new 3/28/03
Tim:
After reading Joseph Hans' new entry on the website, what I simply cannot understand is why people continue to drive these cars when the engine starts to tick! Are these SHO owners just nuts? What - the engine's ticking but MY car won't have this cam problem? Or are we to assume that they are finding this V8sho.com website AFTER their engines have stalled out and the damage is done?
Secondly, don't you think Ford should at least tell their dealers that, if one of their Gen III SHO customers comes in with a ticking engine that it should be shut down IMMEDIATELY? I seem to recall that a few of these unfortunates who later had cam failure took their cars into the dealers with ticking engines and were not told they had this soon to be disastrous problem, drove away only to have the failure soon after. If this had happened to me, I would have gone completely nuts.
As it is, after reading this website, I had the SHOshop pinning job about two months ago. Now the car runs like a top and I have peace of mind. I'm SO glad I took preventive action to avoid this terrible problem, and extremely grateful to you for all the hard work of getting the information out there and maintaining this website. There's a special lace in SHO owner's heaven for you, Tim.
David Felderstein
1996 SHO Toreador Red, now 85,000 miles
Sacramento, CA
This is a forward from of list, RE
http://www.v8sho.com/SHO/JosephHansCamFailure236.htm
Joseph sent me his phone number, I immediately called to tell him NOT to drive his car. He told me I called too late. I was about to throw up. This morning a cam weld would have saved his car.
About a year ago, I was told I was alarming owners with out good cause, we all assumed we had about 1000 mile warning.
I would like a group consensus, so I can say WE recommend you park your car as soon as you begin to hear a cam noise. Rent a car. Hire a cab, get a tow truck - it is all still cheaper than a new engine.
We don't all have to agree. I collect all reasonable (printable) answers on FAQ for owners to read.
Jump in anytime folks
Thanks
Buford
Don't drive it! It's cheaper to wreck it than have the cams go.
David
Former '98 TR wrecked
Former '91 White
It makes me equally sick every time I see a new posting. The fact that Joseph did not have the
presence of mind to shut down the car at the first fatal sign of ticking, though is not his fault.
For every mechanically savvy member of this list, I would suggest there are at least 10 like me that have been assigned the mechanically challenged handicapped parking stall. None the less, we are a vast community with many resources. Perhaps we can bring them to bear to help out Joseph, if he wishes
I do vaguely remember Tim being accused of the Chicken Little syndrome. I was a list lurker at that time. I have learned a great deal about our cars through the community and will continue to do so.
We have initiated the action we thought necessary to bring all the weight of the law down upon Ford, now its just wait and see what happens. We have, IMHO a competent savvy team of attorneys who understand the lay of the land in this type of litigation and have already shown their willingness to listen to us, the
plaintiffs, to insure the best possible chance of prevailing. Remember I said chance. No
certainty to outcome.
I have said it before, I say it again now. If we don't demand action, we will never get action.
Joe, I feel your pain, If there is anything I or anybody else can do, don't hesitate.
Larry Eck
Larry, Tim, Everyone,
A little over a year ago I did a survey in one of the first SHO Club magazines of V8SHO owners. In the problem area, we had transmissions, minor things, but not one cam problem. Less than 6 months later, I was convinced we had an epidemic. Tim and I both agreed this was a major problem. I obtained and turned over a failed cam to an engineer in the Chicago zone that said he would get back to me. He did respond to my e-mails until shortly after the class action suit, but basically he never gave me any sort of decision or conclusion.
Like Tim, and several others of you out there that are thought of as "experts" I get calls all the time from people worried about this problem. Some of their questions are:
1. Should they buy a V8 SHO? I say yes, but get the cams welded or pinned. Get the problem fixed. Do I turn off some people to the car and lose potential club members? Sure, but I sleep better at night knowing I did the right thing.
2. What should I do with my V8 SHO? I tell people if they like the car (and almost 100% of them do) they should spend the money to get the cams welded or pinned (I mention the more expensive pinning procedure because it is a viable solution that we should not dismiss or forget about). After all, chances are if they just bought the car, they got a superb sporting sedan at a bargain price, Take a few hundred of the dollars they saved at purchase and invest it in a longer life for the car.
3. Should they get the cams welded or pinned? I recommend welding because it is proven, cheaper and easier. But I give everyone the option and tell them to check with several places and come to their own conclusion.
4. Should they keep driving the car? This is a tough one. I tell them if the motor is quiet, then drive it, but get the problem fixed ASAP. I try to tell them that next week would not be too soon. I get calls from people about once or twice a month that waited and had a failure without warning. I tell them if the motor is making that "diesel" noise, that they should park it and disconnect the battery and not let ANYONE try to start it till they take the valve covers off and inspect to see if it is good enough to weld/pin or if they have to replace the cam.
5. Is all this shouting "the sky is falling"? NO, this is a proven REAL problem with VERY REAL consequences. Anyone that says otherwise is literally putting their head in the sand and ignoring the obvious.
Don Mallinson