Complete Engine Teardown

Just finished building mine (yes....all by myself you big sissy ) and it’s not nearly as intimidating as some people make it out to be. As a matter of fact, I’ll even go one further and say it was easier to build than my old 5.0L OHV.

As far as what you should replace…..timing chains should be mandatory. They’re cheap and they stretch over time and there’s really no reason not to. Upgrading to the FRPP High Volume oil pump M-6600-D46 would also be a good move to ensure adequate oiling in the future. Guides and gears can be judged for wear once you get the engine apart, but even if you do need to replace them, I was able to do so, on mine for about $300.00 Canadian.

If you can afford to do a proper P&P to the heads, now would be the time or you could attempt it on your own if you've got any skill with a die grinder (yup...ported and polished my heads myself too ). At the very least a fresh valve job should be manditory. Having that shop manual sure did come in handy, but once you've had one together, it's really not too tough. Just take your time.

EDIT
Just remembered you've got a Cobra now and not your GT . You probably already have the high-volume pump, but just check the numbers anyway to be certain.