hkopp

Sorry for the long post...questions at the bottom if you prefer to skip the history.

I have a 96 cobra with 50k miles on it. I bought it 5 years ago and have stored it since, as there was a heating issue with the car when I bought it. It was severe, the engine would shut down spark plugs after 15 minutes of driving. The dealer wanted 2500 to apply the 97 TSB on it, so last year I bought a fluidyne radiator and replaced it, all the hoses, new cap and thermostat, and installed the plastic airdam that was missing under the car. I drove the car on a trip of about 500 miles and it ran great! The temp never went past the 'm' in Normal.

Shortly after this trip I drove it a few more times locally and it started to run warm again. Then in October I started it and smelled antifreeze so I shut it down and parted it, until yesterday.

I fired the car up...and the drivers side bank emmited a lot of white smoke and it ran rough - I mean a lot of smoke! Some white smoke was coming from the pass side but I assumed it could have been from the crossover pipe. I took it to my uncles shop, as I am not equiped to change heads in this thing.

My questions are:
1. Does the engine need to be pulled to change head gaskets?
2. How much if any can I mill the heads if they are warped?
3. with 50k miles on the car, what all should I change while we are in there?
4. I bought an electric Autometer gauge, where is the best place to plumb it into?
5. What gaskets and headbolts should I use...Ford or other like NAPA?

thanks much for any advise...

~Heath

roaddog

I can feel your pain on the head gasket job that is pending. So far as time wise, it would be a lot easier and faster to pull the motor and do a head job on it since you are going to do both. I know because I just pulled the head on my 2000 and it took dang near all day to do just the one side. To pull the motor would take less than 3 hours. The Exhaust bolts are a pain to reach and un do on the heads where if you pull them off of the exhaust pipe at the manifold, you will not have to do but two and they are a lot easier to get too.
So far as the milling, I would go with the recomendations of the Machine shop. You will not know how bad the head is warped until you or they check it.
If you wanted to put L.T.H on it, now would be the perfect time for that. Also Cams .

I would recommend ARP headbolts and so far as Gaskets, I would go with a good Fel Pro set.

Acer2428

A) You don't have to pull the motor. At least on a 2v, the 4v's are wider though.
B) Depends on machine shop, they'll know.
C) I should hope nothing else... Spark plugs for sure though.
D) No personal experience, so I can't comment
E) Just like he said... ARP head STUDS and Fel-Pro gaskets.

hkopp

Thanks for the replies...I sure appreciate it. What is L.T.H? I am new to the cobras..been an owner of older mustangs for 20 years (1969 mach 1 428SCJ Drag Pack, and 65 coupe with 347 stroker 5 spd), these 4.6's are a strange beast. I think we'll change the timing sets while there...hope the heads are warped but it sure was pouring out the white smoke.

Should know more tomorrow. thanks again.

~H

Dragon02GT

LT's or LTH = Long Tube Headers = Awesome sounds and decent gains on a 4v and even a 2v

hkopp

ooooohhh. ok. It has the factory headers/manifolds, but has a basani cat back exhaust with X pipe...it sounds awesome. Looks like 15 hours to replace head gaskets, ouch. I have had back surgery my 3rd time recently...bending over a fender to even check the oil is out of my reach for now.

thx for the reply...and new acronym to my vocabulary.

St4ng07

Usually white smoke means your burning coolant bad. With the 2V, If I'm correct you do not need to pull engine out.

monkeydude3

with the 4v, engine almost definitely has t ocome out. hell, the engine has to come out to do the VALVE COVER gaskets.

and white smoke = coolant. that sucks that it only has 50k on it too!

may as well do some work to the engine if you have it pulled. I'd say at least p&P heads and maybe stage 1 cam? If you are real into it forge the bottom that way later on you can blow that bizzotch

hkopp

I checked with 3 shops today, all have a cobra supliment that shows the extra work to yank the engine. 2v cars are around 500 labor to change head gaskets...the 4v cobras are 1200+. GREAT.

monkeydude3

it's the nature of the engine. Just have a look at your valve covers... just look at how they are set in there, and how impossible the bottoms of them are to get at, let alone the cylinder heads!


where you at man? If you lived by me i'd totally help you do it... I know what it takes to pull those engines. I could have pulled my 2v but I didn't... had the trans out and needed to LIFT the engine to do the oil pan gasket. handful of undone connections and that engine would have been out. I live in D.G. IL

George