Who is it for? 2003-2004 Mustang Cobra, the Terminator.
Why do you want it? Because a broken crank snout usually takes the whole engine with it, and it is entirely preventable.
So you are making big power with your 03/04 Cobra, or you are planning to. That means a bigger blower, smaller supercharger pulleys, and a lot more strain on everything in the engine assembly. But one component takes roughly double the abuse of anything else in there.
The crankshaft.
It is not just the cylinder pressure from all that lovely boost working on it from the inside. The crank snout carries a tremendous amount of stress from the belt and every accessory hanging off it. And if you are chasing belt slip the way most of us are, you have probably added a stack of idlers and an upgraded tensioner. Every one of those is more load on the snout.
See It in Action
The Problem With the Crank Snout
The crank snout is a cantilever. It sticks out the front of the engine, and everything you bolt to it hangs off the end with nothing supporting the far side. At stock power with a stock pulley setup, that is fine. Ford designed for it.
Then you overdrive the blower, which means more belt tension. Then you add idlers to keep the belt from slipping, which means more side load. Then you add a stronger tensioner, which means still more. All of that force is being resolved through an unsupported shaft end that was never asked to do this much.
The snout does not usually fail suddenly out of nowhere. It fatigues, then it lets go, typically at the worst possible moment.
How the Crank Support Works
The principle is simple: stop treating the snout as a cantilever. The support distributes the load of the crank pulley away from the snout and holds the pulley centred so it has nowhere to move in any direction. Less load in the wrong place, and no deflection.
Mechanically, it works like this:
- A mandrel bolts to the balancer on the end of the crank snout.
- The mandrel runs into a bearing.
- The bearing is inserted into the support bracket.
- The bracket has four main attachment points, with hardware running through stand-offs that align the bracket precisely off the front of the engine.
Those stand-offs are indexed into the bracket, so once they are torqued down and fully seated into the gussets they lock in place. The bracket is not relying on friction to stay square, it is mechanically located.
What Changed in Version 2
A bit of history: this started life as J2Fabrication's CSS kit. In order to pursue other projects they handed it over to us. These have been on the market a long time, tested hard, and proven. Version 2 is where we think it is essentially finished.
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Support gussets | Two gussets attach to the bottom two stand-offs and bolt to the oil pan lip, adding stability and removing any remaining chance of shifting or slipping. |
| Built-in auxiliary idler pulley | An idler is integrated into the kit, so you are not stacking additional idlers and tensioners just to keep the belt in check. Fewer parts, less clutter, less load. |
| Threaded bearing cap | On the previous version the main bearing had to come out along with the entire assembly. Now the cap is threaded rather than the bracket, so swapping belts and crank pulley rings does not mean tearing the whole thing down. |
That third one sounds like a small detail and it is the one you will appreciate most. Anyone who has changed pulley rings chasing a tune knows how often that assembly comes apart.
Built-in auxiliary idler pulley
Threaded bearing cap
Made in the USA, anodized
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a crank support system actually do?
It distributes the load of the crank pulley away from the crank snout and holds the pulley centred so it cannot move. The snout stops acting as an unsupported cantilever carrying all of your belt and accessory load.
Do I need one on a stock 03/04 Cobra?
At stock power with the factory pulley setup, no. The risk climbs as you overdrive the blower, add belt tension, and stack idlers and tensioners. If you are making big power or planning to, this belongs on the list.
Why does the crank snout break?
It carries belt tension and every accessory load at the unsupported end of the shaft. Smaller blower pulleys, extra idlers and stronger tensioners all increase that load. It fatigues and then fails.
What happens when the snout breaks?
It usually does not stay a crankshaft problem. In most cases it ruins the engine.
Do I still need extra idlers and a tensioner with this kit?
No, and that is part of the appeal. The kit includes a built-in auxiliary idler pulley, so you are not bolting on additional idlers and tensioners to fight belt slip.
Is this the same as the old J2Fabrication CSS kit?
It started there. J2Fabrication turned the project over to us to pursue other work. This is Version 2, with the gussets, the integrated idler and the threaded bearing cap.
What was wrong with Version 1?
Nothing structurally, it was a proven product. The main annoyance was that the bearing had to be removed along with the entire assembly, which made belt and pulley ring changes a chore. Version 2 threads the cap instead of the bracket to solve that.
Where is it made?
Every component is designed and built in the United States and finished with corrosion-resistant anodizing.
Keep Reading
Questions on fitment or your pulley setup? Call 877-2-LETHAL or email us.
Save the Snout, Save the Engine
Version 2 of a proven kit. Gussets, integrated idler, threaded bearing cap, made in the USA.
