This is topic 4.6 built engine questions in forum Tech Talk at Northern California Ford Owners  .


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Posted by bunchmyfunky (Member # 360) on :
 
I'm in the process of deciding on selling my car and getting a 03 Cobra or building a motor for the GT. Are modular strokers worth getting or should I just bore the motor over as much as possible.
 
Posted by MINGRYGT (Member # 2439) on :
 
I want to x2c has a 302 short block for $3495? I have one of their blocks and I think that it was put together well, It was delivered when promised and they have good tech service as well.
 
Posted by bunchmyfunky (Member # 360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by MINGRYGT:
I want to x2c has a 302 short block for $3495? I have one of their blocks and I think that it was put together well, It was delivered when promised and they have good tech service as well.

did you get the 302?
 
Posted by CDT (Member # 5004) on :
 
the 5.0 stroker isnt going to be close to the power you can get with the 4v cobra.
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
I have a short block that i mite sell with cp flat tops manley rods cobra crank built by h.c.i still on the stand.. I want to go a little crazier. As for a stroker motor they are okay f/s guys are making 370 rwhp on a .20 over motor and stock heads and intake with stock stroke. I have not many strokers beat that..Also fastest mod car in the world is a 4.6.. Big bore's make decent power they unshroud the valve and let the heads flow a little better...When building a mod motor remember compression is your friend. Why not do a 4v swap ??
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
I would not do anything from X2C or C.H.P. Only people to touch my motors would be Boss330 racing,Mod Perf.,V.T and of course H.C.I...
 
Posted by bunchmyfunky (Member # 360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by -NORCALCOBRA-:
I would not do anything from X2C or C.H.P. Only people to touch my motors would be Boss330 racing,Mod Perf.,V.T and of course H.C.I...

I was looking at the big bores they look really nice but its some big cash for them. The 4v is an option also. How much HP can the motor you have handle.
 
Posted by 89 FAKE SNAKE (Member # 4531) on :
 
wha is wrong with CHP?
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
C.H.P for MOD-MOTORS is junk I had along talk with John Mihovitz the other day about some various set ups and well lets just say stay away from this this 5.1 setup. And if anyone knows a thing about mod motor it's him...only one to run 6 seconds in a 4.6 to my knowledge. My motor I expect to make over 400 rwhp N/A. If I was going to build a motor for street/Strip duty I would go forged 4.6 flat top pistons forged rods stock cobra crank ported 03/04 heads Mildly ported 99/01 intake manifold. With bolt ons a good driver and traction you can have a very streetable 11 sec streetcar that can get 20+ mpg...
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
Feel free to give me a ring I got some of those parts needed to build that low 11 sec N/A car. That 03 is not a bad way to go either I just cant stand that whine..N/A-n20 is my gig..
 
Posted by bunchmyfunky (Member # 360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by -NORCALCOBRA-:
Feel free to give me a ring I got some of those parts needed to build that low 11 sec N/A car. That 03 is not a bad way to go either I just cant stand that whine..N/A-n20 is my gig..

If I go 2v and the way I'm going to build the motor and the car it will be a solid 11sec NA car and then it will get a 200shot on top of that.
 
Posted by 2000GTskip (Member # 4885) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by -NORCALCOBRA-:
I have a short block that i mite sell with cp flat tops manley rods cobra crank built by h.c.i still on the stand.. I want to go a little crazier. As for a stroker motor they are okay f/s guys are making 370 rwhp on a .20 over motor and stock heads and intake with stock stroke. I have not many strokers beat that..Also fastest mod car in the world is a 4.6.. Big bore's make decent power they unshroud the valve and let the heads flow a little better...When building a mod motor remember compression is your friend. Why not do a 4v swap ??

hey how much do u want for the short block and what is the compression.thanks Chris.
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
Short block is a .030 over teksid aluminum block with C.P custom pistons manley h beams and a cobra crank. Heads are ported B heads off a 98 cobra I would like to sell as a long block heads are for sale in the fir sale section... I would like 4600 for the short block plus heads...
 
Posted by SEMPERFI510 (Member # 627) on :
 
just build it up and boost it or send some juice to it. There are many 2v's in the ten's. 500+ is not hard to get on a 2v either. It's easier with a cobra but a built 2valve with a some boost can make 5-600hp easy. Modular depot has many guys in that area. Many go with VT engines. I would only trust them for crate engines and HCI like others said.
 
Posted by 2000GTskip (Member # 4885) on :
 
so $4600 with heads.. [Confused] how much with out them and whats the comp..?thanks..
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
Skip Give me a call 408 569 1969 I can make a good deal on the short block alone...
 
Posted by 93PONY (Member # 60) on :
 
Mark,
Sell the car.
With a buddy like me building these things for a living, you'd be a fool to NOT have me build your motor.

Attention to detail is everything.

[ March 10, 2005, 10:44 PM: Message edited by: 93PONY ]
 
Posted by bunchmyfunky (Member # 360) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by 93PONY:
Mark,
Sell the car.
With a buddy like me building these things for a living, you'd be a fool to NOT have me build your motor.

Attention to detail is everything.

Which is it sell it or have you build it? I'll be calling you.
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
Have Shaun build you a 4v setup [patriot] [patriot] Or even a high comp 2v would be nice F WIW our J.S.R test car went 11.4 @ 118 with our first prototyped intake cant wait to see what it does with the 20 rwhp we gained over the first. That was on the older 96-98 B heads and a stock long block; valve cover has never been lifted. . If you do consider doing the 4v swap I recommend doing the C head setup it is worth 15-20 rwhp gain over the b headed set up. I am not a fan of the stroker motors myself I don’t see anyone breaking record’s with anything other than 4.6’s.. But I am sure the guys at H.C.I can take care of you..
 
Posted by 93PONY (Member # 60) on :
 
The simple truth is the $$$ that it'll take to get a GT up to snuff with an 03/04 Cobra would be just about enough to buy a used Cobra outright. Plus, the Cobra will retain it's value much better then a GT ever will.
It really comes down to what you want. Do you want an N/A GT that moves pretty damn good for what it's got, or do you want a factory boosted Cobra with all the creature comforts?

As for mail-order motors....
I know the cost of parts to build a stroker modular. With the price X2C & others sell their shortblocks the ONLY way they can make any money on the deal is to do 2 things. First is sell a LOT of motors. This means an assembly line type build....bust out as many as you can as fast as you can. Second is buy the cheapest parts you can get away with.
With that in mind, nobody is perfect....every shop will make a mistake from time to time. Obviously attention to detail goes a LONG way in catching any errors. What would you do if you found that during assembly your mail-order motor had an oil ring roll-over? Your motor would burn excessive amounts of oil. You'd have to first call up & convince them that they made a mistake......AFTER you had a qualified mechanic pull down the motor to find out exactly what went wrong (which is not free). You'd then be forced to either 1. ship your motor back to the builder, or 2. have a local shop fix the problem, pay the local shop, then fight to get some $$$ back from the original builder.

I've been working at HCI for a year now....in that time we've built about 25 motors. Out of those 25 motors, 5 car came in with hurt fully forged motors with very low miles from either other local shops, or mail order. All 5 had 'issues' during the build that were not caught. That's 20% of the motors we've built this last year. Those customers paid a much higher price in the end.

If you lived down the street from a company like X2C, CHP, DSS, etc, hell, why not buy one of thier motors. If someting goes wrong you can drive the car right into their shop & have it checked out.

Your best bet for quality is to go with a local shop that backs up their work & has a record that proves it. The higher up-front cost goes a LONG way if anything ever goes wrong.
 
Posted by 89point (Member # 5412) on :
 
what about chp for a 5.0 motor how are they thanks,nick
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
I have heard there pushrod stuff is good. I would not use probe pistons though, I have read about alot of piston failure with these however those mite have been built buy other shops not c.h.p...
 
Posted by FasterDamnit (Member # 442) on :
 
Here's a complete 4v 98 w/ EEC in Petaluma.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33615&item=7961013598&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
 
Posted by eljefe (Member # 1753) on :
 
whilewere on the discussion of 4v stuff, what is a set of 03-04 cobra heads worth..i might have a line on some, i just dont know how much the guy wants or they are worth.

but mark..i'd say either get a 03-04 cobra, or do a 4v built swap. i dont care much for the 2v's after eric kept blowing spark plugs through the head of his s/c 2v setup in the roush
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
You can find them anywhere from 500-1200+ they are hard to get they are probably the best head you can get for a 4.6 4v so not many people are selling them unless they are parting out used aviator motors. Be careful when selecting, some of the early heads had the tick not to familiar with the tick but from what I heard it is from insufficient cooling around the exhaust valves. I have two sets of 03 heads one set is ported which I mite be getting rid of, if I decide to go with the 00R/05 ford gt heads...
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
Also if you are doing the 03/04 head swap on a 96-98, swap out the intake cams if you get the 03/04 heads complete the newer intake cams have 10 degrees less duration so swaping from a 03 cam to a 96-01 cam would make more horsepower. Also if you get a set of heads do not over look a good set of valves for these heads gains of 15-25 cfm can be found with a after market valves and a good valve job..

[ March 12, 2005, 02:44 AM: Message edited by: -NORCALCOBRA- ]
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
For any one who is interested a gentelman called me today after seeing this thread, he has a complete 03 motor with sensors and all motor has less than 500 miles on it. Motor spun a rod bearing and has been rebuilt. If anyone is interested pm me for his contact info...


Dave

[ March 12, 2005, 11:03 AM: Message edited by: -NORCALCOBRA- ]
 
Posted by Larry (Member # 5176) on :
 
HAVE A NEW 2003 COBRA MOTOR (OWNER SPUN A BEARING THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP ..MISSED A SHIFT..LESS THAN 200 MILES ON MOTOR..I AM REPLACING ALL BEARINGS,MOTOR IS IMMACULATE)COMPLETE WITH S/C ,WIRING HARNESS, ALT.,ALL PUMPS AND SENSORS..THIS MOTOR IF ORDERED FROM FORD OR ANY AFTER MARKET VENDOR WOULD COST $12,000.00 PLUS SHIPPING.

WILL CONSIDER ANY REASONABLE OFFER.

LARRY
 
Posted by 93PONY (Member # 60) on :
 
FYI
I'd pull the cams on that 03 Cobra motor & check for journal damage on the heads.
Typically when a bearing fails it's due to lack of oil...once the bearing goes there is defenately a lack of oil to the top end of the motor. There are no cam bearings in these heads.....therefore a lack of oil to the top end can destroy the heads as they have steel cams riding in cast aluminum journals. Once the journals are destroyed, the heads are junk.
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
There are way's of fixing journal's on high dollar race heads but for a stock head not worth the time and money.
 
Posted by 93PONY (Member # 60) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by -NORCALCOBRA-:
There are way's of fixing journal's on high dollar race heads but for a stock head not worth the time and money.

Yeah, we've got a pair of heads at the shop that've been machined for aftermarket bearings. I checked out his work order on the price he was charged. $1200 total for machining & bearings. [Eek!]
 
Posted by 1Sicgt (Member # 714) on :
 
Shawn, do you guys do head work on the 03-04 cobra heads? Looking for a combo for our 03. We would like to swap cams, and go larger valves. Basically get more hp, and a higher Rev out of it. Its for Road Racing not drag, so it has to last at the higher RPMS too. Can you help with some combo suggestions, and quotes on head work. Just as an FYI, we plan to have the Eaton Ported, we have the Accufab TB and Inlet, 2.8, Steeda CAI, blah blah blah, also for my dads curiousity, do long tubes get any proven gains on the 03-04's? We have been looking for real world dyno information with real numbers to show gains, but not much luck. Just company claims. Any help? [patriot]
 
Posted by 93PONY (Member # 60) on :
 
Yes, longtubes & a free-flowing exhaust help a great deal on the 03/04's.

Yes, we can modify your heads.

To get the most out of them I'd recomend Comp camshafts & valvetrain along with a full port of the heads.

What you need to realize is that the more you open up the motor (letting it breath) the less boost you will get. Due to the boost dropping power gains will be minimal, although inlet air temp will drop.
You should also think about the practical limits of the Eaton blower. Over spinning them creates heat.....heat is not good....especially in a road race car.
With higher flowing heads/exhaust the ported eaton may not be able to keep up. (depends on how much power you want)
 
Posted by -NORCALCOBRA- (Member # 2383) on :
 
Couldn't agree with you more about the eaton thing shaun...

FWIW. I just got done doing a set of 03 heads, And before they were ported they were flow benched with after market modmax valves We seen gains of 15-25 cfm and picked up gains at all lifts especially low lifts. If you are gonna swap bigger valves you are gonna need to swap valve seats.. 1mm bigger cut on stock valve will not last from what I have been told from the fastest n/a car owners in the world. Also I would go 1 mm bigger on the exhaust only leave the intake stock size..


Long tube gains you can expect to see alot of mid range gains, some have not seen much up top but for a road race car mid range would be perfect for coming out of corners..As for sizing I have seen dyno test on 03 headed motors where the 1 5/8 primaries make more hp then 1 3/4. I would go With a 1 5/8-1 3/4 stepped unless you decide to go crazy with boost/rpm I'd go bigger..

03 heads are worth about 10-20 hp over a set of 99/01 heads depending on the quality of the casting. there have been n/a cars with untouched heads cams and intakes that made 372 rwhp/361 ftlbs..Hands down I would go with 03 heads. I am still not sure if I am gonna go with the ported 03 heads or the 00 cobraR/05 ford gt heads..

[ March 14, 2005, 10:49 AM: Message edited by: -NORCALCOBRA- ]
 




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