new 2/21/2004, updated 3/3/2004
Larry-
It Happened AGAIN! 38k on a HEAVILY pampered 96. Mobil one 3 times a year since new. Do the math on the miles between changes. A little OVER-Doting I think.
Front Exhaust cam sprocket .003 movement when tested.
Regards
Eric Lehmann
I met the owner and saw this beautiful 96 SF with only 38,xxx on the clock. Did I mention he is owner #1? Talk about pampered!! Definate competition for Eric's Garage Queen!
Deatils are pending right now waiting for his writeup.
U.L.
________________________________________________________________________
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
That's right folks, original owner, 38,500 miles. To Die For!!
U.L.