Casper the Cobra - Procharged 96' Cobra

[ttocs]

from what I can tell fuse 11 goes directly to the radio switched power and nothing else. Does it show 12v with the key off? If the amp is staying on it could be causing a draw here but I would think the constant would show it instead. This is what the amp looks like.

1994-2000 Mustang OEM Mach 400 Stereo Amplifier | eBay

<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">1994-2000 Mustang OEM Mach 400 Stereo Amplifier. Worked when removed from 1997 Mustang GT.</p>

www.ebay.com

Like I said on the drivers side of teh console towards the front you can move the carpet out of the way and see the end of the amp and if I remember correctly the harnesses are there as well. If it is there and connected disconnect the harness. You might lose sound up front, but we can fix that.

 

[Venompower]

from what I can tell fuse 11 goes directly to the radio switched power and nothing else. Does it show 12v with the key off? If the amp is staying on it could be causing a draw here but I would think the constant would show it instead. This is what the amp looks like.

1994-2000 Mustang OEM Mach 400 Stereo Amplifier | eBay

<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">1994-2000 Mustang OEM Mach 400 Stereo Amplifier. Worked when removed from 1997 Mustang GT.</p>

www.ebay.com

Like I said on the drivers side of teh console towards the front you can move the carpet out of the way and see the end of the amp and if I remember correctly the harnesses are there as well. If it is there and connected disconnect the harness. You might lose sound up front, but we can fix that.

I don't know anything about sound systems and how they draw their power, I just assumed the amp is powered through the radio. Just hoping to come up with a list of common bad actors to check first. I don't need a radio at this point anyways... just the ability to drive and enjoy the car this summer without the battery constantly being dead.

I will definitely pull the amp connector tonight and check the battery voltage tomorrow. Probably not good on the battery to let it potentially drain again, but I bought it at Walmart last weekend and will just exchange it once I figure out where the draw is coming from.

 

[Venompower]

2.7 amp draw confirms my suspicions. Once my wife gets home, I’ll start by pulling the alternator cable to rule out a bad voltage regulator and go from there.

 

[ttocs]

2.7 amps!? or 2.7 milliamps?

 

[Venompower]

2.7 amps!? or 2.7 milliamps?

2.7 amps! Unplugged the alternator and now zero draw… looks like the alternator is getting replaced.

 

[Venompower]

Well today was sunny and mid sixties so I went out during my youngest sons nap and knocked out the alternator. The belt was probably the hardest part since I was solo, had to take tension off from under the car and have my wife slip the belt on the alternator pulley…. But got it done, no amp draw… car started up and idled well. Noticed the power locks and radio /clock didn’t work, fuse 8 was toast, replaced and everything works again!

Hopefully the rest of the summer will be uneventful!

 

[ttocs]

2.7 amps is a lot and yea it sounds like the bridge rectifier in the regulator has lost a diode.

 

[Venompower]

So I wanted to post proof that I do in fact still drive the Cobra...



Now that the engine is running well, the work isn't as imperative so the projects have slowed down. Couple that with my lack of knowledge of suspension, the next phase is going to take some time.

Current Project List:

1. Suspension Upgrades to reduce NVH.
2. Replace stock Stereo and possibly do some budget speaker upgrades (another area I have little knowledge)
3. Have the Air Conditioning repaired.

That's really it... everything else I want to do is just an appearance upgrade.

 

[Venompower]

Decided to take Casper to a cars and coffee hosted by The Chicago Garage group yesterday... not a ton of cars, but several from Chicagoland Mustang Club which I'm a part of, so just chatting with friends was fun. The weather was fantastic!



Got to really feel the car out as it was probably 30-40 minute drive each way to the cars and coffee, and while I still want to change the rear lower control arms and isolators, I think I have a rattle from the front. The car has a Team-Z tubular K-Member with arms, no front sway bar, so tell me if I'm wrong but this is what I should be checking...

- Lower Control Arm Ball Joint
- Lower Control Arm pivot bolt/nut
- Tie-rod ends
- Steering Rack Bushings

If all of that checks out, then it's probably coil over related?

Really trying to make getting my suspension square the goal of the summer. No AC hasn't been bad, as I don't like driving it on days too hot for windows down cruising, and the radio also isn't a big priority right now.

After cars and coffee, and my sons "nap time" we managed to make it to the pool and I grabbed a quick shot.



Final surprise of the day was doing a hard pull on the way home from the pool (these things rev forever, makes me nervous to go all the way to redline in second lol) and managed to blow the same coupler from the charge pipe that connects the intercooler to the MAF housing... so I'll be measuring and ordering new pipe and silicone coupler this week.

 

[cobrajeff96]

I had chased down a front end rattle for a long time. Checked every linkage in the front and everything had zero slop. Car was holding alignments just fine too. And the thing is I would've found slop right away because every bushing in the front is solid either from delrin or a heim joint, literally there is no rubber or even poly anywhere up front except for just the swaybar-to-body bushings. Even the sway bar end links are spherical heim joints. It was a head scratcher so then I said the only possible thing remaining was a strut bearing. I put it all on the backburner because I had already got double adj Strange struts from Kenny Brown that I wasn't able to install for some time. Well, finally got around to installing them about six months ago and boom... front end rattle was gone never to return.

The MM struts weren't even old, like maybe a year, and the passenger tube had collapsed in place and wouldn't return (and had the noisy internal bearing). The rear coilovers, which were only 3 year old MM IRS shocks, had leaked all their fluid. All were MM Bilstein. Guess quality has gone down because the first set of coilovers I got from them over 10 years ago lasted about 7 years and I drove the piss outta the car for those 7 years. Maybe it didn't help that with the MM IRS shocks they were mounted in single shear to factory Ford LCAs. The current double adj Strange IRS shocks are correctly mounted in double shear like they always should've been but Ford didn't seem to think so.

I guess BLUF is that if it moves, it can make a rattle. Check everything.

 

[Venompower]

I had chased down a front end rattle for a long time. Checked every linkage in the front and everything had zero slop. Car was holding alignments just fine too. And the thing is I would've found slop right away because every bushing in the front is solid either from delrin or a heim joint, literally there is no rubber or even poly anywhere up front except for just the swaybar-to-body bushings. Even the sway bar end links are spherical heim joints. It was a head scratcher so then I said the only possible thing remaining was a strut bearing. I put it all on the backburner because I had already got double adj Strange struts from Kenny Brown that I wasn't able to install for some time. Well, finally got around to installing them about six months ago and boom... front end rattle was gone never to return.

The MM struts weren't even old, like maybe a year, and the passenger tube had collapsed in place and wouldn't return (and had the noisy internal bearing). The rear coilovers, which were only 3 year old MM IRS shocks, had leaked all their fluid. All were MM Bilstein. Guess quality has gone down because the first set of coilovers I got from them over 10 years ago lasted about 7 years and I drove the piss outta the car for those 7 years. Maybe it didn't help that with the MM IRS shocks they were mounted in single shear to factory Ford LCAs. The current double adj Strange IRS shocks are correctly mounted in double shear like they always should've been but Ford didn't seem to think so.

I guess BLUF is that if it moves, it can make a rattle. Check everything.

Last summer I did a quick check and things seemed secured, I will double check but in my gut I think I know I'll be buying a new coil over kit and and new struts along with caster/camber plates as the car didn't have them.

Edit: Maximum Motorsports has two front coil over kits, once Bilstein Specific, and one that allow several brands... which is better? I really don't know which struts would be the best for my application. The bilsteins are more expensive as is their kit.

 

[cobrajeff96]

First thing to consider is what the car is intended to do: street only / street with rare strip or circuit events / weekend cone killer / all out track or racecar.

If it's just a streeter, any kit will do really. You really have to be searching and talking with techs if you're doing anything more advanced because you'll be on sticky tires which means spring rates and shock valving will have to go up in number too.

I'd just call them up if you're unsure, and they'll probably recommend the Bilstein because it's a monotube and simple design that'll [in theory] last a long while (mine didn't, just sayin'). And there's other people out there like Kenny Brown (RIP). I must've spent easily $5k on them during 2020 to accumulate all the suspension parts I've needed up until now. They're good people to work with, very personable and direct. They make some pretty nice shit.

Here's pics of what I got from them, purely suspension speaking. Brake components I sourced from other places.

Both MM and KB are good is what I'm saying. But KB seems to be a little more well-optioned as far as IRS goes so I gave them a try for front too.

 

[Venompower]

The car is street only at this point, so while I don't want it too soft... it needs to be able to handle rough roads. I was initially leaning towards the 300 lb springs based on description from LMR, but a friend and her husband have them on their 03' Cobra and felt they were too stiff, so I might go a little softer.

Just need to decide between Bilstein or the multi brand coil over kit.

 

[Venompower]

Pulled out the section of charge pipe that keeps blowing out to measure, probably going to buy a 2" section of 3.5" aluminum pipe with a 90 degree bend and instead of worrying about bead rolling, just cut it so that more pipe goes into each coupler. That plus some hairspray and t-bolts should solve that problem once and for all.



It was late and I was tired, so I didn't get to go through the front suspension fully... but I noticed the springs in the front were hypercoil which is what MM uses on their coil over kits.

 

[Akurma]

The car is street only at this point, so while I don't want it too soft... it needs to be able to handle rough roads. I was initially leaning towards the 300 lb springs based on description from LMR, but a friend and her husband have them on their 03' Cobra and felt they were too stiff, so I might go a little softer.

Just need to decide between Bilstein or the multi brand coil over kit.

If I remember correctly, MM recommends a 250lb spring for a street car

 

[badass98svt]

If I remember correctly, MM recommends a 250lb spring for a street car

It definitely varies. They recommended 350 lb /12" springs up front for my setup

 

[Venompower]

If I remember correctly, MM recommends a 250lb spring for a street car

The softest LMR sells is the Bilstein specific with 275 lb. I’m going to call MM tomorrow to decipher what I actually need for an enjoyable street setup that won’t see track use. I’d certainly go softer out of caution than end up $440 into a kit and have it be too stiff.

 

[Akurma]

The softest LMR sells is the Bilstein specific with 275 lb. I’m going to call MM tomorrow to decipher what I actually need for an enjoyable street setup that won’t see track use. I’d certainly go softer out of caution than end up $440 into a kit and have it be too stiff.

Curious what they say!

 

[Venompower]

Maximum Motorsports Update: That has to be the worst customer service parts related call I have ever experienced out of all my years of being into cars and buying car parts...

I called on my lunch break and was initially told both techs were on calls, ok no problem... left my info. and was told the tech would call me back.

Got a call maybe 20 minutes later, which was way quicker than I expected... and explained the reason for my call.

Me: "I have a 96' Cobra with a Procharger P-1SC, Team-Z Tubular K-Member and lower control arms, and not currently running a front sway bar. I am trying to figure out what front coil over kit would work best for this build."

MM Tech: "You need to put that front sway bar back on."

Me: "Why?"

MM Tech: "So you don't spin out."

I should have just ended the call at this point...

Me: "I'm not putting the front sway bar back on, it's not a road course car and I'm more concerned about 1/4 mile performance."

MM Tech: "Well I can't make a recommendation about coil over kits on a car with no front sway bar."

Me: "So pretend I have a sway bar on it, which kit would be best..."

It devolved to him trying to guide me to the FAQ's and Tech Tips sections, and then just directing to the actual sales page and telling me those are "my options."

Sorry for the long post but what an absolute waste of time... I reached out because I assumed such a widely praised company in the Mustang community would have years of experience and knowledge when it comes to different setups from street, to drag strip, to road course. I described my setup because I assumed making the front end lighter may affect which kit would work best, and what spring should be used...

 

[cobrajeff96]

I have gotten terse advice from them once before but I do trust their judgement. Not to berate the topic here but I'd also recommend using the front swaybar and really its weight is almost negligible; you'd have to be on the cutting edge of 60ft times to be worried about that little amount of weight. And for street manners, I couldn't imagine running without one.

If there was attitude present on their part, well, comes down to that person I imagine. MM has too much to lose in the realm of customer word of mouth and they're definitely not in the business of losing business.

BLUF: if you ever deal directly with Jack (the main dude there), he's the kind of tech that you ought to listen to and heed his advice on things. He knows his shit like few other people do.