I'll start with saying hello to everyone! This is my first post and I'm looking for some opinions on getting my 04 cobra back with a clean bill of health and without emptying my pockets as well. The cooling system is getting pressurized from the head gaskets I'm hoping. I Don't feel comfortable tackling the job myself nor do I have the time with the hours I put in at work. I'm dropping the car off Monday to get the top end removed and send the heads off to get checked. I've been looking at head gaskets and have always used cometics with my old push rod motors. The gaskets I've found are cometic part number CGTC5119-051 for right bank and CGTC5118-051 left bank. These gaskets are .051" thick and $141.86 each from summit. I also will replace the bolts with studs and the studs I've found are ARP 12 point, part number ARP-156-4301 and also $334.27....... Is this overkill? And too have I made the correct choice in parts? I know cometic is outstanding in their product as with ARP. I know the trickflow head gaskets are roughly $40 each and made by fel-pro. $80 sounds much better for gaskets over $300 lol.....and for studs is their other choices equivalent for the studs as far as quality? And too Im not trying to short cut anything at all. My car is bone stock for the guys that are gonna ask what mods and I mean bone stock down to the factory exhaust. The car is show quality even with the 142,000 on the clock . While its apart I wanted to possibly get cams to change up the opening and closing of the valves to not only help with performance but a rowdy lope I found comps XE-R series cams for our 4 valve motors part # 106260. Then I assume I'm gonna need the springs too at another $350 on top of $1,400 for the cams. I've looked at several 03-04 videos of cat back systems and feel comfortable using stock manifolds hearing some of these cars and how loud they are with stock manifolds. My original goal was pulleys, exhaust and tune but then I have gasket issues and while its apart what's some opinions you guys might have and suggest? I hope it's gaskets but if it's a cracked head then I gotta get a new head. The car was not ran in the red or overheated. I'm looking forward to some good words and Sorry for the long post.
04 with the cooling system building pressure :(
- Thread starter MattG04
- Start date
I would try burping the cooling system before dropping coin on head gaskets. Do a search on here and you'll come up with a lot of people having the same issue with the 4v's. I've had one do the same thing. Never could get it burped. I ended up drilling a couple holes in the thermostat and never had a problem with it again.
Stock head bolts do an excellent job. If you switch to ARP, make sure they are experienced installing in a modular motor.
I would make sure the car has been burped properyly as most people forget to burp at the coolant crossover tube and not at at the overflow tank. On top of this do not under any circumstance by cams with crappy x-er lobes. Its old tech and with high ramp rates like the x-er lobes its really hard on springs. Look up bullet cams and have them make you a set of custom grinds. Not that much more money and way better cams.
Lastly arp headstuds are the best you can buy. Anytime somethings pressed at 190000 psi you know its going to be strong but if your on a budget oem headbolts will do their job just fine.
Lastly arp headstuds are the best you can buy. Anytime somethings pressed at 190000 psi you know its going to be strong but if your on a budget oem headbolts will do their job just fine.
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I've burped the system, pointed the nose up after driving etc, filled at cross over tube and all, if I vent the Vegas tank after every drive I'm good, even replaced the Vegas tank cap with a motorcraft.I took to our ford service department at the dealership I work and he confirmed its pressurizing the system. Should I stick with the cometic gaskets? And thanks guys for the advice on the head bolts as I'll just get arp head bolts. On the cam situation the stock cams are good performing pieces so sounds like I should leave those alone as well. I just thought I might tackle a couple things while its apart. I will do the cooling mod with removing the freeze plug from the driver side head tieing it in with the kit and get the rieche 170* t stat. Anyone with more advice chime in please, I feel like I'm starting over and this is my first mustang lol I've had probably 30 mustangs and one was a 98 cobra and several 2 valves but mostly fox bodies, guess I'm green 
Man I had the same issue with my cooling system. I must've burped the system every time I drove the car. It finally cleared up when I got my new radiator tank (probably a small hole in the old one). I haven't heard of man people having issues with head gaskets in these cars...anyway, the head cooling mod is good for peace of mind form the dreaded head tick. I did it on mine ( with the SC on). The problem for me wasn't getting to the freeze plug (see pic below) it was pull the damn thing out. Ended up getting a tool, and that worked.
Man I had the same issue with my cooling system. I must've burped the system every time I drove the car. It finally cleared up when I got my new radiator tank (probably a small hole in the old one). I haven't heard of man people having issues with head gaskets in these cars...anyway, the head cooling mod is good for peace of mind form the dreaded head tick. I did it on mine ( with the SC on). The problem for me wasn't getting to the freeze plug (see pic below) it was pull the damn thing out. Ended up getting a tool, and that worked.
I had the service dept at our ford lot look at the car and he seems to THINK the gaskets as well. The car has always been serviced by a ford dealer somewhere in Maryland and has the records on the car fax fwiw. Just suX I gotta shell out the cash and I wont stop until its right. Im fairly certain its pouring out the exhaust.
Good luck! Keep us posted.
I also feel head gasket is very un likely unless it has been touched already. .
are you original owner?
The cooling fans on these have some issues...like fan blade ring cracking and the green resistor going bad and only 1 speed works..
tstats also...if changed it could have wrong 1 in...there have been threads on parts store selling wrong size tstat not so much temp of tstat..
heads have way to many issues with valve seats and cracks..research
heater core leaks..
on mine I had issues with radiator leak...causing car to run hot and over heat after 45 mins of driving steady..I used bahrs leak to solve this issue..
on this car dont take degas tank cap off..no need to..
has a compression/leak test done?
are you original owner?
The cooling fans on these have some issues...like fan blade ring cracking and the green resistor going bad and only 1 speed works..
tstats also...if changed it could have wrong 1 in...there have been threads on parts store selling wrong size tstat not so much temp of tstat..
heads have way to many issues with valve seats and cracks..research
heater core leaks..
on mine I had issues with radiator leak...causing car to run hot and over heat after 45 mins of driving steady..I used bahrs leak to solve this issue..
on this car dont take degas tank cap off..no need to..
has a compression/leak test done?
I am the second owner, fan seems to kick on as it should and on demand with the A/C on. I had steam come out both sides on the exhaust and it cleared up and then steamed once again then it was gone as I pulled into my dealership. At one point I could hear sizzle into the exhaust manifolds on the right bank if standing at bumper cover looking down at the engine. The heater core has no leaks.
I am putting it in a recommended shop in the AM and send the heads off to get checked for cracks. I hope like He11 it's not a cracked head. The car has always been maintained and serviced by a Ford Dealer in Maryland and has been very well cared for as the interior shows zero signs of wear and is truly showroom new even with 141,000 on the clock. It has almost new Michelin rubber at all corners and the car fax shows all service records as well as papers in glove box. I will let the ppl know what I come up with!
Sorry Not trying to thread jack.... But when you say make sure you have someone experienced in installing the arp head studs in the mod motors what do you mean and why do they have to be experienced? What can go wrong with them if somebody has never done it before? Hydrolock maybe?
I too would like to know myself as the top end is coming off and wanna make sure I get the most protection for future mods
update on my situation in particular ...pulled the motor and heads. The gasket let go at cylinder number 2 the piston was nice and steam cleaned. I'm supposed to have it back possibly tomorrow and as late as Friday. I used a cometic gasket CGT-C5119-051 for the right bank and CGT-C5118-051 on the left and new trick flow bolts TFS-92008 as well as a new GMB water pump that flows 10% more over stock and got the Reische 170* T-Stat and head cooling mod from lethal performance. I'm ready to get my vehicle back without question
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