I have this newly acquainted friend with a 99 Cobra. Very nice car, original owner, bone stock. I take him for a ride in my Mark VIII and he was hooked, had to get himself a blower. Hes hit me up over that last couple weeks on different kits hes found and I figure out whats needed and if it will do what he wants. He locates a complete 03/04 Eaton setup for $1200! Thats a steal!
I call the guy selling it and make sure it has the pump and bridge pulley and all that stuff. Sure enough its a complete kit with injectors and pumps (fuel and inter cooler) and is on a Mach1. He also tells me he had to make an adapter for the IAC because he hollowed out the upper plenum for the single blade throttle body. BTW, he wants $250 more for the throttle body.
So I tell my friend that all he needs is an 03/04 timing cover, 8 rib pulley for the alt, new upper plenum and some EV1 to EV2 adapters. I tell him $450 and I will do the complete swap for him. Tell him don't buy the oval t-body cause it causes more trouble then its worth.
He says that the seller will install it for $150. I reminded him he gets what he pays for and I cant and wont match that price, bring it by after its done.
He calls to tell me that the car don't idle, squeals like crazy and throws its belt. Yeah, seen that coming.
Since he has severe wheel hop he wants me to do the almost full Delrin rear bushing setup. Also gonna install a pinion brace and cover brace. I also pointed out his many issues and discussed how much more I am gonna charge him for corrections.
So here is just some of the goodness.
In this picture you can see the hacked IAC setup. No longer on top of the plenum but just hanging behind the throttle body with some plate welded in the IAC holes. Then on the 3/8" hose there were 1.25" clamps so there is a couple inches of extra clamp just hanging there in three places. Then notice how there is no way to get vacuum into the PCV setup cause its been replaced with open filters.
Here you can see how much the guy hacked up the crossover tube to fit. There is no longer any support for the center section of the crossover tube. Nothing to hold the tube together other then the rubber hoses.
Then you notice the 6 rib belt on the 8rib pulley. Thats cause the car throws 8 rib belts. Turns out the reason is the crank pulley is not seated all the way I believe.
So wondering why the crossover tube was hacked and also wondering what that big thing was jammed into the surge tank I went to the other side to take a closer look.
Yup, thats the alt flipped around and rigged in place on a home made bracket! There are stacked washers on the alt and the tensioner to position them in line. That places a pulley right where the crossover tube needed to be so thats why its hacked. There is now a smooth pulley on the alt since its spun around. The alt is slipping like crazy on the belt. He didn't put the 03/04 cover on and relocate the alt like he should have and now there is this ugly setup on there.
I also notice loose wires and a relay screwed in the fender. Curious, I see they are for the inter coolers pump. The pump is now switched with ACC so even if he just wants to listen to the radio, the inter cooler pump is running.
Then looking closer at the alt I see its pressing into and collapsing the other radiator hose against the surge tank.
So I see all this and point it all out and now he feels like chit cause had he brought it to me it would have been done right. Now its gonna cost him more, look worse and he has to buy a smaller surge tank. I kinda feel bad for him but when someone says $150 to install a blower and fuel pump, ya gotta know its not gonna be top pier work.
Please people, check your friend or shop before you do mod work. Hacked stuff is just no fun. His car could have looked like a Terminator under the hood. Instead it looks like cobbled together some parts and made them work.
I call the guy selling it and make sure it has the pump and bridge pulley and all that stuff. Sure enough its a complete kit with injectors and pumps (fuel and inter cooler) and is on a Mach1. He also tells me he had to make an adapter for the IAC because he hollowed out the upper plenum for the single blade throttle body. BTW, he wants $250 more for the throttle body.
So I tell my friend that all he needs is an 03/04 timing cover, 8 rib pulley for the alt, new upper plenum and some EV1 to EV2 adapters. I tell him $450 and I will do the complete swap for him. Tell him don't buy the oval t-body cause it causes more trouble then its worth.
He says that the seller will install it for $150. I reminded him he gets what he pays for and I cant and wont match that price, bring it by after its done.
He calls to tell me that the car don't idle, squeals like crazy and throws its belt. Yeah, seen that coming.
Since he has severe wheel hop he wants me to do the almost full Delrin rear bushing setup. Also gonna install a pinion brace and cover brace. I also pointed out his many issues and discussed how much more I am gonna charge him for corrections.
So here is just some of the goodness.
In this picture you can see the hacked IAC setup. No longer on top of the plenum but just hanging behind the throttle body with some plate welded in the IAC holes. Then on the 3/8" hose there were 1.25" clamps so there is a couple inches of extra clamp just hanging there in three places. Then notice how there is no way to get vacuum into the PCV setup cause its been replaced with open filters.
Here you can see how much the guy hacked up the crossover tube to fit. There is no longer any support for the center section of the crossover tube. Nothing to hold the tube together other then the rubber hoses.
Then you notice the 6 rib belt on the 8rib pulley. Thats cause the car throws 8 rib belts. Turns out the reason is the crank pulley is not seated all the way I believe.
So wondering why the crossover tube was hacked and also wondering what that big thing was jammed into the surge tank I went to the other side to take a closer look.
Yup, thats the alt flipped around and rigged in place on a home made bracket! There are stacked washers on the alt and the tensioner to position them in line. That places a pulley right where the crossover tube needed to be so thats why its hacked. There is now a smooth pulley on the alt since its spun around. The alt is slipping like crazy on the belt. He didn't put the 03/04 cover on and relocate the alt like he should have and now there is this ugly setup on there.
I also notice loose wires and a relay screwed in the fender. Curious, I see they are for the inter coolers pump. The pump is now switched with ACC so even if he just wants to listen to the radio, the inter cooler pump is running.
Then looking closer at the alt I see its pressing into and collapsing the other radiator hose against the surge tank.
So I see all this and point it all out and now he feels like chit cause had he brought it to me it would have been done right. Now its gonna cost him more, look worse and he has to buy a smaller surge tank. I kinda feel bad for him but when someone says $150 to install a blower and fuel pump, ya gotta know its not gonna be top pier work.
Please people, check your friend or shop before you do mod work. Hacked stuff is just no fun. His car could have looked like a Terminator under the hood. Instead it looks like cobbled together some parts and made them work.
I wish I had a camera for the next set of wonderment. I kicked off my shoe and grabbed my 1/2" drive wratchet and managed to flip it up to hang from the spring. I then used my other foot to push it through the spring but aint too flexable so couldnt push it far enough through. So I bent down more and grabbed the wrench in my teeth and pulled till the handle dropped down (which hurt like a mofo and almost knocked out my teeth) and I nudged it under the spring by my thumbs. I used my chin to press down on the wrench but slipped and got a blody nose and my eyglasses knocked across the car port. :lol: 
I tried again and managed to get my left thumb out and then use that hand to free the other. I cant believe my thumbs didnt break. Only broke the skin on the knuckles and they hurt like hell but still work.