Are gen3 SHO's as problematic as the gen1-2 SHO's?

[yung1]

Like the title says. I am a proud gen 2 owner and love the car, despite all her mechanical woes. Just wondering if gen 3 SHO's are as problematic. Sorry if I posted in the wrong section.

 

[luigisho]

Generally, once the cam issue is addressed, they are more reliable than the other 2 Generations. You also have a brake line rot issue in the middle of the car that is common because of moisture trapping design flaw.

They are not without problems but I've noticed less overall maintenance than my GenI.

 

[RonPorter]

Well, the tranny in a Gen 3 is an ongoing issue, particularly the torque converter. Other than being not as good for cooling as the Gen 2 ATX, these cars have just seemed to have far more ATX issues.

Plus the COP system will fail coils on a regular basis. Almost unheard of an a Gen 1-2 V6. Pretty much an issue with any Ford with the COP setup as they age, though (like my '00 F-250 5.4).

And the numbers just work against you. There were far fewer Gen 3s made than the earlier cars, so as parts fail, replacements will be tougher to get. The SARC struts of '96 -'98 are now unobtanium. And there really never has been a good aftermarket strut for replacement with any kind of performance.

I would not call Gen 1-2 cars "problematic", especially when compared to a Gen 3. Any 15-20-year-old used car will cause issues if it wasn't properly maintained. My SHOs have not had ongoing issues, even after many years and many miles.

 

[chrism3784]

I had a gen3 for a few month, got the cams welded and steering rack switched which was a problem before I got the car. Also put in gen2 atx cooler and changed out ball joints. Drove fine, no issues. Took on long road trip up north when they had a 100+ heat wave, with no problem. So far the guy I sold it to is having good luck with it to.

 

[luigisho]

My Gen III has the original tranny and 190+k miles on it. Like most used cars, the real answer is, it depends who drove and manitained it before you and how you drive and maintain your own vehicles after purchase.

 

[RonPorter]

My Gen III has the original tranny and 190+k miles on it. Like most used cars, the real answer is, it depends who drove and manitained it before you and how you drive and maintain your own vehicles after purchase.

You are VERY LUCKY!!

Other folks, some who I know personally, took good care of theirs, and the tranny/TC was an ongoing issue.

Ron

 

[hawkeye18]

I'm with LuigiSHO; any SHO, like any other used car, is only as reliable as its prior maintenance.

Take my wife's 95; when we first got it, it was plagued with stupid little problems - random misfires, parts failing left and right, motor mounts going out, etc. etc. But after replacing a lot of parts that were going bad, doing a full 60K on it, fresh plugs/wires, etc, it's run like an absolute top and hasn't malfunctioned in any way, shape or form in nearly 3 years.

We haven't stopped on maintenance (regular oil changes, trans fluid changes, plug replacement, etc.), and the car's rewarded us by starting the first time, every time, and never giving us any problems. It doesn't hurt that I am an electronics technician by trade.

tl;dr the gar gives to you what you put into it.

 

[RonPorter]

I'm with LuigiSHO; any SHO, like any other used car, is only as reliable as its prior maintenance.

Take my wife's 95; when we first got it, it was plagued with stupid little problems - random misfires, parts failing left and right, motor mounts going out, etc. etc. But after replacing a lot of parts that were going bad, doing a full 60K on it, fresh plugs/wires, etc, it's run like an absolute top and hasn't malfunctioned in any way, shape or form in nearly 3 years.

We haven't stopped on maintenance (regular oil changes, trans fluid changes, plug replacement, etc.), and the car's rewarded us by starting the first time, every time, and never giving us any problems. It doesn't hurt that I am an electronics technician by trade.

tl;dr the gar gives to you what you put into it.

True, but that's not the issue of the tranny/TC. A few folks have gone through multiple trannies/TCs over short periods of time. I even helped replace one of them. Over the long term, the tranny in a Gen 3 will cost you more than any damage from unwelded cams.

And good luck on the SARC struts, the steering box, and other engine parts like gaskets, both now and as time goes on.

Back on your original post. yeah, buying my first SHO new, and after the "year of ****" from '91 into '92, it was far more dependable than others that went through multiple owners over the 10 years I had it, but that's virtually any car. When there are inherent issues, you can be as careful as you can be, and still get bit in the ass.

Glad I didn't keep my Gen 3 over three years, but I got bored with it.

 

[stephen newberg]

Like a few of the others, I am at 190k+ and have never had a burp of problems with the transmission and TC, but I also pretty much never do burn outs, and very seldom do WOT from a standing stop, plus having had the car since it was very close to new. At this point the car is 13 years on with no costs from the trans other than regular fluid changes, so I do not think it is going to cost me more than a killed motor from the cams might have. But I admit that most owners push theirs harder, and more often, in ways that the trans is not going to like. That, I suspect, is the root of the transmission problems. Its the change in design philosophy from the Gen I/II and the Gen III. Its seems most owners, at least for a while, tend to treat their Gen IIIs as if they were I/IIs, and the transmissions really are not up to that. The Gen III was just never intended to be a stop light warrior.

pax, smn

 

[RonPorter]

Like a few of the others, I am at 190k+ and have never had a burp of problems with the transmission and TC, but I also pretty much never do burn outs, and very seldom do WOT from a standing stop, plus having had the car since it was very close to new. At this point the car is 13 years on with no costs from the trans other than regular fluid changes, so I do not think it is going to cost me more than a killed motor from the cams might have. But I admit that most owners push theirs harder, and more often, in ways that the trans is not going to like. That, I suspect, is the root of the transmission problems. Its the change in design philosophy from the Gen I/II and the Gen III. Its seems most owners, at least for a while, tend to treat their Gen IIIs as if they were I/IIs, and the transmissions really are not up to that. The Gen III was just never intended to be a stop light warrior.

pax, smn

It's the same tranny as the Gen 2 ATX, and the cars weigh about the same.

Offhand, with the tight(er) packaging of the Gen 3, there seems to be a tranny cooling issue (and the engine seems to run hotter, also).

On top of this there's "something" different about nthe TC and front pump setup. Don't know what, but the Gen 2 ATXs just have not had the problems in this area that the Gen 3 guys have have. The V8 SHO mailing list, over the years, has had more info on all this than this V8 Section of the Forum.

At the risk of being a smartass, why own a SHO if you drive with an egg under your foot? If that's what it takes (and I also believe that you have been very lucky with your tranny), I would want no part of it.

What's the old joke? If you don't drink, smoke, or chase women, you won't "really" live longer.......it will just seem that way!!

Over 10 years and 182K miles, my '89 SHO saw the 7K redline a minimum of a half-dozen times a day. Plus dragstrips, road courses, and smoky burnouts early in it's life. The 3rd clutch had been in since about 160K, and the tranny was original. The early SHOs with MTXs were all like this. Diff pins and all that stuff didn't start showing up until maybe 10 years ago, once the original cars were at least 10 years old and not on their original owners. Gen 3s, atarted showing tranny, cam, and coil issues before the oldest ones were much more than 3-4 years old.

Oh, and make sure you drop that Gen 3 radiator and clean it out. Already at least one engine lost due to that. Tight packing again.

 

[stephen newberg]

I did not say I drove it with an egg under the pedal or that it never was red lined. I said I did not do burn outs and seldom did WOT from a standing stop. The old girl gets WOT all the time when already moving and gets red lined frequently. But I am not interested in stop light racing. I like going very fast on winding back roads. Everyone is different in what they enjoy. And, as it happens, the Gen III is excellently suited to be really good at what I like plus being an excellent high speed highway cruiser, which I also need and enjoy. But, and big surprise here, that is what the design intent was. That was not the design intent of the Gen I/II. Which is why I am not driving one of those.

Different strokes, Ron.

pax, smn

 

[hawkeye18]

Bigger transmission coolers never hurt. I've got a 18,000gvw cooler waiting to go on the 95. And yes, it has a thermostat.

 

[stephen newberg]

I put in the trans cooler from FPS a couple of years ago when I got a rust through leak in the OEM cooler at one of the bends. Since it had to be replaced anyway, it seemed sensible to get a better cooler at the same time. Its worth noting, though, that having put in a trans fluid temp gauge very shortly after getting the car a dozen years ago, I have been able to keep an eye on this very critical element and that could also have helped keeping me out of trouble with the transmission. I have never overheated it, though without the gauge it is certainly likely I would have a number of times.

pax, smn

 

[hawkeye18]

Yeah, transmission overheating is definitely a problem on the Gen 3s with their little pencil-tube coolers. It's not nearly as big an issue on the Gen 2s, as they have a much bigger/better stack-type cooler, as well as a little less HP/torque being pushed through it.

This is why one of the most popular upgrades for Gen 3 folks is a Gen 2 trans cooler, as IIRC it bolts right in. I plan on keeping the stock ATX cooler and re-purposing it as the new PS cooler, so I can get rid of that pain-in-the-ass finger-jabby cooler that's on there now.

 

[luigisho]

That's not a bad idea. I'll ponder it for next spring.

 

[St Louis SHO]

I just switched to MTX, screw it.

 

[Zap]

I just switched to MTX, screw it.

More information please! (Cost, etc.) would be most helpful. I have contemplated this idea, especially if I get to the point where there are ATX issues. I can't see spending almost the same amount vs going the MTX route if it is tried and true by this point.