03-04 into an95 Cobra??

[2000wrx]

Just wondering what issues would one run into trying to swap an 04 Cobra motor into a 96-98 Cobra... Or if it would even be worth it, the 04 cobra motor seems to be able to make more HP to $$ than the N/A motor... please correct me if I am wrong.

I haven't even bought a Cobra yet, but this will help in my search for one, and future plans.

I want to have a well rounded very high HP, Cobra. One plan was to to a Vortech or the like to a 96-98 Cobra, as I have seen a few well tuned examples make very nice numbers on the stock SB.

The other plan was to Swap an 04 Cobra motor/trans, and build from there.

 

[Shake&Bake]

:smmon:
My thought would be to put 03/04 heads on the 96-98 Cobra engine, then that would open up a lot of different options for blowers. The 96-98's have the Teksid block, which is supposed to be the stronger of the 4.6's.

 

[2000wrx]

Hmmmm I will have to look at this option.... So what power lvl is the 96-98 block good to? Not that a rebuid would be out of the question.

Any ideas as to what is needed to run the 03/04 heads, 99+ Cobra intake? and what else?

 

[04DarkShadowGT]

Hmmmm I will have to look at this option.... So what power lvl is the 96-98 block good to? Not that a rebuid would be out of the question.

Any ideas as to what is needed to run the 03/04 heads, 99+ Cobra intake? and what else?

The teksid block is said to handle well over 1000hp. That being said its not any stronger than the 03-04 block because the terminator block is cast iron. But the 96-98 is quite a bit lighter.

 

[CY98Cobra]

The teksid block is very well built. I would not be surprised if the Teksid block was stronger than the Ford cast iron in the 03/4's. I would think a block built by the company that builds for ferrari would be much better engineered than a Ford block.

 

[JohnsMyName]

96-98 Teksid block is alluminum but very strong. Our heads have a twin port design and without boost they lack low end torque, but when blown look out this is a very potent combo. The most cost effective way would not be to by a new motor but build the original. I would get all the internals forged, then strap on a nice blower. You could safely handle alot of psi this way and make huge numbers.

I have recently looked into switching to the Mach 1/03-04 Cobra heads and the stock terminator blower myself. As far as I've researched nothing else is needed except a timing chain cover and a real god tune. I wouldn't recomend this however if you have the money for internals and a blower. the only reason I am lookin into this is becaue I cant even aford a vortech little lone doing it right, a head swap is much cheaper. I've been and playing with this in my head for some months now, hope this hepls you out.

:beer: -John

 

[97NA_Cobra]

The switch to 03/04 cobra heads is not as easy as it sounds. The timing chain cover is a major issue, if you can find one, from what I can gather they are hard to come by. It's one of those projects that will nickel and dime you to death. It would more cost efficient/time efficient/mental health efficient to just drop in an 03/04 crate motor and be done with it. There's a guy over at the corral, DenverDOHC, or something like that, that has just about finished this project with a teksid block. Go look over there for some of his posts or PM him, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to share any info you want.

 

[JohnsMyName]

Whats the terminator motor go for?

 

[2000wrx]

Yea I looked up crate motors from Ford but didn't see the 03/04 cobra motor. I assume they don't offer it?

 

[JohnsMyName]

You can make bigger numbers, more efficiently, with a built, forged, and blown 96-98.

 

[AtlanticCobra98]

im with johns on this one. by the time you buy everything to do the swap you might as well forge and add a supercharger on there, unless you get a crazy deal on one.

 

[CY98Cobra]

An 03/4 crate motor was around 12k the last time I looked.

B heads are only "better" with FI if you're running very high rpms, like 8000+. Look at quadcammers setup, with 15psi non-intercooled he was pushing 620 to the wheels on stock C heads. I've never seen a stock b head push that much.

The only way a b head is better than the newer heads is if it is a drag car running big boost and very high rpms.

 

[97NA_Cobra]

An 03/4 crate motor was around 12k the last time I looked.

B heads are only "better" with FI if you're running very high rpms, like 8000+. Look at quadcammers setup, with 15psi non-intercooled he was pushing 620 to the wheels on stock C heads. I've never seen a stock b head push that much.

The only way a b head is better than the newer heads is if it is a drag car running big boost and very high rpms.

+1
That's what they mean by b heads are good race heads, you have to spin that bitch pretty high to realize thier full potential.
For the street, I think C heads, 03/04 Mach/Cobra heads are the way to go. But it is still pretty involved head swap to a teksid block. The 03/04 Cobra crate motor I thought was available. I know it's not in the online catalog, you may have to call and verify whether it is still available. I know there have been a few fox mustangs that have swapped in the cobra crate motor.

Another way to go, although it maybe more expensive, is to invest in the "2000" Cobra crate motor. It comes complete with pcm and tranny. Now it runs $6000, but to me thats pretty damn good for a truely complete motor and tranny, that's brand new don't forget. Slap a KB, or even a used eaton, on that with low boost and you should be set for a while. Couple that with a 96-98 Cobra that say you picked up for cheap because it needed a new motor, you may not be in it money wise much deeper than if you picked up a running 96-98 and did a head swap or term. crate motor swap. Even if you went ahead and forged the bottom end. Just another way to look at it I guess. In theory it seems alright, but in reality, it may not work out like that. It'd be a cool project though.

 

[svtdriven]

I thought that I read an article that stated the 96-98 blocks weren't that strong. And that the aluminum block used on the explorer had a lot more webbing, structural support, and no freeze plugs.

 

[2000wrx]

Wow, lots of great info guys... thanks and keep it coming.

 

[CY98Cobra]

I thought that I read an article that stated the 96-98 blocks weren't that strong. And that the aluminum block used on the explorer had a lot more webbing, structural support, and no freeze plugs.

No. John Mihovetz (sp?) runs a teksid block in his cougar that runs 6's. They are good for around 1000hp bone stock and with some filler can hold much higher. The explorer block is what's used in the 05 stang GT's.

 

[2000wrx]

How would this be for a stong street runner, and once in a while run at the roadtrack/strip;

Built 96-98 Shortblock
03/04 Heads
Cams ??? Read that they can make a 40-50 HP diff??
Whipple 2300 (I think thats the one)
T56

What little "issues/parts" would I need outside the obvious ones?

 

[Black96SVT]

An 03/4 crate motor was around 12k the last time I looked.

B heads are only "better" with FI if you're running very high rpms, like 8000+. Look at quadcammers setup, with 15psi non-intercooled he was pushing 620 to the wheels on stock C heads. I've never seen a stock b head push that much.

The only way a b head is better than the newer heads is if it is a drag car running big boost and very high rpms.

I think I heard Ford stopped selling the terminator crate engines, so that was a bummer, but for the 12 grand to only have 390 horses...oh so not worth it

i looked into doing this a while ago, the amount of time and money it would take is not worth it

 

[Black96SVT]

How would this be for a stong street runner, and once in a while run at the roadtrack/strip;

Built 96-98 Shortblock
03/04 Heads
Cams ??? Read that they can make a 40-50 HP diff??
Whipple 2300 (I think thats the one)
T56

What little "issues/parts" would I need outside the obvious ones?

with the whipple you mean the one for the terminator right? I dont think a whipple has come out yet (or will) for the 96-98 Cobras.

So that being said, I believe you would need the same parts as if you were going to run the Eaton

 

[2000wrx]

I would assume that I would treat the motor as if it was an 03/04. It seems to me that the set up above would be a pretty good bang for the buck. I would think that 500+RWHP wouldn't be out of the question for such a set up, and that would be a bit conservative I think.