Gen3 Clunk and a wheeze.. $1400 please!

[Rav]

Guys,

Here's the on going saga on the clunk and the wheeze at the rear of the Gen3 SHO, took it to a dealer today at the request of my father. They diagnosed it
with two worn rear struts and rear sway bar frame mount bushings. Total cost for this part+labour+tax $1400.

So along with this now there are these other features to the SHO.

The battery light coming on intermittantly looks like it is the alternator on the way out.

The revs going mad, well excited, at a stop light and then when shifting into park looks like it is the TPS or TPS connector.

So question...

Do I forget the repairs drive until the car's in really bad shape and then trade it in?
Do the repairs and hope everything is sorted?
Lastly, trade it in now?

Any opinions?

Thanks,

Rav

 

[laxmax327]

well you could easily do it for a fraction of that price if you can do it yourself. its really not too hard. but if you absolutely cant, then just find a normal mechanic and youll still save hundreds. i never quite understood why people go to dealers to have work done... especially on a car like this.

 

[Rav]

Thing is I was told $250 per strut and then another 150 or so for the bushings and then an alignment would be needed. So once all the parts have been factored in with tax the labour works out to be $600 or so.

Definitely not something that I could do myself. I wish I could but I know my limits.

 

[Off Road SHO]

Definitely not something that I could do myself. I wish I could but I know my limits.

Limits, we don't have no stinkin limits. We can do it here together. My tools and shop, your skinned knuckles.

Tom

 

[Rav]

Definitely tempting Tom. I would be well chuffed if I did it. You saw how I felt a real hero getting the parcel shelf out.

Thing is I'd hate to spend all that money and time doing all the work and it turn out to be something else.

I just don't understand this stuff and that makes me nervous.

But if we got it sorted... that would be something.

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

If I were you, I would take Tom up on his offer.

The only way to learn how to work on your own car is to do it. Having the tools/space at your disposal, and another person to help you out if you get in a pinch is priceless.

 

[Shoaz]

The rear struts and swaybar are pretty easy to change on a GenII. I don't think a GenIII would be much worse, but I've never really tried it before.

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

Guys: the strut assembly looked to be very similar to my gen 1 (even down to those cheap bolts with flanges on them.

Rav: you can do it at Tom's. between the 12 of us it shouldnt take more than 18 hours and a sledgehammer to fix.

Oh and by the way, the dealer is full of it to say you need an alignment, its the rear struts. For 1400 (GASP!) you could do eibach springs and tokico struts all the way around and still have 800 bucks in your pocket to lavish Dooleyville with enough Corona's to put that Trailer's bathroom to a serious capacity test.

Dont have the dealer do anything to it. I still dont think the strut bushings are bad, they look better than mine, we can tackle the project together if indeed that is the correct diagnosis. No sense spending 1400 on that to find out it is something else.

 

[Rav]

Guys: the strut assembly looked to be very similar to my gen 1 (even down to those cheap bolts with flanges on them.

Rav: you can do it at Tom's. between the 12 of us it shouldnt take more than 18 hours and a sledgehammer to fix.

-[SNIP]-

Dont have the dealer do anything to it. I still dont think the strut bushings are bad, they look better than mine, we can tackle the project together if indeed that is the correct diagnosis. No sense spending 1400 on that to find out it is something else.

Michael,

That's my real fear spending all the money to find out it's something else. I did some digging around and it seems that the struts can be had for 185 a pop. So that's doable and then while it's opened up we might as well do the bushings if they're not too expensive.

Is there anyway of definitely telling it's the struts?

Rav.

 

[nik97]

Gen3 rear struts, swaybar=easy.<2hrs. Alignment=not necesary.

Skeptical about both struts being at fault. Wheezing could indicat A strut. I would replace both while I was there if they weren't $125 a piece.

Alternator, connectors? These are things that could easily be done @ Tom''s and probably with quite a few helping hands

 

[Shoaz]

Rav, get the parts, figure out a good weekend (or whenever) that suits The Site Manager (i.e., Tom), and it looks like it's not going to be tough at all to get enough folks to help. I'm definitely in (as long as I'm not travelling), and I don't think this would take long at all (like Nick says).

Although Mike might have something to say about my time estimates regarding suspension swaps.

Once the parts are swapped I'm guessing the clunk will likely be gone, or we'll know what is causing it. If it's not, then you're only out the parts cost, will know that it's NOT those parts, and will still have new rear struts and bushings.

BTW, you have the active suspension, so was that quoted price for new active struts or new passives?

 

[nik97]

Last time I inquired, the active struts where $125ish and SLOs where around $60.
Rav, be sure to purchase the rear spring isolators as well. Should be fairly cheap.
If the cat is not rusty, with a guy on each side, your'e looking easily less than 2hrs.

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

If the cat is not rusty, with a guy on each side, your'e looking easily less than 2hrs.

Hey, I know this story, it starts with a box of parts, 3 guys, a 200 degree day in the garage and an unhappy wife and kids wondering when its gonna be done. It ends with 3 guys, a 192 degree night in the garage, a sledgehammer and a bottlejack.

It takes 2 hours for us to eat, how can we do a suspension in that time?

 

[Shoaz]

Mike...shhh...you're scaring them.

 

[nik97]

Hey, I know this story, it starts with a box of parts, 3 guys, a 200 degree day in the garage and an unhappy wife and kids wondering when its gonna be done. It ends with 3 guys, a 192 degree night in the garage, a sledgehammer and a bottlejack.

It takes 2 hours for us to eat, how can we do a suspension in that time?

Ok, 2hrs Net. Figure in 1 hr bsing, 1 hr talking about how its only gonna take 2hrs, 2 hrs to eat, and 1 hr for an unforseen parts run and your'e done!

Actual wrench turning time: <2 hrs

 

[Rav]

Guys,

You are making it real difficult not to go ahead and start ordering stuff up, thanks!!!

So I was thinking of

two rear struts.
rear sway bar mount bushings.

as this is what ford said was wonky. For the struts I was going to go here

http://www.trademotion.com/partloca...ake=10&model=Taurus sho&year=1998&catalogid=1

Nik suggests rear spring isolators, I have no idea what those are or where I would go to get them.

 

[Off Road SHO]

The spring isolators are formed rubber cushions that go between the spring and the spring perch. I would assume that Ford would have them for sure.

Tom

 

[ChuckD]

I am in just let me know what day and I will bring the Freak out. I got to be a pro on the alt. Also Rav let me talk to Randy and see if I cant get a better deal on the parts. Will call you later tonight.

Chuck

 

[jessemachone]

No matter what!!!

Change those rear strut mounts no matter what!!! - I have had to change them for plenty of clunks in the past!!!

 

[Rav]

Guys,

On trying to determine whether the clunk is really down to worn struts or something else. I came up with the bright idea to pull the SARC fuse (as on the www.v8sho.com website) and see if there was any difference in the clunking.

Pulled it and the clunk was still there, but less than before... well that's what I think anyway.

Does this tell us anything?

Thanks,

Rav.