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Why yes, (little long post)
I will add more durring the day detail wise, so please check back!!!
My little Svooo has been sitting for the past few months durring her hibernation. I was starting to gather a few parts here and there to put on her durring winter.
I was totaly putting off the 8.8 swap, just because i thought I would run into some snags and didn't want the headache at the time, when I am having enough dropping big money on the Cobra. It's been a pain trying to get everything ready for WFC6, and a total headach with special order parts that won't be here till about 3 days before the event. Though after this weekend I should not have put the swap off so long, it was actually such a smooth project it was almost a soothing. To get something done without any major hangups or snags. The only time work had to stop was to get more brake fluid when bleeding the brakes.
It all started the other day when I decided to "GET'R DONE" since I needed to tear down the cobra to put the F.A.S.T system, new blower, and motor in, I needed to get the SVO up and running for a temp daily driver for a few weeks. Due to my other cars being "under the knife as well"
After only about 6-8hours of labor it was all done, start to finish. I have never had a project go so easy. It was so easy that I had to stop and look around and find out what might have gone wrong. Nothing should be that easy. Even after the test drive i was so amazed that there was no rattles, or wobbles, I raised to the car back up in just to double check that every bolt/nut was tight. Just to ease my mind a little, and double check things like fluid level etc.
I will list out the things that I think others will benefit from.
My car is a early 84 model that had No quad shocks (11/83 build)
The stock 7.5 rear decided to eat the spider gears, and pretty much the entire center section along with it (ring, pinion, track-loc, etc) When I opened up the case it looked like someone was serving a bowl of "metal shaving soup, with gear oil side salad" After months of searching for a decently priced rear end, that wasn't a open rearend, I gave up! I am not going to drop big money on a rearend just to have it chuck it's self again and again. I know most of you on this forum will disagree with me and want to keep the stock 7.5", I just couldn't justify the money.
The rearend I used for the swap was out of a 88 T-bird turbo coupe.
I took the Moser axels out of the 7.5 and placed then in the 8.8 (fit perfect)
Took off the T-bird brakes, and all brackets, lines, abs, etc.
Take a hammer for the welded on brackets, they just pop off the axel tubes.
Swaped over all SVO brakes, brakets, lines, etc.
Make sure you swap the SVO brake lines! Do not trash them!
Then swapped rear back in the car.
I didn't have to buy one single part that wasn't already on either the SVO rear, or the T-birds. Only parts bought was Gear lube, friction mod. lube, spray paint (to make look nice), and brake fluid.
I can honestly say that it was worth the time to know that I have a 8.8" sitting back there, that can now take pretty much any abuse I decide to throw at it, and not have any worries. That feeling is worth every penny of the $75 I spent on the junk yard rearend, and the 8 hours of labor. And for getting a pair of Hardened Moser axels for free was a added bonus.
I highly recomend this swap to anyone, as long as you aren't trying to keep the car perfectly original. But if you plan on making some good power in the future like I am, it's a good idea to start at the rear of the car, and work forward.
Next step, after the cobra is back on the Dyno and then more toys for the SVO, 3" from the Down pipe back will be the next step
I want to thank the wonderfull back logs of the SVOCA forums, on my research to doing the swap. See guys thats why it's nice to have a big database. Cause instead of asking every question 5 times, the search button works so good.
Thanks all, happy motoring.
EA
I will add more durring the day detail wise, so please check back!!!
My little Svooo has been sitting for the past few months durring her hibernation. I was starting to gather a few parts here and there to put on her durring winter.
I was totaly putting off the 8.8 swap, just because i thought I would run into some snags and didn't want the headache at the time, when I am having enough dropping big money on the Cobra. It's been a pain trying to get everything ready for WFC6, and a total headach with special order parts that won't be here till about 3 days before the event. Though after this weekend I should not have put the swap off so long, it was actually such a smooth project it was almost a soothing. To get something done without any major hangups or snags. The only time work had to stop was to get more brake fluid when bleeding the brakes.
It all started the other day when I decided to "GET'R DONE" since I needed to tear down the cobra to put the F.A.S.T system, new blower, and motor in, I needed to get the SVO up and running for a temp daily driver for a few weeks. Due to my other cars being "under the knife as well"
After only about 6-8hours of labor it was all done, start to finish. I have never had a project go so easy. It was so easy that I had to stop and look around and find out what might have gone wrong. Nothing should be that easy. Even after the test drive i was so amazed that there was no rattles, or wobbles, I raised to the car back up in just to double check that every bolt/nut was tight. Just to ease my mind a little, and double check things like fluid level etc.
I will list out the things that I think others will benefit from.
My car is a early 84 model that had No quad shocks (11/83 build)
The stock 7.5 rear decided to eat the spider gears, and pretty much the entire center section along with it (ring, pinion, track-loc, etc) When I opened up the case it looked like someone was serving a bowl of "metal shaving soup, with gear oil side salad" After months of searching for a decently priced rear end, that wasn't a open rearend, I gave up! I am not going to drop big money on a rearend just to have it chuck it's self again and again. I know most of you on this forum will disagree with me and want to keep the stock 7.5", I just couldn't justify the money.
The rearend I used for the swap was out of a 88 T-bird turbo coupe.
I took the Moser axels out of the 7.5 and placed then in the 8.8 (fit perfect)
Took off the T-bird brakes, and all brackets, lines, abs, etc.
Take a hammer for the welded on brackets, they just pop off the axel tubes.
Swaped over all SVO brakes, brakets, lines, etc.
Make sure you swap the SVO brake lines! Do not trash them!
Then swapped rear back in the car.
I didn't have to buy one single part that wasn't already on either the SVO rear, or the T-birds. Only parts bought was Gear lube, friction mod. lube, spray paint (to make look nice), and brake fluid.
I can honestly say that it was worth the time to know that I have a 8.8" sitting back there, that can now take pretty much any abuse I decide to throw at it, and not have any worries. That feeling is worth every penny of the $75 I spent on the junk yard rearend, and the 8 hours of labor. And for getting a pair of Hardened Moser axels for free was a added bonus.
I highly recomend this swap to anyone, as long as you aren't trying to keep the car perfectly original. But if you plan on making some good power in the future like I am, it's a good idea to start at the rear of the car, and work forward.
Next step, after the cobra is back on the Dyno and then more toys for the SVO, 3" from the Down pipe back will be the next step
I want to thank the wonderfull back logs of the SVOCA forums, on my research to doing the swap. See guys thats why it's nice to have a big database. Cause instead of asking every question 5 times, the search button works so good.
Thanks all, happy motoring.
EA