"Rebuild" time...

[holiks03cobra]

Motor has to come out because of a bad head gasket(s). I figure I might as well make some upgrades while It's out. The things I had in mind are: arp2000 head studs, changing the pistons to add compression, and cams. If you have any advice on the things I listed or have not listed that I should do I would appreciate it.

 

[badcobra]

I would leave your shortblock alone since it's fine and do some other choice upgrades that will pay off later down the line when it's time for a new block. When it's time for a new block, build a teksid.

Here is what I would do. Put new headgaskets in, ARP2k headstuds, ARP cam bolts, Cobra Engineering secondary tensioner upgrade, and boundary billet oil pump gears.

 

[Livernois Motorsports]

Motor has to come out because of a bad head gasket(s). I figure I might as well make some upgrades while It's out. The things I had in mind are: arp2000 head studs, changing the pistons to add compression, and cams. If you have any advice on the things I listed or have not listed that I should do I would appreciate it.

Hello holiks03cobra, we have many options to offer.
I'll send you over a PM to gather some info.

 

[jrgoffin]

Here's a build thread with about everything you'll need to know:


http://www.modularfords.com/threads/236857-Aluminator-Gibtec-build

 

[holiks03cobra]

Here's a build thread with about everything you'll need to know:


http://www.modularfords.com/threads/236857-Aluminator-Gibtec-build

I've read that thread. I've also read some threads about using the 5.0 boss block, which I am leaning towards. There's nothing wrong with my rotating assembly, how well would that work in the boss block?

 

[badcobra]

Do you have a massive pile of cash burning a hole in your pocket? And have you ever heard the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?

Your shortblock is presumably fine, run it. Do the upgrades I mentioned above and start buying parts for a build later on down the line when it's needed.

 

[Livernois Motorsports]

I've read that thread. I've also read some threads about using the 5.0 boss block, which I am leaning towards. There's nothing wrong with my rotating assembly, how well would that work in the boss block?

The boss blocks are fine under 1K flywheel just like the d46 Iron blocks(these are two bolt blocks just like the o.e. cobra block) anyone that wants a foundation for more power we start with the 3v Aluminum blocks and sleeve them(4bolt with more main register).
We like to upgrade 03/04 cobra owners to the lighter stronger blocks when the plan includes a heavier aftermarket blower assembly to not add a bunch of nose weight and negatively effect the way the car drives/handles.
298 d46 irons's
323 boss iron's
298 alum's
323 alum's all available

 

[stangfreak]

How much boost can those 323 aluminum motors handle.

 

[Juiced46]

I am not questioning your knowledge, but how did you determine you have a bad headgasket? Its fairly rare to have headgasket issues with these cars. Its more common to see oil cooler issues and or/cracked cylinder walls which people tend to think they need headgaskets.

 

[holiks03cobra]

I am not questioning your knowledge, but how did you determine you have a bad headgasket? Its fairly rare to have headgasket issues with these cars. Its more common to see oil cooler issues and or/cracked cylinder walls which people tend to think they need headgaskets.

I bought the block tester and it confirmed that I have exhaust gasses in the coolant. It's also spitting coolant out of the reservoir cap when I get into boost.

 

[holiks03cobra]

Do you have a massive pile of cash burning a hole in your pocket? And have you ever heard the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?

Your shortblock is presumably fine, run it. Do the upgrades I mentioned above and start buying parts for a build later on down the line when it's needed.

I don't and I have. I appreciate the advice and I will definitely consider doing that.

 

[Juiced46]

I bought the block tester and it confirmed that I have exhaust gasses in the coolant. It's also spitting coolant out of the reservoir cap when I get into boost.

That still does not mean a headgasket though. If you have a cracked cylinder wall it will push exhaust gases into the coolant, pressurize the cooling system and push coolant out the cap. The same with the oil cooler. If the cooler is internally leaking, or if the gasket on the block is bad and mixing oil/coolant. Blowby past the rings goes into the oil, oil mixes with the coolant and you will see it. Just be very thorough when diagnosing this issue as I bet this is not a headgasket problem.....

Have you drained the oil?

What do the plugs look like?

What does the coolant look like?

Have you checked the cooler for tightness and leaks? The threaded portion where the oil filter goes on loosens up and will cause these issues as well.

 

[holiks03cobra]

That still does not mean a headgasket though. If you have a cracked cylinder wall it will push exhaust gases into the coolant, pressurize the cooling system and push coolant out the cap. The same with the oil cooler. If the cooler is internally leaking, or if the gasket on the block is bad and mixing oil/coolant. Blowby past the rings goes into the oil, oil mixes with the coolant and you will see it. Just be very thorough when diagnosing this issue as I bet this is not a headgasket problem.....

Have you drained the oil?

What do the plugs look like?

What does the coolant look like?

Have you checked the cooler for tightness and leaks? The threaded portion where the oil filter goes on loosens up and will cause these issues as well.

I have drained the oil and it looked good, no signs of anything mixing with it. The plugs looked normal. Coolant also looks normal with no signs of oil in it but I did find some brownish sandy looking stuff on the cap and around the opening. I tightened that on the oil cooler a couple months ago. I don't hear any odd noises and I did a compression test and that seemed fine. Highest cyl-180 lowest cyl was 163. All the others were between that range.

 

[Juiced46]

I have drained the oil and it looked good, no signs of anything mixing with it. The plugs looked normal. Coolant also looks normal with no signs of oil in it but I did find some brownish sandy looking stuff on the cap and around the opening. I tightened that on the oil cooler a couple months ago. I don't hear any odd noises and I did a compression test and that seemed fine. Highest cyl-180 lowest cyl was 163. All the others were between that range.

If you have a cracked cylinder wall you may not hear any noises. On all the cars I have seen this happen down. They were dead silent, no smoke. But once the engine heated up and you boosted it, it would push through the crack into the coolant and out of the cap.

When do you plan on removing the engine? I am curious on how this will play out. Be sure to take good clear pictures of the headgaskets and inspect those cylinder walls very carefully.

 

[Quick Strike]

Look at the costs to optimize your engine for E85 vs the gain. You would need a few things to be on that path:

$1000 - pistons and rings
$ 600 - head studs, main studs, ARP 2000 rod bolts, reusable side studs
$1400 - cams, springs, retainers, cam bolts (assuming a great sale)
$1000 - machining costs (plus finding and trusting a machine shop to do the work quickly)
$ 400 - gaskets and fluids
$ 300 - good main and rod bearings

There you are at $4700 assuming you assemble the short block and long block yourself. This is without without a consideration of a better damper $600, oil pump with billet gears $400, CNC head porting $1000 (minimum) - not to mention good timing chain tensioners and a better water pump. You could be close to $7000 for a stout, purpose built E85 engine that might give you somewhere around 100 hp over your current setup with the same blower. What does a nitrous system cost?

 

[holiks03cobra]

If you have a cracked cylinder wall you may not hear any noises. On all the cars I have seen this happen down. They were dead silent, no smoke. But once the engine heated up and you boosted it, it would push through the crack into the coolant and out of the cap.

When do you plan on removing the engine? I am curious on how this will play out. Be sure to take good clear pictures of the headgaskets and inspect those cylinder walls very carefully.

Gotcha. I'm not sure when. I'm still trying to figure out if I want to pull the motor with a cherry picker myself or take it to a shop. I will make sure and do that.

 

[Livernois Motorsports]

How much boost can those 323 aluminum motors handle.

depends on how we set them up. For applications making over 1000 RWHP we o-ring, receiver groove and copper head gasket those.
How much boost will it handle, I don't know we have not had anyone fail one yet that is set up like that.
With a combination of billet conn rods, our sleeves, the correct piston/pin along with 2000 studs and the aforementioned o-ring/copper/receiver groove she should be good for 1400 flywheel!

 

[SecondhandSnake]

I am not questioning your knowledge, but how did you determine you have a bad headgasket? Its fairly rare to have headgasket issues with these cars. Its more common to see oil cooler issues and or/cracked cylinder walls which people tend to think they need headgaskets.

Just for my own morbid curiosity how common is the cracked cylinder walls? That's the issue I had run into, and it was only as a fluke someone sent me a link to a end of season teardown that had the same issue. Other than that I hadn't heard of any on iron block modulars.

If you have a cracked cylinder wall you may not hear any noises. On all the cars I have seen this happen down. They were dead silent, no smoke. But once the engine heated up and you boosted it, it would push through the crack into the coolant and out of the cap.

When do you plan on removing the engine? I am curious on how this will play out. Be sure to take good clear pictures of the headgaskets and inspect those cylinder walls very carefully.

I can attest to this. Drove just fine around town, but only when it was warmed up and under boost it would puke coolant. Compression was fine, no smoke, no smell.

And FWIW I found it on the outboard side of cylinders 1 and 3. Noticed one at BDC, but didn't notice the other crack until I had the pistons out.

 

[Livernois Motorsports]

Just for my own morbid curiosity how common is the cracked cylinder walls? That's the issue I had run into, and it was only as a fluke someone sent me a link to a end of season teardown that had the same issue. Other than that I hadn't heard of any on iron block modulars.



I can attest to this. Drove just fine around town, but only when it was warmed up and under boost it would puke coolant. Compression was fine, no smoke, no smell.

And FWIW I found it on the outboard side of cylinders 1 and 3. Noticed one at BDC, but didn't notice the other crack until I had the pistons out.

In large power situations it has come up more often than one would think.
This is why we advise customers certain ways for their unique applications.

 

[stangfreak]

depends on how we set them up. For applications making over 1000 RWHP we o-ring, receiver groove and copper head gasket those.
How much boost will it handle, I don't know we have not had anyone fail one yet that is set up like that.
With a combination of billet conn rods, our sleeves, the correct piston/pin along with 2000 studs and the aforementioned o-ring/copper/receiver groove she should be good for 1400 flywheel!

Nice. I heard the boss blocks have a sealing issue with the heads? so I guess the aluminum block is a better option. Lighter and no issues like the boss block.