FAQ: SN95 common issues.

[blackfang]

Front brake install how to
Keep in mind this was done on my 97 Cobra which has a dual piston 13 inch brakes, unlike the single Piston GT. This is what worked for me and if you have an easier way of doing it, then by all means use that method.
Front Brake pad install

I used Brembo factory rotors and Hawk HPS pads

Tools needed:
1 Lug wrench or impact gun
1 21mm socket
1 Torque wrench
1 15 mm socket
1 Ratchet
1 Flathead screw driver
1 Hammer
1 C clamp
1 Can of brake clean & brake quiet

1. Inspect brake parts to verify they are correct. Spray brake quiet on the
backside of the brake pads. Apply thin even coats.

2. Jack up the front of the car. Remove both wheels. With 15mm socket remove
the caliper mounting bolts located on the backside of the caliper and hub.
if caliper doesnt slide off(most likely it won't), take a flathead screw
driver and pry the caliper away from the rotor by inserting it in the rotor
fins and the caliper. You now removed both calipers.

3. Once the caliper is free take the flathead and pry off the c clip on the
small pivot pin that holds the caliper parts together. Pull pin out and seperate
the caliper. The Bottom right side of the top part of the caliper as you
look at it will pop up andto the right as if it was hinged at the top left side.

4. With a hammer gently tap out the outer brake pad. With the C clamp place it
with one side on the inner brake pad against the pistons, and the back part
of the clamp(the part where you turn the handle) against the backside of the
piston and slowly turn the c clamp handle. This will pull the pistons back in.

5. Then gently tap on the inner brake pad and remove it. Insert the new pads in
the exact same manner as the old ones were. make sure the squeal indicators
are in the same spot or the pivot pin will not go back in.

6. Take brake cleaner and spray down the rotors and wipe them down with a clean
rag or papwer towel. Place rotor on the hub.

7. Take the lower caliper assembly and put back on the hub and reinstall the
mounting bolts. Now take the main caliper and place the top part of it on the
lower part of the caliper. Keep in mind it will go on at an angle as if it was
hinged on, and then you press down on the bottom side of the upper caliper.

8. Reinsert the pivot pin and 2 clips that came off with it.

For opposite side, repeat steps 3-8 for installation.

9. Put the wheels back on and torque the lugnuts to 95 ft/lbs.

10.Now when you start the car up, before you move anywhere, pump the brakes a few
times. If you don't you will find there is no pressure in the front brakes. So far
there is no squealing or any problems. this entire job took about 30 minutes to do. if you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]
The car is dirty, I know.

Brake quiet..notice the inner pistons are pushed in with the pad installed

 

[blackfang]

Maximum Motorsports LCA install how to
Maximum Motorsports LCA install(MMRLCA-1)

Tools needed:
3 jack stands
Floor jack
2 1/2" drive ratchet
1 1/4" drive
2 18mm sockets
1 21MM deep socket for the lugnuts
1 13 mm socket
1 8mm socket
1 flathead screwdriver
1 pry bar

This can be done using hand tools. However, power tools are recommended to get the job done
alot faster.


1. Place the car in Nuetral and the emergency brake is off. Chock the front wheels
and jack the rear of the car up and place 2 floor jacks supporting the chasis.3rd
jack stand will sit under the axle on one side.

2. Next remove the rear wheels and on the lower control arm remove the Parking brake
and ABS cable brackets. Also remove the rear sway bar4 bolts, 2 per side. Some of
the 94 and newer cars abs/parking brake bracket is on the swaybar bolt.

3. Now under the vehicle where the LCA mounts into the chasis loosen up the mounting
bolt that holds the LCA to the chasis, but do not remove it yet.

4. Place Floor jack under LCA where it bolts onto the axle mount and rear shock.Raise
the axle slightly to where the axle is just above full droop. Then remove the rear
bolt that holds the LCA to the axle mount.

5. Slowly lower the floor jack to allow the rear coil spring to extend itself to where
it can come out of the spring mount and LCA. You can use a chain to keep the spring
from shooting out. ( please use caution when lowering as spring is under pressure)

6. Once that is done you can remove the LCA chasis mounting bolt from the chasis.

7. You can use this time to remove the parking brake by removing the safety clip and
remove the parking brake cable and slide the cable brackets out and flip the brackets
upside down and reinstall the emergency brake cable back onto the rear brakes.

8. Take the LCA and the supplied grease, 3 bushings, metal sleeve. There are 2 big
bushings which go on the outer and inner part of the LCA and a smaller bushing that
will go inbetween them both. Make sure you install the metal sleeve through the center
of the bushing's. You can use a flathead screw driver to pack the grease or put it on
before you install the bushings.

9. Now grease up the outside of the bushing and insert into the chasis and insert the
chasis mounting bolt, but do not tighten just yet. Re insert the spring and lower
isolator and make sure the springs pigtail is facing rearward.

10.Jack up the LCA and using a pry bar or a buddy pry the axle back into position to allow
the axle bolt to go into the LCA and tighten the bolts. Once that is tightended, go and
tighten the chasis mounting bolt.

11. Install the parking brake/abs bracket back onto the LCA.

For the opposite side, follow steps 3 through 11.

12. If you have quad shocks, you can either leave them on or remove them as the MM LCA
eliminates the need for them. The bottom bolt where it bolts onto the axle is a 15 mm
and the top where it bolts to the chasis is an 18mm.

13. Re install the rear wheels and torque down the lugnuts to around 95 ft/lbs and lower
the car off the jackstands.

The car feels more sturdier than before and the rear feels more planted. I can feel every
bit of the road and the bumps are more stable. Kind of like having an overinflated tire.
There really isn't any NVH as many say are supposed to with these arms as they have spherical
bushing and all. Maybe I am deaf?

Overall I like em and simple to install. A good product for a normal driven car that will
be seeing some track time again.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

 

[RippinSVT]

Good write-ups Blackfang...


Tranny/Clutch Removal/Installation Write-up

1.) If you don't have a lift, set the E-brake and block the rear tires securely.

2.) Jack up the front of the car and put good jackstands under each side, or use ramps if possible so you don't have to work around them.

3.) Disconnect the battery for safety.

4.) Inside the car, remove the shift-boot apparatus by just pulling it up, then remove the secondary dust-cover around the shifter that is secured by 4 small bolts (I believe they're 8mm or thereabouts). Then remove the 4 12mm bolts retaining the shifter base and pull the shifter out.

5.) Start by disconnecting the 2 front and 2 rear 02 sensor plugs.

6.) Next, remove the H-pipe and carefully drop it down and out of the way. The passenger side will require a few extensions and a swivel most likely. The exhaust-manifold flange-nuts should be 18mm, but some could be 15mm on newer models.

7.) Next, secure a couple rubber-bands and a plastic bag before removing the driveshaft.

8.) Remove the 4 bolts securing the aft end of the driveshaft. You will have to put a jack under the rearend and jack it up until the tires are JUST leaving the ground. Have a friend set the e-brake on and off to secure the driveline as you turn the driveshaft by hand to get to all 4 bolts. Then set the car back down with E-brake on.

9.) Now slide the driveshaft out of the transmission tailshaft quickly, and before much fluid leaks out, put the bag over the tailshaft tightly and secure with rubber bands. this should stop tranny fluid from puring out everywhere. It's ok to lose a little bit though, it'll happen.

10.) Remove the clutch-fork dust-cover with it's one tiny screw, then pull the clutch cable off of the fork.

11.) Next, remove any electrical connectors connected to the tranny and let them hang.

12.) Now remove the starter. There are 3 bolts. 2 are pretty easy to get at, but the top one is best removed by going from the front of the car through the K-member and steering-rack. You'll want to use a flashlight for this, and some extensions/swivel.

13.) Disconnect the wires from the starter and pull it off the flywheel/bellhousing and set aside.

14.) Next, put a jack under the transmission tailshaft and remove the bolts holding the crossmember/tranny-mount in. Pull the crossmember down and out and set aside.

15.) Now it gets tricky. Some of the bellhousing bolts are easy, some are a pain. Regardless, it'll take a little while and some patience, some swivels/extensions, some curse-words, and maybe a few beers, but you'll get all of them out.

16.) Now the tranny is ready for removal. It is being held up by the jack and the input shaft. Get a friend to help with this.

17.) Being careful, slide the transmission rearward until the input shaft clear the clutch fingers and lower it down. You'll have to shake and shimmy it out. Be creative with the removal, you can use a tranny-jack (recommended), a couple floor-jacks, up just get you and a friend to manhandle it and bench-press it down and out.

18.) Now, inspect the inside of the bellhousing, the pivot stud, the clutch fork, and the input-shaft bearing retainer surface. If everything's cool, unbolt the pressure-plate from the flywheel and remove the clutch-disk beneath. Also, take the old TOB off the fork and disgard.

19.) Get the flywheel "turned" or refinished after removing the 8 (on a Cobra) flywheel bolts. This should be done,but doesn't HAVE to be done everytime, just inspect for wear and high/low spots.

20.) Next, apply grease to the pivot-stud and put a little in the pilot-bearing hole if you aren't replacing that. I usually smear a thin laying on the bearing-retainer as well.

21.) Install the new TOB onto the clutch-fork and slide onto the bearing-retainer like it came out. Be sure the fingers on the fork clip onto the pivot-stud properly.

22.) Reinstall the new flywheel to the crank at 60 lb/ft.

23.) Put the clutch under the pressure-plate and put both onto the flywheel. Thread in one PP bolt on the lower side.

24.) Insert a clutch-alignment tool through the disk from outside the PP and into the pilot-bearing.

25.) Torque down the PP bolts with high/medium force, the specs escape me.

26.) Once bolted down, remove the alignment tool.

27.) Now you can reinstall the tranny after double-checking everything. But first, let's make it a little easier on ourselves.

28.) Aquire a Sawsall or heavy-duty metal-cutting tool and cut off the 2 2-3" tabs on either side of the bellhousing. You don't need them. This will make it a LOT easier to put back in.

29.) Fanagle the tranny back into place with a buddy and make sure, it's on there good.

30.) Work backwords from step 15 until it's all back together.

31.) Break in the clutch properly.


This is a very vague description. It's not hard to do, it just takes time and patience really.

 

[Ciotti]

Mach 460 info...

http://www.flemworld.com/Mach460/Mach.html

 

[Ciotti]

Real good page with pictures and animations of our suspension at work...

http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_suspension.htm
and
http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_suspension2.htm
and
http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_suspension3.htm

Spring Rates...

http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/springs_calcs.htm

Spring rates that are not listed there...

Maximum Motorsports Street Performance Vert Springs
1.5" drop all around, 700 ft. lbs. front, 275 ft. lbs. rear

 

[Sellinger]

Some info on the excellent clutch how too....if you support the Front of the engine with a jack it will give you enough clearance to install/remove the tranny without cutting off the tabs on top of the tranny. Right before i cut those things off someone showed me that trick at the shop and it slid right up and in with no clearance problems..the motor actually tilts forward when the tranny is removed....also.. i opted to drain the fluid out of the tranny before i did it...i mean what better time to change the fluid..it makes it much easier...that or u can do the swap without removing the driveshaft..just remove it from the rearend and support it so it doesn't slide out and your fluid will not leak out at all....."i had a tranny jack, air tools lift etc. when doing this"

 

[Ciotti]

Gear Calculator...

http://www.tchracing.com/tech/gearc...d&givenval=66&givenvaltype=RPM&selectedgear=1

 

[Allanon]

Writeup on a very easy oil separator.

http://ratstangrestoration.com/oilseperatorinstallation.htm

 

[Ciotti]

Shifting a T45 Quicker 101...
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343591

 

[Ciotti]

High speed fan switch mod...

http://www.superstallions.com/tech/cool/fanswitch/fanswitch.html

 

[Ciotti]

Intakes that fit under the Strut Tower Bar...

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292624&highlight=intake

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=332755&highlight=intake

 

[RippinSVT]

Here is some wheel/tire size info I've put together from personal experience.

Stock Wheels

Your stock 94-98 (and all 17" factory 94-04 rims minus 03-04 Cobra wheels) are 17x8. The "perfect" size for these rims is a 245 or 255 series in width. For those who want a little wider rubber, a 275 can be fit without issue, but some wider-running brands will bulge mildly. A 275 Nitto drag-radial fits perfectly.

Cobra R and other 9" wide wheels

For a 9", a 245 (minimum) will fit just fine if you have to use them, but the "ideal" size would be a 275. You can put most 295's on, and a 315 Nitto drag-radial will fit fine with some extra bulge. Most other 315's will NOT fit safely.

For a 10.5" wide wheel...
The ideal tire for a 10.5 wide wheel would be a 315 series rubber. I have personally put 335's on mine, but it was a hassle and caused other headaches like serious rubbing. The minimum tire size I'd recommend would be a 295, although a 275 could suffice if need be, but I wouldn't typically put them on unless they were a particularly wide running brand such as BFG.



I hope that can clear up some simple questions you might have.

 

[NVENEM8U]

Obtaining a good Tach signal

Comes in handy for shift lights, window switches, ect....

Tach signal originates at PCM, pin#48, connector # C294, orange wire/white stripe. It changes color at connector # C213 and becomes brown (tan) wire/yellow stripe. It then routes to gauge cluster at connector # C251 (shown above) pin #8.

 

[NVENEM8U]

Kenne Bell Boost-a-spark write up

A how to :

- Disconnect the battery
-Find a mounting spot

-Find 4 pieces of rubber(for mounting to keep from grounding out...or use a couple of good coats of electricial tape on bottom of box)
-This unit consists of 6 wires(2 in 1 sleeve...)
-Imput wire( thick red w/ inline fuse )
-Output wire( thick red w/ no fuse )
-Black/purple stripe( ground )
-Blacked sleeved wire w/ rca plug( to controller in car )
-Sleeved wires ( red and black wire )

- After mounted :
-Run ground(purple/black) to hood strap ground, soldier connection and bolt down

-Go to Pass. side rear of engine, remove 10 mm bolt in wiring harness pictured above and slit some plastic sheathing protection from the bulk of the harness to allow for wire seperation. Find the Red wire w/ the light green stripe, cut in half about 11/2 inches from top of connector, strip both ends, connect BAP IMPUT (red fused) wire to the red/ lg wire coming from the connector(w/ the 10mm bolt) and connect BAP output (other thick red wire) to the other side of the red/lg wire that goes back into the black sheathing. solider all connections and tape accordingly.

-On to the sleeved black wire that contains 1 red wire and 1 black wire.
-Boosted cars: Use supplied pressure switch to get good boost reading.. connect red/ black wires to posts on pressure switch to bring BAP in proportionatly as compaired to boost.
-N/A / Nitrous : Disreguard pressure switch, make a jumper wire to tie red and black wire together( full time BAP operation controlled from cockpit switch) BELOW

Controller box: Mount in car desired location, connect BAP rca wire to this to control spark intensity...ie 10 = 13.5 volts 50= 21 volts

-Be sure to soilder all conections and tape accordingly, any wires ran through oles needs grommets.....happy install and good luck

 

[Bens4vcobra]

Can anyone post a "How To" for odometer gear replacement? I've searched and found links of where to get the gear(s). But I haven't been able to find instructions for the replacement. Thanks.

www.odometergears.com

the guy that does this is very knowledgable and helpful.

 

[NVENEM8U]

Polishing Aluminum 101

Almost done with TB

WRITE UP

MATERIALS:
-Medium Grade Steel wool (LOWES)
-VERY FINE Stelle wool (LOWES)
- MOTHERS Mag/Alu Polish
(Advanced Auto)
- Cotton Polishing cloth

Step 1: Scuff alu . with Med. grade steel wool....( I pressed on steel wool with a key and rubbed in hard to reach places)

Step 2: Wipe off

Step 3: Scuff with very fine steel wool, removing Med scratches/ scuff marks.

Step 5:Wipe off

Step 6: Polish w/ Mothers Mag/Aul. polish

Repeate use of very fine steel wool and Mothers polish until desired finish is achieved

 

[JohnsMyName]

Fuel Filter Replacement

Super easy and overlooked maitnance. This thread is from the termy section, but all the same steps and locations apply.

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260804

-John

 

[SVT-VNM]

Found this information useful since alot of vendors misrepresent the part #'s and correct years, also found the actual install guide:

Ford Racing Adjustable Clutch Cable Install:

http://www.fordracingparts.com/download/instructionsheets/FordInstShtM-7553-B302.pdf

M-7553-B302 Cable and Quadrant 1982-95
M-7553-C302 Service Cable 1982-95
M-7553-D302 Cable and Quadrant 1996-04
M-7553-E302 Service Cable 1996-04

The LAST part # is the # you need for the adjustable cable for 96-98. It took me FOREVER to find it since I'm switching out the Steeda one.
The second to last is the actual "kit" that includes the ford quadrant.

 

[cobraman1024]

for the 94/95 Cobras, and GT cars for that matter; a common troublespot is the stator or profile ignition pickup in the distributor. and the distributors themselves are starting to fall apart right around now with these cars eclipsing the 125,000 mile marker. the options are replacing the stator with one from NAPA for $25 like I did with my MSD 94/95 Pro-Billet distributor (which is also known to have an unreliable stator) or replace your distributor with a rebuilt unit since yours probably is worn out anyway.