Turns out this cheap cobra just got a lot more expensive. Hate it when that happens! The cobra motor is hurt, so time to tear it out and figure out what happened! Instagram: chris_sullyvan www.instagram.... Boroscope: amzn.to/40rWtyo
Poor cobra looks like it was rode hard and put away wet!! I know Chris you will bring it back to its former glory! Definitely needs some love! Bummer man but it will be like new when you are done!
Man I've been watching back so many of your videos for the last 5 days, so much of a great content, so many great cars, your work ethics its on a different level 👌 thanks
Looks like a wild rides 8.8 brace system with torque box reinforcements. Clutch looks like a SPEC unit. Shes got some parts on her but shes def been driven in anger a lot.
It’s bad ass how many projects you take on at once. Been watching the channel ever since the cheapest cts v and the amount of vehicles you’ve had on the channel since then is crazy.much respect💯
I had a feeling from the first video that this thing was going to be a bigger project than expected. Don't be surprised when this car costs you two or three times what you estimated (just throw your wallet at it). New Sub here to get updates on the tear down and build up of this car. Good luck, sir.
Hey man!! Sorry to hear about the engine issues. I have done a ton of 79-04 engine swaps and with the hoist you have in your shop you can get the engine and transmission out in 4-5 hours from dropping it threw the bottom. And just bolt the k member back in after you take rhe engine out and you can roll the vehicle around. You will love unbolting those headers off the engine while sitting on the floor instead of in the car. Good luck with your build
Just a suggestion. Drop the subframe, engine and trans together. Seperate them, out the engine in a stand Put the subframe back in. From experience, it's a lot easier (In my experience) to go out through the bottom
Idk if you noticed and if it’s a big deal, but was that a crack next to the clutch cable? It was down left of video when you were looking at the clutch.
Probably never got a head cooling mod. Drivers side head doesn’t get much coolant flow from factory which leads to high temps normally resulting in head tick/valve issues but can also fry rings after years of abuse which this car clearly had. Get the heads decked valves done do the rings and the head cooling mod. And if you’re on a budget I recommend 98-99 cobra cams they have more lift intake and exhaust duration so will make more power with more boost. Do all new gaskets and studs and a billet oil pump gears and you’re set. Take it out of the bottom by the way. Or else you are in for a nightmare.
Great video. Passenger side is bank 1 on that engine, so it’s cylinder 2 that’s bad. As for the clutch fork, it’s missing the dampener on it (likely for clearance help) and the pivot ball stud seems to be worn really bad which is why it’s so wobbly. I’d check out this video on setting its length when it’s time, and if it’s a magnum some clearance work on the case or the fork would be typical. Set Pivot ball stud length & throwout bearing gap Ford Mustang Mechanical Cable 2003-2004 SVT Cobra ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IceR-zPpvns.html
Also, I just moved back to PA from NH. Figures I’d find you channel after the fact. It was lonely up there by myself, would’ve been nice to have a fellow mechanically inclined friend. And I do agree, it is nice and peaceful there with all the space, even though PA is still country, it feels like a big city now. Still not as bad as when I lived in Scottsdale AZ. That’s crazy busy.
1:13 had my sub at paint correction ok you know what you doing gotta get the truck done. I can do it 5 star rated on Google. I love my 02 f250 7.3 godzilla 😂
Before you tear into it take that valve cover off and make sure the cam follower didn’t pop off. Had that happen to me. Great vid so far. Nevermind. Finished the video now and yep she’s broke. I’m about to start putting out new videos on my 4v build if you wanna follow along. Going to a 5.1 stroker then continue the eBay TT saga 😂.
Try a wet compression test. You said you looked at that car a couple years ago, if it’s been sitting for a while the rings may be a little stuck. A wet compression test will let you know if it’s rings or a hole in the piston/valve train issue.
What you have going for you is you have a forged crank you have manly rods which you can just simply upgrade the bolts to arp 2000 and grab a higher compression pistons and a good ring pack Very budget-friendly Cobra rebuild
Looking forward to the teardown and progress. The perks in parts surely help. Your content is real and not drama inflated and a key reason most probably keep coming back! Thanks Chris
Hey man, I just found your channel through the first terminator video and have been going through your older videos by car in series rather than watching in order - nice work! I love the garage layout, 3 bays plus a lift bay! That’s goals! Anyway, what lift do you use? Is it the low height Max Jax painted purple? My garage is not tall enough for a standard height two post but the shorter version to not be laying on my back working on my cars would be amazing!
Recommending stainless steel long tube headers. My non stainless rotted out from the inside out. I always go stainless with exhaust now. Have fun with the car!
I agree with previous comment...likely a SPEC clutch. Bell is cracked. Also, NOT a factory rear end. 03/04 Cobra's came with an IRS. That is NOT a factory IRS. Appears to be a welded Explorer or Mustang 8.8 rear-end with modified (Skinny Kid racecars or similar) torque boxes. Solid upper control arm bushings. Great control arms (upper and lowers). Aftermarket aluminum driveshaft. Rear looks beefy though (welds are pretty terrible) and the subframe looks slightly bent. Check for rear-end gears (3.90s were popular). Front springs are factory. Clutch cable is a non-adjustable OEM replacement. Upper pulley and billetflow idler pulley on the blower. Stock Cobra throttle body, unmodded EGR tree. Oil spooge on the piston tops could also mean a leaky blower seal. Check to make sure there is no oil on the blower rotors. Coming from the Cobra world, this car sadly has some issues.
I enjoy this channel/content far more than almost all other car channels on the tube. Albeit far from perfect (due to piss poor sports teams & fords) but this is definitely my go to for sports/muscle car content! Keep it up Chris, you da Man! Oh just a suggestion, get a quality camera (not a GoPro/iPhone) for future content. It makes a big difference, IMO. Aloha! 🤙🏽
I have to find someone with a lift so I can do an MGW shifter.. I need and New shifter.. I don't even care, I'll buy it and pay a shop, I just need to find someone in South Jersey who works on S550's.. I have a 2017 with only 9,500 Miles on her still.. Weekend car but the stock shifter linkage is so sloppy.. I can't do it anymore.. I need a better shifter The MT82 isn't bad at all it's the stock shifter... We have a guy who did a coyote swap in a Fox Body in Galloway NJ, But I wouldn't even know how to get ahold of him?? But if anyone know's of any body in South Jersey building these let me know???
Why does Everyone think that a long video equals too no views. Lets face it people long videos equal more information. Isn't that why we watch TOO GET INFORMATION!! Well thats why i watch!!
Level headed and mature approach to a surprise, if expect nothing less. Looking forward to the upcoming content, sorry that it's more than you expected!
I had a beautiful black 2003 Cobra. Added a Whipple with all the supporting mods, and swapped out all the rear IRS bushings with Full Tilt Boogie Racing Delrin bushings. I owned it for 8 years, garage kept, and only had 22,000 miles on it when I sold it. The moron I sold it to swapped the IRS with a friend's 8.8" solid axle out of a GT. He then completely ruined the car by treating it like hell. I truly hope someone saves it someday like what your doing.
Fellas he will get this Terminator Cobra SVT right 💯 . I have a 2001 Cobra SVT , and still having fun with my build since I own my vert for the last 10yrs I am doing a video on my RU-vid channel so lets 🙏🏾 for BLUE 💯🔥🔥
Welcome to hell. Ive been building and drag racing a 94 cobra for going on 5 years. To be fair its a weaker transmission and different motor with a lack of supercharger. But same chassis. Ive snapped axle studs. Ripped torque boxes. Blown up a trans. Roasted a clutch. Blown 4 u joints. Killed 3 clutch cables. 2 throwout bearings. Spun a harmonic balancer blown a headgasket. Wrecked it. Had it hit in a parking lot. But i run a sub 12 in the quarter with less than fbo and under 300 wheel. And my best 0-60 was 2.5 seconds. Leave the line hard as f but taper off fast due to making no horsepower
Looks like the left torque box has a cracked weld also. I noticed it at 7:14 of the video. Define fixable but something to address for sure. Your right those they are notorious for ripping out. I reinforced mine in my foxbody wasn’t to bad of a job. But I still like the project ivy always likes the 03-04 terminator cobras. Ill be looking forward to following the build. 🚙💨
Dude I randomly came across your channel when looking up mustang shit. First video I watched was you picking up this stang from my state. No not all of Jersey is like what you experienced getting it lol. I'm hooked and subbed. Love that body style mustang and the color is bad ass.........same as my 03 f250 v10. Can't wait to see where this build goes.
I’m only 6 minutes in so maybe it gets noticed later in the video, but is that a crack in the bottom of the bellhousing? Just below and forward of the clutch fork.
pretty nice rear diff/suspension setup. I believe BMR? makes those torque box reinforcement arms you see. The extra bracing on the diff is definitely not factory. That 8.8 is probably for a GT, just all been built for straight line performance. Not so much handling.
Sorry for your pocketbook but I’m looking forward to the project! Dealt with my crank pulley 2 years ago, not sure how but the “forged” hex bit broke off inside the pulley. Ended up taking a brass punch and just kept hitting the ears of the pulley and it finally popped loose. I’ve seen a few flywheel tools to help keep the flywheel in place when the engines out.
I noticed your tee shirt from Suck Bang Blow Murrells Inlet SC. We go down every spring for Harley week and camp at Lakewood Campground. Even though I don’t have a Harley as of yet but maybe a three wheeler Harley down the road. We love going down and checking out all the Harley’s. Love your content bummer about the Mustang’s engine but look forward to seeing you work your magic.
Someone put some whacky tires on that Cobra. I love sonic blue, i had a mineral gray 03, and a black 03, love them, miss having one, divorce, kids, ill live my Terminator fantasies through u sir. (Some Cobras beneath the back bumper has a sticker "Terminator" the name Ford was going to go with during early production, kinda neat to us Cobra geeks).
That’s how most these poor things end up. That’s cylinder #7 but I’m sure you know that by now and that’s just a well welded and braced 8.8. Typical mods to keep the ends from bending/twisting.
Never seemed to idle smooth. I heard the miss the first time you fired it up. I told my son who was watching with me "That thing has a miss". I guarantee he knew and just wanted to wash his hands of the car because of it. But like you said, it has enough extras to justify the price so you did good. Can't wait to see the tear down!
Remove trans. Unbolt struts and K member. Lift car up. Take engine off k member then drop car back on k member/struts to roll around. I put k member on jack stands so it wouldn't move. Easy peasy.
Sitting here wringing my fingers with small beads of sweat building on my forehead 😬from the fan to the B & M cover, this Pony has been beat to $hit. Looking forward to the build but I’m hiding my wallet!!
Instead of using your hand to check for TDC couldn’t you just put a long screwdriver or prybar and rotate the crank pulley. I may be wrong I’m just asking?
What does it mean when a transmission is faceplated. Btw, that crack on the bellhousing is an easy fix for someone with ok welding experience. My buddy drives around his cobra with a welded bellhousing with no issue. Almost in the same spot too. A shop charged him $50 to weld it. Funny thing is, he had it listed for sale for $150 on FB and no one would take cause of the crack. He ended up getting it repaired, installed a magnum t56, he sold the bellhousing he had on the cobra that was in perfect condition for $500 and installed the repaired bellhousing. Sometimes things work out for the better.
I also dont mind the long videos, watching you wrench on cool cars is better than any junk Netflix has to offer. Such a variety and you dont skip over the real stuff and only show the bling. Its good to see the down and dirty of project cars because thats what its all about. Keep up the awsome content that motivates us to get off our asses and work on our own junk..lol
Easy way to break that pulley loose! Put the breaker bar toward the floor and jack it up with a floor jack. As soon as the weight of the car is against the bar, it WILL break loose. Had to do this on my 2004 Lightning.
Regarding clutch cables, ford racing oem are typically the best for any new edge. I had a BBK clutch cable once and I couldn’t even put the car in gear. Bought a new ford cable and it has been perfect ever since.
Bro you should be hanging with Cletus McFarland Derek from vise grip garage all those other RU-vidrs you'd fit right in man !!! Your channel is on there level if not toe Better !!! Let's go
No sir. That should be an IRS rear. That is likely a built rear. Lots of aftermarket rear parts, the IRS is one thing that made the cobra handle so great. With the T56 6 speed, my guess is 3:73 gears, may be 4:10s since it has a higher final drive trans (unless thats changed)
Your a smart guy Chris! I'm tuned in with you on this build for sure. I'd love for you to coyote swap my 03 mustang gt. Ty for posting! God bless you brother
omg its to hard to pull and rebuild a engine with out bitching about if that's the case why buy it in the first place? i've pulled dodge 100 engines ford mustang ford Galaxy engines people bought them and rebuilt them for project cars i use to work at Edison's junk yard in Columbus
The rear end is 100% not stock. stock cobras have IRS with half shafts not solid rear axel. I'm assuming its either a kit made for the cobra or a kit made for a 99-04 gt that has been retro fit so they could get solid axel under it. either way it looks beefy and will definitely put the power down from a dig.
That whole rear end suspension was aftermarket. 03-04 cobras had independent rear suspension from the factory but some guys converted to solid rear axles for pure drag racing.
These cars as iconic and epic as they were in my street racing prime when they were new... they are pretty complex and info is pretty scarce, when I cammed mine myself. There is not 1 guide, youtube vid on how to do it... or set up the chains... I was lucky to come across some ford diagrams for bolt relocation guides. Have fun with that lower pulley!!!!! Lol... as much of a nightmare as it was "seemingly" the end rest is epic... a cammed black kenne cobra gets compliments anywhere you go... even from chevy guys say they have never heard a mustamg sound so damn mean/good... My advice its looking like your in a deep tear down state.... make a plan what you honestly want it to be in the end.... then save save save..... and stash parts... do it all in one hard blow!!! These are not lsx weekend throw a new mod teardown/rebuild freindly... if they were they would be swapped in everything over the lsx!!
Alternator on its way out causing the car to go lean and melt a piston? My terminator had that happen and ended up getting an aluminator before I bought it. Sucks either way man, but stoked to see what you end up doing with the car!
Hahahaha when you got that car I called it BLUE and that exactly what you said hahahaha good name.... Keep on with the long video love those give me a lot of knowledge on cars bcuz I love working on cars myself
