[Shotimes] Diagnostic help with broken SHO

[Ron Porter]

Did they also check/replace the tranny mount?

Ron Porter

-----Original Message-----
From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of Steve Tatro
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 4:38 PM
To: SHOtimes
Subject: [Shotimes] Diagnostic help with broken SHO

This is regarding my '93 ATX.

Early last week I was driving. Took a hard right corner, and I heard
something break. In an instant my steering wheel was off-center and the car
drove funny.

It felt just like the time a few years ago my front motor mount broke, so I
assumed it was the same thing. Give it some gas, the car jerks to the left
(imagine some serious torque steer) and when you let off the gas it
straightens out. To verify, when I got home I opened the hood, started the
car, put it in drive, and gave it some gas. The motor was rocking all over
the place. Great, almost positive it's the motor mount.

Took it to my friendly neighborhood Goodyear - they've always been upfront
with me and I can't say I've ever felt cheated by them. It was too cold to
try to learn how to change a motor mount myself anyway. Good thing I took it
in, because it turns out both the front and rear mounts were bad. Replaced
the front, couldn't get the back replaced until yesterday since it was out
of stock everywhere.

The problem is the car still had the same symptoms. New mounts all around
and the engine was still rocking. Took it back today and demanded that
Goodyear return the front mount as defective and replace it for free. They
did, after agreeing that there was nothing else they could find wrong and
they knew of nothing else that could cause an engine to move like it was.

So, about an hour ago, they got another new front mount installed. Problem
is, the engine still rocks around and the car still pulls to the left when
you give it some gas and corrects itself when you let off the gas.  Also, I
should mention that the steering wheel is off-center when the wheels are
tracking (somewhat) straight.

They're at a loss. I'm at a loss. The Ford tech I spoke to on the phone is
at a loss. The only other discernable problem in the front end is a slightly
loose ball joint on the right side.

Does anyone have any additional ideas? This car's served me well for 9 years
now but it's about to take a trip to it's final resting place - the
junkyard!

Thanks,

Steve Tatro
Red/Black '93 ATX with 187k miles
Monroe, Ohio

P.S.  Thanks to those that are reading this that have already replied to my
SHO Forum post.
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