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Old 02-05-2008, 10:00 PM   #1
3150Mach1
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Head differences

Can someone give me the short and sweet differences between:

03/04 Mach1 Heads

03/04 Cobra Heads

FR500 4.6L Heads
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:10 PM   #2
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Re: Head differences

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Originally Posted by 03Mach150BP View Post
Can someone give me the short and sweet differences between:

03/04 Mach1 Heads

03/04 Cobra Heads

FR500 4.6L Heads
There is no difference between the Mach and Cobra heads that you listed. The FR500 heads flow better(some think the 03/04 heads flow just as good), and benifit by changing the cam's, valves, and springs.
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:17 PM   #3
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Re: Head differences

I think there was an early production issue with the 03 heads (both Mach and Cobra) and this issue was fixed in later part of 03 and did not affect 04's. I am not sure if it was the guides, but it dealt with head tick. Also I have read something about 04 heads have a improved cooling, but I have no idea how.
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:19 PM   #4
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Re: Head differences

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Originally Posted by blown03Mach1 View Post
I think there was an early production issue with the 03 heads (both Mach and Cobra) and this issue was fixed in later part of 03 and did not affect 04's. I am not sure if it was the guides, but it dealt with head tick. Also I have read something about 04 heads have a improved cooling, but I have no idea how.
I saw the same thing over on stangnet. Just trying to get some info. My next big move might be PP heads with F500 valve train or Crower S2s.
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:30 PM   #5
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Re: Head differences

I believe your correct about the head ticking, my friend works for a dealer and they replaced alot of heads that way, also BP I think your correct about the cooling on the early heads, they did come out with revised one's I beleive.

BP I'm just using gt cams, upgraded springs and oversized valves for my build with pp heads. Looking back, I should have just bought the FR500 vt, because it comes with everything.............LOL
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:31 PM   #6
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Re: Head differences

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I believe your correct about the head ticking, my friend works for a dealer and they replaced alot of heads that way, also BP I think your correct about the cooling on the early heads, they did come out with revised one's I beleive.

BP I'm just using gt cams, upgraded springs and oversized valves for my build with pp heads. Looking back, I should have just bought the FR500 vt, because it comes with everything.............LOL
So our heads with F500 package. Does PP the heads help as well?
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:36 PM   #7
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Re: Head differences

Don't get me lying, I only assume better flow would improve the heads a bunch, Jester has Al Papito heads with the FR 500 vt, he might be your best bet for knowledge, Birdman941 would be a good source as well.
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:42 PM   #8
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Re: Head differences

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Originally Posted by 03Mach150BP View Post
So our heads with F500 package. Does PP the heads help as well?
Yes. PP= more airflow= more HP. Using aftermarket cams,valves and springs, PP intake, PP heads, and full exaust makes for a wicked combo.
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Old 02-05-2008, 11:04 PM   #9
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Re: Head differences

5.0 Magazine did a flow test of our heads vs others back in their December '04 issue. The FR500 heads are superior to '03/'04 DOHC heads out of the box. But when ported (by the same shop @ Houston Performance), the '03/'04 DOHC heads outflowed the ported FR heads on both intake and exhaust (especially exhaust).

So to answer, our Machs and Cobras share identical heads. And when ported are the best in the business...
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Old 02-05-2008, 11:43 PM   #10
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Re: Head differences

Here is the difference



02-03 mach 1 and cobra heads
this was the first run of the mach1 and cobra heads, after a million complaints about excessive noise in the valve train on the drivers side ford figured they had to do something so they revised the drivers head. When the car came on to the service drive the first thing the service writer does is run TSBs to find any open complaints and the drivers head had a TSB for noise so ford started replacing them well about 2-3 months in to this they found out that they were redoing some of the cars that had already been don’t so the change the head by having then painted with a blue strip. Now this has no reworking other than some different valve guides but in fords attempt to keep the technicians from double dipping they painted the service head blue so the service writer knows if the TSB had been done or not. This head was the first head and only has 4 spark plug threads


mid 03 to end of 03 cobra and mach 1 heads

This is the 4V head that has been painted with a blue strip to show this is what ford though would take care of the excessive noise from the valve train (little did ford know that the piston slap was the cause for this noise) way to go ford !!!
This head also possesses 4 sparkplug threads




11/15/2003- 4/2004
This was the first 9 thread head
this was the 2004 cobra and the mach 1 head for 2004 this head was completely different. This was the last revision head also known as the FR500 replacement head. This head was issued some time after 11/15/2004 I have confirmed this with every 2004 cobra and mach 1 I have ever touched (approximately 50-60 cobras and 20-30 mach1s ) this head has improved ports also the coolant passages have also been changed. The only way to tell what head you have is by the thread count in the head. 9 thread signifies you have the 2004 heads and 4 thread signifies you have the 2003 heads (while nonpainted 2003 heads notes early 2003 heads) Now there is an easy test to see what heads you have seeing as how all of the threads are at the bottom coming up you can perform a simple thread count test. Start from the tight position and count the number of turns it takes to remove the sparkplug 4-5 turns means you have 4 thread and 8-9 turns means you have the 9 thread heads. if you are buying heads keep this in mind or simply contact me to buy new heads 9 thread with the improved passages 1500 a set complete new



FR500 heads

Now these heads are a little different, the installed “FR500heads” the ones that are on the 2004 cobra and the mach are from the ford line , Ford racing has came up with there own FR500 line that uses longer valve stems, different cams and different followers as well these were only available from the ford racing catalogue. (They are some nice heads but not worth the money when you can take a set of 04 heads and port them with 1mm over size valves to achieve better results) if you get a ford racing catalogue you can buy the entire FR500 kit so that you may too change your stock heads to FR500 heads it comes with all of the followers, all of the valves, springs and cams, along with everything needed to make the swap and that goes for 1700.00- 1800.00







Now the facts

I have been in heated discussion after discussion about this. And please bear in mind I have done my home work, so much that I was able to prove LDC the cooling mod people that they were wrong when they tried to say there was no 9 thread heads ever on the 4v motor from the factory. All I tell you is do a simple thread count test that I have listed above and you too will find out that I am correct in this matter. So here are the facts all of the 4v heads built 2002-2004 are all good heads and produce good power, If you are looking to buy heads used or new the 2004 heads are worth more than the 2003 heads however I can get you new ones (2004 9 thread complete heads) for 1500.00 plus shipping. If you figure a valve job is 800.00 on the DOHC heads and if you buy a used set for 800.00 that means you just paid 1600.00 for a set of used heads when you could have had brand new ones. Just a little heads up
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Old 02-06-2008, 12:34 AM   #11
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Re: Head differences

Cool,my build date is 3/31/04 I should have the 9 threads, Im gonna check that out this weekend
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Old 02-06-2008, 12:39 AM   #12
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Re: Head differences

yes sir 8-9 turns FTW
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Old 02-06-2008, 03:08 AM   #13
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Re: Head differences

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Originally Posted by DanB View Post
yes sir 8-9 turns FTW
Looky like dis...w/out the intake valve damage of course
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Old 02-06-2008, 05:30 AM   #14
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Re: Head differences

Wow, Dans writeup should be a sticky for sure. I am educated now. I know I do not have the 9 thread head.
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Old 02-06-2008, 09:55 AM   #15
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Re: Head differences

That means that I have one of each. Funny that my late build 2004 has had the heads replaced. We haven't driven the early build [2003] Mach yet for it to have an issue. Maybe we should start driving that one now and get it fixed. Hmm...
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Old 02-06-2008, 11:11 AM   #16
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Re: Head differences

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Originally Posted by DanB View Post

mid 03 to end of 03 cobra and mach 1 heads

This is the 4V head that has been painted with a blue strip to show this is what ford though would take care of the excessive noise from the valve train (little did ford know that the piston slap was the cause for this noise) way to go ford !!!
This head also possesses 4 sparkplug threads
Are you saying that the "tick" is actually piston slap or is this valve train noise mention above something else? Seems to me that piston slap sounds nothing like the tick plus I can see the Cobra's experiencing a good amount of piston slap because of the forged pistons but the mach's have hypercraps which don't tend to slap. Just wondering
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Old 02-06-2008, 03:57 PM   #17
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Re: Head differences

The ticking sound was coming from the valve guides.

Jerome
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Old 02-06-2008, 06:02 PM   #18
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Re: Head differences

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The ticking sound was coming from the valve guides.

Jerome

Agreed, most people's ticks can be isolated to valve train noise, and then it's further isolated to a worn valve guide, which is why Ford replaced entire heads( cheaper than tearing down a head and pressing in new guides i suppose)
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Old 02-06-2008, 06:13 PM   #19
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Re: Head differences

good info! im glad i got the improved heads
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Old 02-06-2008, 07:00 PM   #20
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Re: Head differences

My build date was 11/03 But the Car is an 04 and I have the 9 thread heads.Thanks for info Dan!
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Old 02-06-2008, 08:31 PM   #21
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Re: Head differences

So if machs were built in early 03, like in January, would they still have the head tick issue? My mach has a blue stripe on the head, so was curious.
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Old 02-06-2008, 09:30 PM   #22
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Re: Head differences

Production date on my 2004 is 2/04 on the drivers jam sticker, So maybe I got the better heads? It's got 40,000 and some change on her I'll check the thread count soon when I change the plugs.
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Old 02-07-2008, 02:10 AM   #23
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Re: Head differences

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So if machs were built in early 03, like in January, would they still have the head tick issue? My mach has a blue stripe on the head, so was curious.
Blue stripe heads fixed the cooling issue, not necessarily the ticking issue.
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Old 02-07-2008, 03:31 AM   #24
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Re: Head differences

So are the 03-04 cobra/mach heads the only ones from Ford that have had the ticking issue or the overheating issues?
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Old 02-07-2008, 09:14 AM   #25
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Re: Head differences

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So are the 03-04 cobra/mach heads the only ones from Ford that have had the ticking issue or the overheating issues?

I think the 99-01 heads also had the same cooling issues on #7 and #8
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