Help Me Get My Cobra Running Right!

[GixxerThou_SVT]

Hello,

Last Sunday I purchased a 1994 Cobra. I need help getting it running better, it doesnt feel like it has 480 horsepower... this is what the car has...

-Engine (short block)
-306 CI stock cobra block (compression ratio 8.67:1)
-Block was magnafulxed, align honed, the deck was checked for flatness,
then it was bored .030 over. All new Camshaft, rod and main bearings were installed
-New stock Crankshaft
-Stock Rods
-All new Camshaft, Rod and Main bearings were installed (clevite 77's)
-Speed-pro Forged pistons
-Romac aluminum harmonic balancer (SFI 18.1 spec)
-D.S.S. Main cap girdle
-All bolts used are APR studs (Main cap studs, rod studs and also cylinder head studs)
-Melling High Volume oil pump
-Canton 7 QT oil pan
-New Double roller timing chain and gears
-Wolverine 1190 Camshaft (lift .493 int. .513 exh./ Duration 212 int. 222 exh./ LSA 112*)

Engine (on top of the short block air delivery)
-Ported and polished TRICK FLOW Track heat heads (I
-Trick flow 1.6 aluminum Roller rockers
-Trick Flow 6.750 Hardened push rods
-Ported and polished Upper AND Lower Cobra intakes
-Fel-Pro Gaskets used throughout the entire engine. . ..
-75 mm BBK Throttle Body
-VORTECH V-1 Supercharger - The car made 10.9 psi of boost on the dyno with this setup
-AFM Power-pipe
-New 90mm PRO-M Mass air flow meter

Fuel delivery system
-Walbro high pressure 255 intank fuel pump (GSS 340 M)
-Walbro high pressure 255 inline fuel pump (GSL 392)
-Aeromotive 1:1 Adjustable Fuel pressure regulator
-Ford Motor Sports 42lb/hr Fuel injectors

Exhaust
-Shorty BBK 1 5/8" Headers
-BBK H-pipe (2.5")
-Flowmaster Delta 40 series mufflers and dumps

Ignition
-Multiple Spark Discharge (MSD) Boost Timing Retard (MSD 6 BTM)
-Autolite spark plugs (gapped to .32)

I raced my buddies Mach 1 with 4.10 gears and barely pulled from him, his Mach1 makes around 330-340horsepower... What should I start checking for?

 

[crazycarlo]

Well to start off with if your car has stock gears I would be expecting you to play catch up. Secondly your CR is way low for that car. Thats lowering then stock 03 cobras. Alot of guys with 5.0's are running atleast a full point higher even with blowers. That could have something to do with it feeling slower. Secondly did you have the car dyno'd before? Or were you provided with a dyno graph or did the previous owner just tell you thats what it made. I highly doubt that even with the blower you are making 480 atleast not at the wheels anyway. Also I find it hard to believe that someone would build the motor for boost then not put in forged rods or pistons.

If you dont have gears in the rear end I suggest getting that built with some 3.73 gears then go back and race your friend. In a 5.0 you dont wanna go any higher if its a street car. Do you know what size heads are on the car? If they are 170cc you may want to go bigger since your flowing alot of air up top.

In order to maximize your performance Id talk with Ed Curtis of FTI and have him make you a custom cam based on your mods. Its like $300.

 

[GixxerThou_SVT]

Well to start off with if your car has stock gears I would be expecting you to play catch up. Secondly your CR is way low for that car. Thats lowering then stock 03 cobras. Alot of guys with 5.0's are running atleast a full point higher even with blowers. That could have something to do with it feeling slower. Secondly did you have the car dyno'd before? Or were you provided with a dyno graph or did the previous owner just tell you thats what it made. I highly doubt that even with the blower you are making 480 atleast not at the wheels anyway. Also I find it hard to believe that someone would build the motor for boost then not put in forged rods or pistons.

If you dont have gears in the rear end I suggest getting that built with some 3.73 gears then go back and race your friend. In a 5.0 you dont wanna go any higher if its a street car. Do you know what size heads are on the car? If they are 170cc you may want to go bigger since your flowing alot of air up top.

In order to maximize your performance Id talk with Ed Curtis of FTI and have him make you a custom cam based on your mods. Its like $300.

I purchased the car on Sunday and havent really dug into it finding out whats on it and so on. The seller said it has 373 gears & Speed-Pro Forged pistons. I have two dyno graphs of the car making 480, Im trying to get on the dyno soon to see what it makes and take it from there. Im not sure what size the heads are either, this is a new to me car so learning about it as I go.

 

[Need4speed2345]

Was it 480 with a blower that the owner took off before he sold it? I have a feeling that's the case. Find a superharger and you will find your 480whp.

 

[GixxerThou_SVT]

Was it 480 with a blower that the owner took off before he sold it? I have a feeling that's the case. Find a superharger and you will find your 480whp.

The blower is still on the car... What I posted earlier is from the for sale ad. According to the boost gauge it hits 10psi every time. It has a snow performance meth kit that comes on at 4psi

 

[Need4speed2345]

Oh haha didnt see that. Well.... It could be hurt. It wouldn't be the first time someone beats a car realizes they hurt it only to hurry and offload it to unsuspecting person. Run compression check/ leak down and if you have no experience use YouTube and go to harbor freight for the testers for cheap.

 

[GixxerThou_SVT]

Oh haha didnt see that. Well.... It could be hurt. It wouldn't be the first time someone beats a car realizes they hurt it only to hurry and offload it to unsuspecting person. Run compression check/ leak down and if you have no experience use YouTube and go to harbor freight for the testers for cheap.

Yep, we will be doing that tonight! Could the tune be off?

 

[Need4speed2345]

Yep, we will be doing that tonight! Could the tune be off?

Not unless he pulled the tune. Did you get a sct or tuning device? You absolutely will need one and if you didn't get one chances he returned it to stock. But not sure how it would run with stock tune. May just run like shit or not at all depending on how far from stock it was changed.

 

[crazycarlo]

Thats always a possibility, like mentioned above run a compression test and a leakdown test. Also I dont know if you had a diff car before but diff cars feel diff. My 433 rwhp vortech 98 felt slower then my friends 412 rwhp Z. Diff blowers and diff setups will feel completely diff. You can always just the rear wheels up and turn the wheel and watch to driveshaft turn and get the gear ratio. Or look at the color of the speedo gear which should have been changed when the gears were. Can you post a picture of the engine bay for us? Or make a video of the car.

 

[GixxerThou_SVT]

I dont have any hand held tuner. The car runs fine, only thing I dont like is sometimes when im coming to a stop it turns off. Speaking of the speedo gear, my speedo quit working, i pulled it out and its white, its smashed so i need to get a new one, best place to get it from?

Heres a picture of the car and bay...

This little bastard...

 

[Need4speed2345]

Now I guess people can tune with a chip but its not as common in my limited experience. Maybe call the old owner and ask did he chip the ecu or does he have a tuner he was suppose to give you.

 

[GixxerThou_SVT]

Now I guess people can tune with a chip but its not as common in my limited experience. Maybe call the old owner and ask did he chip the ecu or does he have a tuner he was suppose to give you.

Its chipped ECU

 

[Need4speed2345]

Compression check time

 

[crazycarlo]

Count the teeth on the gear and that will let you know what gear that is for. Also the stalling issue coming to a stop is a tune issue. BTW it's a good looking car!

 

[GixxerThou_SVT]

I'll report back the numbers from the compression test. Thanks Carlo!