OT...My first Cobra ride....Some pics..

[RIO5.0]

Had a bud who runs a detailing shop drop by with a customers car tonite....The thing is owed by a dude who only drives it and dont know jack about it, other than he likes it... My bud had to buff it out for him and fix some misc stuff...It wasnt quite running up to snuff so he asked if i'd take a look at it....SURE THING...lets test drive it first....

The car is damn sweet for sure..its 302 powered, TF heads, and a Vortech...

brought it back to garage and tweaked it some but she needs some help...i checked the regular stuff but it really needs to be strapped down to a dyno to see whats really happening...its appears cammed and such and still running the stock EEC.... had a couple MSD/Vortech boost retard boxs. The car feels and sounds like its running flat, not snappy at all and it smells pig rich to boot...FP was at 42 .I know my way around NA stuff but didn't think it wise to be playing around to much....Was still a hoot though....
He gonna tell the owner we'll bring it to dyno tune it and get a chip burned for it...

 

[Rootus]

. I'd love to build myself a factory five car someday...

 

[RIO5.0]

. I'd love to build myself a factory five car someday...

This was built local in NE, maybe Factory Five did it...i was damn nice work...everything was done mint...the frame was 4" tube...nice, nice set-up...not a chop job...my bud figured he's got around 50k into it with the upgrades...
Always wanted a ride in one...was cool..

 

[mytight95]

word....................


damn andy you make me sick..........................
















lol ............J/k...............sweet car
is it quicker than yours........?

 

[RIO5.0]

word....................
damn andy you make me sick..........................
lol ............J/k...............sweet car
is it quicker than yours........?

Actually it was running kinda flat, and seemed to be breaking up down low...once we hit 3rd then it started to smoothen out some....lotta popping in the exhaust....Chit, flames were coming out the side-pipes...

I checked the timing but it was way wack?? spout out, it was like 50 or something??? I dont know how all the boost retards and such work..i dialed it back to zero and got no chg with the timing light??? i re-set it back to where it was...dont know how all that stuff ties into things....I would prefer to strap it down and see whats happening and go from there...going by what i seen over the years...i'd say it not tuned properly for boost..and the stock EEC is kinda wack...guess the guy blew the original 302...added all the goodies and the Vortech and thats how she sets....
It still pulled hard for even running like ass...but it was breaking down pretty bad so we just cooled it...

 

[Rootus]

This was built local in NE, maybe Factory Five did it...i was damn nice work...everything was done mint...the frame was 4" tube...nice, nice set-up...not a chop job...my bud figured he's got around 50k into it with the upgrades...
Always wanted a ride in one...was cool..

I'm guessing it was a factory five kit, since it's got the 5.0 and apparently the suspension from a Mustang (notice the Cobra R wheels). That's how most people build a factory five Cobra, and it's certainly the route I'd take. I think a h/c/i 5.0 (even naturally aspirated) would be pretty good in a car weighing less than 2000 lb .

Dave

 

[Killercanary]

WOW is that thing sweet. I'd LOVE to own/build one someday.

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Do you know the actual weight of those things.

 

[OinkAodeOink]

Check the plugs, gap them down to .28-.30, make sure they are 1-2 steps colder plugs, not fouled out or anything.

He really should have an FMU or larger injectors on that thing.
A H/C/I 302 with a blower needs more then just 30's IMO..
What does he run for a fuel pump? im sure he has reciepts to show for it?
How many lbs of boost are you seeing?
If he is running an FMU, that could be part of your problem..they tend to run rich down low.
What i woudl do is, set his base timing to 10* and set the BTM to pull maybe 2* or so out.. I used to run mine at 8* initial, without a BTM just fine.
MAF clean? Pro-M C&L? Im sure its the correct calibration for the injectors?

 

[RIO5.0]

Check the plugs, gap them down to .28-.30, make sure they are 1-2 steps colder plugs, not fouled out or anything.

He really should have an FMU or larger injectors on that thing.
A H/C/I 302 with a blower needs more then just 30's IMO..
What does he run for a fuel pump? im sure he has reciepts to show for it?
How many lbs of boost are you seeing?
If he is running an FMU, that could be part of your problem..they tend to run rich down low.
What i woudl do is, set his base timing to 10* and set the BTM to pull maybe 2* or so out.. I used to run mine at 8* initial, without a BTM just fine.
MAF clean? Pro-M C&L? Im sure its the correct calibration for the injectors?

Thanks for the info...i drew a blank on some blower stuff...seen it a 100 times to...
He said he checked the plugs,,,they were brown and gapped to 50....i would bet there stockers to...He found one wire burnt from the headers earlier that day...he put some silicone on it and wrapped some metal tape and wire that one...I was gonna OHM it out to see if it was still good....Overall impression is its not one plug giving it probs...you never now though..
I couldnt even get my lift arms under it to pick it up...i really didnt see any obvious fuel upgrades, or FMU..
The air filter was an open KN...it was super crudded, cleaned that and the MAF wires...The maf was a Black plastic one...Pro I think...seen a 30 on it...the injectors are Ford ones, Red...

I tried to set the timing back to base of 10....it was way retarded...when it got to about 20, from 50 or wherever it was, it started stumbling hard??? We shut it off and put the MSD back at zero...re-tried...no change...I just put it back to the matchmark i placed on the dizzy base. The MSD box was set at 2..was wierd it would come back even close to base??...i had the spout out...
It also had a Vortech Ignition (Blue box) mounted on the firewall...
The timing set-up makes no sense to me???

I was gonna hit the battery switch, and let the computer re-set, but was not sure if the MSD/Vortech boxes would freak out???

I tried to pull the codes out but the fans wouldnt shut off...couldn't here jack as they were buzzing away like crazy...

Hopefully I'll get it back and have another go at it....Thanks for the info and tips...We'd like to give it back running like it should.. It runs ok, but theres a chitload more in there..

 

[cb18201]

i painted one when i worked at a body shop but i never got to drive it because the body was completly off the chassis
:-( i always see the guy driving it around now and im jealous

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Plugs need to be Autolite 3923's gapped at around .032 or so. Breaking up sounds like an ignition issue. MSD box, blaster coil and 8.5 wires should help out (ditch those FMS ones).

Looks tight in the engine bay. Backward headers is funny looking in there. Nice ride though.

 

[RIO5.0]

Thanks Vib...

Ya, headers lool like ceramic stocks ones...the exhaust sounds like chit to me, must be cats inside the sidepipes or something??...the factory headers flow to a connector than to the sidepipes...the mid-pipe is like 2 1/2 than it kinda "flat faces" right into the sidepipes...its a big "reverse" for the exhaust trying to exit??? almost like a 2 1/2 tube trying to flow into a 4 collector side-pipe...not good...we both picked up on that...


if you hold it about 3500 rpm its got a skip your can hear and sounds flat to me, when you let off it, it pops out the exhaust pretty decent...hihger you go, the bigger the pop...

 

[DFG 5OH]

My dad ordered a factory five DVD, and it sold him on it, he's saving for the kit right now. I cant wait!

 

[blksn955.o]

A snowboarding bud's dad built one over the last 2 1/2 years, He bought 2 wrecked fox (one 87 and one 92) 5.0's for $900 and both had 100% working engines and trans. one was a side impact and the other was a rear end job. and the factory five kit, sweet rides and light as all hell. I hope to do one someday, after I do a 32 3 window .......................

 

[4Jenna]

That thing is pimp! Yeah he def. has some bugs in that thing..that car should feel like a animal...aren't they like 2600-2800lbs?
I'd start with what these guys said...the plugs are WAY off, and get some new wires. I dont really understand what you are saying about the timing, but I'd put it @ 10* base max since it has no tune. If it still is breaking up, the MSD may not be hooked up properly. I bet anything that blower is blowing the spark out with those plugs and thats why its breaking up.

Bad a s s car though!

 

[RIO5.0]

Well we have a dyno appt for this Thursday...399.99 for a test/tune and burning a Superchip to boot. The onwer was really amped that we were willing to fix it up...damn straight, get to play with his Cobra for the a/noon...

The dyno guy said the chip can take place of the MSD box..

I'm not sure if the things got an FMU or even an inline boost fuelpump...but I noticed as the revs go up it loses F/P....i would think whoever did the install would have known that???

Got those Autolite 3923s and ditching the FMS wires, the one he repaired is arcing out...

I went with Striped5.0 and 6 of his buds this Summer for a dyno day and these guys tweak alot of stuff, especially Mustangs....they seemed to know there Chit with fords...

http://www.performance-dyno.com/pages/1/index.htm

 

[RIO5.0]

Just to update....we hit the rollers today and the car baselined at 352RWHP...not to shabby...this is with the new plugs and wires....first run was shutdown at 3800 as it way lean down low....
Took about 6 pulls to get it dialed in. did the 1st pull and yanked the computer and installed the Superchip and started burning to correct the MAF..the end results was 432RWHP or uncorrected at 448... Thats 80 ponies for 399.00... 499FWHP...insane for a stock block..

Theres more in there for sure...as you guys mentioned, the 36s/FMU have to go, as it sits, up top it starts falling off and it cant be cured with the current set-up...He ended up burning around the MSD box, thats no longer needed...after a few pulls he dialed in the timing thru the chip, picked up big ponies right there..He also burned 3 additional programs for the timing via a 4 way switch. depending on the day or conditions 2-4 can be used...1 position can be used as a theft code...when in this position the cars dead...just plain wont start...thought that was pretty cool..

i was impressed with the Superchips software...the data logging is sweet...im def gonna do my winter mods and head back in the spring..

 

[blksn955.o]

with a power adder, why would you not run a aftermarket high strengh ign.? The computer may be able to run diff. timing tables but I didnt think that the spark intensity could be upped??? I mean if your boosting a stock ing. setup even with a chip/tuner your still using stock ing. hardware, and a power adder will find/show you a weak spot in that stock ign. system.. just my thoughs. However, I am not that edumicated on the blower side of things.