SM105K
Streetlight Grand Prix Champ/ IG @fafomotorsports
First things first. Thank you Shodded for helping me with the information below. His knowledge and experience with this platform is immense.
What to expect:
Post one: General knowledge of the SHO and what to expect.
Post two: The Story of M, my SHO. I posted all of my mods, current mods, and issues. I also have added the links, pics, and videos of my build within this build thread kinda like cliffnotes.
Post three: These are my Goals for "M". Power and Track Goals. I achieved some, and didn't achieve others. These are still updated.
So you bought an SHO? Good, welcome to the club. First things first. This is a performance vehicle regardless of the Taurus badges. It is twin turbo, and all wheel drive. That being said, there are more maintenance costs and more opportunities to spend money the wrong way with your SHO.
So do you have the original window sticker? Do you know if your car is a PP car or Non-PP car? You ask what is a PP? It relates to the Performance Package that some SHO's came factory with. An easy way to figure out if you have a PP equipped car is look at the window sticker. Below is my factory sticker. As you can see under optional equipment, there is a "SHO PERF PKG w/ALCANT WHL. So I have a PP. But what if I don't have a sticker? Don't fret I got you.
First look for the 20 inch "flower" wheels. Most PP cars came with them. Look for the alcantara wrapped steering wheel, and pop the trunk and look for a spare tire. If you see a no spare tire, and tire pump instead, you most likely have a PP car. There are numerous other things like TC button, 3.16 final drive ratio, PTU cooler, trans cooler, upgraded pistons, better brake pads ect. If you still can't figure it out....God have mercy on you, go to the Ford Dealership and have them run an Oasis report.
Here is Ford's PP brochure.
The newest SHO's (2019) are now more than a couple of years old, I would highly recommend changing all the fluids. That would include the engine oil, the coolant, power transfer unit fluid, rear diff fluid, and I would start cycling trans fluid. Wait what? I just bought this car.... HA! Yep those pesky more maintenance costs already hitting you in the pocket.
ENGINE OIL!!!!!!!!!!!! Please read the article below. It is one of the most important things you can read and be proactive with your car.
https://www.motor.com/magazine-summary/resolving-low-speed-pre-ignition/
Change your oil with a quality oil and has been tested and formulated for Turbo Gasoline Direct Injected engines. Also do not skimp of your oil change frequency either. I personally change mine everything 3k miles. Its super cheap and I use an extreme maintenance protocol with my SHO. Most will say every 5k miles. I agree but would not exceed 5k miles.
Next up is coolant. Coolant is very important with the 3.5 Ecoboost engine. Not only does it help regulate temp, it also acting as a lubricate for the water pump. It conditions seals, and this allows coolant do stay out of bearings within the water pump. The 3.5 EB engine has an internal water pump (underneath the timing cover). Though these pumps don't often fail, when they do it is catastrophic for the engine. However there are signs if the water pump is failing. It will start weeping coolant so start paying attention.
I would change my coolant every 30k miles miles too. In a "normal" climate say the Midwest Ford recommends a 50/50 coolant to distilled water mix. In the Great North where it gets extremely cold Ford recommends a 60/40 coolant to distilled water mix. In the South (I am from Phoenix) where it can get extremely hot, I run what Ford recommends at 40/60 coolant to distilled water mix.
Another thing to check out is the charge piping to make sure there are no boost leaks. This includes the blow off valves (BOV). They have a diaphragm that can be compromised and leak boost. They are simple to check. One electric plug and two bolts. Look to see if there are any tears in the diaphragm. This may actually be your first mod, if you like the whoosh that BOV make when they vent to atmosphere. Below is what you will need to complete this mod.
PTU! Understanding why it fails and ways to prevent failure.
Yes that thing. Here is a very good explanation by a member on here named Mr.HighCaliber.
"PTU's don't fail at least not from a power handling perspective. These only fail from lack of maintenance. Spun bearings and galling of the gears from lack of lubrication.
High Heat dries up the lighter oil molecules in the ****, which causes more heat due to lack of lubrication (thermal runaway) which leads to the remaining gear oil turning to thick black paste which clogs up the vent tube in the ptu which cause pressure buildup in the ptu which forces the remaining, non-congealed fluid out past the shaft seals. Now the only left is a thick paste thats easily flung off of the gears, sticking only to the case. After this chain of events, the bearings run dry and begin to fail, next are the gears. Tolerances widen or things begin to sieze. Bearing and gear noise are usually the first signs of mechanical failure.
But the PTU internals are stout. The weakest part of our powertrain is the RDU Atc coupler. (The electronic coupler in the rear differential). At least in terms of tq capacity and power handling."
The being said, you will need to change your PTU fluid.
FordTechMakuloco shows you the jist of the procedure here.
If you have a 2010-2012 and 13 + non PP you will need a Mighty Vac device to suck out the PTU Fluid. Refill directions are the same as below.
If you have a 2013+ PP this is the easiest way to change the fluid.
What I did, what I used, and how I did it. You can do it yourself, or you can have a shop do this.
I would buy some Redline Lightweight Shockproof fluid off Amazon, 2 and a half feet of 1/4 id rubber fuel hose, some aluminum foil, and this thread to them below.
https://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php/topic,8081.msg144207.html#msg144207
I would bring aluminum foil to cover the downpipes and 02 sensor. Drain the PTU fluid and have them catch the fluid in a pan. Measure to see how much comes out, and the how bad shape the fluid is in. See if there are any chunkies in the fluid. Metal shavings on the magnet drain plug are normal. It is a direct gear drive system with the PTU. The aluminum foil will protect everything and clean up will be a snap. Clean and re-install the drain plug.
Route the hose down from near the brake booster. Then tell them to remove vent hose from the top of the PTU and slip that 1/4 inch fuel line hose onto the vent ******. The hose will be snug and should not slip off. Use that to fill refill the PTU with fluid. This will take some time. The PTU holds roughly 18 oz of fluid. Remove the hose, put the PTU vent hose back on. It's that simple. Should take less then an hour.
RDU: Here is a thread all about replacing the RDU Fluid.
https://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php?topic=1708.0
Trans: You will hear us refer to trans fluid cycling.
Again FordTechMakuLoco again shows you the jist of the procedure.
This is the 5 quart out and 5 quart in method. Use Mercon LV. The 6f55 transmission in our SHO's like clean fluid. The trans is a sealed unit so you cannot service the filter like other trans. So to keep the fluid clean, I trans fluid cycle. I do it every oil change. I am under the car, and trans fluid is dirt cheap. Pull the trans plug and roughly 5 quarts will come out. Measure and add back the 5 quarts of new Mercon LV fluid. If you do this 5 times, you will have roughly 90 percent newer fluid. Then swap every other oil change.
TUNE: After you have done all of this....then I journey down the road of tuning your SHO. Below is a quick summary of how this is done.
Do your diligence when selecting a tuner/tune for your SHO. I recommend AJPTurbo (Brad) and Gearhead (Matt) however there are great tuners out there as well. STAY AWAY FROM LMS if you have 13+ SHO and STAY AWAY FROM SSI. Also, there are no canned tunes for the SHO per say. Get a proper tune from a reputable tuning company for the Ecoboost SHO.
If you are running a 3 bar map sensor tune, install the map sensor first. Follow the directions from your tuner. You will need to plug in the device and find your vehicle strategy number. You will send that to your tuner. He will then send you the tune. Upload the tune onto your device (your device will come with instructions on how to do this). Take your device to your vehicle plug it in and turn on your accessory power. Personally I would drop all of your windows at the time. The device will power up. Go to the "program vehicle" menu. Select whatever tune the your tuner sent you. Click configure/program vehicle. DO NOT OPEN ANY DOOR UNTIL YOUR DEVICES SAYS PROGRAM COMPLETE! IF YOU DO, IT MAY BRICK THE SYSTEM. If it is the first time loading a tune into your vehicle, it will download your stock tune to the device. This can be reinstalled later if you need it. Continue following the prompts. You will have to turn the ignition off and on (DO NOT START THE ENGINE) during this process, relax and follow the prompts. Loading the tune should last 7 to 10 mins. After your device says "program complete", you can start the vehicle. Your vehicle is now tuned. Depending on tuner you may have to data log. Following your tuner's directions on that as well.
Did you purchase a Gearhead Intercooler? The install video is below.
What to expect:
Post one: General knowledge of the SHO and what to expect.
Post two: The Story of M, my SHO. I posted all of my mods, current mods, and issues. I also have added the links, pics, and videos of my build within this build thread kinda like cliffnotes.
Post three: These are my Goals for "M". Power and Track Goals. I achieved some, and didn't achieve others. These are still updated.
So you bought an SHO? Good, welcome to the club. First things first. This is a performance vehicle regardless of the Taurus badges. It is twin turbo, and all wheel drive. That being said, there are more maintenance costs and more opportunities to spend money the wrong way with your SHO.
So do you have the original window sticker? Do you know if your car is a PP car or Non-PP car? You ask what is a PP? It relates to the Performance Package that some SHO's came factory with. An easy way to figure out if you have a PP equipped car is look at the window sticker. Below is my factory sticker. As you can see under optional equipment, there is a "SHO PERF PKG w/ALCANT WHL. So I have a PP. But what if I don't have a sticker? Don't fret I got you.
First look for the 20 inch "flower" wheels. Most PP cars came with them. Look for the alcantara wrapped steering wheel, and pop the trunk and look for a spare tire. If you see a no spare tire, and tire pump instead, you most likely have a PP car. There are numerous other things like TC button, 3.16 final drive ratio, PTU cooler, trans cooler, upgraded pistons, better brake pads ect. If you still can't figure it out....God have mercy on you, go to the Ford Dealership and have them run an Oasis report.
Here is Ford's PP brochure.
The newest SHO's (2019) are now more than a couple of years old, I would highly recommend changing all the fluids. That would include the engine oil, the coolant, power transfer unit fluid, rear diff fluid, and I would start cycling trans fluid. Wait what? I just bought this car.... HA! Yep those pesky more maintenance costs already hitting you in the pocket.
ENGINE OIL!!!!!!!!!!!! Please read the article below. It is one of the most important things you can read and be proactive with your car.
https://www.motor.com/magazine-summary/resolving-low-speed-pre-ignition/
Change your oil with a quality oil and has been tested and formulated for Turbo Gasoline Direct Injected engines. Also do not skimp of your oil change frequency either. I personally change mine everything 3k miles. Its super cheap and I use an extreme maintenance protocol with my SHO. Most will say every 5k miles. I agree but would not exceed 5k miles.
Next up is coolant. Coolant is very important with the 3.5 Ecoboost engine. Not only does it help regulate temp, it also acting as a lubricate for the water pump. It conditions seals, and this allows coolant do stay out of bearings within the water pump. The 3.5 EB engine has an internal water pump (underneath the timing cover). Though these pumps don't often fail, when they do it is catastrophic for the engine. However there are signs if the water pump is failing. It will start weeping coolant so start paying attention.
I would change my coolant every 30k miles miles too. In a "normal" climate say the Midwest Ford recommends a 50/50 coolant to distilled water mix. In the Great North where it gets extremely cold Ford recommends a 60/40 coolant to distilled water mix. In the South (I am from Phoenix) where it can get extremely hot, I run what Ford recommends at 40/60 coolant to distilled water mix.
Another thing to check out is the charge piping to make sure there are no boost leaks. This includes the blow off valves (BOV). They have a diaphragm that can be compromised and leak boost. They are simple to check. One electric plug and two bolts. Look to see if there are any tears in the diaphragm. This may actually be your first mod, if you like the whoosh that BOV make when they vent to atmosphere. Below is what you will need to complete this mod.
PTU! Understanding why it fails and ways to prevent failure.
Yes that thing. Here is a very good explanation by a member on here named Mr.HighCaliber.
"PTU's don't fail at least not from a power handling perspective. These only fail from lack of maintenance. Spun bearings and galling of the gears from lack of lubrication.
High Heat dries up the lighter oil molecules in the ****, which causes more heat due to lack of lubrication (thermal runaway) which leads to the remaining gear oil turning to thick black paste which clogs up the vent tube in the ptu which cause pressure buildup in the ptu which forces the remaining, non-congealed fluid out past the shaft seals. Now the only left is a thick paste thats easily flung off of the gears, sticking only to the case. After this chain of events, the bearings run dry and begin to fail, next are the gears. Tolerances widen or things begin to sieze. Bearing and gear noise are usually the first signs of mechanical failure.
But the PTU internals are stout. The weakest part of our powertrain is the RDU Atc coupler. (The electronic coupler in the rear differential). At least in terms of tq capacity and power handling."
The being said, you will need to change your PTU fluid.
FordTechMakuloco shows you the jist of the procedure here.
If you have a 2010-2012 and 13 + non PP you will need a Mighty Vac device to suck out the PTU Fluid. Refill directions are the same as below.
If you have a 2013+ PP this is the easiest way to change the fluid.
What I did, what I used, and how I did it. You can do it yourself, or you can have a shop do this.
I would buy some Redline Lightweight Shockproof fluid off Amazon, 2 and a half feet of 1/4 id rubber fuel hose, some aluminum foil, and this thread to them below.
https://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php/topic,8081.msg144207.html#msg144207
I would bring aluminum foil to cover the downpipes and 02 sensor. Drain the PTU fluid and have them catch the fluid in a pan. Measure to see how much comes out, and the how bad shape the fluid is in. See if there are any chunkies in the fluid. Metal shavings on the magnet drain plug are normal. It is a direct gear drive system with the PTU. The aluminum foil will protect everything and clean up will be a snap. Clean and re-install the drain plug.
Route the hose down from near the brake booster. Then tell them to remove vent hose from the top of the PTU and slip that 1/4 inch fuel line hose onto the vent ******. The hose will be snug and should not slip off. Use that to fill refill the PTU with fluid. This will take some time. The PTU holds roughly 18 oz of fluid. Remove the hose, put the PTU vent hose back on. It's that simple. Should take less then an hour.
RDU: Here is a thread all about replacing the RDU Fluid.
https://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php?topic=1708.0
Trans: You will hear us refer to trans fluid cycling.
Again FordTechMakuLoco again shows you the jist of the procedure.
This is the 5 quart out and 5 quart in method. Use Mercon LV. The 6f55 transmission in our SHO's like clean fluid. The trans is a sealed unit so you cannot service the filter like other trans. So to keep the fluid clean, I trans fluid cycle. I do it every oil change. I am under the car, and trans fluid is dirt cheap. Pull the trans plug and roughly 5 quarts will come out. Measure and add back the 5 quarts of new Mercon LV fluid. If you do this 5 times, you will have roughly 90 percent newer fluid. Then swap every other oil change.
TUNE: After you have done all of this....then I journey down the road of tuning your SHO. Below is a quick summary of how this is done.
Do your diligence when selecting a tuner/tune for your SHO. I recommend AJPTurbo (Brad) and Gearhead (Matt) however there are great tuners out there as well. STAY AWAY FROM LMS if you have 13+ SHO and STAY AWAY FROM SSI. Also, there are no canned tunes for the SHO per say. Get a proper tune from a reputable tuning company for the Ecoboost SHO.
If you are running a 3 bar map sensor tune, install the map sensor first. Follow the directions from your tuner. You will need to plug in the device and find your vehicle strategy number. You will send that to your tuner. He will then send you the tune. Upload the tune onto your device (your device will come with instructions on how to do this). Take your device to your vehicle plug it in and turn on your accessory power. Personally I would drop all of your windows at the time. The device will power up. Go to the "program vehicle" menu. Select whatever tune the your tuner sent you. Click configure/program vehicle. DO NOT OPEN ANY DOOR UNTIL YOUR DEVICES SAYS PROGRAM COMPLETE! IF YOU DO, IT MAY BRICK THE SYSTEM. If it is the first time loading a tune into your vehicle, it will download your stock tune to the device. This can be reinstalled later if you need it. Continue following the prompts. You will have to turn the ignition off and on (DO NOT START THE ENGINE) during this process, relax and follow the prompts. Loading the tune should last 7 to 10 mins. After your device says "program complete", you can start the vehicle. Your vehicle is now tuned. Depending on tuner you may have to data log. Following your tuner's directions on that as well.
Did you purchase a Gearhead Intercooler? The install video is below.
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