New 2/9/06
Dear Timothy (AKA Buford)
I tried sending an email but it was bounced back so are trying this way x internet. My mechanic from Courtesy Ford Palmerston North NZ rang to tell me that the engine had suffered from a cam failure on my V8SHO at 56000miles approx (94000Km). There was no warning just a loss of power and engine lights came on and engine would not restart. When trucked to FORD garage to repair was initially not firing on rear bank all 4 cylinders. After taking off covers revealed damage to valves etc. The car was under a FORDSURE warranty. They would not allow the cams to be welded while under the warranty even though I passed on the info that you sent me. I was going to have them welded once the warranty ended in March of this year as it was a 2 year warranty I was confident it would make it as it was not a high mileage. But it hasn't. So now for an expensive and time consuming repair job as they have had no experience with these motors. 1998 V8SHO.
Regards,
Grant Bryers
g.bryers@xtra.co.nz
PS now just another statistic of the Fix Or Repair Daily Saga
3/30/06
Hi Tim
I have just got my SHO back from the Ford Repair Shop today 7 weeks after the cam failed. I still have yet to try it on a run out of the city on the open road as I just returned their courtesy loan car and drove it straight home about 5km in total.
They sent the head to be checked & repaired to an automotive engineering shop, where the cams were also welded. Took 3 weeks to get the 8 valves (only 8 bent), seals and gaskets etc from the USA sourced through FORD USA from FORD in NZ.
It is all to be covered by the FORDSURE warranty that I took out when purchasing the car 2 years ago. Hopefully now that the car is going again and with the cams welded we can return to the driving pleasure that we enjoyed before 'missing & idling' problems began many months ago finishing in the failure of one of the cams 2mths ago.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the support given by you. It has proven instrumental in the cams being welded during the repair job, as I passed on a lot of the information supplied through your website.
It was also good getting in touch with two other SHO owners in NZ through the website. I met the owner in Auckland by chance in a carpark in a shopping mall while I was up there visiting my daughter and have been in touch through e-mail and by phone with the Hamilton owner. Both have been extremely supportive and helpful. Unlike ours both of their cars had their cams welded to prevent their failure and to date have had no problems.
Thanks again for your interest and keep up the good work through your website. It is great reading all the entries submitted to your organization by the many other SHO owners out there.
Regards
Grant Bryers
New Zealand
(Down Under) Southern Hemisphere
Where 'King Kong' the movie remake was made by Peter Jackson the NZ film
Director.