Project ACES Part 1: 2000 Cobra R Head/Upper/Lower/TB Built 5.4 4v Build Thread

[Willens]

After much consideration on which path I wanted to pursue with my trusty 281 4v in my 2003 SVT Cobra, I decided simply to pursue the most radical build I could possibly imagine within reason: A 004 top-halved 331 4v with a T6 4788. I started shopping for the difficult-to-procure 00R engine components knowing it would take some time, and that I am a year or two out from getting this all installed & tuned. Over the weekend, I purchased the arguably most expensive piece; a set of 00R cylinder heads. Along the way, I'll be looking for a lot of advice and input so rather than start a new thread every single time and clutter this up I thought it best to document progress and keep it consolidated.

Quick Background on the car:
2003 Sonic Blue Cobra, 19k miles, 1 of 23 Parchment Suede Sonic Blue Coupes made, second owner.
I bought the car stock sans an air filter and a catback. I have since powdercoated the valve covers, metco idlers, Posi port with BF 2.93 upper and Metco 6# lower, Dragon SBTB, 99-01 Amber Tails, EGR delete, Kooks stepped LT's o/r X pipe, double din, Hilton overlay, SD 63# injectors, boost a pump, Afco DP HE, plugs, 18" 9 & 10.5 wheels & Michelin Pilot Cup Sport tires 275/335, other stuff.



I'll keep this updated as I procure; hopefully this is as exciting to others as it is myself. My first question is this:
What ECU/harness options do I have running the 5.4 4v? I know motor mounts will be something to source since the 00R intake sits 12mm taller. Any input from those with experience with this swap is appreciated.

Thanks for reading,
-Will

 

[SVT_Troy]

sounds very cool but why the 00R heads?

Good to see another Cobra owner that owns a Z32! I have a pretty sick Z that I'm currently finishing up as well

 

[Nightmare90gt]

Should be able to use your 4.6l 4v harness.

 

[SVTORANGE]

Awesome pic in the plane hanger:beer:

 

[SlowSVT]

The Cobra R heads make sense NA. FI: not as much. What are you planning on doing for an intake? Perhaps a GT500 unit will fit?

Cool project none the less. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Willens]

Why wouldn't the heads make sense NA versus FI? 276 cfm at .600 lift is a very solid foundation to support a T6 turbo. I'm all-ears on the matter to learn something new.

The inspiration came from an 00R owner who decided to buck the norm and went with the same turbo on his 00R, and the numbers were respectable. As for the intake, I had planned on buying a Cobra R lower today as the lower design is tuned rather well (and with velocity in-mind, obviously a major consideration for a strictly NA build.) And then sourcing the upper, TB and mounts would be the last bits to procure. Cams would be custom with a happy amount of overlap, obviously any out-of-the-box blower (or worse, high duration NA) cam would inhibit things drastically. At the end of the day, I really just wanted to build the baddest 5.4 I could, and the flow from the 00R top half seemed to be the way to go with custom cams and a bottom end.

The Z32... I've been a Z32TT guy for over a decade, just sold my 3000GT VR-4 build last Saturday to free up cashflow for the 5.4 build!

The hangar shot... SVTOrange I don't know where in MD you are but I am all for a re-shoot with a bunch of cool cars!

Thanks for chiming in, I've already been reading like crazy and studying Al & Birdman's gospel.

 

[SlowSVT]

Why wouldn't the heads make sense NA versus FI? 276 lift at .600 is a very solid foundation to support a T6 turbo. I'm all-ears on the matter to learn something new.

An NA engine needs all the help it can get to fill the cylinders. An FI engine and easily pack more charge then the engine can tolerate. It basically sounds like your building a GT500 engine which have heads that flow just as well as the Cobra R heads.

Are you going turbo?

 

[Willens]

An NA engine needs all the help it can get to fill the cylinders. An FI engine and easily pack more charge then the engine can tolerate. It basically sounds like your building a GT500 engine which have heads that flow just as well as the Cobra R heads.

Are you going turbo?

Absolutely, I understand that. I was just curious why the heads were somehow a lesser choice to something else when it all comes down to VE, velocity is a lesser concern given the fact that I'll be feeding this beast with a T6 4788 in part 2.

Buying the 00R lower intake manifold today. That upper and the engine mounts are going to be a bitch to source, good thing I'm giving myself plenty of time...

I appreciate the dialogue! I'm stepping out of my comfort zone with this build.

 

[SlowSVT]

Absolutely, I understand that. I was just curious why the heads were somehow a lesser choice to something else when it all comes down to VE, velocity is a lesser concern given the fact that I'll be feeding this beast with a T6 4788 in part 2.

Buying the 00R lower intake manifold today. That upper and the engine mounts are going to be a bitch to source, good thing I'm giving myself plenty of time...

I appreciate the dialogue! I'm stepping out of my comfort zone with this build.

I think you would do just as well sourcing GT500 heads and fabricating your own intake or get one recommended by someone with experience turbocharging a 5.4. A purist would cry seeing a Cobra R intake and heads in the engine bay of a Terminator. I don't think the long runners on the Cobra R intake are optimal for FI where most opt for short runners.

Shoe horning a 5.4 into an SN95 then adding all the plumbing and hardware for a turbo is actually a pretty big job so your going to have your work cut out for you. :nono: That's what you get for looking at Birdman's car :coolman: After that you will be too scared to drive it :uh oh:

 

[Willens]

I think you would do just as well sourcing GT500 heads and fabricating your own intake or get one recommended by someone with experience turbocharging a 5.4. A purist would cry seeing a Cobra R intake and heads in the engine bay of a Terminator. I don't think the long runners on the Cobra R intake are optimal for FI where most opt for short runners.

Shoe horning a 5.4 into an SN95 then adding all the plumbing and hardware for a turbo is actually a pretty big job so your going to have your work cut out for you. :nono: That's what you get for looking at Birdman's car :coolman: After that you will be too scared to drive it :uh oh:

That's a valid point on the runner length; the design is spot-on, I'd love to see something fabbed in a shorter runner. Perhaps I'll assess further before purchasing the lower. Any recommendations of fabricators/shops for the task?

Said hater would have to be pretty keen to spot the difference between R heads and any other 5.4 heads in a complete engine bay!, as for the rest, well... the car it came on the factory from is likely soda cans at that point, and no longer needs it.
Oh by no means do I expect it to be plug-and-play, but it is a far cry from uncharted territory.

 

[Willens]

Spec'ed the Sullivan (they still offer it, though you have to go direct.) it's designed with 6,000rpm and up dragracing in mind. I've purchased a 00R lower as that low end will be necessary to keep this a fun street car. I've driven 1,000rwhp Supra's where power is nowhere to be found until 6k... It's not ideal on the street. I do want to road race this car still, so I'll worry about driving it and seeing what I think before pursuing the always expensive R&D path. Just need the Upper Plenum and engine mounts... Progress!

 

[FortLewisCobra]

Theres always the boss/5.0/CJ intake option http://forums.corral.net/forums/svt-dohc/1519457-5-4-dohc-coyote-intake-adapters-now-available.html.