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Maintenance Fetish

ShelbyGuy

Turgid Member
Mar 26, 2004
5,230
0
In the last 90 days I've done the following to my 61,000 mile 2003 Cobra:

changed blower oil
changed power steering fluid
changed trans fluid
changed engine oil
changed coolant
changed diff lube
bled brakes
replaced front calipers
replaced front pads
replaced front rotors
replaced front control arms
replaced front ball joints
replaced front control arm bushings
replaced front brake hoses
replaced front wheel bearings
replaced driveshaft
replaced rear calipers
replaced rear pads
replaced rear rotors
replaced rear control arms
replaced rear control arm bushings
replaced rear differential assembly
replaced ring and pinion
replaced half shafts
replaced front struts
replaced front springs
replaced rear struts
replaced rear springs
replaced front tie rod ends
replaced rear toe link rods
replaced rear hubs
replaced rear wheel bearings
replaced front lug studs
replaced rear lug studs
updated steering rack bushings
replaced cooling system thermostat

i'll post the results of the latest oil sample later in the week when i get them back.

engine and trans rebuild between now and next spring.
 

Mystic Terminator

TCG Elite Member
Oct 6, 2004
3,150
0
What ever happened to "If it's not broke, don't fix it"?
In the last 90 days I've done the following to my 61,000 mile 2003 Cobra:

changed blower oil
changed power steering fluid
changed trans fluid
changed engine oil
changed coolant
changed diff lube
bled brakes
replaced front calipers
replaced front pads
replaced front rotors
replaced front control arms
replaced front ball joints
replaced front control arm bushings
replaced front brake hoses
replaced front wheel bearings
replaced driveshaft
replaced rear calipers
replaced rear pads
replaced rear rotors
replaced rear control arms
replaced rear control arm bushings
replaced rear differential assembly
replaced ring and pinion
replaced half shafts
replaced front struts
replaced front springs
replaced rear struts
replaced rear springs
replaced front tie rod ends
replaced rear toe link rods
replaced rear hubs
replaced rear wheel bearings
replaced front lug studs
replaced rear lug studs
updated steering rack bushings
replaced cooling system thermostat

i'll post the results of the latest oil sample later in the week when i get them back.

engine and trans rebuild between now and next spring.
 

Jack

Admin
Staff member
Admin
TCG Premium
Dec 31, 1969
6,476
583
Now get in you your car and come to my house.. I got some work for ya :)

I need my diff fluid changed in the Cobra.. the diff is leaking in the Exploder... and I probably need the trans & Transfer case fluids changed...
 

ShelbyGuy

Turgid Member
Mar 26, 2004
5,230
0
I replace things BEFORE they break. :) its why since 2003, i've only had to work on the car (not including brakes) at the racetrack ONCE; this past weekend when my thermostat stuck shut.

both front ball joints were trashed. you can raise the ball about 1/4" out of its socket on both sides.

i've also removed all rubber from the suspension, and converted to coil-overs with 425 fronts and 650 rears on race3 struts/shocks.

I'll let you take it for a few laps next time we're at the track together. it definitely took a lot of the nervousness out of the car to switch to stiff springs. not nearly as much brake diving, either (which i guess is really just more rear end lift anyway)

"if it aint broke, dont fix it" generally applies to just before a track event, or at the track. I have a few weeks before Road America so I'm taking the opportunity to make some bigger changes to the car than I dare to do the night before leaving for the track.

:D

What ever happened to "If it's not broke, don't fix it"?
 

ShelbyGuy

Turgid Member
Mar 26, 2004
5,230
0
what say we take the pumpkin out, reseal the cover, and install a drain plug in it?

i dont have the magic tool to drain&fill a modern auto trans (does your exploder even have a trans dipstick??). not sure what doing the transfer case would entail, but I can look into it, no problem :)

have tools, will travel.

Now get in you your car and come to my house.. I got some work for ya :)

I need my diff fluid changed in the Cobra.. the diff is leaking in the Exploder... and I probably need the trans & Transfer case fluids changed...
 

ShelbyGuy

Turgid Member
Mar 26, 2004
5,230
0
I'm not going to open a shop until I have so many side jobs out of my garage that I cant possibly do any more here at home. "if you build it, they will come" is a line from a fictional movie. A good, honest shop will never go out of business, but just because you hung your sign over the door doesn't mean anyone will patronize your establishment. One of the most painful lessons I learned when bootstrapping a business, for sure. cart->horse


Very kool. How long until you try to open your own shop? I know you wanted to do something like that.
 

tim87tr

Maximum Torque Mission
Mar 11, 2007
9
0
Few questions if you don't mind

Do you have a lift to do all this work?

I've just done a couple OTs, so what I am getting myself into here:eek: I am curious to how many OTs you've done to require an engine and trans rebuild?

Where do you get your oil sampled and how important is this? Do you change it for every OT? I used Amsoil this last OT, and have it in the trans now too.

I might use Amsoil for the rear dif as I'm just getting ready to install the complete IRS kit. I don't think there is a gasket, do you use orange high temp sealer for the cover?
 

Jack

Admin
Staff member
Admin
TCG Premium
Dec 31, 1969
6,476
583
what say we take the pumpkin out, reseal the cover, and install a drain plug in it?

i dont have the magic tool to drain&fill a modern auto trans (does your exploder even have a trans dipstick??). not sure what doing the transfer case would entail, but I can look into it, no problem :)

have tools, will travel.


PM me an estimate on the cover reseal,,,

the Xfer case is like a manual trans with a drain and fill plug.. just need the fluid changed

not sure about the trans dipstick.. haven't checked yet... it's an '02 V8 auto 4X4
 

Mystic Terminator

TCG Elite Member
Oct 6, 2004
3,150
0
i've also removed all rubber from the suspension, and converted to coil-overs with 425 fronts and 650 rears on race3 struts/shocks.

:D

So, did you go tubular MM control arms in front?

In the last 90 days I've done the following to my 61,000 mile 2003 Cobra:

replaced front calipers - With What?
replaced front rotors - Size?
replaced front control arms - MM?
replaced front ball joints - Same as Above?
replaced front control arm bushings - FRPP, MM or SHM?
replaced driveshaft - Why, any evidence it needed it?
replaced rear calipers - OEM?
replaced rear rotors - Size?
replaced rear control arms - Why, because you had a set?
replaced ring and pinion - Why stay w/ 3.55?
 

ShelbyGuy

Turgid Member
Mar 26, 2004
5,230
0
no, new stock arms with an x2 ball joint and frpp/gw delrin bushings. didnt have the time or money to do k-member+tubular arms this go-around. definately next time, though.

00r/oem brakes, just to freshen things up. Im having a less-than-stellar time getting rebuild bits for the 00r calipers (not that im trying all that super duper hard, but trying the easy ideas hasnt panned out yet) and my 'spare' set is junk since i put the pistons through the backing plate on the drivers side. so now at least i have a good pair and a known good used spare pair. and one fubar pair.

i replaced the driveshaft partly because i was chasing a clunk in the driveline that i could not find, and partly because im slowly but surely acquiring the parts to build a fauxbra track-only car. Eventually i'll stop tracking the 03 and have something without the compromises of a dual purpose street/track car. johnny wants to go racing. and i dont want to trash my cobra in the process.

i stayed with 3.55 gears because hermann is my tuner and his post-tune service isnt all that its cracked up to be, and because it would have cost me still more money to have my tunes updated for the new gear ratio. Or, in lieu of that, i would have had to buy a new flash tuner thingie, again for a bunch more money, because my flash tuner thingie just flashes tunes (xcal 1). I did not want to splice in a speedo compensator either. That is such an inelegant solution to me. So I stayed with the stock gear ratio.


So, did you go tubular MM control arms in front?
 
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