100K PM - Tim's Plan - TIC Firmly

New 10/02/2004, 10/7/04

This is what Doug & I came up with:

Check brakes, suspension and exhaust, - check Front end alignment

Micron air filter (cabin)

flush Brakes, Coolant, PS, ATX

Change front belt, upper radiator hoses and thermostat.

Clean K&N air filter in fender

Oil change, filter & oil analysis

Fuel filter

top off Freon

install headlight wiring harness and replace PIAA 9007 bulbs with Sylvania Silver Stars ( Wal-mart $37/ pair)

Clean radiator exterior.

Reroute ATF so OE cooler is not used, only aux B&M cooler.

Chip?

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spark plugs were changed 30k ago and valve lift checked, Intake cleaned 20k ago,

Maybe I will do valves, plugs, Coil-On-Plugs and clean the intake next year? I don't think I need it now.

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No repairs in 3 years, it's all PM.

Tim

10/7/04

The Buford 100k RX:

Well 625 miles down to Atlanta and the same for the return I am semi ready to report. I had a set of PIAA bulbs in on the way down, Silver Stars on the way back. I drove both ways at night. In 24 hours, for the return trip, GA, TN, KY and IL put up 200 over passes and 625 miles of reflectors. I recommend putting a most sensitive part of your anatomy in the jaws of a pair of vice grips as a reminder and don’t take them off until your SHO has a set of Silver Stars. If you like your SHO just think what it would be like with useful headlights.

One front brake pad rivet was just starting to cut the rotor. I got 80k and several brake jobs out of the cyro treated rotors. I can’t recommend them enough but the front rotors had had to go because they were worn below min. and can not be cut again. Doug put on EBC Green pads front and back, and adjusted (not removed) the rear brake plug, and he did a proper break flush. I hope he rebuilt my calibers? The improvement in both feel and effect is profound. I haven’t bedded the pads yet but they do a great job of “drop anchor” without forcing me to run17” rims year round. Brake feel and balance in particular is all I could pray for. I suspect brake effect is of the same quality as the feel and balance but I have not needed to give them a severe test yet.

One major problem with the rear brake bias is that Ford has only one part for both SHO or SLO, disk/disk system or disk/drum. Now SHO front brakes should do most of the work which is not to say the rear disks should do NONE of the work. I very much prefer the new dynamic weight balance now that Doug tweaked the bias valve. The car does not suddenly shift ALL of its’ weight forward every time you touch the brakes as it did 2 days ago. This is in my opinion one of the three worst engineering mistakes in V8SHOs, the other two being the cam design and OE headlights. Weak ATX, does that make four major engineering mistakes? I guess that is not too many for all the things Ford got correct? What was the purpose of the bad original cheapo single PN bias valve? UAW pension and profits are job #1? It might have made each car a dime more expensive but a lot safer.

I still have four pair, two sets, of brand new Carbotech "Street F" front pads left, but no matching rear pads. Any offers? (Prize next convention?) They are excellent track/street pads that work OK in the cold but still work like a champ up to +900F.

Toss in one fuel filter change, just out of habit.

Add in a complete antifreeze /coolant flush and replace the upper radiator hoses. I wanted to also replace the thermostat and lower main radiator hose but they were not available on short notice and passed close scrutiny. The upper hoses run hotter than the lower return hose so they fail first. I drive mostly short trips and all my hoses were in good shape, but I replaced them anyway. The chemistry (additive package) of antifreeze deteriorates over time and one may observe that (according to Ford) the first coolant change is at 50k then every 30k. I purchased my SHO new but for those owners with B titles and uncertain maintenance history I wonder if an extra coolant swap might not prolong radiator life and help avoid the expensive consequences.

BTW, a radiator swap ~ 6 hours labor at FPS. Do you have to drop the engine to change the radiator?

Doug got enough kaka of off the exterior of my radiator to reform the Mississippi delta. He has a special tool of his own invention to clean radiators. Uncle Larry lives in the city, I live in the country. In any environment I am thinking that unless you drive only in a “clean-room” a regular exterior radiator cleaning may be part of the new standard V8SHO FAQ PM, but at what interval? 100k? 75k? 50k? Take one rural gentleman / owner like Paul Nimz. He once got a robin in his grill! What else may he have vacuumed up in his grill? Lawd only knows what endangered species, convicted felons, jaywalkers or Canadians could be sandwiched in the intimate recess of his radiator and the driver would never know? Momma was right, flush often.

Speak of the devil, Paul Nimz & I moved my air filter to inside my front fender. (Thank-you again Paul.) I since neglected it, clean it seldom, since it is a PITA to access. Now I am confident I no longer have the dead slowest V8SHO on earth, (of the ones that still move) Houston we found the problem! A V8SHO has so little displacement it can operate on 75 CFM, but it should not have to. Doug filled a NJ land fill with the toxic detritus on my air filter.

I had my aux B&M ATF cooler plumbed in series with the OE ATF radiator. Doug has his own larger ATF radiator he prefers so when he flushed the ATX (and ATX filter) & PS he re-plumed the system to eliminate the OE ATF radiator and the B&M. This eliminates the possibility of ATF in the engine or coolant in the motor. Any offers for my used 34,000GVW B&M ATF radiator? (Another prize for our next convention?)

Doug found and fixed a minor motor oil leak; topped off the AC with R134a. Put air in my tires which were too low for me to confess. Why top off AC in the fall? Because you need it to take your visible breath off of the INSIDE of your windows in the coming cold months before one may drive.

Nothing lasts as long as OE mufflers, all others save Bullets need replaced every twelve months. I put the Bullets on in preparation for Madison Wisconsin 30 months ago and they are rattling indicating “loose guts”, but they out-lasted anything else except OE 2.5 to 1. Don Mallinson tells me they are “Lifetime Replacement Warranty” and together we intend to test that system and report back to the clan.

Oh yea, Doug also replaced the front serpentine belt which was also in good shape. My aux headlight harness was designed not for 9007 bulbs but sealed beams headlights which charmed the hell out of Doug after he had it all installed and tried to plug it in to the bulbs. (sorry Doug, mea culpa)

My invoice runs two pages, a dealership may have done the same work but it would cost four times the resale value of the car and I would still need Doug to repair all their fixes. All this cost me $1,768 about half of which is parts (including 20 qts. of Monolec ATF at $8/qt.). I supplied what ever parts I had squirreled away and Doug used what ever he had to use. My suspension, brakes, cooling systems are all 100% or will be when I get new muffs.

Oh yea, can’t forget we changed the micron (cabin) air filter. We had no time for either a chip or front end alignment check.

Maybe next year it will be coils, plugs, clean the upper intake?

One reason, of many, to highly recommend FPS is their gift for finding small things (not on the work order) like the oil leak and fixing them. I feel better anytime Doug and his crew breathe over my car. This is what Ford service SHOULD be like if the theories of evolution and natural selection are true. My last, very last, visit to a local IL Ford dealership (Northtown Ford) they told me to take the car back to WV where I purchased it for service. May their offspring go hungry and shoeless, and their parents go homeless.

Once I inspect and maybe photograph the returned parts I may have a more detailed report but this is the executive summary.

PS: Mobil 1 Oil change and Mobil 1 filter includes another oil analysis, naturally.

PS II: After a very late test drive Doug suspects my rear front-subframe bolts may need tightened, It was very late, and I'll have to do that here in IL.

Schyt, we neglected to check the real axel lub!!
What does that take?
90w gear lub with an additive made from sperm whales??
Does anyone else remember getting that additive from GM for cars with POSI?

Oh yea, if your not welded, do that first!

I didn't see any mention of the blinker fluid change to synth or painting of the wipers? :} Have a good trip. Save those PIAA's, they will come in handy.

U.L.

Muffler bearings piston return springs can't forget those.

Matt Kennedy

WOW!!! I didn't know they made synthetic blinker fluid. I have been all over Amsoils web site and can't find it. Mobile 1 maybe? ;-)

Rich Larsen

Chip? --- YES Plugs at 30K ---YES (Denso Iridium ? ) Looks like the rest is covered pretty well .
Rick B

Rotate air in tires
|Brad Bender

I just change the air out in the tires twice a year. Once in spring for summer air, once in fall for winter air. It's almost as good as summer/winter tires, and a necessity for those of us using all-season.

David Jones

Also remember to get high-altitude air if you're visiting the Mountain West. Of course, that would be pre-trip prep rather than scheduled maintenance.
Brad Bender

I painted my w/w 50k ago, I always save old 9007 bulbs, I bet I need a new gas cap, they only last 25k,

Silver stars were only $37/pair at wally world. This fall I'm using Cdn air in my tires cuz it weighs 30% less.

Tim

Oh, and them Badger Tubes too!
Carter Fuji

Sounds like a good through PM.

I would also consider the lower radiator hose too, as I know the inside of mine is cracked at 130K. I bet the OEM t-stat is perfectly good. Very easy to change if there ever is a problem.

Have him cut off the exhaust support that runs from the #1 bank cat to the transmission case. I've run like this for three years with no ill effects on the exhaust. This is a good way to cut down on direct heat input not related to the actual transmission work.

I bet if you don't put on new coils, you will soon have coil problems. At least put 4 new coils in the back and be sure to upgrade the OEM insulation back there for the coil wiring.

Paul Nimz

*jeesh he took it seriously* However, good call!

U.L.

*For those who don't populate the List, TIC mean Tongue in Cheek - This was a good fun poke at 100K service. *

U.L.

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