I tore into the Cobra today

[tman1257]

Well as it states I am getting the Cobra ready for a motor swap. I started to get it ready to pull the motor. Pulled the radiator, shroud, ac lines and all misc. parts that would make it easier. I will have some pics but it is with my older camera so I don't know what they will look like or if they will turn out. This is going to be an on going project to redo stuff I half a$$ed when I first built the motor so bear with me if updates are slow. I want to do it right this time since there is now no chance I will be selling it. Pics of the start will come later tonight.

[tman1257]

pics





Oh yeah, the "helper" took some time for a picture also!

[Hissing Cobra]

Are you rebuilding the motor that you have or are you installing another? Take your time and do it right and you'll be fine. Is your son interested in helping you on smaller stuff? If so, that's cool. Neither one of my daughter's is interested in learning this stuff but they do like going for rides.

[tman1257]

I am going to leave this one alone. I have one from a Merkur coming and a wiring harness from a turbo coupe all for $150. I couldn't pass that up. My plans for the original motor are to be cleaning and repainting it. After that it will be a conversation piece. I am wanting to leave the original the way it is since this was the last one my Dad had rebuilt. There's a big part of me that wants to leave this car a turbo 4 for that reason, leaving it similar to how it was when he passed away. That and the gas prices. So that reason is why this may take longer than expected. I also want to repaint the engine compartment, replace a bad master cylinder, maybe strip the interior. Who knows. I am just planning on taking my time with it now.

[89 AZ SSP]

Cool, I love projects with photos!!

[gdniel]

Subscribing.

[429bigblock]

Subscribing.

+1 keep it up!

[tman1257]

Well I was able to make a small amount of progress today. This is one of the reasons I hate working nights but I gotta pay bills somehow. Getting time to do this during the week is hard sometimes after a long 13 or so hour night at work.



One question though. On the passenger side shock tower, just to the left of the shock mount is a line that went from the charcoal canister area to the firewall and what looks to be into the cabin. Is this a vacuum line for the heat/air controls? I was trying to pull all 50 miles of vacuum lines and this one was hanging me up. Anybody know what this is hooked to?

[tman1257]

Oh yeah, finally found the buck tag. But I think I will still need to take the bumper cover off to get to it.

[Hissing Cobra]

The line that goes from the canister to possibly inside the engine compartment is not a vacuum line for the hvac unit. I'm not too sure what it was (it's been so long since I deleted it from my car) but I know it's not for that. I wish I could help you a little more.

[tman1257]

Well if you had no problems with removing it Pete more than likely I should be okay to delete it. Now to see where it hooks to.

[Hissing Cobra]

If I'm thinking correctly, I think it has something to do with the emissions system. Maybe it catches unburned fuel vapors?

[Zap's 85 GT]

Is it the line to the fuel tank vent?

[tman1257]

Is it the line to the fuel tank vent?

I don't know. It goes to a grommet in the firewall and looks to go into the passenger side right behind where the blower motor is at. That's why I was wondering if it was for the hvac controls. I guess I'll find out this weekend.

[tman1257]

Well was able to make some more progress today. At least now I can get to the motor mount on the passenger side. Oh and I also think the vacuum line I was asking about is the fuel tank vent now that I cleared some more of the vacuum lines out. I was looking at the wrong one of the bundle when I took the picture. Ooops. I also see why it started hard too every now and then. The battery cable picture is bad but I think you can get the idea. That was the ground cable.

[tman1257]

Here's a question to owners of turbo 4's. Is there enough room to pull the motor and leave the crossover pipe from the exhaust to the turbo on? The exhaust is going to be a PITA enough the way it is so I was wondering if I can leave this one on.

[dakota4eyes]

T-man, looks like you got a good start to the project. Keep the pic's coming and best of luck to you on it.

[kj_80Cobra]

Here's a question to owners of turbo 4's. Is there enough room to pull the motor and leave the crossover pipe from the exhaust to the turbo on? The exhaust is going to be a PITA enough the way it is so I was wondering if I can leave this one on.

Did you mean leave the crossover pipe attached to the engine? Yes, you should be able to pull the engine that way. I don't remember the pipe hanging down very much so it shouldn't hit the k-member when you lift it out. But I cut all my exhaust off when I pulled my 2.3T because I couldn't get any bolts loose.

[tman1257]

T-man, looks like you got a good start to the project. Keep the pic's coming and best of luck to you on it.

Thanks Dakota. Looks like the Cobra won't be going to Sioux Falls in June. I'm even still up in thr air if I will be able to make it. I wasn't going to start doing this yet but the motor deal came up and I jumped on it. I am only needing to unbolt the trans, motor mounts, and the dreaded exhaust. I am soaking the exhaust bolts now to see if I can get them cracked loose. Then it will be to take the hood off and pull it.

KJ, thanks for the info. I am going to try it and see. Hopefully I can clear everything with the crossover pipe on. Thanks all.

[tman1257]

Here's a picture of one of the new parts going in after the motor comes out. Should help me out.

[tman1257]

No progress as of toay. I was checking my framerails and am glad rust hasn't gotten to them yet. The major spot is where the battery was.

[SVT Rob]

nice. You're making progress. I have to remember to take pictures, I always forget when I start doing something, next thing you know, it's done

Maybe I should hire a photographer to just snap away in the background while I work?

Can't wait to see it all complete and going back together.

[tman1257]

Had some time today to get the hood off and finally get the battery tray out. I see why the bolts were stuck.


Had a nice surprise when I did take the tray out and it was just surface rust. I know others have said this was a bad area for rust so I can handle this.


Here's another question. I know others have talked about a loop of line that Ford did as a makeshift power steering cooler. Is this the same deal on mine? It is bolted to the radiator support in front of the radiator and has lines going to the p/s pump.

[Hissing Cobra]

Tom,

Yes, that's the power steering cooler. I have it on mine too. I'm not sure how well it works because there's no fins attached to it but I reused it anyway. The framerails look really nice and rust free. Nice! As for the exhaust crossover pipe, I was able to pull the engine out with it attached. I unbolted the exhaust pipe at the donut by the catalytic converter and that was all I had to unbolt. If those exhaust bolts won't come out, you can heat them with a Mapp Gas canister/torch setup.

[tman1257]

I'm honestly debating if I want to tackle the bolts or just saw the exhaust off. It is going to be different than the exhaust on the motor that I am purchasing anyway and the converter was gone when I bought it so it probably wouldn't matter if I cut a little off of the pipe. It might make it a little easier. I can always have a custom pipe made up by a friend of mine with a pipe bender if needed.