Built 5/18/99 & blown up at VIR on 9/10/09

jbp99cobra

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I was at VIR yesterday and it was a great day and had a lot of fun... especially when a 2009 Z06 owner asked me how the hell a mustang was keeping up with him:-D He would pull me in the straights, but I would be back on him in the turns. Anyways, I was on track with Kevin (brkntrxn) for open session and I lost power on the uphill esses. Kevin diagnosed it as a spun rod bearing as did my tuner this morning when I spoke with him. I believe it was due to oil starvation. I had a slight leak to begin with, but I guess it got worse throughout the day. It was my own fault that I didn't check it throughout the day. Since it was only a slight leak (to begin with) and I was running a canton pan, I didn't think too much of it. I checked the oil level today and it only came up 1/2 way on the dipstick. I still have great oil pressure and it will run (not well though), but it sounds like someone is hitting the bottom of the engine with a hammer.
I washed the car, put it back on the trailer, threw a cover on it and put it in the garage. With a baby coming in December, the car will have to sit for a while before being rebuilt.
So keep on posting your track day stories and videos so I can live vicariously through you guys!!!
 
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wheelhopper

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Bummer. Hope a windfall comes your way so you can fix your car asap.

Guess I won't see you at the October SCMC event.
 

jbp99cobra

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Bummer. Hope a windfall comes your way so you can fix your car asap.

Guess I won't see you at the October SCMC event.

Thanks and nope. I am going to try to get it rebuilt by May so I can make it to Roebling Road in Savannah and hopefully VIR again with SCMC.
 

Ryan

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How is Roebling Road?
BTW sorry about the car, but at least you had fun?
 

jbp99cobra

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How is Roebling Road?
BTW sorry about the car, but at least you had fun?

Thanks... Roebling is fun. It is flat with some long sweeping turns. I'll hopefully be there in the beginning of May for the annual PCA event (usually only $250 for 2 days, so cheap too!)
 

brkntrxn

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John,

Did you find the source of the oil on the front of the engine? Blower seal or drain back tube?

-Kevin
 

Maynor

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Damn. Sorry to hear about the spun bearing. How big an oil leak was it and where was it located? I'm running a Canton pan on my 99 as well and have never had an oil pressure issue so now I'm curious how that happened if you were seeing oil on the half way mark on the dipstick.. that isn't very low at all...
 

99COBRA2881

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Sucks to hear about that. If you can do alot of the grunt work yourself, removing/reinstalling the engine etc that will help to save some $$$.

I looked on my certificate and my car was a 5/24/99 cobra, they were built just a few days apart.

Congratulations on the upcoming new arrival.
 

jbp99cobra

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John - It wasn't that bad of a leak at all. I had a couple of drops on the garage floor. It was coming from the back of the pan. I had called the shop that installed it a few months ago and let them know and tried to get the car back into their shop, but they never called me back. All they would do is email me telling me that they were going to put me on the schedule. Anyways... I looked at my guages after I felt the loss in power and they all looked good. Once the engine is torn apart, I will let everyone know exactly what happened.
 
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jbp99cobra

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Sucks to hear about that. If you can do alot of the grunt work yourself, removing/reinstalling the engine etc that will help to save some $$$.

I looked on my certificate and my car was a 5/24/99 cobra, they were built just a few days apart.

Congratulations on the upcoming new arrival.

Thanks. I had thought about pulling the engine and getting a lot of that work done myself. I can do a lot of the basic stuff, but not 100% sure on the removal/reinstallation.
 

brkntrxn

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Said car in question:

IMG_9128.jpg


IMG_9131.jpg
 

jbp99cobra

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How low was the oil? It may or may not be the cause of the bearing problem

Dipstick read 1/2. I have had some overheating issues as well earlier in the day, so that may have contributed to it as well... but the temps were fine when it let go. It will still run, but it sounds like crap and backfires.
 

svttim

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Dipstick read 1/2. I have had some overheating issues as well earlier in the day, so that may have contributed to it as well... but the temps were fine when it let go. It will still run, but it sounds like crap and backfires.

I would not expect a spun bearing to cause a backfire
 

brkntrxn

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John,

I agree. The more I think about it, the more I think it may have two problems. The spun bearing and something else.

If you get enough initiative to go look under the car cover without kicking the car, let me know where the oil leak is coming from. I am wondering if the seals in the blower let go and dumped oil in the intake which may have fouled the plugs or something.

The existing minor oil leak was on the back of the oil pan, something is going on up front to put that much oil on the front of the engine.
 

cobra-boss

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My guess would be a bent rod and broken piston. This happend to my brothers supercharged cobra. Stock rods don't like much boost.

Do a compressoin check on the motor before pulling the engine.

Jim
 

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