FAQ: SN95 common issues.

Status
Not open for further replies.

HISSMAN

The Great Bearded One
Super Moderator
Joined
May 21, 2003
Messages
25,633
Location
WV
This is for people to find info on common issues such as IRMC's, gears, cooling, etc.
 
Last edited:

RippinSVT

SVT Afficianado...
Established Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
2,818
Location
St. Louis
Cleaning the combustion chambers/IMRC's/runners with Seafoam!!!

Ok, you all wanna know about Seafoam. Seafoam is this stuff that is used to dissolve carbon deposits in your combustion chambers and will do the same on the IRMC's pretty well. I was sceptacle at first, but then I used it and WOW, what a difference on my 96 Cobra. It can be bought at most autoparts stores. I'm big over on www.stlmustangs.com, and if you post over there asking about it, you'll here about 30 people sing its praises. People say to put it in the gas, but then it's just like injector cleaner and doesn't do shit barely. I was told to use the PCV valve to suck it into the motor, so that's what I did.

Step 1: with the motor off, simply pull the PCV hose out of the DRIVER-side valve cover, but leave it connected to the manifold.

Step 2: Open the bottle of Seafoam (the fluid, not the aerosol spray kind) and put the end of the PCV hose into the can, while keeping the can as upright as possible at first. You'll need 2 people, one to hold the can, one inside the car.

Step 3: Start the motor for about 12 seconds. This will suck all the contents out of the bottle into the motor. The can-holder should signal to the person in the car to turn-off the motor as soon as the can is empty. The faster you turn it off, the better. You'll notice that the motor will nearly die when it sucks in the Seafoam, this is normal. Seriously, it'll work fine after the process is done.

Step 4: Let the car sit for 30 minutes with the engine off.

Step 5: MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN A VEEERY WELL VENTILATED AREA. This will cause quite a smoke-show. Start the motor, let it idle for about 30 seconds. The engine will be sluggish and want to die, but will usually stay running. After 30 seconds or so, raise the RPM to about 2800 and hold it there until you feel the motor start to rev more freely (usually about 20-40 seconds). This step makes lots of smoke. That is all the dissolved carbon blowing out.

Step 6: Take the car out for a spin. Go WOT as soon as possible. This should clear the remaining contaminates.

Step 7: Drive the car around at different speeds and RPM's until it feels like the car is running like normal. After 10-15 of driving, you should notice a large increase in power, more smoothness in revs, and an all-round better running motor. After 74,000 miles I did this, and it felt like the engine had gained 20 horsepower, even though it was probably just underpowered with carbon before.


A can of Seafoam is about $4-5 and the can looks old-school. It has ornate style writing and kinda resembles an old shaving-cream can. Ask the store people, they'll know. It should be by the injector cleaners, etc.

Try it. You won't be dissapointed. PM me if you have questions/comments.

-Kyle
 

RippinSVT

SVT Afficianado...
Established Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
2,818
Location
St. Louis
Gears for SN-95 Cobras

For all you newbies who wanna know what gears you should get on your Cobra, here is the answer, and nearly everybody on here will say the same...


Naturally-Aspirated 96-98 Cobras: For a street car, a minimum of a 4.10 ratio ring and pinion is standard. You'll regrett it if you buy those 3.55's, 3.73's, etc. Even the jump to 4.30's if fine for the street, and no, you probably won't see a big difference in gas mileage like is commonly thought. If you are really serious about going fast without a power-adder, go for the 4.56's. No other mod will give you a bigger bang for your buck.

Supercharged 96-98 Cobras: I wouldn't typically go higher (numerically) than a 4.10 ratio. Many people swear by the 3.73's in with a blower, so those are better suited for a street-tire'de supercharged car.

N/A 5.0 Cobras: 3.73 is pretty standard, but 4.10's for all you over-achievers.

Blown 5.0 Cobras: 4.10 will probably be too steap, so stick with a 3.73, or even a 3.55 if you are making a ton of power.


This is generalities, but should help!

-Kyle
 

RippinSVT

SVT Afficianado...
Established Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
2,818
Location
St. Louis
Every technical spec you could ever want to know about stock 96-98 Cobras

Differences between the Cobras and Mustang GTs (and Mustangs) can be found everywhere - in the Engine, Powertrain and Chassis along with the obvious Body modifications.

The 4.6 DOHC Engine

The 1996 Cobra was the first Mustang to use the 4.6-liter, double overhead cam, four-valve V8. The engine was heavily modified from the Lincoln version.

The Cobra's aluminum block and heads were cast by Teksid, an Italian company that also casts components for Ferrari road and Formula One cars as well as other high-performance cars. Cast in Carmagnola, Italy, the Block uses cast-in ribbing for structural strength and to lessen vibrations. The cylinder bores have iron liners, and the engine's bottom end has been enhanced with a "deep skirt" meaning the bottom edge of the block extends well below the crankshaft's centerline, which also allows for a superior mating surface with the transmission.

The crankshaft was forged by Gerlach-Werke in Homburg/Saar, Germany, and was then machined and balanced at Ford's Windsor, Ontario, Canada engine plant. The steel, heated to 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit (1,260 Celsius), is forged under 8,000 metric tons of pressure. There are counterweights placed opposite every throw of the crankshaft, which helps keep the engine's movement smooth. Mounted beneath the crankshaft is a unique windage tray that keeps excess oil away from the crankshaft and directs it to the Cobra's deep oil sump. The sump contains at least three quarts of oil even at sustained maximum revs.

The Cobra's flywheel is made from nodular iron, an especially strong and durable metal. Also made of nodular iron are the main bearing caps. They attach to the block with six bolts to spread the tension and load over a greater area of the block. On each side of the cap, two bolts reach upward into the block in conventional fashion while one bolt runs horizontally into the side of the cap through the skirt of the block.

The connecting rods feature larger, more robust ends than those found in any other Ford 4.6-liter passenger-car engine. The sinter-forged alloy rods are made from powdered metal that is compacted into the rough shape of the rod, then "hot-struck" in a forge. This results in a very strong finished product.

After forging the connecting rod big ends were mechanically fracture-split to create the bearing cap. This makes the bearing cap and rod an exact fit, due to the irregular, interlocking surfaces along the fracture line, which makes the assembly especially strong. All main and rod bearings are made from aluminum, and are bored so the surface finish works in unison with that of the crankshaft journals.

The shallow-skirt alloy pistons have a friction-reducing coating on their sliding surfaces to help reduce wear, and give a compression ration of 9.85:1.

The engine was assembled at Ford's Romeo, Michigan, engine plant on a dedicated niche engine line staffed by 12 two-person teams. Each team is responsible for carrying an engine through the build process from beginning to end. When a team completes an engine, both assemblers affix their initials to the passenger cam cover.


This engine was voted one of the 10 best by Ward's Auto World for 1996.

The Powertrain

The Cobra engine begins the process of making horsepower behind the front grill, where a conical air cleaner sits ahead of an 80mm mass air sensor. The sensor measures the temperature and density of the air and feeds this information to the EEC-V - the electronic engine control computer.

The air then moves on to the twin 57mm bore throttle body. The butterfly vales in the bores open simultaneously giving the engine excellent throttle body response and delivering large volumes of air to the cast alloy plenum that sits atop the Cobra engine.

Eight equal-length cat thin-wall runners are placed inside the plenum. One runner feeds each cylinder - there is a Y split in the manifold just above the valves and this directs air to the primary and secondary valves - but only one of the two intake valves is fed at all times. The sequential port fuel injection system features one injector per cylinder. The injectors are placed directly behind the primary vales, and shoot fuel against the backs of the heated valve heads as they open. The fuel vaporizes instantly and is swept into the combustion chambers by the airflow.

Placed above each secondary intake valve is a 34mm butterfly port throttle. Below 3,250 rpm, the port throttles are closed, thus blocking airflow to the secondary valves. With only one valve feeding each combustion chamber at low revs, airflow velocities are higher, and the mixture motion is faster, resulting in better cylinder filling and quicker, more complete burning of the fuel-air mixture. The curved lip around the inlet of the primary intake valve initiates and directs the mixture of the intake charge in the combustion chamber. This results in lower exhaust emissions and increased low-end torque.

From 3,250 to 7000 rpm, the engine computer commands two things to happen: cables actuated by an electronic motor flip the port throttles, allowing a nearly unrestricted flow of air through all 16 intake vales at mid and high rpm (IMRC's); and the injectors provide more fuel to the cylinders. The port throttle design helps provide ample torque down low, while taking full advantages of the engine's high-end capabilities from the four-valve head design.

The EEC-V computer monitors engine functions - airflow, crankshaft position, camshaft position - and can make minute adjustments millions of times a second to deliver the spark and air-fuel mixture at the optimum time to maximize power and fuel economy. Each cylinder bank has a dedicated coil, and ignition is achieved electronically, providing the kind of precision that a distributor and points cannot. The Cobra also has a sophisticated on-board engine diagnostics system.

The Cobra's high-silicon, molybdenum iron exhaust manifolds feed exhaust gases into stainless steel dual exhaust designed with the fewest possible bends in order to maximize efficiency, and speed exhaust flow. A crossover pipe that balances the pressure pulses through the low-restriction mufflers links the exhaust pipes. The system is visually distinguished by twin 2.75-inch polished exhaust tips.

The Cobra's oil cooling system embodies a new design concept developed by Ford. The water-to-oil cooler mounts directly to the left side of the block, with an oil filter mounted on it's end. Water returning from the radiator to the engine block first runs through the cooler, reducing oil temperatures significantly.

The Cobra's transmission is the Borg-Warner T45. The gears are taller and wider than the T5 and incorporate revised gear tooth geometry, all of which provide a stronger gearset and reduce gear whine. First and second gears have large double-cone synchros to smooth engagement and increase durability. The reverse gear is removed from the movement of the geartrain when forward gears are engaged, further reducing noise and wear. The T5's extensive use of needle and roller bearings is continued in the T45, ensuring quiet and smooth operation. The clutch housing is integrated into the transmission assembly, providing a stiffer engine/transmission package and reducing powertrain noise and vibration.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential with a 3.27 axle ratio.

The Cobra engine is free-revving from idle to its 6,800 rpm redline (fuel shutoff occurs at 7,000 rpm). It produces 305 horsepower at 5,800 rpm, and 300 lb./ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm; it generates more than 1 horsepower per cubic inch of displacement, and 66.30 horsepower per liter.

The 1996 Cobra accelerates from a standstill to 50 mph in 4.7 seconds, and attains 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. It covers the quarter-mile in 13.99 seconds with a terminal speed of 101.6 mph. During testing it achieved a top speed of 152 mph. That's what magazines say. I ran mine at 13.5 @ 105 stock, and went over the 152 mph quoted by magazines.


The Chassis

In creating the Cobra, Ford engineers started with the most rigid body structure of any Mustang built. To both enhance the strength and rigidity and accommodate the deep oil sump of the new engine, the No. 3 front crossmember was redesigned to increase the body's torsional rigidity and provide clearance for the engine.

The front suspension is a modified MacPherson-type design, with a lower control arm, strut, and a unique 29mm stabilizer bar. The hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion steering was also redesigned with helically cut steering gears to improve precision, feel and communication. The steering system runs in bearings rather than bushings to help increase reliability and reduce friction.


The rear suspension follows Ford's Quadra-Link principles. An outbound lower trailing arm carries the spring near its midpoint and the axle near its end. A 27mm stabilizer bar links the two lower trailing arms, running behind and below the rear axle. Inboard upper trailing arms extend from the body structure to attachment points next to the differential housing. The shock absorbers stand vertically behind the axle assembly. Horizontally mounted hydraulic leading links help to locate the axle.

The Cobra's unique 17.0 x 8.0 inch cast allow wheels are shod with 245/45-17 BFGoodrich Comp T/A ZR radials, which are derived directly from the Comp T/As fitted to the 1995 Mustang Cobra R race car.

The Cobra's 13.0 inch vented front disk brakes feature twin-piston calipers sourced from PBR, an Australian manufacturer famous for its race-proven brake components. The iron rotors feature curved internal vanes that allow for effective and rapid dissipation of the heat that builds up under hard braking.

The Cobra's brakes are monitored and controlled by a three-channel, four sensor Bosh ABS system that can modulate and adjust each of the four calipers every 10 milliseconds. This helps give the Cobra a 60 to 0 mph braking distance of 127 feet.

The Body

The Cobra is also visually distinguished from the Mustang and Mustang GT by numerous body enhancements. The round fog lamps in the front bumper, COBRA on the rear bumper, SVT badge on the trunk, Cobra badges on the front quarter panels and the unique raised hood with two forward facing vents are the most obvious. Inside the car, COBRA is spelled out on the Airbag cover on the steering wheel and the dash gages are white.


If that ain't enough info... :burn:
 

scotty98

8 Ribs
Established Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
1,777
Location
new mexico
sea fome

this is what sea fome looks like and some pics. I took a pic of where to put it
and i got it at autozone for 4.99 hope this helps people. ;-)


 

URDONE

Be Easy
Established Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2003
Messages
4,443
Location
Chicago
This is for everyone looking to get there SVT build number.

http://www.svt.ford.com/contactUs.asp


“Certificates of Authenticity are provided to registered owners of SVT products,whether purchased new or used. The certificates contain exact information and detail the production number, date of production, vehicle identification number and where the vehicle was produced. These certificates are automatically sent to all new owners. All others requesting certificates must provide legal documentation showing the vehicle identification number, your name and current address, and a document validating you as the owner. Examples of this documentation would be a certificate of insurance, registration, title or buyers order. A copy of the documentation must be Faxed or mailed to SVT Headquarters in order to receive the certificate.”

Fax number: (313) 621-2500

Mailing address:
SVT Information Center
P.O. Box 490
Dearborn, Michigan 48121

Phone: 1-800-FORD-SVT
(800) 367-3788

Hours: Monday thru Friday
8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Eastern time.

If you are a current owner and you move, please notify SVT via Fax or mail



Thanks DANO!

DANO has just informed me, that as of April you will now have to pay $40 for your build certificate.

Thanks again DANO!
 
Last edited:

Dano

"Book 'em Dano"
Established Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2003
Messages
4,952
Location
Cibolo, Texas
Fog Light Rewire Mod (Free Mod)

On this Web Page of mine, there are two (2) ways to rewire your Fog Lights ...

1. Fog Lights can be turned "ON" with the parking lights or headlights already "ON."

2. Fog Lights can be turned "ON" by themselves, with the key turned to "ON."

I prefer #2 ... you can leave the Fog Light switch "ON" if you desire, and the moment
you turn the key to "ON" you have lights!


www.walters-online.com/foglight.htm


Method #1.

must23.jpg




Method #2.

cbar6.jpg




Dan
 
Last edited:

chknhwk

New Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2002
Messages
671
Location
Easton, PA
Warped rotor myth.
Synopsis: rotors generally don't 'warp.' If you have shuddering issues try rebedding your brakes.

Brake pad bedding FAQ.

Stoptech recommended procedures for brake pad bedding on stock brake kits.

How to: remove pad deposits from rotors.

Brake fluid 101.

Recommended suppliers for brake rotors:
Tirerack
Discbrakesrus

Recommended suppliers for brake pads:
Raceshopper.com
Tirerack
Discbrakesrus

Recommended suppliers for brake fluid:
Raceshopper.com
Discbrakesrus


Note: Please feel free to email me with further links for information/parts/products to any manufacturers you have dealt with in the past. This is just a list I jotted down quickly and I'm sure I may have left some stuff on the table.
 

blackfang

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2002
Messages
3,210
Location
Virginia
Why are modular Strokers motors unreliable for the 4.6L Mustang?

First let's look at the stock modular bore and stroke. The stock bore is 3.552'' and the stroke is 3.543''. That stroke is HUGE
already. A 351W has a 3.5'' stroke from the factory. They have an extra 73+ CID on the modular motors. This puts it in
perspective on how extreme the stock stroke already is.

Now, combine that with a stroker kit and your piston starts leaving the bore. This is VERY bad at high RPMs as the piston
becomes extremely unstable. Stroker motors just don't last. The HP/TQ gains are so minimal as well because the valves
are still shrouded. The only time you want to use a stroker is when you have a turbo setup as turbos don't really like to rev
high either and can benefit heavily from the slightest torque band increase. The reason these are so popular though is
because you can use your stock block and you don't have to resort to using the more expensive aluminum block
counterpart like you have to in a big bore.

Big bores are what make the REAL power. We're not just talking about HP either. They make great torque and LOVE to rev
(which is just what a modular motor needs). Big bores increase the bore from 3.552'' to 3.7''. This is done by taking an
aluminum block, boring out the sleeves that are already in it, inserting new, stronger sleeves and boring them out. There
are 2 versions of big bores. One is the dry sleeve which doens't cost that much and can handle roughly 20 PSI on a
blower. This is the one you want for a mild blower application or NA application. The other one is a set sleeve where they
actually bore out the sleeve of the cylinder and insert a new heavy duty sleeve in. It is called a wet sleeve because the
coolant is touching the sleeve; this allows for cooler temps. The wet sleeve can withstand basically anything you can
throw at it. Aluminum blocks can be either wet sleeved or dry sleeved. Iron blocks can only be wet sleeved. As you
probably guessed, wet sleeving is very expensive (about $1k more than normal dry sleeving).

Now, the reason the big bore benefits is this. On the stock motor, the valves are shrouded. This means that the cylinder
isn't big enough to support the heads. Basically, the combustion chamber is bigger in diameter than the cylinder. Big
bores fix this problem by unshrouding the valves. THIS, my friends, is the secret to why big bores are making the power
and lasting as opposed to strokers. Remember this when you want to increase displacement. Oh, and don't even both with
the 324'' big bore/stroker blocks as the rod ratio is all ****ed up and they are just a problem waiting to happen.
 

BlackCobra96

New Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2002
Messages
421
Location
Cleveland, OH
A couple things to add to RippinSVT's excellent Seafoam writeup. It's much easier to suck up the Seafoam if you pour it into a shallow tupperwear container, then put the PCV valve into that container.

When blowing out the carbon, I made a smokescreen that covered my entire neighborhood. It was like that old Spy Hunter videogame from the 90's. If exhausting a blanket of smoke doesn't attract enough attention, going WOT while doing so may get you into serious trouble. Keep this in mind when doing this procedure.

Definetly got a seat of the pants improvement. MY car has 31K.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

RippinSVT

SVT Afficianado...
Established Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
2,818
Location
St. Louis
Fitting 335-wide Tires on the Back of Your Cobra

1.) Remove both quad-shocks

2.) Using a hammer, tap the E-brake cable bracket downward to give an inch of clearance (should be on the front-side of the rear tire on the inside)

3.) Using a ball-peen hammer, start pounding in any sharp edges or obtrusive bumps on the inner-fenderwell. You may have to real hit hard, but it'll bend, and this won't hurt anything, people have done it for years.

4.) The wheels MUST be at least 10.5 inches wide, which should mean they are a reverse-mount wheel, AKA, the tire is installed starting on the BACK of the wheel, so be sure to tell the tire-mounters to absolutely LUBE THE HELL out the back lip of the wheel or else they're gonna have a tough time squeezing them on.


After you take a 30-min around-town drive, you should have noticed it rub at least once if there is an inner-fenderwell area that needs more attention. Don't be alarmed if it rubs, it is REALLY loud, but usually doesn't hurt the tire because it's only hitting a smooth piece of thin metal, not a knife-edge. Just get in there, see where the rub-mark is, and pound it in. The key trouble area I noticed is at the "top-front" of the inside of the tire. Picture the biggest square you could could draw within the boundaries of your tire (outside diameter), then look at the top corner towards the front of the car. This is a trouble-spot, so pound it good. I had 3/8" spacers on hand just in case, but I didn't even need them and still had 1/2" of clearance on the inside edge. Hope this helps if anybody is gonna try this. The tires look BAD FREAKING ASS from the rear, AND, they are mounted on the new deep-dish black Cobra R's, which look pretty awesome on my lowered black Cobra. No joke, you will have never seen tires this wide on an SN-95, and it looks SOOOOOO mean from the rear.

Kyle
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread



Top