Help!! Timing cover woes..

[icobra99]

So after 3 long months I finally got the 04' longblock from Ford to replace the one in my 99', that I ruined when I started cranking up the boost. To keep it short I got a call from the dealership that's installing it for me, and was told simply "It's not gonna work". Apparently the 04's have a second idler pulley so the timing covers are not interchangeble and the whole pulley system on my supercharger wont work. Unfortunately I'm 500 miles away at a seminar this weekend so I can't look at it and judge for myself.
So I'm left with two options, send back the motor and wait another 2 months for Ford to build a 99' spec one, or spend more money and find a way to make this one work. I'd really really appreciate any input I can get on this, my cobra's been out of commission for over 10 months and I can't express the frustration this brings me. If anyone know's a way I can make this 04' longblock work with my Vortech please chime in. Thanks in advance guys.

 

[JP_Stang]

Couldn't you just put your 99's timing cover on the front of the 04 longblock??

 

[icobra99]

The revised 04' engines had a second idler pulley, so that's out of the question without converting it somehow, according to the mechanic.

 

[Grey03Lightning]

Use the 99 timing cover on the 04 longblock.

 

[JP_Stang]

It wouldn't matter about the second idler. You will be deleting it with the 99' cover. Then you will just route your belt like you would with the 99'. You can do it this way. I have an '04 block with my '96 timing cover. Several people have done this. You will need to use your '99 intake manifold also since you are running a centri blower.

 

[icobra99]

Thanks a ton. In swapping the 04' longblock in to my 99' are there any other complications or problems that I'm going to run in to? Anything expensive or overly time consuming?
I just got off the phone with the mechanic at the dealership and told him how easy it was to solve the timing cover problem, he then told me that there were several other things that didn't match up on longblock and that putting it in would be a huge hassle. Now after after these guys have had my car for 6 months this really, really, pisses me off. I'm considering when I get home to just go get the car and the engine and do it myself this winter. The mechanic wants me to ship back the 04' longblock, wait for a 99' longblock, and just hope they didn't use paperclips for rods when they remanufactured it.
Comments? Suggestions? Thanks again in advance.

 

[icobra99]

.

 

[BlackVenom99]

So it's at a dealership...

Entire intake system, Timing cover- These are easy.
Knock sensors, lower compression and different cams- This is probably the hang up for them, they probably don't know if it'll run well on your current tune, and the 04's shouldn't have the bosses for the knock sensors, which if not in place will throw a code, but of course anything in that department can be fixed with an aftermarket tune. (not available to dealerships)

I'd be willing to bet, in total they're being told it isn't a direct swap by ford and are blindly following that. Indeed they will run into a thing or two that would cause them a headache, That I'm not sure I'd want them to be in charge of fixing those headaches.

 

[01yellercobra]

Sounds like he's either lazy, dumb, or a combination of the two. The 99 timing cover isn't a direct swap onto the 04 long block. There's a bolt hole by the water pump in the timing cover that doesn't have a matching hole in the iron block. A little RTV fixes that problem. Like BlackVenom said, the 04's don't have knock sensors so those will have to be deleted. Not hard to do, but you will need a tune to turn them off and elminate the CEL. An issue I had with my Boss block was there was a boss in the valley under the intake that keeps it from sitting correctly. Some time with a die grinder fixed that problem. I don't know if the production blocks have that same boss.

 

[SpittingCobra]

Just curious why an aluminator isn't going in? Is this under some kind of warranty?

 

[icobra99]

Thanks for all the input guys, After much deliberation and being assured I'll get a spec sheet, I think I'm going to just going send it back and get the 99' longblock. I just think I'll have too much on my plate to put it all together as soon as I'd like. If nothing else I'll save a few a pounds lol.

Just curious why an aluminator isn't going in? Is this under some kind of warranty?

The reman. lonblock from Ford was only $4,600. And it regards to the warranty no it was voided because it was going in a '99 Cobra. Maybe now that I'm getting the '99 I can keep the warranty the engines come with but I doubt it since it's getting the supercharger and tune back on it.

 

[Stanger00]

Like te others have said the timin cover from your 99 motor will bolt up to the replacement long block. I put a 96 2 valve timing cover onto a 04 Windsor ( 03-04) Aluminator short block. The installer had to RTV one bolt hole but that was the only issue.

Your mechanic doesn't sound as though they want to install this motor since it is not a direct drop in due to the vortech.

Best of luck getting a 99 specd long block from Ford.

 

[JP_Stang]

If you already have the 04 longblock, there is no way I would send it back to have Ford spec a '99 long block. Take your car and your motor and take somewhere else, or do it yourself. You will regret going with the '99 motor. Your going to do the same thing to this motor as you did to the old motor. Hell, take the '04 motor, install your timing cover and intake yourself and then find someone who can drop it in for you if you don't have the means to do it yourself. Talk to a tuner and have them write you a base tune to delete all the things you won't need anymore like the knock sensors, so that the car fires up. Then you can take it to a tuner and have them dial in the tune for you.

 

[icobra99]

Well JP after mulling over yours and the advice of others, and realizing there's no way I'm going to get forged internals on a '99 reman, I decided I have to keep the '04 longblock. There's really no reason not to it'd just be stupid. I talked to the gm at the dealership and since I have a few days off for thanksgiving I'm going to pick up the engine and put on the timing cover and intake manifold myself(and anything else they feel they can't handle :rollseyes), and then take it back and have them put it in and bolt up everything else. And hopefully I can have my car running again this month.
Can anybody tell me any little extra things I'll need to know or get to put on the timing cover and intake mani? Any advice you guys can give me to make things go smoothly is much appreciated, I don't have much time to make this all happen lol. Thanks guys.

 

[JP_Stang]

Good choice man! I haven't personally done one myself so I can't help you with the details, I just knew that you could do it. That's the great thing about these mod motors! We can play Frankenstien with almost all of them!