John Smith Racing, LLC

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John Smith Racing, LLC Located in Vista CA, John Smith Racing specializes in the installation, manufacture, and retail of p

09/12/2026

Red Ball Garage, NYC ➡️ Portofino Hotel & Marina, California. 🏁
2014 Shelby GT500.
Official Cannonball time: 76:48:30.
3,000+ miles and one heck of a road trip. 🇺🇸

05/27/2026

In this video, I show the Euroexport valve spring compressor tool that I’ve been using on the 4.6 DOHC Marauder cylinder heads. I’ve used a lot of different valve spring tools over the years, and this one is honestly one of my favorites. It makes removing and installing valve springs fast, easy, and way less frustrating.

Euroexport makes tools for several different engine platforms, but this one has been awesome for these modular Ford heads. Definitely a huge time saver when you’re tearing down or assembling cylinder heads.

Tool used in this video:
https://www.euroexportinc.com/ford-modular-4-6l-5-4l-4v-valve-spring-compressor/

More Marauder build videos coming soon.

Website:
johnsmithracing.com⁠

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05/20/2026

Working on the cylinder heads for the Budget Marauder Build and sharing a few valve lapping tips that make the job easier and help get a good seal. Small details like this matter when putting together a 4.6 DOHC engine.

This engine had spun bearings and a rough past, but the heads cleaned up great and are coming back together nicely. Slowly bringing this Mercury Marauder back to life.

enginebuild enginerebuild valvelapping mechanic fordperformance carbuild budgetbuild

05/13/2026

Before reassembling this 4.6 DOHC Marauder engine, I needed to make sure the cylinder heads and engine block were still straight. In this video, I show how to check for warpage using a straight edge and feeler gauges.

Simple process, but critical before installing head gaskets.

05/07/2026

In this video, I show how quick and easy it is to remove valve springs using one of the old-school hammer style valve spring tools. No complicated setup, no expensive equipment… just a fast way to get the keepers out and tear down cylinder heads.

This is on a 4.6 DOHC engine for the Mercury Marauder budget build project.

04/30/2026

Installing a piston into my 4.6 DOHC Marauder build using the ARP Tapered Ring Compressor (PN 899-5520).

If you’ve ever struggled with a standard ring compressor, this tool is a game changer, slides the piston in smooth with zero hassle, and helps protect the rings.

This is part of my budget Marauder engine build series. More updates coming soon.

04/24/2026

Hot tank = 🔥

Same 4.6 DOHC aluminum engine block and pistons… just cleaned up.

Crazy how good this came out.

04/22/2026

Yeah… not even close.

Factory rear lower control arm vs Whiteline, and you can literally see the difference. Less flex, more control, and way less chance of wheel hop.

If you’re lowering your S197 or putting power down, this is one of those upgrades that actually matters.

04/15/2026

Installing piston rings without any special tools on a 4.6 DOHC Cobra engine going into my Marauder.

You don’t always need fancy tools… just take your time and don’t break anything 😅

This is part of the budget rebuild to get the Marauder back on the road.

04/07/2026

Trying to figure out if you’ve got "03–04 Cobra" 4.6 DOHC cylinder heads?

In this short I show how to identify them using casting numbers like AF, AG, DA, DB, and DC.

These heads are different from standard 4.6 DOHC setups and are getting harder to find, so knowing what to look for matters.

Quick and simple way to check what you’ve got sitting on the bench.

Address

253 N Emerald Drive
Vista, CA
92083

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

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