Need advice before I possibly mess up my SHO

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

SHOdded

SHO Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
8,989
Reaction score
4,307
Location
Maryland
techron is not much help for these ecoboost engines it is made for port fuel injected engines only.

you will want to find a gdi equivalent. stp makes one but there are probably better ones available.

or better yet get a professional gdi induction cleaning done once you have borescoped the valves and confirmed there are no excessive carbon deposits on the backs of the intake valves.
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2024
Messages
30
Reaction score
6
Location
Midland MI
techron is not much help for these ecoboost engines it is made for port fuel injected engines only.

you will want to find a gdi equivalent. stp makes one but there are probably better ones available.

or better yet get a professional gdi induction cleaning done once you have borescoped the valves and confirmed there are no excessive carbon deposits on the backs of the intake valves.
Ok thanks for the input. Since I do have a smooth idle and smooth power delivery until the higher boost levels, does that sound like a fuel issue? I’m also only running 87 fuel and I have tried 89 which seemed to help it feel stronger. I’m just not sure whether to try cleaning the injectors at all or just stick with the plugs and see what happens
 

SHOdded

SHO Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
8,989
Reaction score
4,307
Location
Maryland
plugs are the heart of the combustion engine. frequently used as a first stop for diagnostics.

i would check the old plugs for indicators of issues. then see how the new plugs do.

then if need be approach fuel system cleaning.

as far as power level in high boost, that is a topic open to interpretation. expectations vs reality. or actual hardware/electronic faults. most people run either 87 or 93. 93 with a tune - some even with higher E mixes than found at "normal" pumps but levels above E15 will require a tune.
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2024
Messages
30
Reaction score
6
Location
Midland MI
plugs are the heart of the combustion engine. frequently used as a first stop for diagnostics.

i would check the old plugs for indicators of issues. then see how the new plugs do.

then if need be approach fuel system cleaning.

as far as power level in high boost, that is a topic open to interpretation. expectations vs reality. or actual hardware/electronic faults. most people run either 87 or 93. 93 with a tune - some even with higher E mixes than found at "normal" pumps but levels above E15 will require a tune.
The issue isn’t the “power level” I’m not interested in upping the max power on the car. I’m just talking about how when I get close to WOT the car shudders and misfires and right before that happens I feel a loss of boost like the engine is dialing itself back before the shuddering and flashing CEL make themselves known. Once that goes away and I can be in all points of the power band on the car with no issues I will be happy. If running 93 would help the problem I will consider it but I’m not sure if I can financially handle doing 93 at every fill up. (I know, I probably shouldn’t have gotten a high end performance car if I can’t afford 93 octane to help it run its best but it seemed like too good of a car to pass up being a proud owner of.)
 

SHOdded

SHO Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
8,989
Reaction score
4,307
Location
Maryland
ok lets see how the plug change goes.

you can check the knock sensor wiring for chafing that would cause false knock and timing retard.

false knock can also be induced by worn mounts tho i don't see worn mounts on this platform much at all.

could be a slight tear in the blowoff valve diaphragm or a slightly loose hose somewhere in the turbo tract. a popular spot is the sensor with the unclamped hoses on top of the manifold. but hoses can also leak from under the plastic clamps. could also be a wastegate c-clip starting to come off.

many things to consider. plugs need doing anyway :)
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2024
Messages
30
Reaction score
6
Location
Midland MI
ok lets see how the plug change goes.

you can check the knock sensor wiring for chafing that would cause false knock and timing retard.

false knock can also be induced by worn mounts tho i don't see worn mounts on this platform much at all.

could be a slight tear in the blowoff valve diaphragm or a slightly loose hose somewhere in the turbo tract. a popular spot is the sensor with the unclamped hoses on top of the manifold. but hoses can also leak from under the plastic clamps. could also be a wastegate c-clip starting to come off.

many things to consider. plugs need doing anyway :)
Plugs seemed to fully fix the misfire and smoothed out the power delivery. One of the plugs had a gap of 0.04 while the other 5 were at 0.035. The new ones I installed were gapped to 0.028. I’m going to get the codes read tomorrow and get some live data from my mechanic to double make sure everything is looking good. Also I think I caught the PTU right before it started to get really bad. The gray fluid that got puked out of the vent seemed to be basically all that was in the tank because I only got a tiny bit of gray out and there was black burnt chunks on the drain plug. I filled it full with royal purple, and I’ll be changing it again after about 5,000 miles to see the condition. No metal shavings thankf
ok lets see how the plug change goes.

you can check the knock sensor wiring for chafing that would cause false knock and timing retard.

false knock can also be induced by worn mounts tho i don't see worn mounts on this platform much at all.

could be a slight tear in the blowoff valve diaphragm or a slightly loose hose somewhere in the turbo tract. a popular spot is the sensor with the unclamped hoses on top of the manifold. but hoses can also leak from under the plastic clamps. could also be a wastegate c-clip starting to come off.

many things to consider. plugs need doing anyway :)
plugs seemed to fix the misfire and I am able to go WOT for the first time since buying the car. One of the plugs that I took out was gapped at 0.04 and was pretty black. The other 5 had a gap of 0.035 and looked ok. The new plugs I put in are 0.028 gap. The PTU was concerning. I got only a small amount of gray thick fluid out and there was black burnt chunky material on the drain plug. But with no metal shavings. Going to my mechanic friend tomorrow to get the codes read and live data to double check all is well but after a 10 minute test drive it feels much healthier.
 

kryptto

The Best Thing About Cars... ones in my mirror.
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2023
Messages
1,923
Reaction score
1,059
Location
South East, Florida
Very glad for you, on the plugs. Our computers will adjust timing for small gap differences, however you reached those maximum amount.

The ptu, will provide the advice given to me here, change again 15K from now. Closely listen for PTU whine.

Glad to hear this.
 

SHOdded

SHO Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
8,989
Reaction score
4,307
Location
Maryland
i would change the ptu fluid a few times in quick succession, say once every week 3x. run redline lightweight shockproof for its detergency to get any remainders off the gears and bearings.

after that settle into the ptu fluid maintenance interval. since there isn't any concern with "performance" driving, 2 yrs/30k miles on the outside. police fleets use 10k intervals, as a reference.

dont forget the rdu. that tends to go on these vehicles also. hopefully the fluid looks good and theres no goop. if there is goop, same cleanout routine as for ptu. regular intervals are 2x that for the ptu, max.
 

kryptto

The Best Thing About Cars... ones in my mirror.
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2023
Messages
1,923
Reaction score
1,059
Location
South East, Florida
i would change the ptu fluid a few times in quick succession, say once every week 3x. run redline lightweight shockproof for its detergency to get any remainders off the gears and bearings.

after that settle into the ptu fluid maintenance interval. since there isn't any concern with "performance" driving, 2 yrs/30k miles on the outside. police fleets use 10k intervals, as a reference.

dont forget the rdu. that tends to go on these vehicles also. hopefully the fluid looks good and theres no goop. if there is goop, same cleanout routine as for ptu. regular intervals are 2x that for the ptu, max.
What he says .....
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2024
Messages
30
Reaction score
6
Location
Midland MI
i would change the ptu fluid a few times in quick succession, say once every week 3x. run redline lightweight shockproof for its detergency to get any remainders off the gears and bearings.

after that settle into the ptu fluid maintenance interval. since there isn't any concern with "performance" driving, 2 yrs/30k miles on the outside. police fleets use 10k intervals, as a reference.

dont forget the rdu. that tends to go on these vehicles also. hopefully the fluid looks good and theres no goop. if there is goop, same cleanout routine as for ptu. regular intervals are 2x that for the ptu, max.
Is the royal purple stuff I put in not that great? Other ppl on the platform seem to use it so that’s what I went with. Also I did a quick search on the redline and it says it’s not actually 75w-140 but closer to SAE-30 so I just wanted to make sure the formula is still the same and that truly is the best ptu fluid. Not questioning your judgement just curious on what’s the best to maintain the components.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2717.png
    IMG_2717.png
    522 KB · Views: 0

kryptto

The Best Thing About Cars... ones in my mirror.
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2023
Messages
1,923
Reaction score
1,059
Location
South East, Florida
Is the royal purple stuff I put in not that great? Other ppl on the platform seem to use it so that’s what I went with. Also I did a quick search on the redline and it says it’s not actually 75w-140 but closer to SAE-30 so I just wanted to make sure the formula is still the same and that truly is the best ptu fluid. Not questioning your judgement just curious on what’s the best to maintain the components.
so people generally are using Amsoil gear oil and Royal Purple - here is my honest opinion...... wait for it - use whatever - change it frequently - if we are saying 30K - but you are taking it for races or driving high speeds for extended periods of time, like my other Sat night 22 miles in 12 minutes - change your oil more frequently.
 

SHOdded

SHO Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
8,989
Reaction score
4,307
Location
Maryland
Is the royal purple stuff I put in not that great? Other ppl on the platform seem to use it so that’s what I went with. Also I did a quick search on the redline and it says it’s not actually 75w-140 but closer to SAE-30 so I just wanted to make sure the formula is still the same and that truly is the best ptu fluid. Not questioning your judgement just curious on what’s the best to maintain the components.
redline lwsp is a racing fluid and has worked well across many platforms. the reason i mentioned it is due to the high detergency to get all the crap out of the ptu so it can perform at its best. after that its up to you what to use. you also only have to stock 1 type of fluid for both ptu and rdu.

my personal ranking: amsoil severe gear, redline lwsp, bg 75w140, and valvoline full synthetic. i have never tried RP and dont intend to. too many conflicts on opinions on the interwebs for me.
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2024
Messages
30
Reaction score
6
Location
Midland MI
redline lwsp is a racing fluid and has worked well across many platforms. the reason i mentioned it is due to the high detergency to get all the crap out of the ptu so it can perform at its best. after that its up to you what to use. you also only have to stock 1 type of fluid for both ptu and rdu.

my personal ranking: amsoil severe gear, redline lwsp, bg 75w140, and valvoline full synthetic. i have never tried RP and dont intend to. too many conflicts on opinions on the interwebs for me.
Ok thanks for the info. Also when I was under the car yesterday changing that turbo line gasket, I saw some bright red fluid on the white plastic gasket of the axle shaft that leads into the ptu. I don’t know if this is possible but can trans fluid leak into the ptu if the seals are failed? And if so is it dangerous to drive the car?
 

SHOdded

SHO Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
8,989
Reaction score
4,307
Location
Maryland
yes there are seals between the transmission and the ptu to prevent precisely this from happening. so in essence you are running on either a mix of transmission fluid + ptu fluid or pure transmission fluid in the ptu. either way, those seals need to be replaced at minimum, which means taking the ptu off ... which then leaves you with the decision to replace/not replace the ptu while it's out.

transmission fluid is too lightweight for the ptu, certainly not fit for operational duty.

if you had regular power steering, i would have said to look at a busted pressure line as a possibility for the fluid leak, but the sho has electric steering :(

an explanation from ford on fluid color
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2024
Messages
30
Reaction score
6
Location
Midland MI
yes there are seals between the transmission and the ptu to prevent precisely this from happening. so in essence you are running on either a mix of transmission fluid + ptu fluid or pure transmission fluid in the ptu. either way, those seals need to be replaced at minimum, which means taking the ptu off ... which then leaves you with the decision to replace/not replace the ptu while it's out.

transmission fluid is too lightweight for the ptu, certainly not fit for operational duty.

if you had regular power steering, i would have said to look at a busted pressure line as a possibility for the fluid leak, but the sho has electric steering :(

an explanation from ford on fluid color
Yeah this was on the passenger side in between the white plastic outer piece and the axle shaft itself. There was only a small amount of red fluid there which I never noticed before and all I did was drain and fill the trans and ptu.. how is this possible? Did I just get unlucky and it failed at 116,000? Damn this sucks now I have to take it to a shop to have some seals replaced as well as the ptu..
 

SHOdded

SHO Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
8,989
Reaction score
4,307
Location
Maryland
if you can drain or sample the ptu fluid first, you can verify that the fluids are mixing. then take further action. otherwise investigate where that "leak" might have originated from.
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2024
Messages
30
Reaction score
6
Location
Midland MI
if you can drain or sample the ptu fluid first, you can verify that the fluids are mixing. then take further action. otherwise investigate where that "leak" might have originated from.
When I drained the ptu I didn’t get any trans fluid out I only got gray chunky mess and then I refilled the ptu with the proper fluid and drained and filled the trans. So I’m not thinking the fluids are mixing otherwise my vacuum pump would have gotten some kind of thinner fluid out when I drained the ptu but I didn’t get anything. So maybe it’s coming from somewhere else.
 
Last edited:

Jeff Dixon

Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2020
Messages
42
Reaction score
19
Location
Beavercreek Ohio
Hello all, I have a 2013 SHO non PP with 116,000 miles that I am about to embark on a rather long road trip with, and I want to do some preventative maintenance before I leave. Some backstory, I picked the car up on marketplace for a good deal, it’s clean inside and is a rebuild with some panel gaps where it was hit in the front drivers side. Since receiving it I have changed the crankshaft position sensor A for a p0016 code which has not come back, but I do have a small rattle on cold start and my mechanic looked at live data for the timing and saw it was about 2 degrees off at idle and he got it to go up to about 11 degrees under revving it. I also replaced the rear brakes because of a seized caliper that was dragging and that has been great. The main issues it has now is a ptu fluid leak that is gray in color and thick, probably never been changed. When the car is cold it upshifts kinda hard from second to third but not enough to cause any clunks. To my knowledge the trans fluid has never been changed. Also under WOT it has a flashing CEL and shudders and then goes into limp mode. In the codes there is a p0300 for a random misfire hence why I am planning on doing the plugs as I don’t think they have ever been done. Does anyone think that a trans drain and fill would be a bad idea and I should do a flush? Should I start looking for a new ptu? Here is the list of maintenance I plan to do:

1. Drain and fill trans fluid (5-6qt)
2. Drain and fill PTU (18oz Royal purple)
3. Change all spark plugs (ngk ruthenium gapped to 0.28-0.30 idk which one is best)
4. Change oil drain line gasket from turbo due to small leak that drips onto exhaust.

My mechanic also recharged the a/c system as it was sitting for a while before the guy sold it to me, and all seems good there. The car drives fine unless you really get on it then it will occasionally throw the flashing CEL and dial back the power. I have attached the document of the codes he pulled from the car using his scanner, and he cleared them all. Also some pretty bad photos of the oil and ptu fluid leaks as I was under the car with jack stands. I can get better photos on Thursday when I plan to do all of the items on the list(Note I live on a sandy gravel road so idk if the specks in the gray ptu fluid are metal or sand.) After I do this maintenance I am planning to take it back to him again to run codes. Any advice is much appreciated as I don’t wanna break anything more than it already is, I just hope this car is saveable and not going to become a giant money out of worse leave my wife and I stranded on this road trip. Any helpful comments are appreciated.
Your random misfire and timing issue is your timing chains and cam phasers going bad. Do new chains, cam phasers, vvt actuators and a water pump
 

Forum statistics

Threads
105,828
Messages
1,167,605
Members
15,115
Latest member
nicoleart

Members online

Back
Top