new 7/01/03, 7/2/03, 8/26/03 9/8/03,10/06/2003,11/17/2003,1/8/2004,1/15/2004, etc
June 15, 2008
Well the master Eric Lehmann has saved my SHO!!! i hope he will be posting
some pictures of the cams, he said that I was 3 turns past cam failure, I will
let him tell the story. I had the privilege to meet and talk with Eric and I
have enjoyed the trip immensely. I am going to tell anybody who has the gen 3
about this guy. It was very great to get behind the wheel of such a great
machine. Thanks Eric, for everything, and for the ride is S H O R T S. All I
have to say is I will be the first in line to buy her, and I am still trying to
wipe the grin off my face :)
Robert Moore
1997 TR almost cam failed
Eric Lehmann saved my SHO!!!!
137k on the clock
K&N filter
Flowmaster's soon!!!
____________________________________________________________________________
Thanks Robert -
It was really good meeting you guys too. I'll try to post pix a little
later - cleaning up a little storm damage right now - 65 mph winds
this morning, neighbor lost a tree.
Anyhow, yeah, you were 3 turns of the ignition overdue for a blown up
engine, glad you listened when you were told to not start the car
again no matter what.
Tim, please give the man a number -
Robert Moore
1997 SHO with 137,000 miles.
VIN 1FALP54N6VA268893
Parked for weeks due to suspicion of walking cam sprocket. (Boy was
THAT an understatement)
Date verified 6-13-08
Front head exhaust cam sprocket extremely wobbly. Demonstrated this
movement to the owner. Very difficult to realign. 5 BACKSIDE welds
required just to square things up.
Eric Lehmann
97 Ebony 42k Welded - With the Angels Now so that I don't have to be.
Long Live the Garage Queen !
97 Ebony 182k Resurrected, Welded, Experiment in progress
96 Medium Willow Green Metallic 103k Resurrected, Welded, Eaton M90 inside
96 Rosemist 72k 2006 Best Of SHO, Popular Vote, 2007 Best Gen 3, Welded
96 Medium Graphite 120k - Resurrected, Welded
97 Pacific Green - Parting this one Out
____________________________________________________________________________
You can add my name to the list of owners with welded cams. Eric Lehmann welded my cams, cleaned the intakes, changed oil, filter, spark plugs and a damaged vacuum hose. He did a nice and clean job. He gave me pictures of the welded cams and the intakes (before and after cleaning). I would recommend him to anyone still waiting to have his/hers cams welded. Eric is pleasant, professional and will answer any question you ask him.
Walter Paetsch
96 Silver with 90K. Welded as of 9-13-03
Larry:
I just got my cam welded by Eric Lehman in Lombard Il. What a great job for a reasonable price. (450.00 includes oil change, plugs and photographs) Eric is truly a knowledgeable guy on SHO's . I could have talked to him for hours! Peace of mind is a great thing, if someone wants to get a cam weld I would highly recommend Eric
- Allan
ERIC LEHMANN CAM WELD FUN!
Just took my SHO to Eric to have the cams welded and received the surprise of my life. Poor guy takes everything apart and much to his, mine, and the dog's
surprise, they have been previously welded!
Actually, when only beginning to start he right away knew that the engine had been torn into before (he knew by sight which bolts had been replaced in the wrong holes) I must vouch for his credibility, professionalism, and extreme knowledge of cars and the SHO V8!
Amazingly after a couple hours of work and hundreds of my questions, Eric declined any payment! WHAT A STAND UP FELLOW (although I am sure I was within minutes of his "free work" deadline )
All in all, I got to meet 3 shocago members, the supercharged SHO, and best of all the SHOfa!
So... I now drive my SHO with the confidence and lack of fear of cam failure!
Thanks Eric for the revelation!
I of course have an interest in the where and when etc of this cars past. Dave has provided me with his VIN. Stay tuned - could be fun!! - Larry
Tim,
I finally got my cams welded this past weekend (06/28/03) by Eric Lehmann. I dragged my weary behind out of bed at 3:45am. I finally got on the road to Lombard, IL (Chicago Land) at 4:30am. I arrived some 280 miles later at 8:05 am at Eric's House, and we got started about 8:30. He let me have use of his jeep if I needed to go get something to eat, and he gave me directions to some local shopping areas. I stuck around and watched him work for a while.
He cleaned out the intake, the surge tank, wiped down the butterflies, checked the IRMC, changed the plugs, checked the wiring, changed the oil & filter, and did a nice weld job. All the while put up with my 250 questions. He answered each with patience.
Overall Eric did a great job. We did a short test drive (to which I think I scared
him ... opps), and I rolled out of his driveway at about 4:15. Even after my wallet was $450 less than I started the day out. I feel it was worth it. I arrived home at about 8:15pm.
Please add me to the list of happy folks who had their cams welded by Eric Lehmann.
Thanks,
Kevin Knipp
Vibrant White 1997 SHO.
With Welded Cams!
My understanding is that Eric has done at least a dozen cars and all his customers are well satisfied with his services and prices. - Buford
Eric did my weld job a few months ago and was a true professional. Sorry I didn't email you guys about Eric back then. He is the Lombard IL.SHO-MASTER.
Chuck,
I have had my cams welded by Eric Lehmann. He is in Lombard IL. About 5 hrs from St Louis...
I highly recommend Eric for your cam welding job. Yes it is near Chicago but well worth the trip. Eric is VERY knowledgeable about the V8SHO.
I was at Eric's house about 8:00am and on the road back to St. Louis by 4:30pm the same day. One other thing is that Eric cost is much more reasonable then the $800 to $900 some others charge. ($ 450.00) Weld, new plugs, oil and just a very good guy. Ask about the Trans Cooler also.
Again I recommend Eric.... Ask the see the Thunderbird and the potato CANON.
Eric's email is Zenriddles@aol.com
Gene
Thanks
Gene
99TR
ERIC'D
I just joined the V-8 ranks and purchased a 98 in Pittsburgh, trailered it
to Chicago and had Eric Lehmann weld the cams before coming on home to Des
Moines. I think I can now drive it as it was intended instead of worrying
about when/where the failure may occur. Thanks to Eric I now know I also
need a new IMRC Actuator, another example of Job 1 being performed
flawlessly at Ford.
Greg Jones
Many V6 SHO's, 1 V8
Larry,
Add me as yet another person to the list of very satisfied CAM weld customers of Eric Lehmann.
Dropped it off early on Dec 6th and it was done by 3 pm. He cleaned the intakes all out, put all the bolts back in the right places that my mechanic did not, checked all my plugs, welded the cams and just generally did an excellent job. He is also a wealth of SHO information and an absolute pleasure to chat with. I even got to see the famed SHOfa.
Anyone in the Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin or Indiana area thinking about having it done, this is the guy to go see.
Ritch Carroll
97 TR
K&N
Welds by Eric!
DIVINE INTERVENTION AND THE CAMWELD PROCESS.
I'm feeling very lucky. Through a series of events I became aware of the cam gear concern that is occurring on the Gen. III SHO's. One of my associates races his Cobra
Mustang, I was curious on where he got some of his suspension parts. He told me to check out the V8
SHO web site.
Imagine my amazement when I found out my engine was a ticking time bomb. I felt sick, like being told I had a disease that there wasn't a cure for. I looked over the related information on the web site and came to the realization that I could take my chances and hope my engine wasn't one of the ones that may fail or get my cams modified. I spoke with some of my coworkers and bounced the possible cures for my engine woes, locktite (yea right), pinning, or welding. You see the ironic part of this story is that I have worked for Ford Motor Company as a Service Advisor or Service Manager for the last 16 years! I have not heard or seen anything on this problem till I got on the net.
I reviewed the information on the people who will weld your cams and after much agonizing, research and yes even some prayers I contacted Eric Lehman. We spoke on the phone and much to my relief due to the holidays he had some cancellations and could get to my car. We firmed up the details and I set out for my cam weld hoping not to be Found On the Road Dead.
After a five hour drive from Des Moines I arrived in Lombard at the Red Roof Inn at 11:09
checked in and spent a sleepless night ( The room was okay, the mattress was under whelming, but the Semi Tractor idling 30 yards away from my room was no help at all.) with visions of cam shaft dancing in my head. Eric's directions were right on the money and easy even for a self proclaimed directionally impaired person like me. I got there at about 7:45 and Eric came out to greet me. We exchanged pleasantries and after shuffling two SHO'S and his supercharged, alcohol injected Thunderbird (one look under the hood and I knew I had someone who was comfortable with a wrench in his hand.) he tucked my car into the operating room and we got started. I have worked with a lot of technicians in my 16 years and I could tell Eric knew what he was doing 20 minutes into the procedure. He pulled the left valve cover and checked the cams on that side to make sure some one hadn't welded them previously. No such luck. The exhaust cam shaft had .002-.004 of play in it. I felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. Eric began to disassemble my engine and inspect the parts as they came off. He found I had some plug on coils that were cracked and we discuss a plan of action to replace them. I called a local Ford dealer and much to my and Eric's surprise they had 4. Not only that but they sold them to me at 10% over cost. Eric said my luck was sure to run out soon. As he was accessing the cams he explained what he would be doing and why he was doing it "his way". Eric is a cross between a motor head, engineer and an anal retentive mad scientist. The thing that impressed me the most was his unflinching attention to detail from covering the entire top of the engine with each weld to cutting the wire at the tip of the TIG welder before each weld. He cleaned the surge tank runners and lower intake. Oh did mention after 2-4 cans of carb cleaner we had to open the garage door to lessen our buzz. The 18 Deg. breeze made me perk right up . Eric worked tirelessly thought the freezing temps with no breaks except to up load my engine pictures onto his lap top and helping Uncle Larry by loaning him his floor jack to change the oil filter in his wife's Pontiac. My luck held out again when Eric's fingers let a surge tank bolt slip (think the cold had something to do with it.) and he was able to retrieve it on the first try. I credit his experience for that break. He now had all of the repairs done and my engine was back together at 5:30 PM. Eric warned that the initial start after all that cleaning may be rough but when he hit the key and the 3.4 l popped off and idled just as it had when we shut it off 9 1/2 hours ago. He shook his head and smiled in disbelief and said "than never happens". We went for a short romp around the block and then checked for leaks (none), changed oil and filter and I was on my way home to Des Moines.
This is the way repairs should be done! Fix the problem, don't cause any other problems and fix it right the first time.
Eric gets an A+ completely satisfied grade from me.
If you are looking for some one to weld your cams, look no further.
Greg Freshour
96 TR
Welded and damn proud of it
3/3/2004
Larry,
Sorry for taking so long to get you the
write-up
- crazy week after leaving Eric's. I am the original owner of a '96 with a little over 38,000 miles and you can add me to the list of cam failures (caught in time however by Eric Lehmann). I have religiously changed the oil three to four times a year exclusively with Mobil 1 since it's first change at 1000 miles (yes Eric, I know .... a little anal, but I figure it's cheap insurance). The car has not been raced/abused or otherwise beat on, however I do drive it as it was designed to be driven. I had NO outward signs of any problems with the engine (no ticking or other strange noises). But after reading about the rising number of failures I knew it was just a matter of time so I did my research into having the cams welded, reading the many reviews on the V8SHO site before picking Eric Lehmann to weld my cams.
After going
almost
a year wondering when cam failure might happen; doing the research on welding vs. Loctite; and basically worrying the entire time about when I'd have a candidate for the car garden - getting my SHO cams welded by Eric was the greatest relief a SHO owner can have.
What can I say, Eric did a great job! Everything as promised. I know he hates the praise, but he was great! Knows his stuff, genuinely concerned about these cars and one of the best
bargains
around for the peace of mind. If you're within driving distance (or towing distance) don't wait till it's too late - drag it, push it, carry it over to Eric's. In by 8:00 and out by 3:00 which was a little ahead of schedule even though I continually bugged him throughout the entire process with questions. Great guy! He even let me push him in the FUBAR car around the block! - (although my back still aches from that one).
I know for a fact now that I would have been documenting the car as an engine failure if I hadn't gotten the car to Eric as the #1 cam had 3/1000 play in the sprocket. When would it have failed? Who knows, but it would have happened. Now you can record me as a cam failure (fixed), engine saved, happy customer of Eric's and a lost customer of Ford's anytime in the future. And add my name to the class action suit - If my car with so few miles and as pampered a life had a bad cam, then I'm convinced.
Fritz Goetz
'96 Silver Frost
38,500 miles
Schaumburg IL
4/07/2004
Eric
is a
great
guy
and
knows
a
great
deal
of
SHOs!!
I
also
met
Larry
and
saw
his
famous
fogs
in the
grill
SHO,
what
another
great
person!!
Im
sure
Ill
keep
in
contact
with
E1
with
any
question
that I
may
have
regarding
the
Gen
III
cars.
Thanks
a
million
Eric
for
the
info
and
the
weld.
If you
need
to get
welded
please
see E1
and
check
out
his
famous
Shofa,
pretty
cool.
Billy(foesho2)
This
was
originally
posted
on
SHOCAGO
today.
U.L.
4/13/2004
Larry,
I
finally
got my
car to
Eric
Lehman
last
Saturday
to
have
the
cams
welded.
I had
made
the
appointment
about
3
weeks
prior.
Unfortunately
the
company
I
worked
for
closed
up 10
days
after
I made
the
appointment.
Eric's
charge
of
$450.00
is
extremely
reasonable,
but I
wasn't
sure
it
would
be a
good
time
to
spend
the
money.
What I
was
sure
of was
I did
not
want
to be
unemployed
and
making
payments
on a
car I
couldn't
drive
because
of a
cam
failure.
So I
bit
the
bullet
and
kept
the
appointment.
Because
it was
Easter
weekend
it got
a
little
hectic.
I
actually
dropped
the
car
off
about
5:30
on
Friday
evening
as I
had
other
commitments
for
Saturday.
I
didn't
get to
meet
Eric
when I
dropped
off
the
car.
My son
drove
me
back
to
Lombard
on
Saturday
afternoon
to
pick
up the
car.
We
spent
about
an
hour
talking
with
Eric.
During
the
cam
weld
process
Eric
also
replaced
a
broken
hose
(no
charge)
wrapped
and
insulated
the
wire
harness
along
with
the
welding.
Eric
is
truly
a
SHOhead.
He
knows
the
cars
and is
happy
to
share
his
knowledge
with
others.
Peace
of
mind
is
PRICELESS.
Pete
Roeters
4/22/2004
Larry,
You
can
add me
to the
list
of
another
happy
SHO
owner,
who
recently
had
his
cams
welded
4/17/04.
Eric
is a
VERY
intelligent
individual,
I
can't
say
enough
about
the
guy,
He
answered
ALL of
my
questions
and
even
explained
what
he was
doing
as he
was
doing
it,
I've
never
felt
so
relaxed
in
leaving
my
vehicle
w/ a
total
stranger,
he
treated
my car
as if
it
were
one of
his
own.
We
also
changed
2
coils,
being
I
drove
the
car
from
Kenosha
and
the
car
was
running
on 7
cylinders.
I just
bought
the
car
about
a
month
before
my
appointment,
and
the
dealer
I
bought
it
from
was
supposed
to
have
it
tuned
up w/
all
new
coils.
Upon
Eric
starting
his
teardown
it was
apparent
that
all
the
coils
were
not
changed,
and
the
plugs
other
than
being
the
wrong
ones,
were
barely
hand
tight.
I also
got to
meet
Larry
Eck
and
got to
see
his
"famous"
SHO
you
know
the
red
one
the
start
up up
page
of
V8SHO,
he
even
took
me to
pick
up
some
lunch,
thank's
again
Larry.
So if
anyone
who
lives
within
a
reasonable
radius
of the
Chicago
area,
and
has
not
had
there
cams
welded
yet no
fear
Eric
is
here!
Just a
class
first
class
guy
who
loves
these
cars
and is
VERY
reliable!
Mike
Baratta
Kenosha,WI
97'Red
SHO
welded
5/03/2004
Larry,
I just
took
my car
to
Eric
to
have
the
cams
welded
on May
1
2004,
after
reading
all
the
favorable
reviews
on
your
website.
I was
so
happy
to
learn
there
was
such a
knowledgeable
person
so
close
to me
to
take
care
of my
car.
Everything
Eric
said
he
would
do, he
did,
and
his
price
of
$450
is the
best
around.
I
don't
know a
lot
about
cars,
( Eric
can
certainly
verify
that)
but I
learned
a ton
just
talking
with
him.
All I
wanted
was to
feel
confident
driving
my
car.
This
is our
third
SHO, I
was so
excited
to get
the
V8,
then I
read I
was
driving
a time
bomb.
We
thought
about
getting
rid of
it,
but
there
just
isn't
anything
else
comparable
out
there
I want
to
drive.
So, I
am
$450
poorer,
and
the
happiest
mom on
the
road.
Eric
told
me
"Drive
it
like
you
stole
it" to
teach
it to
respond
quicker
and to
handle
better.
Well
now
that I
am so
much
more
confident,
I am
having
a
BLAST.
I
recommend
Eric
to
EVERYONE
who
hasn't
had it
done.
He
ABSOLUTELY
knows
what
he is
doing,
and my
car
feels
like
it's
brand
new!
Thank
You
Eric!!!!
When
you
go, do
not
leave
without
seeing
the
Shofa!!!
Jeannie
Autry
97
Silver
Frost
05.01.2004
89K
06/01/2004
Larry:
I have
not
forgotten
to
note
Eric's
cam
weld
work
on my
96 SHO
on
March
26-27.
Eric
was
able
(barely)
but
very
willing
to
begin
work
on my
96 SHO
immediately
upon
arriving
in
Chicago
on
Friday
evening,
only a
day
after
a
large
truck
shortened
the
back
end of
his
Jeep.
Eric's
work
involved
swapping
the
front/rear
sets
of
coils,
cleaning
the
surge
tank,
intakes,
and
butterflies,
welding,
oil
change,
and
answering
all of
my
questions.
(the
plugs
had
recently
been
changed).
Work was completed early Saturday afternoon - and the ride back to WI was surely a joy!
I
appreciate
all
information
on his
experience
with
the v8
engine
and
practical
advice
on its
care
and
feeding.
Eric's
diligence,
quality
of
work,
and
willingness
to
answer
questions
(and
seeing
the
SHOfa)
are
certainly
enough
to
earnestly
recommend
his
work
to
anyone
requiring
cam
welds.
Eric:
Any
recommendations
regarding
oil
changes
more
frequently
than
3K
miles?
Just
changed
mine
for
the
first
time
since
the
welding,
and
the
oil
seemed
a bit
dirty
-
relative
to my
frequent
2.5K
miles
max
between
changes
on my
'90
SHO.
You
may
recall
that
your
cleanup
of my
surge
tank,
intake,
and
butterflies
was
required
about
7 cans
of
Berrymans.
Is it
likely
that
additional
sludge
in the
crankcase
is
draining?
I also
have
some
rather
significant
squealing
seeming
to be
from
my
rotors
when
the
vehicle
initially
moved
when
cold -
I have
not
yet
examined
the
status
of the
brakes.
I
anticipate
brake/rotor
service
only,
but
should
I be
concerned
about
something
more
significant?
Another
question
- if
driving
steady
at
65-75mph
on
highway
(sometimes
in
cruise,
but
not
exclusively),
the
engine
will
rev
from a
constant
2200-2500
up
approx.
300
RPM
for
about
1
second,
then
back
to
2200-2500RPM.
Any
ideas?
Assuming
nothing
inherently
wrong
with
the
transmission,
I am
wondering
if
this
condition
is due
to the
tuning
of the
engine
response
based
on my
driving
upon
leaving
your
house?
I have
not
tried
to
retune
since
the
cam
weld.
I
enjoy
seeing
your
latest
efforts
on the
web
site -
when
next
in IL,
I may
stop
by to
see
your
latest
modifications.
P.S.
Larry,
I am
still
working
on
that
photo
for
the
next
version
of the
screen
saver
- I
will
attempt
to
obtain
a G.B.
Packers
"G"
placed
perfectly
on the
rear
window
of the
SHO -
however,
I am
sure
you
could
do the
same
with
the
Bears'
"C".
Although
I have
taken
little
time
to
implement
many
modifications
of the
SHO, (ATX
fluid
cooler
is in
the
garage,
saxocone
removal
will
be
next)
I have
noted
and
downloaded
much
of the
information
on the
website
- it
is an
excellent
resource.
Let me
know
if I
can
contribute
to
keeping
the
site
active.
Thanks,
Tracy
Reineking
96 SHO
TR
06/02/2004
Sorry
it
took
me so
long
to get
this
to you
but
time
seems
to fly
by.
I'm
happy
to say
that,
thanks
to
Eric
Lehman,
I
haven't
worried
about
my
cams
since
May
22nd.
And
like
Eric
told
me,
the
drive
home
was
the
best
drive
I'd
had in
my
beloved
SHO.
I knew
very
quickly
that I
had
the
right
guy
working
on my
car. I
bet I
asked
him a
question
every
10
seconds
for
about
7
straight
hours
and he
answered
each
one (I
would
have
killed
me
after
about
2
minutes).
Eric
is a
very
passionate
when
it
comes
to
these
cars
and we
are
lucky
that
he is
willing
to
help
us.
The
guy
does
unbelievable
work
for a
very
good
price.
The
$450
he
charged
is a
very
small
price
(investment)
to pay
for
cam
freedom
and
100K
maintenance.
I'd
recommend
Eric
to
anyone.
On a
side
note
to
anyone
considering
Eric -
after
he is
done
doing
his
magic,
not
only
should
you
ask
him to
pop
the
hood
on his
German
alcohol
fed
Thunder
Chicken,
ask
him to
start
it.
WOW
Thanks
Eric!!!
Joe
Wede
97 ES
- 84K
and
counting
9/27/04
Howdy
folks,
Well,
this
past
weekend,
I
finally
got to
take
one of
my
SHO's
to
Eric
Lehmann.
I
found
out
about
the
cam
problem
2
years
ago,
but
had
procrastinated
and
didn't
have
the
money
until
now to
get it
done.
It's
doubly
nerve
wracking
because
I have
2 of
them!
I left
Saint
Paul,
MN at
about
6:40
on
Friday
night.
I
arrived
at my
motel
in Oak
Brook
at
about
1am.
I got