99 Cobra cracked ring

Sounds like BS to me. A cracked piston doesn't cause a 'tick' it shatters and sends shrapnel through the block, and then you look at the hole and wonder wtf went wrong.

Ticking is usually caused by something not getting enough oil or a part that is no longer 'meshing' correctly. Some ticking (the kind that usually goes away as the engine warms up) is generally harmless and not of any concern, least not worth tearing the engine apart. What sort of ticking are we talking about here?

Bullshit; salesmen.

Ticking would not be the problem if that indeed were the problem. A blown engine would indeed be the problem if that were the problem.

Look into "cam follower" or other valvetrain problems for your model year first. Take it to an independent shop or two; it'll be worth the money. And for God's sake, don't drop that kinda $ on some SalesFuck's recommendation / pitch.

It is. Don't listen to these AutoRapists.

It all started about 12K to 15K miles ago. I know that because I change the oil every 3K miles and it was four or 5 oil changes ago. At first it would just start ticking (or tapping) when it go close to time to change the oil. Then I started noticing it tapping when I would stop at a light. It's a convertible, so I could hear it pretty clearly, especially if I was next to a wall or a larger vehicle. Every once in a while I get a puff of smoke when I start it up.

I've been running an oil consumption test with the dealer and have noticed something. Since I've had it in I have been driving very cautiously - never going over 2500 to 3000 rpm. It wasn't using up any oil (compared to a quart or two between changes). The last two days I've been running it up to 4K and I notice that when I start it the next time I get a puff of smoke. I'm betting it will go through oil now. A cracked ring (not piston) does make some sense to me with this kind of behavior. It does sound like my old 74' Ford truck when I had a collapsed lifter.

Yeah, I was thinking "cracked piston". Have you had the compression tested?

It's probably something with the heads. For 7k you can probably get a complete new/rebuild engine. Take it somewhere else. You're not using fram oil fiters by any chance are you ?

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No, a cracked piston ***RING** might have this symptom. A leak-down compression test should identify a problematic cylinder easy enough. Exactly what is wrong with the cylinder is a educated guess - until you get it apart.

To be honest, its a Cobra motor, so I would not piss around with replacing one ring. I think 'Pulling a head' on one of these suckers is a bit more complex than pulling an old 302 head - overhead cams, timing chains, etc..

I am under the impression that the head bolts are accessible from the bottom of the engine (ie: remove oil pan to access the heads of the head bolts) - can someone clarify this for me? If the head bolts are accessible in this fashion, it makes 'pulling a head' MUCH more complex, no?

Chris

Brent P wrote:

The valvetrain should be checked out. I don't see how a cracked ring would make a ticking noise. if it's cracked and stays in the ring groove I don't see how it would make any noise. Oil consumption may increase, but I would imagine that would be it. If the piece is actually working back and forth in the groove, it might 'tick' 4 times a revolution, it would be a very fast tick. And then I would think in 12K miles you would have a serious failure on your hands once it busted loose and really caused damage.

I still think it's a valvetrain issue. Especially now that you say it reminds you of a bad lifter. The valvetrain should be checked out before tearing down the engine.

Leakdown test will reveal alot more info to base a diagnosis on. Who knows, the dealer might have already done one (a leakdown).

I find the idea of a valvetrain problem plausible, and its **ALOT** easier to have a look at. Pulling the valve covers on a DOHC looks time consuming, but easily done with a fairly basic set of tools.

Doing some brief google research shows cobra shortblocks & longblocks are not cheap;

Shortblocks running 4K and longblocks running 8K. Ouch. These are 'done up' engines, so they probably a bit more pricey than a factory replacement. I think FRPP sells complete (pan to intake/injectors) 99 cobra engines for around 5-6k (no catalog handy)?

Bottom line; the original poster owns a cobra, they are expensive to buy, and are expensive to fix when they break. I would suggest that he/she 'buck up' and fix it right, or get rid of it if he/she is not prepared to pay the expense. Not trying to give anyone a hard time here, but I see it as a simple economics thing... Chris

('97 Rio Red Cobra Coupe)

Brent P wrote:

Piston ring. Not piston. LOL I still agree though. There is a very slight maybe that a cracked (broken) ring will cause that, but you would also be burning oil too most likely. This is why I think Ford should be fined for that crap ad about genuine Ford service... "We're better" Batter than who? A jiffy lube staffed by 19 year olds??