I'm curious who would perfer to have an aluminum block in their Cobra over a cast iron one and why?
Cast iron block vs. Aluminum block
- Thread starter SlowSVT
- Start date
Would i like for my car to be 200lbs lighter? Sure. Could an aluminum block handle the stock power our engines put out? Maybe...probably not for long.
But it deffinenly would'nt handle the power for what i have in mind for it.
Jay.
But it deffinenly would'nt handle the power for what i have in mind for it.
Jay.
The 98 Aluminum cobra block will easily handle 1200 hp. I am having Ported and polished 04 Cobra heads, and a 2.3 Whipple charger installed as well as all of the other necessary upgrades. We are shooting for 600 rwhp just to keep it streetable. It is also going to be stroked to 5.0 liters. These blocks are plenty strong enough.
EDITED : This post is from when I had a 1998 Cobra, not my 04 cobra.
EDITED : This post is from when I had a 1998 Cobra, not my 04 cobra.
Anyone who wouldn't rather have an aluminum block all things being equal is not informed.
Price had nothing to do with it. The first pre-production design of the 03 Cobra with the blower added did use an aluminum block but the extreme heat caused by the blower was causing the heads to warp and develop fine cracks in the cylinder walls. So they had to go with the cast iron block to eliminate this problem since they did not have enough time to address the heat problems given their projected production date.
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Yea, it would have been cheeper for ford to use the current aluminum block than to cast a new iron block. I herd that in testing they damaged an aluminum block which they initially planned to use. Anyone ever see the video of the supercharged 99-01 cobra racing a z06 that cracks the block?
That is what I am talking about. They did not have the time to design an all new aluminum block. I am addressing the use of a Taksid block like the one used in the 98 cobra wich is much stronger than the 01 and later aluminum blocks.
97 cobra aluminum block being used in my new engine
will hold over 1,000 h.p. easy.....when prepped correctly...hermann
will hold over 1,000 h.p. easy.....when prepped correctly...hermann
Thats what happens sometimes when you break a connecting rod. An iron block will do the exact same thing. That car had nowhere near enough power to just crack the block. He was running an agressive tune at 12-14 lbs of boost on a stock 99 bottom end.
The 99 ran the Teksid block which has been known to hold over 1200 hp.
Man this has been beat to death.
I got into it with a bunch of pople over this in the past and the only thing i can think of is, so many people bought the 03/04(being their first mod motor) and they read into things to much.
Fact, the 96-99 cobra blocks are the strongest blocks from factory.
This isn't opinion, it's fact.
Ford casting isn't as strong as the Teksid blocks.
Joe Stewart stated the mach1 blocks were good upto around 700-800hp(sorry it's around 900hp, my bad) and they start showing stress and can split right down the middle.
I got into it with a bunch of pople over this in the past and the only thing i can think of is, so many people bought the 03/04(being their first mod motor) and they read into things to much.
Fact, the 96-99 cobra blocks are the strongest blocks from factory.
This isn't opinion, it's fact.
Ford casting isn't as strong as the Teksid blocks.
Joe Stewart stated the mach1 blocks were good upto around 700-800hp(sorry it's around 900hp, my bad) and they start showing stress and can split right down the middle.
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This iron vs aluminum argument will never end. I have a good friend who is a software engineer for Ford (designs EEC software) He told me the conversations that went on inside of Ford about this subject were very heated at times. Ford WANTED to go aluminum for the weight factor (hence CAFE) But they felt there might be a durability issue because they knew these engines would be subjected to modification and more boost when used in sanctioned racing. They felt to build an aluminum block that would hold up to their standards would require new tooling...and THAT is expensive. Using an existing or previous production block was not considered as they felt it wouldn't stand up. So the comments about holding 1200 hp are not supported by Ford engineers. Remember, they are thinking about longevity issues more than anything else. A block that would hold up to race only environments would also have to hold up to many, many miles of street use too. Ford has VERY strict guidelines as to what any new engine must perform to when it comes to these issues. If it won't perform to these, they have no choice but to look elsewhere. The 4.6 aluminum didn't pass these tests.
What I want to ask my friend is now that the tooling has been done for the 5.4 GT engine block, are there any considerations to adapt that to the 4.6? Or are all new s/c engine combinations going to be based on the 5.4 and thus no need for the 4.6? I think if you look hard into what they are testing and producing, you will find the answer to their future plans and ideas.
What I want to ask my friend is now that the tooling has been done for the 5.4 GT engine block, are there any considerations to adapt that to the 4.6? Or are all new s/c engine combinations going to be based on the 5.4 and thus no need for the 4.6? I think if you look hard into what they are testing and producing, you will find the answer to their future plans and ideas.
Don't you love it when people don't understand that ford is using different blocks and their brothers girlfriends dads uncle that works for ford told him this or that.
It's "FACT" the "Teksid" blocks are the "STRONGEST" factory blocks unless ford has a better casting now(aka The FordGT block).
If you'll look around(try SHM for an example) you'll notice they sell the older blocks, why, because they are the strongest and it's not only SHM.
Now don't take this like i'm saying the cast iron blocks are crap, they're not, just stating Facts.
Heres something to look at.....
Blocks are as follows......
1. 99 Cobra
2. 96-98 Cobra and 94-98 Lincoln RWD
3. 03 Cobra
4. 01 Explorer
5. 98 up 2V iron block
6. pre 98 2V iron block
John Mihovetz
__________________
Fastest Modular Car in the world Period!!
It's "FACT" the "Teksid" blocks are the "STRONGEST" factory blocks unless ford has a better casting now(aka The FordGT block).
If you'll look around(try SHM for an example) you'll notice they sell the older blocks, why, because they are the strongest and it's not only SHM.
Now don't take this like i'm saying the cast iron blocks are crap, they're not, just stating Facts.
Heres something to look at.....
Blocks are as follows......
1. 99 Cobra
2. 96-98 Cobra and 94-98 Lincoln RWD
3. 03 Cobra
4. 01 Explorer
5. 98 up 2V iron block
6. pre 98 2V iron block
John Mihovetz
__________________
Fastest Modular Car in the world Period!!
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One more thing, this is what Joe Stewart had to say about the Mach1/2002 Explorer block(same block)......
The 2002 Explorer block at first glance appears to be the strongest of the aluminum blocks. However, appearances are decieving. The 96 style aluminum blocks are stronger than the 2002 Explorer blocks.
The problem (splitting the block) only comes to light at excessive HP levels. The block splits through the water jacket on the passenger side from fron to rear. It literally rips the block from from front to rear because of the stress.
As far as the 96 style blocks go, I have never seen one split.
Now remember, those blocks are not the same blocks ford used in the 96-99 cobras, 2 different castings.
And thats the reason ford didn't use the aluminum blocks in the 03/04 cobras(cost also i'm guessing), their casting couldn't hold up(i'm guessing).
The 2002 Explorer block at first glance appears to be the strongest of the aluminum blocks. However, appearances are decieving. The 96 style aluminum blocks are stronger than the 2002 Explorer blocks.
The problem (splitting the block) only comes to light at excessive HP levels. The block splits through the water jacket on the passenger side from fron to rear. It literally rips the block from from front to rear because of the stress.
As far as the 96 style blocks go, I have never seen one split.
Now remember, those blocks are not the same blocks ford used in the 96-99 cobras, 2 different castings.
And thats the reason ford didn't use the aluminum blocks in the 03/04 cobras(cost also i'm guessing), their casting couldn't hold up(i'm guessing).
One of these days I'm going to need a rebuild. When that happens, I intend to go with an aluminum block for the primary reason of saving weight (~100 lbs - not the 200 lbs cited above).
Personally, I have seen nothing that would convince me that an aluminum block couldn't reliably handle 500-600 RWHP in a daily driver, which is the range I intend to be in.
Personally, I have seen nothing that would convince me that an aluminum block couldn't reliably handle 500-600 RWHP in a daily driver, which is the range I intend to be in.
Ok so I have a 01 cobra block. Are you guys saying that this is one of the weaker blocks and should maybe invest in a 96-99 block or 03/04 block if money permits
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