11.8 @ 120mph, then some bad news

[Joe 5.0]

Finally got the Cobra to the track today. It ran pretty well, except for the coolant reservoir tube blowing off and sending coolant all over my engine. It made for a nice steam/smoke show for a minute or two till I figured it out.

All of my passes were within 118-120mph, but my 11.8 came with my best 60' of 1.75. I know with a lil less tire pressure and some better shifting I could get that down to ~ 11.5 or so.

Now on to the bad news.

Halfway home I started to see a nice trail of smoke behind me. About a minute later I saw my check engine light on, and right after that my low coolant light came on. So I immediately exited the expressway to check it out. I wasnt low on coolant, and actually the coolant in the overflow was either bubbling or boiling, not really sure. So I gave it a couple mins and started it back up. It seemed to run fine, at least for about 15 mins.

Then the CEL came on again and before I could get it pulled over to the shoulder it was smoking/steaming pretty good, and it made like a bad screeching noise for about 10 seconds.

So I'm thinking HG's, MAYBE a bad water pump (not likely). Hopefully the screeching wasnt my main bearings, but we'll see.

Its too bad, because I think I could get it to run a lil faster with just some practice, and then up the boost to ~ 15-16lbs and aim for 10's.

 

[S/CBlack95GT]

Sounds like you popped a head gasket to me. Was the temperature high at anytime when you were driving it home?

 

[wytstang]

Damn that sucks, hopefully it's something cheap.

 

[Wi Stang]

I would guess headgaskets too, that sounds a lot like the symptoms.
Hopefully that is all that it is.
Good luck man, keep us posted.

 

[Joe 5.0]

I'm thinking HG's too, I just wonder why it would happen on the cruise home at a steady 75mph versus at the track when I was flogging it.

And my stupid sending unit for the coolant guage went out again (autometer crap), so I'm not really sure what the temp was.

 

[FlyBy763]

The screaching was probably just the coolant burning off from between the belt against the pulley if it was spraying coolant everywhere.

 

[Joe 5.0]

Well I'm about to go look at it. What should I be looking for to see if it was a bad HG? I know to drain the oil and coolant. Will the plugs show anything if it was?

 

[WhiteDevil]

Damn that combo sounds like a lot of fun. HOpefully its just the HG keep us updated!

 

[trav_19]

its a hg... the bulbling coolant gave it away i thought the bad new was the hose that poped off at the track that sucks what it really was...im sure it was blown at the track it just didn't really let go till you were stedy cruising at higher temps and steady pressure

 

[Pokageek]

The screaching was probably just the coolant burning off from between the belt against the pulley if it was spraying coolant everywhere.

:Word:

 

[drakesdad]

great times........sorry about the head gasket......I would change a gasket for a ET like that....

 

[OrangeMustangGt]

what gaskets are you using? get felpro MLS and be done with it!

 

[yellow1995Cobra]

ughhh that sucks man! You might be the first HG victim this season on the 94/95 section.. I know the feeling, it sucks!!

Well congrats on the good times, deffinantly alot more left in there at that power level with more track time.. Are you running skinnies now?

 

[Joe 5.0]

Nope no skinnys, ran on the heavy 17x9.5 TTII's with 275's

 

[ProKiller]

its a HG. the plugs should have a greenish hew to them. at least the cylinder that the gasket went south on.

 

[fastfive0]

Last time that my 347 lost a HG it was also on the way home from the track. I think the steady highway driving is what finally kills em! Mine was on nitrous not a blower but same mph and effects lol.

Good luck!

George

 

[Jackie Chan]

been there done that.