Reason for doing this:
Mod engines don't have provisions for coolant to exit the rear of the drivers side head to join the rest of the coolant en route to the heater core and then back to the radiator. This causes a known and proven hot spot in the #7 and especailly #8 cylinders, proof due to damage occuring most commonly in these cylinders due to more heat=detonation. This was originally done on the 03 & 04 Cobras and there are kits available if you search around.
I started by heating the area around the base of the tube on the right side of the lower intake to remove the tube. I used a propane torch and it worked like a champ, the tube got loose and came right out, it only took 5 minutes.
*ATTENTION*Do not drill this hole all the way through! If you go farther than where it is from the factory you risk ruining the entire intake. If the hole is drilled through it ends up outside of the gasket area for the coolant port and IT WILL LEAK!!
Next I cleaned up the recessed areas on the left side to prepare it for filling in with some aluminum epoxy I got from work. JB weld would work as well I'm sure.
This was before I cleaned it up, lol.
After the epoxy sets up drill a hole through the left side and enlarge the existing hole on the passenger side for 1/2" NPT barbed fittings and plumb into a tee for the original heater hose. The tee is 3/4"x3/4"x3/4" and I'm using 5/8" heater hose.
The epoxy set up and I drilled the left side and the tapped both sides with a 1/2" NPT tap. I applied several wraps of teflon tape to the barbed fittings and installed them into the tapped holes. Instead of trying to reuse the stock heater hose from the rigid tube on the passenger side I used a section of the 5/8" heater hose that goes from the tee directly to the fitting coming from the firewall.
When you disconnect the stock hoses you will see that they are quick disconnects and that the hoses going into the cab to the heater core have two rubber O rings with a plastic ring inbetween them as well as the plastic latch assembly behind them. Remove the O rings and the platic ring and then carefully use a flat bladed screwdriver to remove the plastic latch also, if you're too rough with it then it will break and you won't have it as a spare or be able to reuse it should you need to in the future.
Now just run the heater hose directly to the the hose going into the cab and PUSH IT OVER THE RING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE METAL END so that it's as far on the metal as it will go, then put a hose clamp on the new heater hose end closest to the firewall.
These first two pics are the initial mock up, the bottom pic showes the larger fittings and hose I used in the final iteration.
This is how mine looked when done. I just kinda guessed at the lengths and didn't make any real measurements.
Left side of lower intake with hole drilled and fitting installed.
This is pics and info from LightningMike.
Well yesterday i decided to tackle the coolant crossover mod and the hole for my sending unit for the water temp guage.
I spent last weekend tracking down drill bits and taps for the holes i needed to make. No easy task for sure.
Anyway if i had planed on making a how to i would have taken before pics but i didnt think of it till after Chris asked me to put this up.
So lets start
First was tracking down a 3/8 pipe tap and a 1/2 inch pipe tap
I then cleaned out the rear of the lower intake that is opposite the water jacket on the drivers side.
(Again sorry no before pics)
I then mixed up some JB Weld and filled in where it needed to be. This i let set over night so i wouldnt end up drilling thru mush.
The next day i pulled out the solid line on the pass side of the intake that runs to the heater core, again not the easiest things to do.
I first drilled out the boss in the the front of the intake for the water tempature sensor that will be run to my autometer guage. Ths hole was 3/8 pipe so that the threads would grip better than just using the sensor and fine threads.
i then tackled the hole where the solid line went to the heater core. Dont be scared there is plenty of materal and it will be fine. You just want to be sure to run the tap in straight. This is what it looked like when i put the brass in.
Now to the moment of truth. This is the hole you really dont want to screw up. I lined up the 3/8 fitting on the gasket side of the intake and made sure it was going to fit correctly and not breach the gasket. I then drilled from the bottom so i could watch how the bit went thru and to make sure i wasnt drifting to close to the gasket line.
You can see it went in pretty good and tightened right up very well
If anyone wants to discuss this with me feel free to pm me any questions. And i will put this out to anyone on here, Instead of buying the bits and taps i will rent them to you if you wish. Just the 1/2 inch tap was $36 so i can save you a few bucks but you will need a 1/2 inch chuck for your drill. I tried to just change one of my chucks over but out of 3 drills that i have i couldnt get the damn 3/8 chucks so i ended up buying yet another drill:bash: for a mere 200 bills
Mod engines don't have provisions for coolant to exit the rear of the drivers side head to join the rest of the coolant en route to the heater core and then back to the radiator. This causes a known and proven hot spot in the #7 and especailly #8 cylinders, proof due to damage occuring most commonly in these cylinders due to more heat=detonation. This was originally done on the 03 & 04 Cobras and there are kits available if you search around.
I started by heating the area around the base of the tube on the right side of the lower intake to remove the tube. I used a propane torch and it worked like a champ, the tube got loose and came right out, it only took 5 minutes.
*ATTENTION*Do not drill this hole all the way through! If you go farther than where it is from the factory you risk ruining the entire intake. If the hole is drilled through it ends up outside of the gasket area for the coolant port and IT WILL LEAK!!
Next I cleaned up the recessed areas on the left side to prepare it for filling in with some aluminum epoxy I got from work. JB weld would work as well I'm sure.
This was before I cleaned it up, lol.
After the epoxy sets up drill a hole through the left side and enlarge the existing hole on the passenger side for 1/2" NPT barbed fittings and plumb into a tee for the original heater hose. The tee is 3/4"x3/4"x3/4" and I'm using 5/8" heater hose.
The epoxy set up and I drilled the left side and the tapped both sides with a 1/2" NPT tap. I applied several wraps of teflon tape to the barbed fittings and installed them into the tapped holes. Instead of trying to reuse the stock heater hose from the rigid tube on the passenger side I used a section of the 5/8" heater hose that goes from the tee directly to the fitting coming from the firewall.
When you disconnect the stock hoses you will see that they are quick disconnects and that the hoses going into the cab to the heater core have two rubber O rings with a plastic ring inbetween them as well as the plastic latch assembly behind them. Remove the O rings and the platic ring and then carefully use a flat bladed screwdriver to remove the plastic latch also, if you're too rough with it then it will break and you won't have it as a spare or be able to reuse it should you need to in the future.
Now just run the heater hose directly to the the hose going into the cab and PUSH IT OVER THE RING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE METAL END so that it's as far on the metal as it will go, then put a hose clamp on the new heater hose end closest to the firewall.
These first two pics are the initial mock up, the bottom pic showes the larger fittings and hose I used in the final iteration.
This is how mine looked when done. I just kinda guessed at the lengths and didn't make any real measurements.
Left side of lower intake with hole drilled and fitting installed.
This is pics and info from LightningMike.
Well yesterday i decided to tackle the coolant crossover mod and the hole for my sending unit for the water temp guage.
I spent last weekend tracking down drill bits and taps for the holes i needed to make. No easy task for sure.
Anyway if i had planed on making a how to i would have taken before pics but i didnt think of it till after Chris asked me to put this up.
So lets start
First was tracking down a 3/8 pipe tap and a 1/2 inch pipe tap
I then cleaned out the rear of the lower intake that is opposite the water jacket on the drivers side.
(Again sorry no before pics)
I then mixed up some JB Weld and filled in where it needed to be. This i let set over night so i wouldnt end up drilling thru mush.
The next day i pulled out the solid line on the pass side of the intake that runs to the heater core, again not the easiest things to do.
I first drilled out the boss in the the front of the intake for the water tempature sensor that will be run to my autometer guage. Ths hole was 3/8 pipe so that the threads would grip better than just using the sensor and fine threads.
i then tackled the hole where the solid line went to the heater core. Dont be scared there is plenty of materal and it will be fine. You just want to be sure to run the tap in straight. This is what it looked like when i put the brass in.
Now to the moment of truth. This is the hole you really dont want to screw up. I lined up the 3/8 fitting on the gasket side of the intake and made sure it was going to fit correctly and not breach the gasket. I then drilled from the bottom so i could watch how the bit went thru and to make sure i wasnt drifting to close to the gasket line.
You can see it went in pretty good and tightened right up very well
If anyone wants to discuss this with me feel free to pm me any questions. And i will put this out to anyone on here, Instead of buying the bits and taps i will rent them to you if you wish. Just the 1/2 inch tap was $36 so i can save you a few bucks but you will need a 1/2 inch chuck for your drill. I tried to just change one of my chucks over but out of 3 drills that i have i couldnt get the damn 3/8 chucks so i ended up buying yet another drill:bash: for a mere 200 bills
