First Drive Results!

After 18 months of work I have completed my 427 DPK. Maurice and Alan have a great product!! During the first drive and several others I've taken since then, some Gremlins have surfaced that I need to address. Overall though, I'm very pleased with the car. The car moves right along, and it handles and rides very good without an alignment. I've really enjoyed the build process. The learning curve I've been on has been pretty steep, and I still have a lot to learn. The feeling of satisfaction I have knowing I've built the car is very special. The stares, thumbs up and positive comments I get when I'm driving around Naperville, IL are great! I also need to give a special thanks to the members of this forum who have helped me along the way. You guys have offered great advice even when I've had to ask questions that have been embarrassingly simple. I could not have completed the car without your help.
I'm going through the sorting out process with the car. I've read many forum threads, and I've gotten some of the answers I need, but I still have questions that I again need your help on.
1. I've got a 351W built by Bill over at SA. The engine seems to run hot (water temp typically between 180 and 190 degrees) with the pusher and puller fans running. I've got a 160 thermostat in it, which I replaced with another 160 after reading about sticking problems. It doesn't seem like the thermostat is working, as it seems to have no affect on temps. Also, I've got one 1/8 inch diameter hole drilled in it. The engine timing is set as called out in Bill's instructions. Several times in slow traffic with the fans running the temp has drifted to 200-210. When I stop and turn off the fans the temp shoots to 220+. This makes me very nervous. I'd like the temp to be more stable (I undertand that I should be able to keep it consistently down between 160 and 180) I don't want to have to worry about it all the time. The last time out I looked at the temp gauge more than I looked at the road. Would knocking out the center of the thermostat to leave a quarter size hole (as Bill recommends) be an answer? Basically, is there a simple solution to this problem? Am I missing something in my assembly? My plumbing seems right. I used the very conventional approach typical of 351's
2. When I turn off the engine and run the fans, the battery completely drains itself in less than 1 minute. This doesn't seem like it should be normal. How can I solve this problem?
3. My brake/clutch master cylinders all leak a few drops where the MC caps screw on. I've tried screwing them on loose and tight. They just leak. What's the best fix. I see that Girling caps are metal. Do those seal better. Are the Girling MC's an easy swap with the Wilwood MC's? Or would simply the white silicone sealant on the cap threads be a reasonable fix? I don't think they're designed to need sealant. Also, my rear brakes leak at the bleeder screws. I didn't think bleeders needed sealant?
4. I didn't fab an aluminum heat deflector for the 3 master cylinders. They get pretty hot. I'm loosing the ability to shift into 3rd gear (toploader) once the water temp gets high, so I'm guessing this problem is heat related. When the engine is cool, I can shift into third with no problem. If I'm right on this, I plan on fabing a heat deflector soon.
5. I crimped my speedo cable against a defroster horn when I installed my dash. The cable is toast. Where can I get a new cable?

Sorry for being so longwinded. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I'll post pics of the car later.

Dick Untch

Hi Dick:

I'm pretty new too, but I've run into cooling issues on my 408 windsor also. First, the temperatures your talking about are normal for me. I am only running the pushers, so i really avoid traffic on hot days. If I'm cruising at 30+ MPH on a warm day (75 or so) then the temps are 140 to 170 if I'm not on the volume too much. in traffic it will regularly climb over 200. I think you start approaching the danger zone over 240 degrees. I had some overheating issues at first and it was a faulty radiator cap. If your water temperature sender is coming from the manifold, when you start the car cold, you should be able to watch the temperature climb to 160 (or whatever your thermostat is) and then it will rapidly drop back down when the t-stat opens. Then the water from radiator will warm up and the temp will even out.

Dick,

You need to keep the thermostat, check the cap on your overflow tank to see if it is vented, if its not remove the rubber seal, this will help make the car run cooler. A normal temp for the car should be 180-195 degrees, I wouldn't worry untill it reaches 220, then you need to find a way out of traffic. The engine should start to run a little cooler after some break in miles.

You need to have your charging system checked, does your ammeter show a charge, you might have a bad voltage regulator.

If you over fill the master cylinders they will leak from the caps, I would check the line where is screws into the cylinder, use a line wrench and get it real tight.

If are using a high temp fluid you shouldn't need a heat shield, try lengthening your clutch pedal rod and give yourself a little more pedal.

We stock speedo cables, let me know if you want one.

Alan

Not trying to open this debate again, but... I'd ditch the 160 degree t-stat and put a 180 degree in. For goodness sakes, don't knock the center of it out. An engine needs heat in it. I cured a host of problems with our 351W by simply going from a 160 stat to a 180 stat. The only way a thermostat can really cause overheating is if it sticks. The 1/8" hole (located at the top when you put the t-stat in) should be fine for letting the air bleed out as you fill the system.

Is the temperature getting up there even when driving down the road at regular speeds (say, above 35 mph)? If yes, then my prime suspect is the water pump. It is waaaaay too easy to get the wrong rotation water pump these days. Couple this with three (I think it's three) different timing cover designs for the Windsor engines that require slightly different water pump configurations, and there's a fair chance you've got an incorrect pump. We did this with the 302 originally in Mom & Dad's car, and it would hover around 220 - 230 degrees. My little brother is the only one in the family that completely understands the different pumps!

Heat shield for the master cylinders is an excellent idea. I also recommend getting the aluminized insulating fabric socks to put over the brake & clutch lines in the engine compartment. (Can't remember the brand name of the ones I got, but Thermo-Tec may be right.)

And most importantly, CONGRATULATIONS!!! :) :) :)

Dick and Jerry
can,t add anything, congratulations, and welcome. Hang with these guys they will help you. We all have had problems like you describe, so keep us up on how and what you do to fix it, good challenge, but aggravating, too.Will-alabama

Congratulations Dick.

Any picture of your car?

It Sounds like you have some good leads to track down your problems.

Dump a couple of bottles of Red Line 'Water-Wetter' in the rad..That will help.

Also, depending on where you are located, consider reducing the coolant
to water ratio in your rad.

I live in Canada and use a 20% coolant to water ratio in the summer
and go to the standard 50%/50% mix when things get cold.

Cheers........Mike

Dick - congrats on the first ride. We need to go for a cruise one of these days.

In regards some of your items - I will throw in my 2 cents....

1 - from a temp perspective, I like the idea of the water wetter - was thinking of adding to my big block. What type of speeds are your running? Mine was most difficult in traffic - try to avoid traffic or just drive faster (can be hard in Naperville - too many stop lights). Cruise up 355 at speed as part of break-in and see if temps don't go down.
2 - battery being drained in 1 minute seems too quick. Check that you have a full charge on your battery and see if it still does it. With the engine off, running the fans isn't doing much since the coolant isn't circulating through the engine.
3 - I don't remember your rear brakes leaking when we were bleeding them. Not sure I have anything to add here.
4 - Nothing to add here.
5 - I got my speedo cable from Alan. Buy some floormats from him as well.

Dave

Here are some pics of my recently finished Unique. I thought the Weavers might like the ones shot next to a sign we have in town. I really enjoyed building the car and now I love driving it. I've been learning a lot along the way, and I'm still a rookie when it comes to motors. My SA motor is strong and has plenty of power. I still have some items to sort out. I've got the idle, fuel air/mix and timing where they're supposed to be, but the motor is running rough. I thinking the valves might need adjusting. Anybody have any ideas on how I should try to solve this problem. My water temp concerns were the result of a bad radiator cap. I changed the cap and the temps are better. I'm using a 50/50 coolant mix with Water Wetter. I'm going to try less coolant and more distilled water in a 30/70 mix and see how that works. I'd like the temps to be more stable in slow traffic. My master cylinder leaks are better now that I'm not overfilling them. The only other item I need help on is shifting into into 3rd and 4th. Sometimes when shifting my toploader into 3rd I have to double clutch, or shift into 4th and then back into 3rd for it to engage. I've wrapped the clutch slave in termo-shield, my lines are in thermo-sleeve, I've re-bled the clutch MC (Wilwood High Temp fluid) and loosened the clutch fork/slave piston assembly so that it has about 3/16 of an inch of play. I've adjusted the pedal up as high as it will go to maximize travel, and the shifting problem is still there. What am I missing? I'm still thinking it's just an adjustment issue that I need to figure out. I'd like to avoid changing my set up to a Wilwood pull slave, like some of you have done. I would prefer not to fab a bracket, weld it, etc. Any thoughts?
Again, thanks for all the advice and help. The car has been a very satisfying project. Another Unique is on the road!!

Fine lookin beastie.
You've done a good build.
-Geary

Looks good.:cool:

Weaver Parkway. Nice touch.:D

Nice job! The sign is cool, too, but I can't believe that they mispelled Pantera :eek: :rolleyes: :p !

The car looks great, well done. As someone thinking of buying a Unique Cobra I am still unsure of exact specs. I want to make it as original as possible. How did you make your decisions on engine, colour, wheels, interior etc?

Really nice Richard. You did a great job I like the shine in the engine bay.

Good going. Great experience isn't!!

Ralph

Everyone seems to take an individual approach to selecting the features for their cars. I didn't take the purist approach on the engine and shifter location. The 351W I have has plenty of power for cruising. I like the forward (289) shifter location. It just feels more comfortable to me, and I like the way it looks. Otherwise, I went for the traditional cobra look (blue with white stripes), Trigo wheels (true knock offs), and ceramic coated side pipes. The blue exterior on my car is a deep metalic. I wanted a color with a little bit of a WOW factor, but not over the top. I felt that a black interior looked good with the blue and white exterior. Good luck with your decisions. I did my car with basically no experience, but with a lot of research, and frequent checking on this web site as I went along. My laptop was on my workbench in the garage for most of my build. You can't beat this kit!

richardu,
Everybody says no question is too stupid so here goes. Is the 351W a small block engine and should be in a 289 body not a 427 to be completely authentic? How many litres and BHP is this engine? What gearbox did you use? I tried one turnkey Cobra with a Chevvy engine and straight shifter, it felt uncomfortable, the shifter was too far back. Is this what you were trying to avoid?
Sorry but more questions to come later.

there are so many variables that who can say what is authentic. C. Shelby would have used chevy if they had cooperated. he repainted cars to satisfy sponsors, he also progressively put bigger motors in the car to beat chevy so unless you are are trying to make an exact copy do what you want and tell the snobs to bite me. 351 is a small block. i have a cobra style shifter it is very comfortable to use

Desertcobra, the 351w is a 5.7 liter motor, horsepower is whatever you make it to be. a 302 would be your closest match to a 289, they are physically identical. The 302 replaced the 289 in 1968, so a 289 motor will be harder to come by. the 351w is a slightly larger (wider) motor, but very similar to the 289/302. They are all considered to be small block motors. Two more 351's exist, the 351c (cleveland) and the 351m (modified, not in a performance way). The cleveland I still consider to be a small block because it uses the same bell housing as the other small blocks. The big difference is in the heads (larger with canted valves). the 351m I consider to be a big block motor, it has the same bell housing bolt pattern as the 460 motor and is almost identical to the 400 motor. The 351m and 400 make very good boat anchors but not much else. The 427 is what Ford called an FE series motor. The FE series included the following displacements, 352, 360, 390, 406, 427, 428 and a couple other large truck motors, all of these motors are somewhat identical in appearance. As far as authenticity goes, none of these cars are original Cobras, they are only close copies. Some are closer than others. When I first started building mine, I was more concerned with authenticity than I am now. The important thing is to build it the way you like, for whatever reason you think is important and have fun with it. Most of the people that will see the car will not know an original from a copy anyway.

Right on target Rod!

Ralph