oil is an air-to-oil cooler system mounted just behind the front fascia."
Q: What’s the difference between the R’s motor, and the 5.4 in the Navigator?
A: Differences between an R’s motor, and the 5.4 in a Navigator
'00R heads are completely different castings than any of the other modular 4v heads to date--save the '05 GT which uses a slightly modified version of the '00R heads. '00R heads use a +2mm exhaust valve sizing (32mm vs. 30mm) and even have a specific vavletrain (featuring a Dodge Neon adjuster) not shared with any other head. '00R heads flow more stock than a stage II (80-85%) set of ported Navis.
The rods are billet steel
Crank is a regular forged ( 8 bolt) Navi unit.
The '00R engine has stock dimensions (no extra stroke) those being 3.55"x4.165"
Oil Pan - Canton Oil Products racing oil pan (9 quarts!)
Pistons - forged pistons (much stronger for racing)
Intake - a special "R only" intake plenum - this one SVT will NOT sell you if you are not an R owner - so you'll have to resort to something else in the aftermarket.
Headers - short tube headers for increased flow of spent gasses
Cast iron block
Main brgs... Federal Mogul 153M
Rod brgs..... Federal Mogul 7250CH
Primary timing chains.. YR32-6268-AA
( These differ from standard 5.4 chains in that the outside edges are polished to reduce the chances of burning the plastic guides)
Cam sprocket Bolt... F8ZZ-6256-AA
Secondary chains...... F3LY-6268-B
Lash adjusters YR3V 6C501 AA ZZ
(Forget getting these from Ford.. They don't exist. They however are under the valve covers of 3 million DOHC Dodge Neons. And.. the parts from Chrysler were updated around 2003 and are actually a better part than the oem Ford stuff.
Alternator..... GL-485-RM
This part was used on '96 and up SOHC mustang GT's
Throttle cable... 1R3Z-9A758-CA
Clutch fork... XR33-7515-AA
Q: How much power does a stock motor have, and what about one with modifications?
A: Most stock motors dyno about 405 at the flywheel rather than the rated 385. This means something like 330-355 RWHP on the dyno for a stock motor, and 370-400 for one with a modified exhaust and a chip. At least one 00R owner has installed a custom fabricated non-intercooled turbo kit. HP is supposed to be in the 500-600 HP range.
Q: Did these cars come with an owner’s manual?
A: The Owner’s Manual is Black Binder with all kinds of cool stuff inside like resumes of the mechanics who built your car, a certificate of authenticity, decals for OEM’d parts on car and some various assortments of Ford manuals, most of which are standard Mustang stuff. A metal engine plaque with adhesive backing containing the VIN and build number is in the binder. Most owners have left it in the binder. Then there is one small one that is a supplement specific to the Cobra R.
Q: Where should I search for my build sheet?
A: Build sheets have been found in the front fenders and on the rear bumper under the rear bumper cover if it didn't fall off in transit.
Q: What does the calibration sticker in the passenger side door jam say? Mine’s pretty weathered.
A: The calibration code is KGU2. This code is also on a sticker on the plastic cover for the service port on the computer in the passenger side kick panel.
Q: Didn’t the car come stock with front brake ducts?
A: Yes. They should either be installed on the car, or still in a plastic bag. If they are missing or you need a replacement or spare set, you can get them from http://www.seanhylandmotorsport.com/
for about $300. The ducts were made of carbon fiber by Multimatic. All of the spare ducts were sent to Sean Hyland and there’s no further production planned.
Q: What kind of front seats are standard?
A: The '00R seats are specially-made Recaros, similar to Sports model They have not only the Recaro stitching, but also have the Cobra R emblem stitched in. You can not get these from Recaro with the R unique stitching. They use unique rails to mount in the car. There is a not-so-obvious support at the front of the seat that can be pulled out for folks with long legs.
Q: What’s good for cleaning all of the stuff that is attracted to the cloth seats?
A: A lint roller, or the sticky side of some tape can be used.
Q: What kind of shifter does it have, and can you upgrade it?
A: A B&M Ripper was stock for the R’s T56 6 speed transmission. The Steeda Tri-Ax shifter for the R does not require 12v switch for reverse like some GM applications, and many like its firmer more precise action.
Q: What exhaust was standard?
A: The stock exhaust system consists of a Bassani X pipe (this is the pipe which is shaped like an X and connects directly into the headers at the rear of the motor just in front of the transmission) with stock "street" Cobra (1999) Catalytic converters (all 4 of them) and then a Borla side exit catback exhaust attached to the rear of the X pipe. The Borla exhaust consists of a single center mounted pancake looking resonator and two mufflers to rear and on each side of the resonator, which then connects to twin outlet side exit chrome tips on each side of the car just in front of the rear wheels. Many owner’s feel this setup is too quiet and have done mods to improve the sound and gain some extra power, typically around 30-40 rwhp and similar torque gains if a custom chip is installed at the same time.
Q: What size and kind of tires and wheels come on this car?
A: Stock OEM BfG KD’s are very sticky(100) and wear out quickly and throw pebbles up on car, and aren’t good in the rain. They are great for the track. Tires sizes are 265/40/18 all of the way around. Wheels are 18” x 9.5” OEM Cobra R’s with a Cobra R center cap. Lug nuts are 13/16th and chrome plated(same as 01 Cobra) Locking lugs were not standard. Chrome plated OEM wheels are now available from FMS http://www.gefracing.com
Q: Can you remove the front splitter and rear wing, and why would you?
A: Yes, the front splitter is held on by DZUS fasters, and can be removed for loading and unloading from a trailer, or for slow tracks or street driving. You may wish to remove the splitter and rear wing if drag racing to remove extra weight and aero drag. The holes in the rear trunk lid for the wing will be left open if it is removed. If you take yours off, be careful as the studs are tight in the holes and it will chip the paint a little when you pull the wing off. It will not be visible when you put the wing back on though.
Q: I noticed some bubbles in the paint on the hood and front fenders of my car. Are any others like this?
A: Bubbles on the hood and front fenders over the headlights are common on some cars. Some folks pursued a correction via Ford SVT thru their local dealer. This is a manufacturing issue, and not due to environmental fallout or issues specific to a single vehicle.
Q: Can you get the splitter, spoiler, and hood from Ford Motor Sports?
A: Yes, the Cobra R specific body parts are now available.
2000 Cobra "R" Wing (part # M-16600-R00)
2000 Cobra "R" Splitter Air dam (part # M-16601-R00)
2000 Cobra "R" Hood (part # M-16612-R00)
If you order a splitter, look in the Maintenance section below for the note about the attaching hardware.
Q: I just bought an R. Are there any things I should check?
A: Keep in mind that the following things may have been reported by as few as one person, but you might want to check them.
Check the driveshaft bolts. They may have locktite on them but still not all of the way tight
Check the nut holding the battery cable to the fire wall. There was a nylon polyloc and was it not tightened down. The car might die sometimes because the power to the computer would be interrupted.
Check screws/bolts on the top of the fuel cell (the inlet from the fill line) of the tank for looseness.
Check Master Cylinder cap for leaks.
Check oil cooler adapter under the oil filter for leaks.
Check if your lug wrench fits your lug nuts.
Look for spots inside your headlights. The epoxy used to assemble them may have created discolorations. This issue also occurred on some 01 Mustangs, which had their headlights swapped out under warranty. Don’t assume the headlights on your R are also covered. At least one forum member was told they are not.
An 00R owner’s list is maintained on this forum, and you should look for it, and post your information so that it can be added/updated. So far almost 40 owner’s out of 300 are recorded.
Q: What shocks and springs are used on the 00R?
A: The 00R used Eibach springs. Fronts are 800 lbs (Ford part # SVE 27827A YR3V 5310AA), rears are 750 lbs (Ford part # SVE 27827 YR3V 5560AA) The shocks were from Bilstein.
Q: What’s the ride height on the 00R?
A: Measured from the ground to the highest point on the inside lip of the wheel well openings. 27 ½” front and 28 3/8” in the rear.
Q: Were there any Canadian 00R’s?
A: A couple 00R’s were sent to Canada, but they were not street legal since they lacked daytime running lights, and the speedometer and odometer did not offer metric readouts.
Q: Are the hood vents on the 00R functional?
A: No. The prototype 00R had open vents, and some folks have modified their hoods to open the vents, but from the factory they were solid fiberglass.
Q: What kind of gas is required, and what kind of MPG do you get?
A: Premium gas, of at least 91 octane is required. The 00R’s 6 speed transmission allows for good hiway gas mileage. 22.5 MPG and higher is possible with a steady cruising speed. Around town gas mileage is dependant on how heavy your foot is, but 14-15 MPG is typical. Open track events, or any pther activity that sees a lot of WOT might bring the MPG down as low as 8 MPG!
Maintenance and modifications
Q: Are there any safety recalls that I should check to see if they have been performed?
A: Yes, two of them. One has to do with the emergency brake releasing while parked, and affected all model Mustangs. The center console has to be removed to perform the fix, but the typical amount of time required is less than an hour.
The second safety recall 01S15 is specific to the Cobra and Cobra R’s rear IRS knuckles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published a recall affecting certain 1999-2000 Ford Mustang Cobra and 2000 Mustang Cobra R automobiles. The affected vehicles were manufactured between November 1998 and August 2000.
If the ball joint assembly where the lower control arm attaches in the rear knuckle on certain of these cars moves forward or backward from its installed position, greater stress will be placed on the knuckle casting. If this occurs, the casting could fracture, allowing the corner of the vehicle to drop, and the lower control arm could contact the inside of the rear wheel. In some cases, steering of the vehicle could be reduced. 8,100 automobiles are affected by this recall. Dealers will replace both rear suspension knuckles
You should have received a recall letter in the mail from Ford if you are the original registered owner. If you call (800)Ford-SVT or your local dealer with your vehicle’s VIN, you can get a blank copy from any SVT dealer. Then you need to fill it out and call a number located on the recall notice to get them to send your parts to your SVT dealer of choice. You can then schedule the recall fix. They will not let you just pick up the parts and install it yourself.
While they are doing the recall work, make sure they do an alignment. Make sure they use the R specs which are:
Front
Camber -2.5 deg
Not adj stock Caster +4.75
Toe -0.10 deg (point 1 degree out)
Rear
Camber -1.5 deg
Toe +0.10 (point 1 degrees in)
Make sure they tighten down the rear tie rod after the knuckle replacement or a rear alignment. Several people have had problems with the dealership not tightening everything down. The center nut that holds the halfshaft down to the hub to should be at 250 ft lbs. Also check the lugs. Check to see if they left the dust shield on the rear parts. The knuckle comes with them installed, so if the dealer didn't remove them and you don't want them there, take them off. The stock knuckles on the R don't have them, the regular Cobra does. They are held on be two bolts. Remove the rear tire and you can reach in behind the rotor to get at the bolts.
Q: What exhaust modifications have owners done?
A: Bassani makes a complete exhaust upgrade, consisting of a better flowing X pipe, and a better and louder catback system. The system is 1/4" larger diameter than the stock system, further increasing air flow. You can choose an off road X pipe without cats, or a street legal version X pipe with only two very small hiflow catalytic converters that has higher flowing cats than the stock system. You can install either an X-pipe or catback, or both. The catback exhaust consists of a single straight through design muffler which connects to side exit polished stainless steel tips which are flatter but wider than the stock tips. Owners that install both report a much louder and meaner sound! The catless X pipe with new catback creates the loudest combination. The catback only upgrade is a little louder than stock. You can get this from a number of sources, including Houston Performance. They offer a discount to some groups, and since the complete upgrade is about a $1000, it’s worthwhile to join a group to get the discount. Join the SCMC for $15 bucks a year and you'll save 15% on the Bassani if ordered from Houston Performance. At the time this FAQ was written, The Bassani part numbers and prices were as follows:
1. Bassani X-Pipe (part #2KCR-3) $440 *NOTE is this w/Cats
2. Bassani Cat-back (part #2KCR-420) $612
Q: What issues should I consider if I upgrade my exhaust, other than loudness?
A: The improved flow of the upgraded exhaust creates less backpressure, and under heavy deceleration, some backfires may be noticed. The custom computer chips typically eliminate this. The upgraded catback has side exhaust tips that are similar to the stock ones, but not the same. Most folks think they look better. Owner’s of the Bassani cat back can order extra tips directly from Bassani.
Q: If I decide to upgrade the exhaust, any suggestions or tips?
A: It’s much easier to do using a rack, than jack stands. If you are using jack stands, you can jack the front up on the K-member and put the jack stands on the lower A-arms. Jack the rear up by the differential housing, and place the stands on the lower rear A-arms. You may have to jack it up a bit in the front, to get the stands in, then go to the back, and repeat. You might not be able to jack under the rear with the front way up off the ground. Be sure to chock the wheels until they are all off the ground.
FIRST THING --- disconnect the positive lead on the battery. You will be working in close proximity to the main power lead on the starter, and that can cause problems if shorted.
REMOVING THE X-PIPE
If you are installing a new X-pipe, removing the stock one can be a challenge. You must remove the RH front O2 sensor with a 22mm open ended wrench to get a better, somewhat straighter shot at the upper bolt. Do this from the outside, at the passenger side wheel well liner.
The right hand header bolts may be on VERY tight, and have seized or been cross threaded. Work it loose by hand first, and then used an impact wrench to work them off. You might have to use a torch to heat them. Use a 3/8 drive 15mm deep socket with a U-joint wrapped in electrical tape to keep it from flopping around, and a 12 inch extension to remove the passenger side nuts.
Use the same basic setup with a 6 inch extension on driver side. All other O2 sensors can stay on the X-pipe until you remove it. Just be sure to take the connectors loose, and don't bang the O2 sensors up.
The collector stud/nut is an M-12 metric stud, and you might want to replace the flange nuts with 7/16 Tri-Alloy washers, M-12 stainless steel nuts, and use a lot of anti-seize. Be sure to get M-12 nuts if replacing them. The dealer may show M-10s for the stud size and that is wrong on the R’s.
Remove (2) 13mm nuts on the back mounting bracket on the X-pipe and (4) 15mm nuts, and the X-pipe is ready to drop out. Just wiggle it back and forth and it will drop out. Be careful you are not under it when it comes down. If you slide some cardboard under the car prior to dropping the X-pipe and muffler assembly out, you can drag it out from under the car a little easier when using jack stands.
Both rear O2 sensors may be galled in the bungs so you might have to get new ones. The O2 sensors are the same as the 99/01 Cobra. The passenger side collector gasket is also a Cobra common item.
XR3Z-9G444-?? Front O2 Sensors (Green) 2 Each
XR3Z-9G444-AA Rear Driver Side O2 Sensor (Blue) $ 79.20 list
XR3Z-9G444-CA Rear Passenger Side O2 Sensor (Purple) $ 79.20 list
XR3Z- 9450- AA Passenger side Collector gasket $ 7.22 list
Run in the 2 rear ones, and the driver side O2 sensor and reverse the removal process. Be sure to put plenty of anti-seize on the threads. Make sure the anti-seize is compatible with O2 sensors.
While hanging the X pipe you may find it was easiest to line up the passenger side collector, wedge the muffler connections together, and then start the nut on the passenger side upper stud and run it down snug. This will hold the X-pipe up enough to get you started. If you cannot get the rear hanger to line up, then just spray some silicone on the little rubber isolators, take the hanger off, place it in the X-pipe bracket, and start the nuts, then replace the rubber isolators.
REMOVING THE MUFFLER
You may choose to take it off in 1 piece. You could take it apart by breaking the band clamps loose and pull the respective parts off.
Hose down the rubber hangers and pins with silicone spray, then move them back and forth to work the silicone in and they will come right off.
Hang the center section on the rear hangers and line up the muffler to the X pipe. Set all 4 bolts (14mm on both nut and bolt) in place and tighten them down evenly. You may wish to add an extra washer (5/16) on the bolt side so that there is a washer on both the nut and bolt side. Use a U-bolt or band clamp on the driver side muffler input pipe to secure that pipe.
Next hang the resonators and side pipes, and be sure that the hanger pin is under the exhaust tip. Then place the remaining clamps on the resonator-muffler connections and the resonator-tip joints. At this point you only want to lightly snug down the clamps and then stop and check the alignments. Once everything looks good, proceed to evenly tighten everything down.
You can use Walker 2.5 inch muffler band clamps instead of the U-bolt type clamps on the muffler-resonator joint and the front muffler and exhaust tip joints. Using band clamps allows you to take things apart if needed, which is not easy to do with U-Bolt type clamps because they crimp the pipe.
Q: What should I know about a chip mod?
A: If you are planning on racing events governed by a sanctioning body, you should check their rule. For instance the SCCA has rules about chip that requires it to fit inside the original computer. Some chips called rotary chips have an external switch that allows for multiple programs to be used. In this case, they would not be allowed by the SCCA. Some owners recommend the R.A.C.E. Systems chip. With it there are no more annoying deceleration backfires, a much better AFR calibration, and more power during shifting, and much snappier low end. It is a rotary chip (Autologics 4 bank) that allows for multiple programs. You might use program #1 for regular pump Premium gas, program #2 for racing gas’s higher octane, and #3 for valet mode, with a 3000 RPM limiter.
Q: Is there any thing that tends to break on these cars?
A: If you go open track road racing, or drive at high speeds (over 100 MPH) for extended periods of time, there is a good chance that the rear differential will become damaged due to excess heat. The design of the rear IRS pumpkin is not one that promotes cooling of the differential lube. There is a solution in the form of a rear differential cooling kit, which is recommended for the applications described above.
The differential cooler modification was issued a Ford part number, and can be purchased from Kenny Brown for about $1799. If you belong to SVT Cobra Mustang Club, they will give a 10% discount off of that. It is SCCA legal. The differential must be removed from the car for installation, which may take 10 hours of labor. Typical mounting for the cooler has been in the trunk area, but some forum members have mounted there’s on the outside of the car, below the rear bumper and behind the fuel cell. Advantages to mounting it outside are less heat in the car and better airflow, but it is more prone to damage. Typical installations use a temperature switch to cut on at 180 degrees, and off at 160 degrees, as well as a manual switch. As an alternative to the KB kit, some folks have sourced pump and cooler parts from www.racerpartswholesale.com and custom fabricated the cooler on their own for much less.
If your stock differential is damaged, some forum members have replaced the stock unit with other differentials. Check your specific application, as it may require the installation or one or both new half-shafts to match it, and some machining work. If you remove your rear diff cover and see a heavy bodied dark gray substance that seems to have separated from the gear lube and is clinking to the bottom of the cover and diff, then you probably have cooked it.
Some folks have reported cracks and breakage of the one piece disk rotors when used under very demanding circumstances at race tracks. Brembo and others sell two piece rotors that fit the R. Forum members report that BAER rotors will not fit the stock Brembo calipers.
The front splitter generates a lot of downforce and pulls on the front fascia. When you reach speeds up in the 130 to 150 MPH range, the front splitter can start shuddering and shaking. It is believed that the front fascia (bumper cover assy.) is not supported well enough to take the forces that are put on it from the splitter. If you grab onto the front fascia and pull it up and down you will get that whole assembly to move. This will eventually cause the front fascia support up by the headlights to break, which is a lot of work to get replaced. Owners have fixed this by creating a support for the splitter and fascia. You could remove the four plastic push in clips (two by the headlights and to underneath the fascia) and replace them with bolts that hold everything tight. One forum member used a 1/4"-20 speed nut on the support member and installed a 1/4"-20 stainless steel Phillips round head screw on the top of the fascia. On the bottom he removed the plastic fasteners and installed two self threading 5/16"-18 zinc plated hex bolts with integral washer. You can make a bracket to give additional support to the fascia. Some folks have tried using expanding foam in the fascia and splitter to add rigidity, without adding a lot of weight. Forum members have also installed aluminum bracing inside the splitter itself, and have reported this additional stiffening eliminated the shudder, at the expense of a little more weight. Search the forum for details and pictures of these mods.
If you either can't or don't want to reinforce the front fascia area to make the splitter stiffer, leave the splitter at home when driving at moderate high speeds. If you are going to the track and need the downforce of the splitter, you must fix it or it will tear itself apart. The splitter also reduces your ground clearance in front to about 5”. If you drive with it on, you have to be extremely careful of curbs, speed bumps, and driveway entrances. Sooner or later it will scrape and crack on something.
Q: What kind of clutch is used, and can it be upgraded?
A: The clutch is the standard 99 Cobra unit. The clutch is a weak area only if you miss a shift. An upgrade does exist. The Apex Motorsports dual Kevlar clutch is great for track but really stiff for street use, requires small mod to the clutch stop to be made.
Q: Are the pedals right for heel toe operation?
A: You have to modify the gas pedal to be the same height in order to heel toe properly.
Could might consider replacing (with a custom-fabbed replacement) the throttle cable mount and move it back approx 1" which raises the gas pedal level with the brake pedal. Some have found they never had wide open throttle the way it was set up from the factory. They saw only about 75% open with the pedal jammed into the floor.
Q: Does the R have IRS wheel hop, and can anything be done for it?
A: Yes, it can have hop under certain conditions. Paul’s Performance and Ford sell braces and urethane bushings for the IRS designed to eliminate/reduce wheel hop
FRPP part number is M-5030-F and it is the FR-500 brace. List is $ 175.00 The 00R had a 4th member brace that the 99 and 01 Cobra’s did not have. It did NOT have all of the mounting points the FR500, the 03 Cobra, and aftermarket braces have to tie the rear pinion housing together.
Q: Does anyone sell a shock tower brace that will clear the R motor?
A: Kenny Brown sells a shock tower brace that barely clears the engine. You may be required to also use the KB caster/camber plates if using this brace.(check)
Q: What would be a good street tire to use?
A: BfG KDW or Bridgestone S01’s are better for street use. They will last longer, and work better in the rain. The Nitto 555 Extreme is great for street racing. Kuhmo MX’s are gaining a repetation for offering great dry performance at a modest cost.
If you want to try and replace the originals with KD’s in the same size, you may have a bit of a challenge. You have to call BF Goodrich and provide documentation that you have a 00R, they will release a set of tires to your dealer. They supposedly have *some* tires set aside for us. Officially they are not available to "everyone".
Q: What would be a good track tire to use?
A: Forum members report the Hoosiers are the best gripping, but they don’t last as long as other tires since they come with 4/32 of tread. Kuhmo makes some track tires (Ecsta V700) that aren’t quite as grippy as the Hoosiers, but last longer and cost less.
Q: How much larger of a tire can I use without creating a problem with rubbing?
A: 275/35x18 tires work OK. However, as they are smaller in diameter, your speedometer well be off a bit. At 6500 rpm in fourth gear, you will run 143.5 mph with the 265/40 x 18 and 139.3 mph with the 275/35x18. 275/40x18 tires will rub on the front fender well. Larger tires can be used on the rear, but you will not be able to rotate them from front to back. Due to the nature of the negative camber used in the front suspension, this makes it difficult to even out tread wear over all four tires. Some forum members have reported success with 285/35x18 tires. Always check for clearance between the rear tire sidewall and an IRS bolt in the rear of the car when using oversized tires and rims.
Q: Does anyone make a car cover for the R?
A: California Car Cover item # 16208WG is a custom made cover for our R's http://www.calcarcover.com
Q: What should I know about in order to change the oil?
A: 8.5 to 9 quarts of oil are required at change time. Mobil 1 Synthetic 15W-50 was used at the factory and a synthetic oil like this is recommended. It uses the same oil filter as a 4.6 Cobra, which is the Motorcraft FL820S or equivalent(Mobil1 M-210). Most folks remember where full is on the dipstick. Anywhere between the lower and upper holes is in the range. Put 8 ½ qrts in the car and wait for it to drain into the pan before measuring. Most will go ahead and place the last half quart in because it won’t be near the top of the range. Some forum users will run between ½ and 1 quart more oil if they are at an open track event, and do not have a dry sump, or Accusump system. This is insurance against oil starvation if high RPM’s pump all of the oil up to the heads, and drain back is slow due to g-forces.
Q: What about installing an “Accusump”?
A: While there have been no reported problems with oil starvation, you could install this to help get and keep oil into the engine before start up and during extreme cornering at the track if the oil in the pan moves away from the pickup. A good place for the install is behind the front fascia, in an area that won’t block airflow to the radiator, but is still close to the engine.
Q: What’s a good brake pad replacement?
A: Hawk brand pads are good for replacements. There are different compounds depending on the desired application. Typically the race pads require a higher temperature to work, and thus should not be used on the street for daily driving. Heavy duty race pads also tend to be harder on the rotors, and leave more brake dust.
HPS (street pad)
Plus (higher grade street pad)
Black (all purpose pad)
Blues Race (race pad) *recommended by multiple forum members for track usage
HT10 (severe duty racing)
Other forum members report good results using Performance Friction pads on the track.
Q: What should I know before bleeding my brakes?
A: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE, RUN THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR LOW ENOUGH TO SUCK AIR INTO THE MASTER CYLINDER WHEN WORKING ON YOUR BRAKING SYSTEM.
Several of us have had this problem and the master cylinder which is in the "R" is much more difficult to eradicate the air out of it. Which is a major pain to restore. The Ford dealer has a special computer that can be hooked up to allow for bleeding the ABS brake system if air gets into it’s lines.
Q: Why won’t my gas gauge go all of the way to Full when I fill up?
A: Most won’t reach Full unless you fill the tank very slowly. Typically an indicated 3/4 is full and owners fill it up around 150-250 miles on the trip odometer to be safe. 13-17 gallons to fill up after low fuel light comes on is what has been reported. Design implementation is supposed to limit the 20 gal fuel cell to 18. The stock Ford fuel level sending unit and computer were used with the Fuel Safe fuel cell.
Q: Why doesn’t my Temp gauge go above the Normal range when I run the car hard at the track?
A: The Temp gauge is damped like Cobra and Mustang models It will still say normal when at 250 degrees. You should get real Oil and Temp gauges installed if you run at the track, or care to find out about a problem before its too late.
Q: What reading do folks with real gauges see when running at the track.
A: Forum members report water temps in the 230-240 degree range, and oil temps in the 240-250 degree range with lots of WOT at the track. Some forum members have made a custom gauge mount from particle board and vinyl, designed to mount 2 1/16 gauges in the radio delete area.
Q: What’s that stuff on the air intake tube, ahead of the throttle body?
A: Rumor is that the strange black box that comes out from the air intake pipe (before the throttle body), is to reduce the noise level of the 00 R. When asked at a racing event, several Ford engineers came to the conclusion that the funny little black box was a noise suppression device, nothing more.
Q: I think I might want to drive this on the track. What things should I consider besides track tires, gauges, recall work, fascia fix, diff cooler, and the other stuff in the FAQ above?
A: There are safety items, like a helmet, racing harness belts, and a roll bar that you might want to purchase. Two piece rotors, racing brake pads, check and change your brake fluid, a larger front sway bar, ultra light rims, subframe connectors and jacking rails, and of course a truck and trailer to haul all of this stuff around.
Q: What should I do if I have a flat tire?
A: The spare tire on the 2000 R is only 17" in diameter, instead of the 18" rims which are mounted on the car. With our independent rear suspension setup, if you mount this thing on either side of the rear of the car, with an 18" rim/tire on the other side, you are sure to toast the differential because of the extreme differences in rotation speed.
Therefore, if you have a flat on one of the rear tires, you should move one of the front ones to the rear, and put the spare on the front of the car until you get the tire fixed/replaced.
Q: I want to put a stereo in the car. What’s an easy route to take?
A: Wiring for OEM Mach460 stereo is already in the car.
If you get the appropriate adapters found at most fine AutoSound stores you can drop a system into your car, and not have to hack up the existing wiring harnesses, or waste many days building your own custom wiring harness.
The door speaker wires are already in the doors, complete with the funky Ford speaker connectors. The rear deck has the wires taped on top, under the deck cover. Just remove the back seat carpet and board and pop 2 trim clips and snake it out. You can bend it a bit, and it’ll come right out. If you insist on removing the side trim in the back there are 3 trim clips on the outside, and 1 under the upper window molding (IE not worth the effort, I broke a mounting tab on my lower molding, resort to bending and cajoling the deck cover out ). You'll find 2 funky Ford speaker connectors there.
Door and Deck Speakers are 5x7s. You can put a bit of weather-strip foam around the housing to isolate and seal the speaker from the deck/door. You do have to drill 4 holes for the doors.
NOTE ---- To get the door panels off, pull out the window control panel, and unscrew it, remove the door handle cup, and 2 screws, and pull up and towards the inside of the car and the panels come right off, reverse the procedures to reinstall. Install the lower clips first, and then press the door panel to the door, and whack, whack, whack on the top, until it seats.
The main power/speaker connectors are taped up behind the glove box to the main harness. It is a grey, and black set, and a phone type clip for the Mach460 Amp. The grey connector is for power, ground, illumination, remote turn on (IE amplifier) and Remote Antenna. The black connector is for your speaker harnesses.
The difference between the Mach460 and the base line unit is an extra set of cables or two that go to the amp and such. It had the connectors for the "Premium" sound system in addition to the base stuff. Extra speaker cable harness, etc.
It should be fairly simple to just drop in a factory system, or drop in an aftermarket using harness adapters. The harness adapter has a factory connector on one side, and bare wires on the back side, and basically would emulate a factory head unit. That way, all of the power, ground, antenna power, etc are all right there, tie that into your stereo harness, and just plug it right into your factory connector. The same applies to the speaker harness connector.
On the speaker side, Ford uses a funky 2 conductor connector for the speakers, you could just cut them off, and tire your wires into the cut end, stuff the bare wire to the speaker into the connector and tape off, or look for a speaker connector converter. It does the same thing as the radio adapter, and would just plug right into the factory connector.
anyways, the Mach 460 sound system is a complete AM-FM-CD with a separate amp for speakers and I think it came with some form of a subwoofer...maybe not...it is just a very nice factory sound system. The fact that they left wiring in the car for a radio was a god-send.
As for dropping the stereo in, all of the stereo wiring is there up under the dash and in the doors and back deck, so if you go with Ford equipment, it is plug and play.
You do have to drill holes for the speaker mounting screws in the doors and if you do not want to hack up the wiring, etc, there is enough room in the door channel tube to run the speaker wires thru there. I ran the rear speaker wires straight back under the dash, and on top of the tunnel, and under the carpet and under the rear seat delete panel. Then cable tied up to the speaker holes.
If you troll around, Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc you can find the factory wiring adapter for the main harness, and if you get stuff from Crutchfield, they'll sell you the adapters to tie into the factory speaker harness. You will need something for an antenna, as there is not one on the fender.
Q: What is the proper torque for the lug nuts?
A: 95-100 lbs
Q: What should I consider if thinking about a roll cage?
A: The cost for a custom built roll cage will be between 2-3k dollars. It’s best to contact a builder familiar with the various sanctioning body’s rules, so construction materials and methods meet their requirements. You should also let the builder know what kinds of harness belts you will be using so they can ensure the mounting and other installation issues are compliant with the rules. You may be able to reduce the cost if you are willing to do the interior removal and replacement prep labor yourself. The type of finish applied to the roll bar (power coat, paint, chrome) will also affect cost.
Q: Would the 2000 R benefit from battery relocation?
A: Yes, moving the battery to the rear of the car on the passenger side would benefit front/rear and side to side weight distribution. Racing supply houses sell aluminum battery boxes, which would be a good idea since there is no barrier between the trunk and cockpit.
Q: Can a 2000 R have a turbo or blower installed?
A: Sure if you’ve got the time and money. Due to the low volume nature of the car, lots of fabrication would be required. There have been at least one turbo and one blower equipped car show up in magazines or in public where someone was able to take pictures and ask questions. In each case the power was over 500 HP and TQ, and getting traction was an issue.
Q: How should I flush and refill my radiator and cooling system?
A: There is a cooling system drain plug on the block. It's on the driver’s side just below the rear most freeze plug. It's a 3/8" female hex pipe plug that’s very easy to see and get to. There may be another one on the passenger side but if there is, it is completely blocked from sight by the starter. Drain the radiator using one of the hoses under the right side (facing the motor) of the radiator. You will see a small junction with multiple hoses attached to it. This is where the thermostat is located. You may wish to change it while draining. You can get one (same part as a 1999 Cobra) at a Ford dealer. Open one of these hoses at that junction where the thermostat is and let it drain for a while. Take off both caps so it can properly burp while it is draining. After it is fully drained, replace the thermostat (if you've taken the old one out that is) and replace the hose and drain plug you took off to do the draining.
If you really want to completely remove all of the old coolant remove the heater hoses from the engine connections and suck the old coolant out of the heater core and hoses with a shop vac. Refill the heater core with a mixture of 50% anti-freeze (a suggestion would be extended life coolant) and distilled water. Never put tap water, especially well water, in any engine or cooling system you care about. You may also want to put some bottles of "water wetter" in there also. You will need to fill it and let it burp several times to purge the system of air which has been introduced during the process, adding more distilled water each time. After about 2-3 times, start the engine, let it idle a little while, and then keep filling as needed. After about 4-5 burps/fills, run the car at idle with the heater on high to open up the thermostat and to get the heater evaporator core full. Keep repeating this process purging the system of more air each time. Run the engine and heater until you get heat out of the heater. This will be sure you don't have any air in there. Keep checking your overfill tank as it may need a quart here and there until all of the air is out of the system.
Q: How do you access the K&N air filter?
A: The only way to get to the filter is to remove the passenger tire and partly remove the fender wheel well shroud by unscrewing a few screws in front. Reach inside of the fender liner to get to it. This may be a special order part #, so allow some time for delivery.
Q: What brake fluid should I use?
A: The factory fill was DOT3 (Ford HiPo) Some forum members have done a complete flush and fill using a brake fluid suited for higher temps, such as DOT4. See the warning about not letting the master cylinder run low when bleeding the brakes.
Q: What spark plugs should I use?
A: Motorcraft # agsf-12-fm1 were the stock plugs, but some folks have used a NGK replacement plug Part #3951.
Q: What hardware should be used to attach the splitter? It comes with some fasteners, should they be used?
A: Here are the part numbers to order the rivets and the squeezer:
Call Jay-Cee Sales & Rivet at 1-800-521-6777
Squeezer: TP-888-2 Hand Rivet Squeezer with 2” yoke AND part number 200-4504 1/8” Tubular Set for rivet squeezer (this is the insert for the squeezer)
Rivets: part# T125F002500 Oval HD Semi-Tub “430” stainless steel rivets (1/8” X ¼” X 7/32”) [these come in packets of 100]
These are for attaching the DZUS fasteners onto the splitter. You should use the supplied rivets (pop rivets) for attaching the springs onto the bumper.
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