Cobra Head Swap?
#1
01-30-2006, 07:45 PM
Cobra Head Swap?
How much work would be involved in doing a 2v to 4v Cobra head swap? Would it be as simple as switching the heads? Or is there a lot more to it, like needing a new intake manifold, fuel injectors/rails, etc.? Also, how does the timing chain hook up on 4v heads?
#2
01-31-2006, 07:09 AM
your definately going to need a new intake manifold to match up with the heads. Along with a new timing set to drive all 4 cams. That will prolly require a new timing cover and tensioner to go along with it. I don't think its worth it to go to 4v, just spend the money on boost.
#3
01-31-2006, 08:30 AM
#4
01-31-2006, 07:14 PM
OK, I priced it out:
2 DOHC Cobra Heads - $599.95
1 New Gasket Kit - $129.95
1 Upper to Lower Intake Gasket - $14.95
1 4v Timing Cover - $99.95
1 Cobra Upper Intake - $349.95
1 UPR Power Tube CAI - $169.99
And I can't find anywhere that sells cobra lower intakes. But without that, the total is $1364.74. Do you think it's worth it?
2 DOHC Cobra Heads - $599.95
1 New Gasket Kit - $129.95
1 Upper to Lower Intake Gasket - $14.95
1 4v Timing Cover - $99.95
1 Cobra Upper Intake - $349.95
1 UPR Power Tube CAI - $169.99
And I can't find anywhere that sells cobra lower intakes. But without that, the total is $1364.74. Do you think it's worth it?
#8
01-31-2006, 10:25 PM
Easy, steal a Cobra, drive it home, get the tools needed to get the heads out, pull heads, seal cobra back up, call tow truck, dump non working car back at place it was stolen at.
$600 tops.
$600 tops.
#10
02-01-2006, 04:23 AM
Originally Posted by spike_africa
How do you figure 600bucks for two 4v heads?
#11
02-01-2006, 05:03 AM
your missing alot more. coolant system & exhaust just for starters, how about plug wires, EEC & harness, fuel injectors and harness, timing chains and guides, cam covers. I could go on & on......
#12
02-01-2006, 03:12 PM
Originally Posted by Randy Stinchcomb
your missing alot more. coolant system & exhaust just for starters, how about plug wires, EEC & harness, fuel injectors and harness, timing chains and guides, cam covers. I could go on & on......
#14
02-01-2006, 09:05 PM
Originally Posted by whitethunder46
I was going to say you would need new headers as well, am I correct here?
#15
02-17-2006, 12:55 PM
Hey budy.
Well I did the same thing. I have an 01 GT vert auto. Bought some 01 Cobra heads off e-bay for about that price. Originally thought it would be an easy swap - Don't do it. Get a blower! Spend the extra cash and get your HP up in the high 300's. The cobra heads and associated swap won't even come close. You need uppper/lower cobra manifold and intake - sometimes you can find these on e-bay with all the hook ups -fuel rain and injectors. Got mine from e-bay brand new. You will need the get the stock exhause manifolds but that's its. Everything else on the exhause bolts right up.
Basically the crapy part is all the little stuff you will need. THe engin wiring harness is the biggest problem! YOu can pay a ton of money form the dealer or just get some pig tails and splice them in. You will need new ignition coils because the stock GTs don't fit. You will need to lengthen your existing GT harness to fit the new coils and then install the pig tails for the injectors because the GTs are too different - although for a while I had them pushed on so I could get the motor running. You will need a cobra alternator, and (not sure what it is called) but manifold cooling tube. You will need to get the cobra thermostadt housing and thermostade because you now have extra openins you have to attached to the cooling system. Don't forget the Cobra heads have a cooling tube attached to them that needs to go to the heater. Forgot those and had to plug the holes and rerout the heater hose. You WILL need a dyno tune - because it will run like crap. Went to Shawn at SoCal and he fixed the idle and top end and have an appoitment on MOnday to try to fix the off idle to 2000 range - really crappy in that range. However it is all mechanically good and screams at top end - will smoke stock GTs and 05 GTs (stock).
Too many other things to go on here - if you have some questions shoot me an e-mail at jfawcett2@***.net and I can tell you more of what you need to do if you serisouly want to do this. I did it because my stock crapy heads kept blowing the spark plug and the dealer wanted 3K just to replace on head. So far the whole expense has costed me about 2500 to 3K. Maybe a little less. So for that money, and if you stock heads are in good conditions, buy a blower! Again if you want to do this you might want to e-mail me because there are a LOT of small things to make sure you check! I'm done expect for the last (hopefully) dyno tune to get everything running good.
Well I did the same thing. I have an 01 GT vert auto. Bought some 01 Cobra heads off e-bay for about that price. Originally thought it would be an easy swap - Don't do it. Get a blower! Spend the extra cash and get your HP up in the high 300's. The cobra heads and associated swap won't even come close. You need uppper/lower cobra manifold and intake - sometimes you can find these on e-bay with all the hook ups -fuel rain and injectors. Got mine from e-bay brand new. You will need the get the stock exhause manifolds but that's its. Everything else on the exhause bolts right up.
Basically the crapy part is all the little stuff you will need. THe engin wiring harness is the biggest problem! YOu can pay a ton of money form the dealer or just get some pig tails and splice them in. You will need new ignition coils because the stock GTs don't fit. You will need to lengthen your existing GT harness to fit the new coils and then install the pig tails for the injectors because the GTs are too different - although for a while I had them pushed on so I could get the motor running. You will need a cobra alternator, and (not sure what it is called) but manifold cooling tube. You will need to get the cobra thermostadt housing and thermostade because you now have extra openins you have to attached to the cooling system. Don't forget the Cobra heads have a cooling tube attached to them that needs to go to the heater. Forgot those and had to plug the holes and rerout the heater hose. You WILL need a dyno tune - because it will run like crap. Went to Shawn at SoCal and he fixed the idle and top end and have an appoitment on MOnday to try to fix the off idle to 2000 range - really crappy in that range. However it is all mechanically good and screams at top end - will smoke stock GTs and 05 GTs (stock).
Too many other things to go on here - if you have some questions shoot me an e-mail at jfawcett2@***.net and I can tell you more of what you need to do if you serisouly want to do this. I did it because my stock crapy heads kept blowing the spark plug and the dealer wanted 3K just to replace on head. So far the whole expense has costed me about 2500 to 3K. Maybe a little less. So for that money, and if you stock heads are in good conditions, buy a blower! Again if you want to do this you might want to e-mail me because there are a LOT of small things to make sure you check! I'm done expect for the last (hopefully) dyno tune to get everything running good.
#16
02-17-2006, 01:17 PM
Originally Posted by 01GTtoCobra
Hey budy.
Well I did the same thing. I have an 01 GT vert auto. Bought some 01 Cobra heads off e-bay for about that price. Originally thought it would be an easy swap - Don't do it. Get a blower! Spend the extra cash and get your HP up in the high 300's. The cobra heads and associated swap won't even come close. You need uppper/lower cobra manifold and intake - sometimes you can find these on e-bay with all the hook ups -fuel rain and injectors. Got mine from e-bay brand new. You will need the get the stock exhause manifolds but that's its. Everything else on the exhause bolts right up.
Basically the crapy part is all the little stuff you will need. THe engin wiring harness is the biggest problem! YOu can pay a ton of money form the dealer or just get some pig tails and splice them in. You will need new ignition coils because the stock GTs don't fit. You will need to lengthen your existing GT harness to fit the new coils and then install the pig tails for the injectors because the GTs are too different - although for a while I had them pushed on so I could get the motor running. You will need a cobra alternator, and (not sure what it is called) but manifold cooling tube. You will need to get the cobra thermostadt housing and thermostade because you now have extra openins you have to attached to the cooling system. Don't forget the Cobra heads have a cooling tube attached to them that needs to go to the heater. Forgot those and had to plug the holes and rerout the heater hose. You WILL need a dyno tune - because it will run like crap. Went to Shawn at SoCal and he fixed the idle and top end and have an appoitment on MOnday to try to fix the off idle to 2000 range - really crappy in that range. However it is all mechanically good and screams at top end - will smoke stock GTs and 05 GTs (stock).
Too many other things to go on here - if you have some questions shoot me an e-mail at jfawcett2@***.net and I can tell you more of what you need to do if you serisouly want to do this. I did it because my stock crapy heads kept blowing the spark plug and the dealer wanted 3K just to replace on head. So far the whole expense has costed me about 2500 to 3K. Maybe a little less. So for that money, and if you stock heads are in good conditions, buy a blower! Again if you want to do this you might want to e-mail me because there are a LOT of small things to make sure you check! I'm done expect for the last (hopefully) dyno tune to get everything running good.
Well I did the same thing. I have an 01 GT vert auto. Bought some 01 Cobra heads off e-bay for about that price. Originally thought it would be an easy swap - Don't do it. Get a blower! Spend the extra cash and get your HP up in the high 300's. The cobra heads and associated swap won't even come close. You need uppper/lower cobra manifold and intake - sometimes you can find these on e-bay with all the hook ups -fuel rain and injectors. Got mine from e-bay brand new. You will need the get the stock exhause manifolds but that's its. Everything else on the exhause bolts right up.
Basically the crapy part is all the little stuff you will need. THe engin wiring harness is the biggest problem! YOu can pay a ton of money form the dealer or just get some pig tails and splice them in. You will need new ignition coils because the stock GTs don't fit. You will need to lengthen your existing GT harness to fit the new coils and then install the pig tails for the injectors because the GTs are too different - although for a while I had them pushed on so I could get the motor running. You will need a cobra alternator, and (not sure what it is called) but manifold cooling tube. You will need to get the cobra thermostadt housing and thermostade because you now have extra openins you have to attached to the cooling system. Don't forget the Cobra heads have a cooling tube attached to them that needs to go to the heater. Forgot those and had to plug the holes and rerout the heater hose. You WILL need a dyno tune - because it will run like crap. Went to Shawn at SoCal and he fixed the idle and top end and have an appoitment on MOnday to try to fix the off idle to 2000 range - really crappy in that range. However it is all mechanically good and screams at top end - will smoke stock GTs and 05 GTs (stock).
Too many other things to go on here - if you have some questions shoot me an e-mail at jfawcett2@***.net and I can tell you more of what you need to do if you serisouly want to do this. I did it because my stock crapy heads kept blowing the spark plug and the dealer wanted 3K just to replace on head. So far the whole expense has costed me about 2500 to 3K. Maybe a little less. So for that money, and if you stock heads are in good conditions, buy a blower! Again if you want to do this you might want to e-mail me because there are a LOT of small things to make sure you check! I'm done expect for the last (hopefully) dyno tune to get everything running good.
#17
05-03-2006, 05:30 PM
Dohc Swap
Hey, Im Kenny and this is my first post on this forum! Im currently planning to do this swap.... So far Ive spent 1200 dollars even this is what Ive been able to buy..
600 shipped for a used set of 2001 Cobra heads, Valve Covers, and exhaust Manifolds..
http://www.modularfords.com/forums/m...led-49184.html
600 shipped for Brand New 2004 upper and lower intake manifolds, TB, fuel rail, injectors, sensors, Timing Cover with pullies!
http://www.corral.net/forums/showthread.php?t=788913
Ive already done a V6 to GT Swap into my 99 Mustang... DOHC head swap is the next thing in line! I was gonna buy a set of ported heads and a bullit intake manifold, but when I looked at the Price to HP gained after that I think Im comming out on top with the DOHC Swap!!!
I dont want this thread to go to waste so Im officially Hijacking it
600 shipped for a used set of 2001 Cobra heads, Valve Covers, and exhaust Manifolds..
http://www.modularfords.com/forums/m...led-49184.html
600 shipped for Brand New 2004 upper and lower intake manifolds, TB, fuel rail, injectors, sensors, Timing Cover with pullies!
http://www.corral.net/forums/showthread.php?t=788913
Ive already done a V6 to GT Swap into my 99 Mustang... DOHC head swap is the next thing in line! I was gonna buy a set of ported heads and a bullit intake manifold, but when I looked at the Price to HP gained after that I think Im comming out on top with the DOHC Swap!!!
I dont want this thread to go to waste so Im officially Hijacking it
#18
05-04-2006, 01:01 PM
Originally Posted by CCM
Thanks for all that info man, but you're right. I decided not to do it just because it's waaaay too much money. Hell, for 2-3K I could swap a 5.4L in there with money to spare!
DOHC swaps have much higher potential in any given displacement but the PITA factor is the deal killer for many. Dropping in a 5.4 2V is relatively easy for GT owners and the results are killer to say the least. neck snapping torque comes in at such a low RPM it's bound to be really shocking the first few times you stomp on it.
Thread relinquished to the 4v swappers.
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