96' Procharged Cobra "Casper" Build

01silverstang

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If anyone needs a laugh today, please keep reading...


Casper has BBK LT headers, to an off-road BBK mid-pipe, and finally to dumped Flowmaster mufflers. This should be a loud nasty combo, and as long as the flows were OG 40 series or Super 44 would be exactly what I was looking for. Thing is, the car is super quiet at idle... it makes no sense, until you try to determine the model of the muffler and start to see clues that the mufflers were installed BACKWARDS.

I'll be dropping the mufflers tonight, but the side that is laser etched is on the side pointing towards the front of the car... my understanding is the serial number gets etched on the outlet side. I couldn't find "inlet" stamped on either side, but if they are reversed I'll be paying someone to flip them and weld them back in... hopefully no more stupid surprises....
 

01silverstang

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Well prepare to laugh again because after pulling one side off and inspecting they appear to have been installed correctly... which is leaving me baffled as to why I don't have the loud echo that a Super 44 (Confirmed from serial number) should provide... While normally my understanding is the serial is etched on the outlet side, and neither side was stamped inlet, the welds confirm the V deflectors are in the correct spot.

flow2.jpg

flow1.jpg


Any ideas as to what could be causing this? I'll try to take a video of a cold start today, but I'm certain I now have a leak from the mid-pipe to exhaust from taking them off and reinstalling. I'll probably take it to an exhaust shop just to have them go through each connection and make sure they are all sealed tight.
 

01silverstang

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The car has no check engine light, but decided to go out on my lunch break and see what I could find.

Stored Codes:
P0113 - IAT Sensor 1 Circuit High (Blow Through Style MAF with integrated IAT; have MAF cleaner just need to pull it and clean it)
P0352 - Ignition Coil A Primary/Secondary Circuit (These may have been related to when I forgot to plug the passenger coil back in?)
P0352 - Ignition Coil B Primary/Secondary Circuit
P0412 - Secondary Air Injection System Switching Value A Circuit (No emissions on the car as far as I can tell)
P0135 - 02 Sensor Heater Circuit Bank 1 Sensor 1
P0155 - 02 Sensor Heater Circuit Bank 2 Sensor 1

Pending Codes:
P1504 - Idle Air Control Circuit (May have been related to pull the plug while running to see if idle changed, regardless new IAC arriving Friday)
P0125 - Insufficient Coolant Temperature for Closed Loop Fuel Control (Low Coolant sensor was unplugged; forgot to plug it back in)

I'd love additional suggestions of what to check.
 

DSG2003Mach1

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The car has no check engine light, but decided to go out on my lunch break and see what I could find.

Stored Codes:
P0113 - IAT Sensor 1 Circuit High (Blow Through Style MAF with integrated IAT; have MAF cleaner just need to pull it and clean it)
P0352 - Ignition Coil A Primary/Secondary Circuit (These may have been related to when I forgot to plug the passenger coil back in?)
P0352 - Ignition Coil B Primary/Secondary Circuit
P0412 - Secondary Air Injection System Switching Value A Circuit (No emissions on the car as far as I can tell)
P0135 - 02 Sensor Heater Circuit Bank 1 Sensor 1
P0155 - 02 Sensor Heater Circuit Bank 2 Sensor 1

Pending Codes:
P1504 - Idle Air Control Circuit (May have been related to pull the plug while running to see if idle changed, regardless new IAC arriving Friday)
P0125 - Insufficient Coolant Temperature for Closed Loop Fuel Control (Low Coolant sensor was unplugged; forgot to plug it back in)

I'd love additional suggestions of what to check.

You've messed with so much I would say keep this list, clear them all, drive it some and see what comes back
 

01silverstang

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Well found something that definitely wasn't helping anything and I think could possibly have effected the exhaust tone.

The car has a VMP blow through MAF setup with a newer style slot MAF. I assumed it was using the integrated IAT, but after reading through the VMP website that's only for 01+ cars, the 96-98 has to have a special harness soldered in for that. Realized the IAT has been unplugged this whole time. I've tried to research what this would do, and it seems that it causes the PCM to pull timing and puts the car in open loop with a lot of fuel as the PCM assumes the coldest temp for fueling to prevent detonation.

Hoping this is a productive weekend once this is fixed. Plan is to install the new IAC and get the air intake attached now that the T-Bolts are here. Get the IAT sensor plugged in, reset the codes, and then fire her up. Will report back once that's done.
 

DaveWertz

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Well found something that definitely wasn't helping anything and I think could possibly have effected the exhaust tone.

The car has a VMP blow through MAF setup with a newer style slot MAF. I assumed it was using the integrated IAT, but after reading through the VMP website that's only for 01+ cars, the 96-98 has to have a special harness soldered in for that. Realized the IAT has been unplugged this whole time. I've tried to research what this would do, and it seems that it causes the PCM to pull timing and puts the car in open loop with a lot of fuel as the PCM assumes the coldest temp for fueling to prevent detonation.

Hoping this is a productive weekend once this is fixed. Plan is to install the new IAC and get the air intake attached now that the T-Bolts are here. Get the IAT sensor plugged in, reset the codes, and then fire her up. Will report back once that's done.
I just did this maf with the IAT integrated. I did have the harness for my car. If I didnt have it all wrapped up id post a pic of mine
 

01silverstang

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I just did this maf with the IAT integrated. I did have the harness for my car. If I didnt have it all wrapped up id post a pic of mine
I may mess with that in the fall, as it would be nice to have it part of the MAF as that's post blower/intercooler and will provide better readings... but for now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that this was my issue.
 

01silverstang

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So the weekend was cold and raining here, which kills my energy to go be productive and work on the car... it's a lot easier with the sun shining and garage beer in hand. I did swap my IAC which wasn't necessary but the new one was fairly cheap and isn't rusty like the old one, so I guess it's still an improvement.

I did get one thing accomplished for the garage that will make working on Casper a lot easier.

IMG-3932.jpg

IMG-3933.jpg


Not sure how this took so long to finally purchase. It will be so nice to have all my tools organized in one location.
 

01silverstang

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How many times you hit your head on that bike?
I'm literally rolling laughing, I hit my head on that bike and curse at least three times whenever I work on the car. This used to be the spot for my 4Runner and it was never an issue. The third car spot is taken up by my sons ride-on toys, and I will likely move the bike there this spring once I finish cleaning that side out.
 

01silverstang

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So on National Mustang day I went to the Secretary of States offset and got my title and registration done on Casper. Felt good to finally have a plate and insurance, even though I wasn’t able to do much.

Today was more productive, I cleaned the MAF, installed the air filter, and replaced a torn coupler. I also erased my codes and only two came back... P0412 for the air pump that I believe was removed, and P0135 for bank 1 sensor 1 not heating quickly enough. I have no problem buying a new 02 sensor but I crawled under to make sure the wiring wasn’t damaged and found this...

227-C54-B0-A55-D-4-FE2-B9-EB-0283852-D5-D63.jpg


Are the white connectors for the 02 sensors? They both appear to be unplugged?

Found some more unplugged sensors at the front of the car...

79-DAD221-F6-AB-46-BE-9-F28-B1-DAC27-FFB6-E.jpg


Not sure what that is... as well as a blue multi connector in front of the passenger wheel which I found when installing the Anderson Power Pipe, also not sure about that one.

That being said I drove it around the block and it pulls pretty good in first, lol.
 

DSG2003Mach1

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I wish I knew the older car wiring harnesses.

As far as the O2 wiring - should be pretty easy to look at the exhaust manifold/header before the mid pipe and see the O2 sensor sticking out and if its plugged in or not. I feel like you'd have more than one code if it was unplugged though. You could also log the front O2s and see if you actually have signal or not. If the rears are turned off they might be unplugged as well
 

01silverstang

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I wish I knew the older car wiring harnesses.

As far as the O2 wiring - should be pretty easy to look at the exhaust manifold/header before the mid pipe and see the O2 sensor sticking out and if its plugged in or not. I feel like you'd have more than one code if it was unplugged though. You could also log the front O2s and see if you actually have signal or not. If the rears are turned off they might be unplugged as well

I traced both sensors back to the white plugs while I was under the car, but also assumed I would get a bunch of codes if both upstream 02 sensors were not plugged in. These are the things it’s hard to find pictures of...
 

01silverstang

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Still haven't had time to do anything with the Cobra, as a lot of family stuff has come up... figured I would share a cold start video as the exhaust tone is still bugging me. I've owned an 03' Mach 1 with an 03' Cobra engine swap that had Kooks LT headers, off-road mid, and 40 Series Flowmasters... and my last 97' Cobra also had long tube headers, an off-road mid, and 40 Series Flowmasters... and those cars were both loud at idle... and had a deep echo to the exhaust tone.

This car has BBK Long Tube Headers to a BBK Off-road X-Pipe and dumped Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers... and it seems rather quiet, with not a lot of echo. I'm obviously still chasing my idle issue, and I at least have an exhaust leak at the driver sider mid-pipe to muffler... but no codes indicating IAT, plug wires, or misfire, or lean or rich, etc. Just the Air Pump code which shouldn't affect anything and the 02 Sensor code which I wouldn't think would impact it on a cold start?

 

01silverstang

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View attachment 1700130

seems like this would explain it...
So I've looked at that chart and while I never picked up on the fact that Super 44 is a Delta Flow, and the Original 40 series is not... I don't know it sounds quiet compared to my old setups even though it should be more aggressive per the chart?

I'll try to have my wife take a video while I drive it down the street as well.
 

jman37

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For reference, I have BBK LT's, o/r X and it had Super 44s and my car was louder than yours it seems starting and at idle. Not sure why your seems quiet in comparison. Sorry, no video though. I have since put Stingers on and it's much louder and sounds better IMO.
 

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