Melted Piston!.... Engine Block Swap

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bill murray

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SHOsc:

I really feel bad in being sort of a gloom and doom poster on your problem but I think I do have some experience in several levels of your problem.

My dealership experience goes back to the late 1950s up through the mid 1960s. My association with manufacturers goes from the late 1960s to to 1999. As I said earlier, the last years as VP Service and Parts for SAAB Scania of America, including total responsibility for Warranty. And......I am not trying to blow my own horn here, just trying to give you a perspective.

At the dealership service department level, the type of R&R operation required to replace a complete long block in a FWD vehicle under warranty is, to be polite, a technicians nightmare.

I am assuming here that the techs are paid by flat rate hour per the time schedule dictated by the manufacturer for warranty repairs. Not.......the flat rate hour time schedule paid by retail customers. That can vary by anywhere from 25 to 50 per cent lower than the price paid by a retail customer.

The problem with your vehicle can also be compounded by the following:

First year for this platform/engine/trans combination. Lack of experience.
Multiple discipline items to be made right:
Replace the long block.
Align front end.
Re-install all front brake system components correctly.
Re-install all AC and other systems taken off the vehicle to R&R the long block correctly.
Insure that perhaps hundreds of nuts, bolts, screws and fasteners are installed at their proper torque etc. measurements.

I went through this scenario at both Volvo and SAAB and I can tell you that if I were faced with the same situation today, I would do the same as I did 20-25 years ago. Buy your car back, replace it with an identical car if possible and put your old car into Corporate company car service to be blown out at auction after a year or two.

As you are seeming to be about to go into litigation, you may not want to tell the rest of us what exactly was wrong with the car other than alignment but if you feel comfortable doing so it would be of interest to us. Ask your lawyer first, though, as we don't want to prejudice your case.

Good Luck!!

Bill
 

Roadboss

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That dealership is sounding like a place to steer away from based on what's happened.
 

SHOsc

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I have had my SHO back for 2 weeks now. I have 2k miles on the new 2011 long block. As far as i can tell, all seems to be going well. There are times i ask "was it like this before" or did it do this, or does it feel like this...

The fix seems fine for now...new issue is one side of spoiler is loose! After investigating further, tighening nut is gone. (i am sure my JL 10") had something to do with it.

Anyway, for now, all seems okay, and still working with ford customer service to make me a happy customer.
 

TRBOSHO

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I have had my SHO back for 2 weeks now. I have 2k miles on the new 2011 long block. As far as i can tell, all seems to be going well. There are times i ask "was it like this before" or did it do this, or does it feel like this...

The fix seems fine for now...new issue is one side of spoiler is loose! After investigating further, tighening nut is gone. (i am sure my JL 10") had something to do with it.

Anyway, for now, all seems okay, and still working with ford customer service to make me a happy customer.

Thanks for the update....I wish you the best of luck....
 

fhernandez

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Do keep us posted - I've got just a hair over 11k on mine and we did an end of June trip through the South to Texas and back and the temps were over 100 and the SHO did beautifully.....

BUT last week when we had the 100's in the Norhteast I was coming home on the highway and up a slight incline when I heard what sounded like a hammer hitting the engine for a couple of seconds with a jerkiness. Then all smoothed out and has been fine ever since. Not sure if it was spark knock or what but I wonder if this is something bad...

The same happened to me the other day for the first time. I have 22K on mine, I have always run 93 octane with no problems whatsoever. What changed? Octane grade. Last week I decided to try 87 since it is on the manual, and I filled the tank with the cheap gas (same brand). First thing I noticed was light engine knock when I pushed the throttle beyond 1/4. Then the other day, merging on the freeway up through the ramp I had to push her beyond 1/2 throttle I experienced the same you did. Very strong engine knock and jerkiness...I went wooooaaaa...that was bad & scary (definitively not the usual light knock people tend to ignore on their cars.) I have no mods, I never had engine knock before and nothing else has changed. It is definitively the octane grade. I would say dont do it! Even if its on the manual. Its not worth it. I guess Ford tested 87 ok on a lab or controlled environment or something, but with the kind of heat :sun: and humidity I get where I live (Puerto Rico) 87 on the SHO is an epic failure! I'm treating her like a baby waiting for that tank to go away and switch back to 93.


fhl
 
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itguy08

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I had mine to the dealer for upgraded programming late last summer as I had some of the shifting issues. I don't remember having any knocks since and it has fixed the shifting issues.

Perhaps having the car reflashed with the latest powetrain programming is the ticket? I know I'm not concerned about it.
 

EB_SHO

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There is a new TSB out (TSB 11-5-3) which will stop the random hard knocking (really it is pre-ignition) under hot conditions.

Most of the description is related to broken spark plugs, but it should take care of this issue too.
 

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