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Are the 07-14 GT500 oil pickup tubes a direct replacement for the 03/04 Cobra’s?

3K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  jrgoffin 
#1 ·
Hi Guys, are the 07-14 Gt500 oil pickup tubes a direct bolt on for a 03-04 Cobra? I know their screens have a updated design but believe the rest is the same-can anyone confirm?
 
#2 ·
If I remember correctly the two pickups are quite similar but not the same, Dave. If you go with the higher capacity GT500 pump I would use the GT500 pickup also. Although I don't remember clearly, I believe there are slight dimensional differences where the pickup tubes attach to the oil pump. Not enough to preclude attachment but possibly enough to introduce a small air leak? It is easier to just match the correct pickup tube up to the correct pump rather than creating a hybrid that may or may not bite you in the butt later on.


Ed
 
#4 · (Edited)
Ed,

We talked about this years ago when you were helping me with my engine assembly. Op you should be able to find some info here: https://www.modularfords.com/threads/207945-Question-about-oil-pickup-tube-differences
You're right Troy, I had forgotten about that discussion! :)

Since then in another oil pump / pickup tube discussion, with portions that also seem to have also faded in my memory, I am recalling something about the tube diameters or fitment up at the pump body potentially being slightly different. I don't have either pump or pickup available to measure but I want to say there is a slight difference at the pump body register where they bolt together. At the same time I seem to remember there is a small difference in inside diameter - I think, but again the memory is failing me. FWIW the ID difference is inconsequential but you want to make sure the fitment at the pump is air tight. Dave will quickly become the authority on this one because I suspect he has both tubes right in front of him and can get a few measurements very easily.

Interestingly the GT500 pump is substantially higher capacity and pressure than the Cobra pump. Ford chose to make the GT500 tube the way they did with full knowledge of the higher pump capacity. If it were not for four thread head heads and 10mm cam bolts among a number of other "miscues" I would consider the move to the newer pickup tube a high probable improvement but then again there were those other poorly informed designs.

Take a moment to compare the end of the pickup that bolts to the pump Dave. If there are no measurable differences then the only thing you have to potentially adjust is the depth of the pickup screen from the bottom of the pan. A small clay hamburger slightly larger than the pickup diameter and oiled to release easily on the pickup side will provide you an accurate measurement of distance to the bottom of the pan. Your target is no less than 5/16" and no more than 3/8".

The pickup to pan clearance might be a reason the GT500 pickup will be problematic. The aluminum GT500 pan was slightly deeper than the Cobra pan, I believe. If that is the case and you still want to use the GT500 pickup check to see if the Cobra pan will even fit to the block with the GT500 pickup. If it does, do the pickup to pan clearance check with the clay hamburger. If it passes or you can adjust it to pass you are obviously good to go.

If it doesn't pass and you can't bolt the pan to the block then you have a little custom, modified and competition remanufacturing to do. The pickup has to be shortened. Take the distance the pickup holds the pan off the block pan rail and add between and 5/16" to 3/8" to that dimension. The result is how much you have to shorten the pickup. The easiest way to do this and keep the edges of the cut square with the pickup head is to use a pipe cutter. Cut the pickup in a straight portion of the tube above the flared pickup that sits at the bottom of the pan.

Once the original cut has been made reposition the pipe cutter to cut one more "slice" of pipe off whichever side of the now sectioned tube the cutter fits easiest on. The new "slice" thickness needs to position the pickup off the floor of the pan by the the sum of the amount the pan stood off the pan rail plus the 5/16" to 3/8" additional clearance you want the pickup to be off the floor of the pan. After making your cut, get a new piece of tubing that will slip over the outside of the original pickup tubing. Clean the OD of the stock tubing and the ID of the tube "sleeve" with steel wool or fine sandpaper. Slip them together with some soldering flux or brazing flux, get your propane torch and solder or braze them together.

Don't look down on the soldering solution. Not everybody has brazing flux, wire and experience but most of us have or have easy access to soldering flux and solder. Think about how well solder holds the water pipes in your home together. Soldering is easy to do, components are readily available, and it is way more than strong enough. Be sure to use the sleeve, it's necessary. It will both align the pickup screen to the tube identically to the OEM placement and it will also provide the needed strength to what amounts to a butt joint to keep it from failing. The sleeve is the equivalent of a straight copper union used to join two lengths of straight copper pipe.

Of course the short way home is if the Cobra pickup fits the GT500 Pump - which I want to say it does. Even if it does, still use the clay hamburger patty to verify proper pickup to pan bottom positioning. On the Cobra pickup, because of the exposed screen use something like a small cat food can that will fit over the pickup and protect the exposed screen from being pushed in by the clay when you do your clearance test.

Sorry for the long explanation but I wanted to cover all bases.

Ed

p.s. There is an aftermarket pan manufacturer, who will remain nameless, that offers a higher capacity pan that is deeper than stock. The pan is offered without a replacement pickup because the manufacturer believes it is the engine builder's responsibility to check these sorts of things. If you use the pan without a modified pickup you will uncover the pickup while racing and begin to draw air up the oil pump pickup tube. You can imagine what happens next ... Be sure to check and properly set pickup to pan clearance.
 
#5 · (Edited)
The tubes fit the pumps no problem since the ends have the same OD (15/16" compared to the standard 13/16" for the lower-flow pumps), but the GT500 tube sits a hair lower in the pan - assuming it's the Terminator pan as a comparison. As mentioned, the screens are also different. I verified this when I built my engine, with plenty of info in the build thread:

https://www.modularfords.com/threads/236857-Aluminator-Gibtec-Build

Or here: http://www.terminator-cobra.com/engine.htm#Oil_pan

The tube used in the Terminator can also still be purchased through Melling.
 
#7 ·
NP, Ed. I'll also add that I don't specifically recall the pan-to-pickup clearance (probably in my build thread, but I only have a moment and didn't check!), but something just over 1/4" seems to stick in my head. I know we had also talked about that since the GT500 tube was even less, and generally considered too close to the bottom of the Terminator pan. I'd also advice anyone to stay with the Terminator's "high-"flow" tube, especially since the fit is perfect. As mentioned on my site, they come with the OE/FRPP pump, or can be sourced through Melling as their 335S:



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EDIT: P.S. Will be in Denver from mid-September through mid-October for the most part, and definitely hoping to stop in to Gibtech. Hopefully Nick will let me snap a few pictures which I'll tack on to my build thread!
 
#9 ·
Definitely looking forward to it, Ed. Probably will be around 10/1 when I'll have the first opportunity to swing over, but I'll definitely call Nick a week or so prior to set it up. Need another shirt as well since the one they sent me with the pistons got torn!
 
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