May Have to Retire.....

[smashedheadcat]

Saturday afternoon my car bit the big one. I just don't understand how or why. Everything was done by the numbers. All clearances were carefully checked, i used all the right parts. At the 300 mile mark, i drained my oil, removed the filter, sifted through the old oil, cut up the oil filter and everything was perfect Great oil pressure, clean oil, everything. All was going as advertised. I've used nothing but Mobil 1 5W-20 FULL SYNTHETIC and Motorcraft filter(s). The car never got hot or anything.

So anyway, i'm on my way to the dyno (www.waynesdyno.net). The car is running perfectly. I'm on my way to get a quick tune just to be safe, and while i saved for the autologic chip and cage etc etc. I got into a quick acceleration contest with my buddy's '03 cobra. (I's victorious btw) Anyway, about an hour later, i stop at a red light. Right as i stop the oil pressure (autometer guage) falls down to about 8-10psi, then quick to snap back up to normal. **Factory guage holds steady** I turn the radio off, and hold my head outside and everything sounds wonderful. I continue ever so slightly forward, only to be stopped by the next red light. Same thing, but oil pressure falls to zero **Factory guage starts to drop off (to the "O" in NORMAL)** A quick tap of the gas restores oil pressure and I limp forward about 25 ft into a parkinglot and i shut it off. I get out of the car and pop the hood. I check the oil and everything is perfect... (about a 1/2qt high) Oil was clean and plentiful. I restart the car and everything is perfect, pressure on the AUTOMETER holding steady at about 35psi. A quick short rev lets out an audible knock. I shut it off, and put the top up, and continue up the street (about a mile away) to Waynes Dyno. After we dyno the '03 and watch a few others run, i tell him that my car sounds like i may have a spun bearing. We take a ride in the '03 cobra and he checks it out. He checks the oil, and asks me to fire it up. The most discusting sound i've ever heard came from under my hood. He screams to shut it off. "Spun bearing.." Wayne said. So now, i haven't the slightest idea how i'm going to pay to get this fixed. It's going to take me the better part of 6-8 months to raise the money to fix this thing. Sorry for the novel, but i had a lot of news to pass.:flush:

[johnbasf]

Sorry to hear that Josh. If that ever happens to me I'm going PUSHROD. You can do so much more to one of those. Don't get me wrong, I love the Mod Motor. You just can't do a lot to them and still be safe. Good Luck!!!!

[cobrabitn]

Sorry to hear that Josh! :(

[Black Snake]

Sorry to hear about the bad luck. That’s never a good thing to hear.

You really should not use synthetic oil in a brand new motor. You should put about 10K-15K on the clock before you make the switch. Also I would have put a good 1K break-in miles on the motor before doing any “quick acceleration contests”. I’m not saying that this contributed to your problem, just stating a rule of thumb.

Talk to your engine builder. If you really only have 300 miles on the new motor, I would be at his door first thing in the morning.

Good luck.

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by Black Snake
Sorry to hear about the bad luck. That’s never a good thing to hear.

You really should not use synthetic oil in a brand new motor. You should put about 10K-15K on the clock before you make the switch. Also I would have put a good 1K break-in miles on the motor before doing any “quick acceleration contests”. I’m not saying that this contributed to your problem, just stating a rule of thumb.

Talk to your engine builder. If you really only have 300 miles on the new motor, I would be at his door first thing in the morning.

Good luck.

Sorry if i wasn't perfectly clear. Changing the oil at the 300 mile mark was just something i've learned to do over the years. The car was shut off for the last time with 1176 miles on the new motor. Mostly highway miles. My engine builder drove it 100 miles or so before i got my paws on it. I put a few miles on it here and there (city miles) and then changed the oil. I then drove it from indiana to north carolina. Then after a few belt and pulley problems, i got it going again. It was well over 1000 miles before i put down. This engine hasn't seen over 6000 rpms because of the fact it's untuned. I opted for the Autometer Oil pressure guage instead of the fuel pressure guage just because of the new motor. I know oil pressure is more important at this point of the engine's life than fuel pressure (esp cuz it wouldn't have any high rpm pulls for awhile). The car ran very very strong in it's short life. Going pushrod would definately be wonderful, except that i have so much money wrapped up into this modular money pit that i can't part with it. Besides, i wouldn't be happy with anything shy of 300rwhp after rolling around in this car. Which would mean, i'd have to throw a ton of money into the new 5.0 and i just don't have the funds. I really need to hit the lottery or something. This is killing me.

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Damn Josh...that pretty much sux! I don't know what to tell you! Let us know what you decide to do. :( :( :(

[Black Snake]

I would still talk to my builder. That shouldn't happen to a recently rebuilt motor. Did he replace/upgrade the oil pump or oil pump gears?

[smashedheadcat]

The oil pump was replaced with FRPP High volume unit. **Not billet oil gears** I called up true blue this morning, and they said if i decided to have them do it, they'd take my motor in as a core, and give me another one with similar internals for about $3500 est. That's definately too much money for me. I only have about $800 now. I'm probably just gonna get a storage unit, and go to work on it. I'll drop the K-member, and slide the trans back and pull the crank out. I'll use my untrained eye to look for damage, and if it looks good, just turn the crank, replace the oil pump if necessary, new bearings and just toss it back in. That's really the only way i'll be able to get this thing going. I can't afford to redo this whole thing. I just can't. If it's too bad, i won't be driving this thing for 6 months minimum.

[sfuller]

Replacing the bearings and the crank is not all that difficult to do yourself once the engine is out of the car. Probably the biggest annoyance is the torque to yield bolts used on the mains, and the rod caps, as well as getting the main bearings off.

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by sfuller
Replacing the bearings and the crank is not all that difficult to do yourself once the engine is out of the car. Probably the biggest annoyance is the torque to yield bolts used on the mains, and the rod caps, as well as getting the main bearings off.

Well, I've never really tried to do this before. I've put together a few Pushrod motors, so i'm hoping this is relatively the same. (bottom end anyway). Do I have to worry about messing up the cam timing or anything?? One more thing. I know that the factory main bolts require replacement because I guess the stretch when torqed.... Mine are ARP, so do they require replacement??? I'm going to go pick up my car on Sunday. I'll have it stuffed in a storage unit by sunday afternoon. Up on jack stands it'll go, and i'll get to work. I may order that "engine support" thing that Griggs sells. Or, make my own. Either way, i'm gonna be tearing into this thing. Worse case, i'll get it apart, mess it up, and pay someone to put it back together. Or worse yet, i'll get it apart, and it'll look like a junk yard under there.

[sfuller]

Do I have to worry about messing up the cam timing or anything??

IIRC, there are marks on the gears on the ends of the camshaft as well as the gear on the end of the crankshaft to line up chains. The chains had some darker links on them as well to assist in getting things lined up. I would definitely get a the big blue Ford repair book as well as a Haynes manual before doing too much, and read over the procedures. You can also locate the Ford repair CDs on the net pretty easily as well. I would absolutely double check anything I stated above as it's from memory after working on one motor back around February - April with a friend.

One more thing. I know that the factory main bolts require replacement because I guess the stretch when torqed.... Mine are ARP, so do they require replacement???

I believe that the ARP bolts are standard bolts, and not torque to yield. If they are not TTY, you should be able to reuse them. The people that worked on your engine before should be able to tell you for sure, as should ARP.

Hope this helps some.

[smashedheadcat]

That helps a lot. Here's another question. Lets say i'm only going to rip the crank outta there, turn it, and replace the bearings, and possibly the oil pump. How hard is it to get just the crank outta there. (I'm hoping i can just pull everything out of the bottom without having to take the motor completely out of the car)

[98banana]

Josh, Sorry to hear about your motor. I saw your comment about my available Cobra motor and wasn't sure until now what you were referring to.

I've never done what you're talking about with pulling the crank with the motor in, but it sounds like a heck of a chore. I would assume it would be easier to pull the motor than work under it like that. Especially if the tranny will be disconnected anyway.

If you have a trailer to get it to Columbia, bring it down here and we'll put it on the lift and drop the motor out. I can't lend a lot of expertise, but I can get my hands dirty with you if you want. There's a lot more locals around here that will probably pitch in too.

Definitely take Steve's advice on getting the manual. It'll definitely help.

Let me know if I can help...

[sfuller]

Here's another question. Lets say i'm only going to rip the crank outta there, turn it, and replace the bearings, and possibly the oil pump. How hard is it to get just the crank outta there. (I'm hoping i can just pull everything out of the bottom without having to take the motor completely out of the car)

UGH. :D Let's see if we can go through some of the steps.


Remove K member. Support Steering Rack
Remove crossover pipe
Remove transmission and move out of the way
Remove flywheel
Remove oilpan
Remove crank pulley and tensioner pulley
Remove timing chain cover
Remove timing chains so you can remove timing gear from crank shaft
Remove oil pump
Remove oil pickup and crank scraper.
Remove all of the caps from the rods
Remove all 5 bearing caps remembering that the crank is solid steel with balanced throws and is probably between 75 and 100 lbs.


These are the big steps as I remember them. Then think of being on your back about 25 - 30" from the engine. Am I making this ugly enough yet? :D

Not to mention that you have to remove the transmission and the K member, so you have to have some other way of supporting the engine.

Removing the engine is the only way to do this right.

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by 98banana
Josh, Sorry to hear about your motor. I saw your comment about my available Cobra motor and wasn't sure until now what you were referring to.

I've never done what you're talking about with pulling the crank with the motor in, but it sounds like a heck of a chore. I would assume it would be easier to pull the motor than work under it like that. Especially if the tranny will be disconnected anyway.

If you have a trailer to get it to Columbia, bring it down here and we'll put it on the lift and drop the motor out. I can't lend a lot of expertise, but I can get my hands dirty with you if you want. There's a lot more locals around here that will probably pitch in too.

Definitely take Steve's advice on getting the manual. It'll definitely help.

Let me know if I can help...

Heh heh. Tom, I wouldn't want to use up the Banana's lift. I just couldn't do that. I'm going to start turning wrenches on this thing next weekend (Columbus Day maybe??). I guess the only real way to find out how much of a PITA this is... is to just try it. If i screw everything up, then i'll just set it on fire, and collect insurrance. He he he. That's a joke. Thanks for the offer Tom. But, we'll see how everything else pans out first.

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Hey Josh...don't you ever check your email? <g> Drop me an email before you tear the thing apart!

[BadMoFo]

Hey Ken, I still havent been able to get in touch with Josh. I will try calling his shop today, the locator idea worked.

Josh U

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Thanks Josh...

Sheesh, the guy breaks his car and drops out of the world! A true motorhead. ;) :D

[28 Fangs]

sorry to hear about your car.i'm new to the forums and i just happened to catch your post.anyway,i have a good buddy who happens to think his 85 gt is the greatest car on earth.we go to the dragstrip every so often and he happens to have his ways set on nitrous.on one of his runs,his nitrous messed up and totally screwed up his engine.anyway, i know this has nothing in common with your situation,but he was down in the dumps bad.it took a few of us to finally get him started on fixing his car after about a month of not even lifting the hood on his car and to get him fired back up about getting his car back on the road.anyway,what i'm trying to say is that you obviously love your car and i hope you don't give up on her.i guarantee you like i did my buddy that once you get her on the road,you'll have the biggest grin on the street when you take her out on your first cruise just like you did when you bought her...:thumbsup: 96 black on black snake

[BadMoFo]

Originally posted by Ken 01-Cobra
Thanks Josh...

Sheesh, the guy breaks his car and drops out of the world! A true motorhead. ;) :D

I emailed his gov account with no reply and I also called his shop, he wont be back in until monday so I will try again then. I know I would be depressed. I would be out doing what ever it took to get the cobra back on the streets, anyone want a kidney?:D

[smashedheadcat]

Sorry, i've been in Charleston SC since last Sunday. I just got back late last night. Now, i'm in Washington DC. I'll be checking this thing periodically i'm sure. I'll toss an email to ya Ken.

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by BadMoFo
I emailed his gov account with no reply and I also called his shop, he wont be back in until monday so I will try again then. I know I would be depressed. I would be out doing what ever it took to get the cobra back on the streets, anyone want a kidney?:D

Hey Josh. If you called my shop...... Where did they say that i was?? I'm in Washington DC now. I took the day off, and drove out to Washington. My shop doesn't know where I am. I always give them the usual "Okakroke Island" answer. :D :D :D

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by Ken 01-Cobra
Thanks Josh...

Sheesh, the guy breaks his car and drops out of the world! A true motorhead. ;) :D

I'm sorry guys. I've been flying and didn't have a chance to get online.

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by 28 Fangs
sorry to hear about your car.i'm new to the forums and i just happened to catch your post.anyway,i have a good buddy who happens to think his 85 gt is the greatest car on earth.we go to the dragstrip every so often and he happens to have his ways set on nitrous.on one of his runs,his nitrous messed up and totally screwed up his engine.anyway, i know this has nothing in common with your situation,but he was down in the dumps bad.it took a few of us to finally get him started on fixing his car after about a month of not even lifting the hood on his car and to get him fired back up about getting his car back on the road.anyway,what i'm trying to say is that you obviously love your car and i hope you don't give up on her.i guarantee you like i did my buddy that once you get her on the road,you'll have the biggest grin on the street when you take her out on your first cruise just like you did when you bought her...:thumbsup: 96 black on black snake

Hey there. Thanks for posting on here. I'm sorry to hear about your friend's car. There is a difference between your friend's car, and mine. I'll give ya brief bit of history about what happened before, and why i'm so upset now. Here goes. First off, i'm 21 years old, and everything i've got...... i've paid for myself. Okay, i got this cobra in October of 2001. I paid $17,500 for the car. 62,014 miles on it. Triple black. I put $5000 down on the car, and proceeded to buy the following. AFS Cobra R's (10.5's on the back) and tires. Eibach PRO KIT, Vortech V2 SQ w/aftercooler. MSD DIS-4, 80mm C&L MAF, Borla side exit exhaust, 36lb injectors, 255lph intank pump, and a few other things here and there. I took out a loan for the car ($12,500). All those mods listed above came directly out of my pocket. (I was in Japan saving money from Jan '01 til Jan of '02). So, anyway, by the time i got back to america, i had all my parts put on the car. Everything was perfect yada yada yada, except for a slight miss at idle. I drove it to my house (from the Ford Dealer where i had my side skirts painted) to my house, and i could smell a slight bit of burnt oil. When i got home i could see a little bit of oil coming out of my exhaust. I didn't smoke, but you could smell it. So, naturally, after waiting all that time, i got the shaft. The car failed a leak down compression check, and that was that. I did get to feel the boost after deciding it was time for a rebuild. I did get a little mean to the car after the fact just to help ease the pain. Soooo.... I saved a little bit of money, and purchased SHM's forged rotating assembly (crank, bearings, rings, pistons, rods, ARP main studs, ARP headstuds ect) 8 months later...... my car is together, and on the road once more. after a 900 mile trip from indiana to north carolina, i lost the Vortech idler pulley. After i got that fixed, a small branch fell through the back window of my car. Then, i decide that it's time to get my car tuned. I get into a quick run-in with one of my friend's '03 cobras (victorious :p ). A few hours later, i stop at the stoplight, oil pressure falls off.... Then comes right back up (all reading ares via autometer). Everything seems normal, but i continue to the next light. Coming to a stop the pressure drops again. Shut it off...... and here we are. Oh yeah..... a few months ago. I bought a 2002 Yamaha GP1200 R waverunner. I won't sell that thing, even if it means fixing the cobra. It's the only thing that hasn't upset me yet. So, there's my dilemma. No money, broken car, and a 70mph waverunner to tide me over.

[BadMoFo]

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
Hey Josh. If you called my shop...... Where did they say that i was?? I'm in Washington DC now. I took the day off, and drove out to Washington. My shop doesn't know where I am. I always give them the usual "Okakroke Island" answer. :D :D :D

They just said you had the day off and you were going to be back monday but flying all week. So whats the status of ths stang? Did you talk to Ken?

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by BadMoFo
They just said you had the day off and you were going to be back monday but flying all week. So whats the status of ths stang? Did you talk to Ken?

Sorry it's taken so long to get back on here. I just got back from Charleston SC again. Okay, an update. I called True Blue around 5pm monday. I talked to Dan, btw. He said, to keep prices down, they're asking that I pull the motor. Sooooo.... I'm gonna pull the motor, and then bring it up there. I'm gonna get a lot of work done this weekend since the weather looks bad out right now. They also said that they're gonna dig into this motor (true blue) from the bottom first. Do an inspection on the parts and find out what went wrong, and what we need to do so this doesn't happen again. So that's where i stand. I may turn the first wrench tonight. But, i may wait til tomarrow. I did take a good long look at what kinda task is ahead of me though. And here's what i came up with. So far, it looks like these long tubes are gonna make this difficult. **True Blue suggests removing motors with longtubes from the bottom** So, i'm gonna have to get my car up really high. That could be a show stopper right there. Or, i's thinking maybe i can squeeze my skinny hands up in there and get them disconnected, and bring the motor out throught the top (seems more practical if you ask me) Also, i don't have a cherry picker here, so that may set me back. Also, my work space is a 10' x 20' storage unit, so i'm gonna have my work cut out for me. But, it's definately doable i guess.

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Hey Josh...don't they have a car lift work area on base? I thought this was pretty standard these days? (but then, it is probably only standard on AF bases! ;) )

I sent ya an email, so keep me informed with the progress.
:thumbsup:

[smashedheadcat]

Hey Ken,

Yeah, they do have an Auto Hobby Shop here, but they charge by the hour, and it's hard to get in there for a long term project. Also, when my motor is out, my car would have to sit outside. Which isn't a huge deal to me normally, but i have that back window busted out. (i've got my new one btw)

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
Hey Ken,

Yeah, they do have an Auto Hobby Shop here, but they charge by the hour, and it's hard to get in there for a long term project. Also, when my motor is out, my car would have to sit outside. Which isn't a huge deal to me normally, but i have that back window busted out. (i've got my new one btw)
Ah, I see. I figured you could drop the engine, then trailer your car back to storage. (or put a cover over it) Since they have lifts and supposedly all the tools, it would make the job a bit easier I would think, but it is up to you to do what you need to do.

[smashedheadcat]

Ahh.......... I started tearing out this pig of a motor a few days ago. Thus far, i've managed to figure out the hard way that Long tube headers are definately a PITA to work with/around. But, all is not lost. I've got pretty much everything disconnected and moved outta the way. Starter, A/C, water box, Aftercooler, S/C, and tons of other stuff. It's looking pretty naked under the hood now. I took a few pictures after my first days work. I'll develop them shortly and post a few. One more problem i've ran into is removing the drive shaft. It appears that the bolt on the aft end of it are torque sealed or something. I can't get them off. And that's definately holding me back as of right now. I can't move that transmission or anything. I did on the other hand, remove the H-pipe and fired it up "open header". Pheww!!! talk about loud. ha ha ha ha. I set the idle down so it sounded like it had a big cam in it. ha ha ha. I know i shouldn't have fired it up, but i just had to hear it one final time before i tore into it. Just for the record, everything sounded and looked completely normal. (ie oil pressure etc.)

[smashedheadcat]

Here's a few pics of various things........... I know the pics didn't come out too well......... but they are better than nothing I s'pose.

[smashedheadcat]

Bread and butter.........:D

[smashedheadcat]

Poor pic quality....... but taken after about an hours work...

[smashedheadcat]

Before I started..........

[smashedheadcat]

That's it for now. I'll remember to use my flash next time.... Sorry about that.

[smashedheadcat]

PS.... I'm much farther along now. Just need to unbolt the motor mounts... give the motor a twist, and finish off the headers. Then the trans..... and maybe a few things on the aft end of the engine. If thats everything, then this really isn't too difficult of a project. Motor will be out next weekend guarenteed!!

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Glad to see you're making progress on it Josh! :thumbsup:

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by Ken 01-Cobra
Glad to see you're making progress on it Josh! :thumbsup:

It's coming along quite well. I had to buy a "special" tool to undo the fuel lines. I got a little wet from that, but it was a lesson learned. True Blue recommended dropping the motor out from the bottom, but that really wasn't practical for me. I can't get the car up high enough for that. The only real PINTA is the long tubes, but they aren't "THAT" bad.

[BadMoFo]

you know you could loan me the sc for a while.:D glad to hear you are making progress. So why wouldnt SHM cover the motor? or did I miss that somewhere in the thread.

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by BadMoFo
you know you could loan me the sc for a while.:D glad to hear you are making progress. So why wouldnt SHM cover the motor? or did I miss that somewhere in the thread.

If you really want to borrow it.... you sure can. But i don't think it'd work too well. I'm not sure if the bracket would bolt up right, and also, i'm not sure you'd really want to do that. You may smoke your motor. :D It takes more than boost to make it quick. It needs fuel too. You're more than welcome to try it out if it'd work. :thumbsup:

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by BadMoFo
So why wouldnt SHM cover the motor? or did I miss that somewhere in the thread.

All Sean Hyland Parts.... Didn't buy their billet oil gears, and the motor wasn't completely assembled by them. They require something along the lines of paying them to remove the engine, rebuild it, install it, and dyno it...... then they'll warranty it. This was a matter of bad luck for me. That's all. :( :(

[tcrews]

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
The only real PINTA is the long tubes, but they aren't "THAT" bad.
You should be able to pull the motor with the longtubes installed, JC did that and it's also much easier to reinstall the headers before dropping the engine back in.

Other than that...how's it coming along?

I just dropped to a smaller pulley and now I keep blowing the discharge tube off :o so I'm ordering one of the Paxton aluminum discharge tubes....it's only money you know :(

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by tcrews
You should be able to pull the motor with the longtubes installed, JC did that and it's also much easier to reinstall the headers before dropping the engine back in.

Other than that...how's it coming along?

I just dropped to a smaller pulley and now I keep blowing the discharge tube off :o so I'm ordering one of the Paxton aluminum discharge tubes....it's only money you know :(

Just by looking, it doesn't seem possible to get the motor out (through the top) with the long tubes on. That is, without the trans coming out with it. There really isn't much clearance at all between the trans and a few of the primaries on the LT's. But, if it can be done, then that'll be great. Here's how it's coming. Everything fwd of the motor is removed (radiator, water box, s/c, smog lines, yada yada yada, throttle cable, starter, air conditioner, fuel lines, harnesses yada yada yada... here's what i've got left. A few bolts (trans to eng), motor mounts, and whatever is between the engine and the firewall that i can't see or get to right now. here's my plan. Cherry picker, remove the motor mounts, trans crossmember, (H-pipe is off already, shifter as well) and support the trans with a jack. Hook up the cherry picker, and try to bring the engine forward just a hair. That'll let me get the rest of the transmission bolts off, and whatever is behind the engine as well. Then, i'm gonna see about twisting the engine a tad bit to get the rest of the header bolts out, then take the motor the rest of the way out. Sounds easy when ya type it all out huh? :D If everything goes by the numbers, then this all in all isn't a real tough job. It may be hard remembering exactly how everything goes back together though.... ehh, i'll cross that bridge when i come to it. Sorry for the novel. :D

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Hey Josh...you ARE labeling things as you take them off, right? ;)

BTW...you have mail...send me the info.

[smashedheadcat]

Well, i'm not labeling everything. All the bolts i've removed have gone into sandwich bags, and i've written what they go to. But the harnesses........ nope. No labling. If i can't figure it out, then i'll have one of my buddies bring over his cobra, and i'll use it as reference. The supercharger install part, i can do with my eyes closed. Not really much to it. One of the reasons i haven't labled the harnesses, is cuz the motor will stay in tact. So i don't want whoever's workin on it to have to fumble around with all the markings, tape, and so on. I'll get it together i'm sure.

[smashedheadcat]

I'm kinda wondering if tom is gonna post in here again about the removal of the motor with the longtubes on. If it's possible, it'd be very helpful when it comes time to put the motor back in. Also, i just bought a camera today so i'll be able to get some more pictures of everything going on. I've also got a few great pictures of my cobra over labor day weekend, i just need to get them scanned so i can post 'em.

[smashedheadcat]

Various pics from a few weeks ago:

[smashedheadcat]

Coming into night over Cape Hatteras

[smashedheadcat]

F-18's

[smashedheadcat]

And last but not least:......... People ask me this (mostly family): What's it look like over "there"??? There ya have it. Poor quality, but it's like "that".

[smashedheadcat]

Anyway....... moving along. I called true blue today. i'm gonna get my motor ripped out, covered with plastic or something, load it up and bring it to them. It'll be the first of next week before i'll be able to drop it off though. But they're ready for me to bring it up there, so I guess they are waiting on me. Hopefully, i'll get my car put back together in a shorter time than it's taken me to get it out.

[smashedheadcat]

Ehh....... one more

[tcrews]

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
I'm kinda wondering if tom is gonna post in here again about the removal of the motor with the longtubes on. If it's possible, it'd be very helpful when it comes time to put the motor back in. Also, i just bought a camera today so i'll be able to get some more pictures of everything going on. I've also got a few great pictures of my cobra over labor day weekend, i just need to get them scanned so i can post 'em.

Hahaha....yeah, I'm gonna post again. When JC pulled his I believe he left the tranny installed as well, I think he reinstalled it that way too....attach the tranny, attach the headers and the slip it back in (angled as you enter the engine bay). I'll ask JC for more details..

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Nice pics Josh!

Glad to hear it won't be long before that engine meets True Blue! I'd like to know what True Blue finds the problem to be.

[BadMoFo]

God I miss hanging out the window of my phrog! (ch-46) making the grunts think we are going to crash and shooting everything that moves with ma duece, dropping seals into the sea. man those were the days.

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by tcrews
Hahaha....yeah, I'm gonna post again. When JC pulled his I believe he left the tranny installed as well, I think he reinstalled it that way too....attach the tranny, attach the headers and the slip it back in (angled as you enter the engine bay). I'll ask JC for more details..

Well, I guess I could do that. True Blue said to just bring the motor, and not the trans. Oh well, my tranny is still attached to the motor by 2 bolts (top ones). I'll slide a few more in on the bottom, and i'll slip it out on Saturday. It looks as if it could be done keeping the trans & motor connected. I'll find out first hand on Saturday.

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by Ken 01-Cobra
Nice pics Josh!

Glad to hear it won't be long before that engine meets True Blue! I'd like to know what True Blue finds the problem to be.

A few short days......... A few short days...... :cool: :cool:

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by BadMoFo
God I miss hanging out the window of my phrog! (ch-46)

Ehh, I don't trust the 46's at all. "If it isn't leaking on one of those, that means it's empty"

[i]making the grunts think we are going to crash[/B]

This one is easier for me. Cuz we shut engines down in the air quite often. They always ask me "Why isn't that propeller spinning anymore?? Are we gonna crash??" When that happens, we usually have the Navigator or someone from the front put on a parachute, and run to the back as fast as he can..... the grunts get all riled up and almost sh*t themselves.

[i]and shooting everything that moves with ma duece, dropping seals into the sea. man those were the days. [/B]

I don't get to shoot anything, but I do drop seals into the sea:D

[97Whitesnake]

Those pictures remind me of when I was in tha Army! Only this is what I saw when I was jumping out of the planes. I guess I was one of the "grunts" you were refering to! Only I wish we were that hight when we jumped instead of 800 ft AGL!

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by 97Whitesnake
Those pictures remind me of when I was in tha Army! Only this is what I saw when I was jumping out of the planes. I guess I was one of the "grunts" you were refering to! Only I wish we were that hight when we jumped instead of 800 ft AGL!

At 800ft, that doesn't give ya much time to deploy the chute does it? Did you guys use the static lines?? I've always wanted to jump once or twice, but it'll probably never happen. The whole grunt thing is just our way of livening up our day. Flying gets very boring after awhile ya know. So if we have people that kinda get scared when an engine goes out..... there's just too much temptation to push it to the next level and get some humor out of it. This doesn't work on all grunts, just some. :D :D

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
At 800ft, that doesn't give ya much time to deploy the chute does it? Did you guys use the static lines?? I've always wanted to jump once or twice, but it'll probably never happen. The whole grunt thing is just our way of livening up our day. Flying gets very boring after awhile ya know. So if we have people that kinda get scared when an engine goes out..... there's just too much temptation to push it to the next level and get some humor out of it. This doesn't work on all grunts, just some. :D :D
Heheh...yeah, the ones already scared to death of flying in a machine serviced by 19 and 20 year olds! ;) Times haven't changed much. We used to pull the same tricks...but it only worked on the newbies.

[BadMoFo]

what we do is have the pilot jiggle the aircraft and drop the back a little, we jump up and run to the back and start pumping the handle like we are going to die if we dont do it fast enough(doenst do anything while in flight) well we have the pilot correct. Then he waits and we do the whole thing over again, maybe two more times. Then we do it one more time and we just throw our hands up and doent go to the pump handle and act like we are praying, then you see the funniest sh*t, there is always one grunt who jumps up and starts pumping on the handle, you just start dying laughing.

You are definatly missing out on the shooting part!

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by Ken 01-Cobra
Heheh...yeah, the ones already scared to death of flying in a machine serviced by 19 and 20 year olds! ;) Times haven't changed much. We used to pull the same tricks...but it only worked on the newbies.

Times haven't changed much at all then. It still only works on the newbies, but it's still worth the laugh every time. :thumbsup:

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by BadMoFo
what we do is have the pilot jiggle the aircraft and drop the back a little, we jump up and run to the back and start pumping the handle like we are going to die if we dont do it fast enough(doenst do anything while in flight) well we have the pilot correct. Then he waits and we do the whole thing over again, maybe two more times. Then we do it one more time and we just throw our hands up and doent go to the pump handle and act like we are praying, then you see the funniest sh*t, there is always one grunt who jumps up and starts pumping on the handle, you just start dying laughing.

You are definatly missing out on the shooting part!

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: I can imagine how funny that'd be. That's definately high quality prankster stuff there. :rotf:

I'd like to shoot stuff, but i feel safer in the Herc.

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
Times haven't changed much at all then. It still only works on the newbies, but it's still worth the laugh every time. :thumbsup:
yeah, and it is sort of a rite of passage for the guys that have been there before. They KNOW the newbie is gonna fall for it, but they play along too.

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by Ken 01-Cobra
yeah, and it is sort of a rite of passage for the guys that have been there before. They KNOW the newbie is gonna fall for it, but they play along too.

Little stuff like that just makes everyone's day a little more fun ya know. The new guys probably feel stupid when all's said and done, but it lets them know that even SSGTs and Gunnys aren't always serious. Speaking of which, i think i'm getting promoted DEC 1st:cool:

[smashedheadcat]

**UPDATE**

When i look at my hands..... they are definatley scratched up. A good long hard afternoon of work on the cobra (which drifted way off into the night hours) the engine has finally made it's way outta the car. I've taken some pictures of the removal, and they are all getting developed as I type this. I'll pick them up after work tomarrow, and i'll post'em. I'll prolly start a new thread. Anyway, i've learned a few things from working on this beast. First thing, long tubes are definately "time consuming" but over all not that hard to do. You'll definately have your fair share of scratched up hands though. Second thing is..... there is a ton of things attached to that dang motor. And the final thing is...... it'll definately be a chore to put it back in. But, i'm not by any means a professional mechanic, but just a young guy with a love for cars and a ton of determination. I'd tackle this job again if the situation calls for it, but hopefully it never does. So..... the first part of my battle with this thing is complete. :thumbsup:

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
Little stuff like that just makes everyone's day a little more fun ya know. The new guys probably feel stupid when all's said and done, but it lets them know that even SSGTs and Gunnys aren't always serious. Speaking of which, i think i'm getting promoted DEC 1st:cool:
Hey, I know about thinking you're getting promoted. I had 28 months time in grade as an E-3. (maybe I shouldn't have made so much fun of military intelligence...;) ) So I will wait until you get it to congratulate you, but good luck!

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
**UPDATE**

When i look at my hands..... they are definatley scratched up. A good long hard afternoon of work on the cobra (which drifted way off into the night hours) the engine has finally made it's way outta the car. I've taken some pictures of the removal, and they are all getting developed as I type this. I'll pick them up after work tomarrow, and i'll post'em. I'll prolly start a new thread. Anyway, i've learned a few things from working on this beast. First thing, long tubes are definately "time consuming" but over all not that hard to do. You'll definately have your fair share of scratched up hands though. Second thing is..... there is a ton of things attached to that dang motor. And the final thing is...... it'll definately be a chore to put it back in. But, i'm not by any means a professional mechanic, but just a young guy with a love for cars and a ton of determination. I'd tackle this job again if the situation calls for it, but hopefully it never does. So..... the first part of my battle with this thing is complete. :thumbsup:
Cool man! So is it off to see the wizards this week?

[BadMoFo]

was wondering where you were sat, now I know. sounds like you were busy. glad to here things are coming along, hopefully you will have her done by the next cruise time.

[smashedheadcat]

I'll try to answer everything on this one post......... here goes. Turns out that i just got promoted today. so a sgt i am!! so sweet!!;) Josh.... sorry about saturday, it was totally dedicated to the car. i honestly forgot all about the cruise in. i'd a went if i'd remembered. i'll go to the next one for sure. So the motor's out, and i honestly won't get the motor up to true blue til next week i'm affraid. unless i can scam outta work and find someone with a truck that'll bring me up there. i've got a few friends with trucks, but we work in the same shop so it's tough for the both of us to take the same day off of work. :( but, it'll get up there very soon. This weekend is being claimed by my wonderful girlfriend. i'm going to the marine corps ball in dc with her. :D

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Congratulations Sergeant Josh! Way to go man!

Ar-oh...girlfriend? Do you know how EXPENSIVE those are? ;) They make cars look absolutely tame by comparison! :rotf:

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by Ken 01-Cobra
Congratulations Sergeant Josh! Way to go man!

Ar-oh...girlfriend? Do you know how EXPENSIVE those are? ;) They make cars look absolutely tame by comparison! :rotf:

Thanks for the congrats. I'm pretty proud. The girlfriend is definately worth the $$. But however, she's pretty much self dependant. She's a corvette girl, cuz daddy made her that way. But he did say my cobra earned a spot in his driveway, so that's cool. My girlfriend hates mustangs, but i never let her see the car until Labor day. She says she'll make an exception for mine because of it's incredible beauty and speed. ha ha ha. She shows support in my love of cars, and also said if we get married, then she won't make me get a minivan. So that in my book, is a keeper. Also, she's 5ft 3 and weighs 107lbs. can't go wrong there either. :D:D:D

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Dang boy...just look at what you just typed! AHEM, some day when we're at the same event or something, I'll have the chat with you just to be SURE you know what you're getting into! ;)

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by Ken 01-Cobra
Dang boy...just look at what you just typed! AHEM, some day when we're at the same event or something, I'll have the chat with you just to be SURE you know what you're getting into! ;)

:rotf: :rotf: I'd honestly give everything i've ever owned to keep this girl in my life. But, she has zero problems with me and my love for cars. She loves going to the drag strip, and ya just can't beat that.

[smashedheadcat]

**UPDATE**

The motor is in the wizard's hands as of Thursday afternoon. They said they'll keep me informed on the progress. I'll definately relay everything I hear and post it as it comes in.

[Ken 01-Cobra]

As long as you're THAT sure...no need for the talk. ;)

And you're right...any girl that likes to go to the track ain't all bad.

[Ken 01-Cobra]

Originally posted by smashedheadcat
**UPDATE**

The motor is in the wizard's hands as of Thursday afternoon. They said they'll keep me informed on the progress. I'll definately relay everything I hear and post it as it comes in.
Cool! Hopefully they will have some GOOD news for a change. ;)

[smashedheadcat]

Originally posted by Ken 01-Cobra
Cool! Hopefully they will have some GOOD news for a change. ;)

I have a good feeling about it. My luck has to change sometime. I just hope it's soon. They noticed that i broke a fuel line. Ya know, where it goes onto the fuel rail. I cracked it as i's tryin to get it off. I don't think it's too big of a deal though. It's only like a 10 inch section of line. So i'll get that replaced. They also recommended a steel belt tensioner as they have been having problems with throwing belts under load on supercharged cars. I seem to be following in those foot steps as well.