welp, it finally happened

[Poisoned Pony]

I've been nursing a bad rod bearing since mid-November and today it gave it's final notice. I pulled off the freeway coming home from class and noticed the rattling was ALOT worse than before. She stalled out a couple of times trying to get her home, but I eventually made it.

I was able to limp it to the garage without making the block air-cooled

Last pic of the stock motor. I'll start tearing her down this weekend, getting it ready to be pulled. Some of the parts on the top end side will make it to the new motor

My "workshop" lol. Story behind the block: fresh, stock rebuild that has a bad wristpin. Mileage with the wristpin is unknown, so off to the machine the block will go to be inspected.

Close up of the block. I removed the oil pan, pump and pick-up today along with #8 piston. The rest of the internals and the crank will be pulled tomorrow. Behind you can see the Romeo PI heads I got for free. They'll receive a port and polish job. The Ford Racing box is my high flow oil pump. The collection of boxes behind it is all the gaskets and bearings for the new motor.

I'm borrowing my pop's Ranger to get to school and work while the wifey is away doing the Army thing. She'll be back in May, but I hope to have this done by end of March.

now that the rebuild is in hyper-drive, my plan has been set:
- Romeo block based, .020 over
- forged Cobra crank out of a '96
- MMR rods
- Probe pistons, shooting for 9.55:1 compression

Cams are up in the air right now, definitely an upgrade from the VT Stage 1's are in order. I'm hoping to have the block at the machine shop in a couple of weeks

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

Oh snap man! Are you having MMR do the boring? Let me know and I'm sure i can get you a deal, they did that for me last week and are balancing my internals now. Plus they have a forum (sorta like this) where you get a $1 per post.
You shoulda told me you need a crank - i got teh hookups. If you need one let me know, i just direct you to the right people who have em, $170-210 usually.
Try to use manley rods if you can find them for around the same price. I actually have a set out of a 03 cobra with 11.6k miles, but they are used. If i find a new set i can pm ya.
Probe's aren't bad, but why 9.55:1 compression if i may ask.
Also i'd say go higher than VT stag 1's i know you can get it to pass smog with my stock h-pipe - or if you find some stage II blower cams, I'll trade you mine - lol.

 

[Poisoned Pony]

Oh snap man! Are you having MMR do the boring? Let me know and I'm sure i can get you a deal, they did that for me last week and are balancing my internals now. Plus they have a forum (sorta like this) where you get a $1 per post.
You shoulda told me you need a crank - i got teh hookups. If you need one let me know, i just direct you to the right people who have em, $170-210 usually.
Try to use manley rods if you can find them for around the same price. I actually have a set out of a 03 cobra with 11.6k miles, but they are used. If i find a new set i can pm ya.
Probe's aren't bad, but why 9.55:1 compression if i may ask.
Also i'd say go higher than VT stag 1's i know you can get it to pass smog with my stock h-pipe - or if you find some stage II blower cams, I'll trade you mine - lol.

I wish I was close to MMR to have them doing the boring. Going with a local shop that has alot of modular experience. I'll have them check out the block and balance the internals and clean up the crank. I just picked up a '96 uniit for $150, so I'm set there.
I'm trying to hunt down a set of Manleys, but the MMR's don't seem too bad, plus they're a good deal and brand new. LMK on those that you have.
9.55:1 is for the sake of my ability to switch minds on what power adder I want lol 1 dy I'm staying the nitrous route, next I'm blower. I may just bump it and go with nitrous and compression just to be different from the crowd.
The cams will be atleast a Stage 2. I have the VT Stage 1's and I want change. I'm not too worried about smog. If I stay in Cali, I have a hook-up, but the next time the car is registered, it'll probably be in Utah or Montana.

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

I wish I was close to MMR to have them doing the boring. Going with a local shop that has alot of modular experience. I'll have them check out the block and balance the internals and clean up the crank. I just picked up a '96 uniit for $150, so I'm set there.
I'm trying to hunt down a set of Manleys, but the MMR's don't seem too bad, plus they're a good deal and brand new. LMK on those that you have.
9.55:1 is for the sake of my ability to switch minds on what power adder I want lol 1 dy I'm staying the nitrous route, next I'm blower. I may just bump it and go with nitrous and compression just to be different from the crowd.
The cams will be atleast a Stage 2. I have the VT Stage 1's and I want change. I'm not too worried about smog. If I stay in Cali, I have a hook-up, but the next time the car is registered, it'll probably be in Utah or Montana.

Oh, i thought you WANTED VT stage 1's i misread.
Yeah, i have a full set of 03 cobra Manley's in the classifieds, but i'll look for some new ones for you - that's what i did: stumbled upon a set of new manleys for DIRT cheap. I'd rather take someone else's money and make a good profit on my manleys since i'd feel bad doing so with you. I think staying nitrous would be a great idea, and you could stay with N/A cams. Although piston selection would be rather important as nitrous beats up pistons, maybe MMR rods and a more expensive piston would be in order. I'll pm you about some inside info on that.
Glad you got a crank cheap, that or a lil less is about what i've been paying for em.
I'm excited, keep us updated - I just did all this. Oh, and subzero on corral.net is selling a set of rod bearings that you'll need for cheap - i pm'd him about them a long time ago and he never got back to me but now has em up again

 

[Poisoned Pony]

Oh, i thought you WANTED VT stage 1's i misread.
Yeah, i have a full set of 03 cobra Manley's in the classifieds, but i'll look for some new ones for you - that's what i did: stumbled upon a set of new manleys for DIRT cheap. I'd rather take someone else's money and make a good profit on my manleys since i'd feel bad doing so with you. I think staying nitrous would be a great idea, and you could stay with N/A cams. Although piston selection would be rather important as nitrous beats up pistons, maybe MMR rods and a more expensive piston would be in order. I'll pm you about some inside info on that.
Glad you got a crank cheap, that or a lil less is about what i've been paying for em.
I'm excited, keep us updated - I just did all this. Oh, and subzero on corral.net is selling a set of rod bearings that you'll need for cheap - i pm'd him about them a long time ago and he never got back to me but now has em up again

send me some pics of Manleys, I may be very interested [email protected]
inside info on some good pistons would be appreciated The nitrous/N/A setup is enticing me since hardly anyone with a modular sticks to that route.
What bearings is he selling? I just bought some Speed-Pro's through my school for very nice price

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

send me some pics of Manleys, I may be very interested [email protected]
inside info on some good pistons would be appreciated The nitrous/N/A setup is enticing me since hardly anyone with a modular sticks to that route.
What bearings is he selling? I just bought some Speed-Pro's through my school for very nice price

He just sold them for $30 shipped, lol. They were Speed-Pro main bearings.

 

[blckstng96]

is the inside info on the mmr rods? haha

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

is the inside info on the mmr rods? haha

No, their manley pistons

 

[slayr281]

Sounds like fun, keep us updated

 

[BlownStangGT]

Should be fun, cant wait till you get it back running.......bigger and better as always

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

4.7L FTW

 

[LaserSVT]

sORRY FOR THE ENGINE BUT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR IT TO HAPPEN AND SEEM LIKE YOUR ON THE RIGHT TRACK FOR A REBUILD
(damn caps! )

Anyway CobraRed know the ins and outs on these engines so there is definatly a good source for parts and advice

 

[02nightmaregt]

Well that sucks it blew, but in a good way. At least now you get to rebuild it into a bigger better BEAST. It'll also give you something to do while the woman is deployed. Keep us updated

 

[BurningRubber]

Sucks it let go man, but I am sure it will be worth it all the way when it's back up and running...

 

[Poisoned Pony]

got all 8 pistons and rods out of the shortblock. Originally, the seller said it had a bad wrist-pin but all I could find was a bad rod bearing. Seller said it had about 100 miles before being pulled and I would have to agree with him because everything is in awesome condition. I'll take some pics tomorrow and post them up

 

[Poisoned Pony]

Update for today:

shortblock is pretty much broken down. I still have the stock GT crank in it for the sake of storage. All the internals are in great shape and will be up for sale here soon. The wrist pin problem was never found, but I did find a burnt rod bearing on the #1 piston/rod.

picked up the Cobra crank today

rods should be here next week as well.

 

[BurningRubber]

Bad ass. That shot of the cylinder wall looks like it is in great condition.

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

Damn, that shortblock is immaculate.

Me like cross hatching:

 

[02LaserRed2V]

Congrats! I think? lol

 

[georgio440]

Wait, to the OP, do you go to UTI?