1996 Ford Mustang Cobra Camshaft Retainer. Please help.
Dear all,
I am desperately trying to get the passenger side front, camshaft retainer for my 1996 DOHC 4.6litre Mustang Cobra engine. However, NO ONE will sell me this small part without selling me the complete block, which is a nightmare.
I just want to buy that one camshaft retainer. Its the square shaped retainer which holds the cam in place. If anyone knows where I can get this part or a salvage yard which might have it then please let me know. I have bought this engine, weber carbs etc and spent a fortune on this engine and this is the last part I need. Hope you can help.
Regards
Luke
There are no cam retainers on a OHC engine. Are you referring to the cam cap, that is bolted down to the cylinder head? If so, you can not just install new ones, the entire head will need to be aligned honed for proper clearance.
I may have the name slightly wrong for the part, but essentially it is Ford Part No 6B277. It looks like 3 square pieces of aluminium joined together which bolts the camshaft in place. There are 4 on each side of the engine, 2 per cam.
This is definately a part, as I am looking at the microfishe for the 8 Cyl, 4.6l - DOHC 1996-2000 and the part is clearly shown.
Any ideas where I can get this part? Do you know anyone who is breaking a 96 Cobra engine at all? Or a brakers yard? Again, Ford will only sell me this part if I buy the WHOLE cylinder head. Bearing in mind this part must be worth about 2 bucks, this isnt an option.
I may have the name slightly wrong for the part, but essentially it is Ford Part No 6B277. It looks like 3 square pieces of aluminium joined together which bolts the camshaft in place. There are 4 on each side of the engine, 2 per cam.
This is definately a part, as I am looking at the microfishe for the 8 Cyl, 4.6l - DOHC 1996-2000 and the part is clearly shown.
Any ideas where I can get this part? Do you know anyone who is breaking a 96 Cobra engine at all? Or a brakers yard? Again, Ford will only sell me this part if I buy the WHOLE cylinder head. Bearing in mind this part must be worth about 2 bucks, this isnt an option.
Hope you can help.
Those are called the cam caps, and yes you MUST replace the entire cylinder head with them. When the cylinder head casting is made, the cam caps are bolted down and then honed. They MUST remain with that particular head, or else you'll need a new set of heads.
The only other option you have is to remove the cylinder head, find cam caps from a junk set of heads, and have the entire head assembly align honed. You can not just replace those cam caps and continue on. THey will not match the cam journals in the cylinder heads.
Pretty much you are looking at some money spent, on either an align hone job, or a new set of heads.
Thanks a lot for the advice, much appreciated. Not of course the best news that I have heard today, seeing as a 2 buck part is now costing me about $1,000.....specially as the whole engine and gearbox only cost me $2,000.
Spoke to the mechanic, and he is trying to fix the existing part, although this is very unlikely as its aluminium.
Leading on from this. If I have to get a new head, I may as well get a performance one. Any suggestions?
I think with the cobra lump at 320hp, plus the weber carbs, should take to 380-400, so which head should I go for? and what do you think the HP will go up to?
Thanks again for your advice mate, is much appreciated.
mark is probably gonna tell you to throw out the B heads(96-98 cobra) and go with the tumbleport heads which are designed better. The 03 cobra heads were the best factory heads. Youre gonna need to switch to a TP intake (or fabricate one) as well...
Spoke to the mechanic, and he is trying to fix the existing part, although this is very unlikely as its aluminium.
Luke
What is wrong with the part? - is it broken/cracked or bent or what?
I was gonna say to find a cam cap, take the head to get it honed (along with some other machine work like a valve job), but there may be other problems that arose from whatever demolished the cam cap
The car the engine came out of a car that was in an accident. The right cam cover was broken on the top and the Cam Cap had a hairline crack in it. everything else in the engine seems fine for the moment.
Mechanic is going to try and repair the part and were gonna go from there. If he cant then its a new head, but to be honest I have already spent far too much money on this car already, what with the new weber carbs and all.
The car the engine came out of a car that was in an accident. The right cam cover was broken on the top and the Cam Cap had a hairline crack in it. everything else in the engine seems fine for the moment.
Mechanic is going to try and repair the part and were gonna go from there. If he cant then its a new head, but to be honest I have already spent far too much money on this car already, what with the new weber carbs and all.
I am all too familiar with the black hole phenomenon. The gravitational force of this project is overwhelming. It just sucks the money right out of my wallet...
Double check with Markwondi, but I am pretty sure the MarkVIII and the cobra heads are identical. Valvesprings are slightly different, but other than that, you should be able to find a good used Mark VIII if you're trying to save $$$
I am all too familiar with the black hole phenomenon. The gravitational force of this project is overwhelming. It just sucks the money right out of my wallet...
Double check with Markwondi, but I am pretty sure the MarkVIII and the cobra heads are identical. Valvesprings are slightly different, but other than that, you should be able to find a good used Mark VIII if you're trying to save $$$
Yep, the heads are the same except for the valvesprings.
Too bad you didn't need C heads, as I have one spare one laying around here that I don't need.
this is one heck of an old post but i saw it in google.
does anyone know if things have changed on this part ? i, too, need the single part, it actually says " F2LE - 6B277 " . the bracket has 4 squares on it but it is snapped so it was able to swing around.. i bought the heads from a 'buddy' of mine for 80bucks.. they came out of the Mark IV or whatever.. he claimed that there should be a new set that comes with the cams that i buy..
so is it true that i will have to buy all new heads?
if so, anyone wanna buy some 32v heads ? rofl... jk
about how much would it cost to have the heads aligned and honed ? im going to end up getting new cams and valves for it anyways..
the springs and rollerrockers are located in the heads, correct ? i hear you can get some good performance out of roller rockers, anyone care to enlighten me as to how ? thanks!
1996 Ford Mustang Cobra Camshaft Retainer. Please help. 
