I am close to purchasing a roush engine for my new project.
Recently have heard some not so wonderfull things about them.
E.G. engine failures, poor warranty resolution, one individual told about 1 year to rectify & return failed engine.
I am aware there is always 2 sides to every story & a lot of sour
grapes out there. but considering the cost of one of these units
I am becoming somewhat concerned.
If anybody can offer input ( positive or negative ) I would appreciate hearing from you.
We put a Roush motor in a Superformance for a customer. Within 250 miles developed several oil leaks (my Ford Crate motors don't)
Also, the compression is so high that finding high enough Octane Premium to run in Denver is difficult.
Why does eveyone have to have the baddest motor they can find and be frustrated with performance issues? Make a reliable Cobra that you can enjoy driving instead of tinkering your weekends away in hopes to drive another day!
Build smart, build conservative and haul --ss every weekend!
I can offer no advice on the quaility of their product or their service ,however,I feel there are other choices that are as good for far less money. I would highly consider Gessford,Southern or Keith Craft as alternative builders that have an outstanding record and will stand behind the product. chuck
Cobra Make, Engine: Lonestar LS 427, Keith Craft 501,Toploader
Posts: 883
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Roush says they have a 24 month, two year warranty on their engines. I believe all their engines have a 10:1 C/P and will run fine on premium. If there is a problem with that, its usually timing or carb. You can have a problem with any engine built by anybody. I would buy a Roush engine in a heartbeat.
Tim
No Offence but this is like saying;
If Ronald McDonald can't make a good hamburger than no one can.
I have the utmost respect for what JR has done in the automotive world but you can pretty well bet that JR touches few, if any, engines these days.
Try and buy a NASCAR spec engine from Roush Racing - It's not on their website and while you "could" most likely buy one from them, the odds of you getting the same caliber engine that goes into Mark Martin's race car are exceptionally slim.
It is my opinion that you are paying more money for the name than it is actually worth. Then too - you don't see me paying Finishline Racing $140k for a replica of an original Cobra either..
I would advise that anyone considering a "Crate" engine to talk to Max at Five-Star Ford or Mike Fortes about purchasing a Ford Racing Crate engine. At least they have the factory backing of Ford behind them.
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Regards - Randy
RCR40 #45 http://www.GT-Forty.com
I have the Roush 402R motor in my Superformance, I have only put around 900 miles on it myself. I have already dealt with a leaky oil pan gasket that was replaced. As far as the warranty, Roush will not cover gaskets or seals and that you must have your oil changed by a certified mechanic and have receipts for proof to keep the 2 year/ 24K mile warranty valid.
The issue I had was that I had a decent size puddle of oil would show on my garage floor a few hours after I was driving the car. Took it to an ASE certified mechanic (Ford Dealer, to keep from voiding the warranty), they sorta pin pointed the leak being the oil pan gasket or the rear main seal. The leak was coming from the rear of the motor and drips would form on the transmission shroud. They (Ford Dealer) spoke with the warranty company, (a third party warranties the motors, not Roush directly), and the warranty states that gaskets and seals are not included in the warranty, only if a component needs to be replaced that would require removing the seal or gasket. So, they (Ford Dealer) were going to charge me $300+ to replace the oil pan gasket, of course this is labor, parts and other crap. You spend a lot of money on a motor, I guess my view on things are that I shouldn't have to do jack to this motor for at least a few years and I was pissed that I had a leak with such a new motor.
Sorry to drag on, but called Doug Reed, whom I bought the car from and he gave me a contact to talk to at Roush. So, voicing my situation, they said they would take care of the motor and the leak. Doug replaced the oil pan gasket, so far no engine oil leaks on the motor.
As far as the performance of the motor, I cannot complain.
And if was to do it again, I would probably go with Keith Craft, being that they are local here in the Dallas area, and I have heard nothing but good things.
Good Luck on your decision, I generally will get stuck with the lemons, it part of my life. So don't just listen to me, I'm sure Roush makes an excellent product and I'm probably one of the 1% of the people that have had a problem with their motor and a small problem at that. If this is the only issue I will have to deal with on this motor, then I will be happy camper.....
Location: P. O. Box 96, CATAUMET, Massachusetts 02,
MA
Cobra Make, Engine: Butler with home-rebuilt 393 Cleveland stroker(Ya---ikes!)
Posts: 3,036
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Good, informative thread! I was happy to hear that Ford Racing warranbtees its craters...thought that wasn't the case. I have heard nothing but good things about Keith Craft. Gessford apparently builds a bullet-proof aluminum 427, too. Tempting! Good luck...
Thanks Whammy & Jim,
good info, it all helps.
Jim, same here in Canada --- ZIP,
Zilch, nadda, whatever you choose,
no warranty on Ford crate motors.
Sign the cheque & your on your own.
I know a company here in the Chicago area that's been putting Roush motors in SPF's for the last few years. A few have had some "oil issues" but noting has come back.......shall we say, "broken". Of course, these cars usually don't get a lot of miles put on them in a year, BUT, when they ARE driven, they are usually driven a little "harder" than the family sedan. I drove a buddy's SPF with a Roush 402 and it ran very strong. I must say though that we know a guy who has a custom built 418 built by Eric @ Performance Engineering that runs STRONGER............and it was less money.
If I were you, before I laid down some tall cash on a "crate" engine (albeit, a GOOD crate engine!) I would check around with some of the builders here. Southern, Gessford, Keith Craft, Performance Engineering, etc. I'm sure they would all be glad to crate the engine and ship it to you up there.
My oil pan gasket also had a leak. It was caused when the installer used an undercar jack and lifted the engine up from the bottom during the install. I replaced the oil pan gasket (without warranty) and it now runs like a champ.
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David J. Seed
Q: What makes a good racer?
A: Size 14 shoe, size 2 hat.
I only have 1,000 mi on my 427R but have had no leaks. In Texas there is not a problem finding gas with acceptable octane rating, I know in some of the northern states that may be an issue. On a trip to Colorado recently I noticed in some areas that 89 was the best I could find. Roush's 3rd party warranty is kinda like major medical, won't pay for office visits, etc. If something big goes and you have done your part (maintenance as required) it should be taken care of. I cannot verify this with experience, have not had a warrantable failure. I would like to hear from someone who has tested the warranty. I paid a lot for the Roush.
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Bruce
713-922-4801
LIfe's journey is not to arrive at the grave in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting..."Holy sh__,.......what a ride".
Cobra Make, Engine: Car sold - SPF, Roush 402- Royal Blue-white stripe
Posts: 53
Not Ranked
402R
I put a 402R Roush engine in my '03 SPF 1580. My experiences are similar to those noted. An initial oil pan gasket leak was caused by my installer, yet Roush quickly helped me out and overnighted an entire new pan and gasket! I still see a small bit of real seal drippage, but not much. Another installer said, "...hey what do expect, it's a Ford 351...'! My engine has run extremely strong from day one, without a single problem and it's wonderful on the open road. I've got a few thousand miles on it now.
Don't accept the "book rate" on the Roush engine. Haggle a bit and you should see some reduction.
I run 93 octane here in TX, but could only get 91 in CA. Both have proven to be no problem and I've never experienced pinging.
I love their engine and workmanship and the Superformance is tops for a replica.
I do not own a Roush but I have seen 6-8 installed in Cobras.
In my opinion Roush does NOT make a good hamburger when you do compare with some other manufacturers . Stand alone they are real nice. But there are definitely less expensive options with minimal to no consequence.
I would follow the advice mentioned by others in this thread and research Ford Racing with the new warranties and CHP whose 427W DOES make the power they advertise. + 2yr warranty.
If you consider those options you may very well find you have money left over to eat at McDonald's many times over.
Thanks JAM1775
I'm mot interested in a 427, more in the area of 393-418 w/ engine. 450hp.
Who is chp & do they have a site?
Or could I pick up their brochure at my local McDonalds?
Thanks Craig
Roush engines???
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