It's a Sad Milestone

[SHOWHAT9]

CAM FAILURE #500
For anybody who just doesn't think it can happen to them, I suggest that the number is under reported. If Kirk, Doug, and others besides Eric posted all the slipped sprockets they have caught, I believe the number would be much higher.
The fact is there never should have been one.
There will soon be a video link on V8SHO.COM demonstrating one way to check your sprockets for slippage before they even start to tick.

 

[stephen newberg]

Though I am at this point pretty convinced that with enough use eventually all of these cam sprockets would slip, it is worth remembering that marking the 500th documented incident only brings us up to a known 2.5% failure rate on machines that have been on the road between 6 and 10 years at this point. Even if we say that the rate is under-reported by half, that still just gets us to a 5% failure rate in a decade long time span.

I reinterate, I think this was a design flaw and that given enough time and miles, every one of them will fail. But, a decade in the failure rate is still in single digits. It is very possible that normal aging and replacement will take this model pretty much off the road before the failure rate gets into into two digits to any real degree. I would love Ford to pay us all back for the costs of fixing a design flaw, but at this failure rate, I have doubts that it will be happening, and I think we need to just fix it and live with it.

pax, smn

 

[SHOZ123]

Quite frankly Stephen your single digit guess is just that.

Cams should not be something that wears out of breaks no matter how many miles.

Although I do not feel that advertising the cam failures blow by blow is needed anymore. Fools that have cam failures and know about the flaw are just that.

 

[stephen newberg]

Of course it is, but 10 years down the road and only in for 2.5% documented failures, it is not a bad guess.

Otherwise, we are in complete agreement. Cams should not fail and anyone's whose does at this point, considering the amount of notice about the problem, has only themselves to blame. I think, to some degree, we are making the same point. The issue is long stale.

pax, smn

 

[the_dude]

My guess is that the total number is way underreported - particularly if Ford customer service still claims that they have never heard of the problem when someone calls. This despite the several hundred calls and the pending lawsuit. What recourse do those folks who call and don't know any better have? They're told that its just bad luck and they move on.

I would also guess that a good portion of the folks who are aware of the problem are on-line and have since had their cams welded/pinned. I don't know how folks who are not on-line would go about finding out and since it is through the site that these failures are reported, those folks will never be accounted for.

It would be interesting to somehow find out from the DMVs exactly how many of the cars are still on the road.

 

[Cobraii976]

Well right now I see quite a few people profiting on cam faluire cars. buy them cheap and part them out. I know of atleast 4 that were never reported and all parted out to the tune of 6000.00 each and well in the SHO market that's better then what you can sell a whole running GENIII for. I don't think 500 is a sad milestone I think it's been over 500 for along time not every SHO owner logs onto any of the SHO sites ever. My opinion is if your buying one to drive it your a fool.

 

[SHOWHAT9]

I'm sure everyone understands I don't go out and solicit this information. It shows up in my email box obviously quite often.
The other thing to remember, not withstanding if the car is one day old or 14 years old, a cam sprocket simply should be the last thing on the to do list when it comes to breaking.
What we represent is simply those people who happened to find us. I agree that the number in reality could be "X" times higher based on the many more that don't find us.
It's simply a crappy design that Ford doesn't want to accept responsibility for.
Also, Sam, just for reference, I have personal knowledge of a V8 that spun the sprocket with under 30 miles on it at the dealership. There goes that argument.
And yes, I too no longer worry about those who I have made aware of the potential for a problem to occur.
But I do hear from a lot of them again, 10 minutes too late.

Larry Eck
Webmaster, www.v8sho.com

 

[97sho-mann]

Larry,
I can't say "Thank You" enough for, what I think is One of the best sights on the internet, V8SHO.com. The information on the sight is "Priceless" and The People are too. I love these cars, all Generations, and plan to buy a couple more this year. Every car out there has it's little Quirks and Problems, But having the resources of V8SHO.com, SHOforum, etc. Makes the SHO easy to diagnose and deal with because of people who have a passion for this "Very Cool" (IMHO) Car.

 

[MilTownSHO]

I know of atleast 4 that were never reported and all parted out to the tune of 6000.00 each and well in the SHO market that's better then what you can sell a whole running GENIII for.

$6,000 each?! I'm gonna rip my 97 apart right now!

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Larry,
I can't say "Thank You" enough for, what I think is One of the best sights on the internet, V8SHO.com. The information on the sight is "Priceless" and The People are too. I love these cars, all Generations, and plan to buy a couple more this year. Every car out there has it's little Quirks and Problems, But having the resources of V8SHO.com, SHOforum, etc. Makes the SHO easy to diagnose and deal with because of people who have a passion for this "Very Cool" (IMHO) Car.

I see you're from Tennessee, but don't remember seeing you at a past camfest or your name on the schedule for next weeks camfest!!! Perfect time to get your cams welded by the best in the business. See: http://www.nesho.com

 

[SHO--ripper]

"I see you're from Tennessee, but don't remember seeing you at a past camfest or your name on the schedule for next weeks camfest!!! Perfect time to get your cams welded by the best in the business. See: http://www.nesho.com"
I second that

 

[SHOWHAT9]

Larry,
I can't say "Thank You" enough for, what I think is One of the best sights on the internet, V8SHO.com. The information on the sight is "Priceless" and The People are too. I love these cars, all Generations, and plan to buy a couple more this year. Every car out there has it's little Quirks and Problems, But having the resources of V8SHO.com, SHOforum, etc. Makes the SHO easy to diagnose and deal with because of people who have a passion for this "Very Cool" (IMHO) Car.

Thanks Steve, but the site is a compliation of everybody's efforts. I just am the collector/editor/poster. All the way back to day one when there were just 6 people on the sublist, the site has developed from the exchange of information and the letting of blood while working and discovering better ways to maintain a car that Ford wouldn't touch.

Guys like Big Dog, Mike Ivey, Mike Holhut, Mark Hlady.Tim Wright, Paul Nimz, Doug Lewis, The Kirkmeister, Carter they were the pioneers. I am fortunate however to have been allowed to have been passed the reins.

I can also personally attest to the fact that SHO Folk are argueably amoung the best folk in the world. Read the Saga of SW9 on the website. More people who I have never personally met came together to help me get my car cross country from Fallon NV to Wheaton, IL. That was no small task.
WE collectively are the best disfunctional family in the world. Of course IMNSHO!!

Larry Eck
Webmaster
www.v8sho.com

 

[97sho-mann]

I need to fix my signature..
Welded 10-14-04 Doug Lewis FPS
Great Job Well Worth the $$$
I Love these SHO's!!