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Eric Lehmann - Cam Weld Experience

new 7/01/03, 7/2/03, 8/26/03 9/8/03,10/06/2003,11/17/2003,1/8/2004,1/15/2004, etc


September  13.2008

Larry,

Sorry I haven't written sooner but I have been having to much fun enjoying my Baby after a trip to the SHO Dr.- Eric Lehmann. She runs better now than she did when i bought her six years ago.
I drove her back and forth to work for years with nothing more than the regular service and oil changes. I felt at home and one with her on the road, I am sure this is nothing new to other SHO owners. When she reached 120,000 miles i began to notice an unsettling "tick" in the motor. I would check the oil and tranny fluid to find they were fine. I had the local garage here in Springfield change the plugs and do an upper tune-up on her and still the "tick" remained. I did not know of the cam issue at this time and actually was surfing the web and happened across your site when it hit me like a ton of bricks- My baby was bad sick- I parked her until I could figure out who to go to and where I could get her fixed.
I called Friendly Ford here in Springfield, Missouri and was told by their shop foreman that yes they have had a few SHO's in that requested the cam weld procedure but they had no one to send them to here locally and that I would have to drive or haul my car to someone and have it done or I was looking at a $8000.00 yard ornament. Needless to say all Ford Emblems are coming off of her. Ford will not claim her and by golly she refuses to claim Ford.
Anyway enough of my ranting on that all to familiar subject. I posted requests on several sites trying to find someone local. Finally, I was able to locate Eric Lehmann and we set a date and time to get my cams welded in Lombard, Ill. Not exactly local but worth the trip considering what was at stake. Then through another site a person by the name of Kirk D (fill in the rest) who welds cams contacted me and told me he would be in St. Louis that weekend and would be willing to do the weld for me. I thanked him and informed him that Eric and I had already set a time and date for the procedure to be done. I then told Mr. D that I would be interested in purchasing a programmer for her from him in the near future. He told me in a n email that Eric had several cam welds fail on him. This of course concerned me a great deal as i had never met either of these gentlemen before and was about to put one of them in charge of fixing my baby.
I went to your site and pulled up the names and email addresses of all the people listed as past customers of Eric's and sent each of them an email asking if they had any problems to date with anything Eric had ever done for them. I received several responses and they were all very positive. In fact one person had him weld five different cams for him and no problems what so ever. I really don't know or care what is going on with this other person, sounds like a little ego issue maybe? I decided to give Eric a shot at fixing her.
We arrived late (11:00 p.m.) and unloaded my Baby off the trailer in Lombard and the next day I drove to Michigan to see family. I arrived back at Eric's the following morning to find that he had not only welded the cams and done every one of the service issues he had agreed to but so much more. He even polished and shined my headlight covers to where they looked new and not all yellow and dingy. We discussed a miss and the possibility of a fuel injector problem and he gave me a fuel injector free "just in case" that might be the issue.
I spent a few hours shooting the "bull" with Eric and learning so much more about the SHO's that I thought possible. Then the best part- I got the offer to ride in SHOrts- OMG what a car. The sound and the feel are just addictive. I may have to drive back to Lombard for a fix soon. You can sure tell the difference when a person is doing something they truly love and enjoy and when they are just doing it for the money- Eric has a true love for these cars and it shows in his work.
I am going to be doing some "slight modifications" to my Baby soon which will include exhaust, programmer and eventually NOS. Eric has been kind enough to offer his advise to me as we embark on this journey together. Me, My Baby and Dr. Eric- I think we will be just fine now.
I have attached a picture of the Dr. right after surgery for you to see-
Thank you for your site and for helping me find Eric Lehmann.

Betty Bryant
SHOMeMo
1997 **** Taurus SHO 133,000 mi. WELDED by Dr. Lehmann
___________________________________________________________________________



June 15, 2008

Well the master Eric Lehmann has saved my SHO!!! i hope he will be posting some pictures of the cams, he said that I was 3 turns past cam failure, I will let him tell the story. I had the privilege to meet and talk with Eric and I have enjoyed the trip immensely. I am going to tell anybody who has the gen 3 about this guy. It was very great to get behind the wheel of such a great machine. Thanks Eric, for everything, and for the ride is S H O R T S. All I have to say is I will be the first in line to buy her, and I am still trying to wipe the grin off my face :)


Robert Moore
1997 TR almost cam failed
Eric Lehmann saved my SHO!!!!
137k on the clock
K&N filter
Flowmaster's soon!!!
____________________________________________________________________________


Thanks Robert -
It was really good meeting you guys too. I'll try to post pix a little
later - cleaning up a

little storm damage right now - 65 mph winds
this morning, neighbor lost a tree.

Anyhow, yeah, you were 3 turns of the ignition overdue for a blown up
engine, glad you listened when you were told to not start the car
again no matter what.

Tim, please give the man a number -
Robert Moore
1997 SHO with 137,000 miles.
VIN 1FALP54N6VA268893
Parked for weeks due to suspicion of walking cam sprocket. (Boy was
THAT an understatement)
Date verified 6-13-08
Front head exhaust cam sprocket extremely wobbly. Demonstrated this
movement to the owner. Very difficult to realign. 5 BACKSIDE welds
required just to square things up.

Eric Lehmann
97 Ebony 42k Welded - With the Angels Now so that I don't have to be.
Long Live the Garage Queen !
97 Ebony 182k Resurrected, Welded, Experiment in progress
96 Medium Willow Green Metallic 103k Resurrected, Welded, Eaton M90 inside
96 Rosemist 72k 2006 Best Of SHO, Popular Vote, 2007 Best Gen 3, Welded
96 Medium Graphite 120k - Resurrected, Welded
97 Pacific Green - Parting this one Out
____________________________________________________________________________
You can add my name to the list of owners with welded cams. Eric Lehmann welded my cams, cleaned the intakes, changed oil, filter, spark plugs and a damaged vacuum hose. He did a nice and clean job. He gave me pictures of the welded cams and the intakes (before and after cleaning). I would recommend him to anyone still waiting to have his/hers cams welded. Eric is pleasant, professional and will answer any question you ask him.

Walter Paetsch
96 Silver with 90K. Welded as of 9-13-03


Larry:
I just got my cam welded by Eric Lehman in Lombard Il. What a great job for a reasonable price. (450.00 includes oil change, plugs and photographs) Eric is truly a knowledgeable guy on SHO's . I could have talked to him for hours! Peace of mind is a great thing, if someone wants to get a cam weld I would highly recommend Eric - Allan


ERIC LEHMANN CAM WELD FUN!

Just took my SHO to Eric to have the cams welded and received the surprise of my life. Poor guy takes everything apart and much to his, mine, and the dog's surprise, they have been previously welded! 

Actually, when only beginning to start he right away knew that the engine had been torn into before (he knew by sight which bolts had been replaced in the wrong holes) I must vouch for his credibility, professionalism, and extreme knowledge of cars and the SHO V8! 

Amazingly after a couple hours of work and hundreds of my questions, Eric declined any payment! WHAT A STAND UP FELLOW (although I am sure I was within minutes of his "free work" deadline ) 

All in all, I got to meet 3 shocago members, the supercharged SHO, and best of all the SHOfa! 

So... I now drive my SHO with the confidence and lack of fear of cam failure! 

Thanks Eric for the revelation!


I of course have an interest in the where and when etc of this cars past. Dave has provided me with his VIN. Stay tuned - could be fun!! - Larry


Tim,

I finally got my cams welded this past weekend (06/28/03) by Eric Lehmann. I dragged my weary behind out of bed at 3:45am. I finally got on the road to Lombard, IL (Chicago Land) at 4:30am. I arrived some 280 miles later at 8:05 am at Eric's House, and we got started about 8:30. He let me have use of his jeep if I needed to go get something to eat, and he gave me directions to some local shopping areas. I stuck around and watched him work for a while.

He cleaned out the intake, the surge tank, wiped down the butterflies, checked the IRMC, changed the plugs, checked the wiring, changed the oil & filter, and did a nice weld job. All the while put up with my 250 questions. He answered each with patience.

Overall Eric did a great job. We did a short test drive (to which I think I scared him ... opps), and I rolled out of his driveway at about 4:15. Even after my wallet was $450 less than I started the day out. I feel it was worth it. I arrived home at about 8:15pm.

Please add me to the list of happy folks who had their cams welded by Eric Lehmann.

Thanks,

Kevin Knipp
Vibrant White 1997 SHO.
With Welded Cams!


My understanding is that Eric has done at least a dozen cars and all his customers are well satisfied with his services and prices. - Buford


Eric did my weld job a few months ago and was a true professional. Sorry I didn't email you guys about Eric back then. He is the Lombard IL.SHO-MASTER. 

 

Chuck, 
I have had my cams welded by Eric Lehmann. He is in Lombard IL. About 5 hrs from St Louis...
I highly recommend Eric for your cam welding job. Yes it is near Chicago but well worth the trip. Eric is VERY knowledgeable about the V8SHO.
I was at Eric's house about 8:00am and on the road back to St. Louis by 4:30pm the same day. One other thing is that Eric cost is much more reasonable then the $800 to $900 some others charge. ($ 450.00) Weld, new plugs, oil and just a very good guy. Ask about the Trans Cooler also.
Again I recommend Eric.... Ask the see the Thunderbird and the potato CANON.

Eric's email is Zenriddles@aol.com

Gene

Thanks
Gene
99TR 
ERIC'D


I just joined the V-8 ranks and purchased a 98 in Pittsburgh, trailered it to Chicago and had Eric Lehmann weld the cams before coming on home to Des Moines. I think I can now drive it as it was intended instead of worrying about when/where the failure may occur. Thanks to Eric I now know I also need a new IMRC Actuator, another example of Job 1 being performed flawlessly at Ford.

Greg Jones
Many V6 SHO's, 1 V8


Larry,

Add me as yet another person to the list of very satisfied CAM weld customers of Eric Lehmann.

Dropped it off early on Dec 6th and it was done by 3 pm. He cleaned the intakes all out, put all the bolts back in the right places that my mechanic did not, checked all my plugs, welded the cams and just generally did an excellent job. He is also a wealth of SHO information and an absolute pleasure to chat with. I even got to see the famed SHOfa.

Anyone in the Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin or Indiana area thinking about having it done, this is the guy to go see.

Ritch Carroll
97 TR
K&N
Welds by Eric! 


DIVINE INTERVENTION AND THE CAMWELD PROCESS.

I'm feeling very lucky. Through a series of events I became aware of the cam gear concern that is occurring on the Gen. III SHO's. One of my associates races his Cobra 
Mustang, I was curious on where he got some of his suspension parts. He told me to check out the V8 SHO web site. 

Imagine my amazement when I found out my engine was a ticking time bomb. I felt sick, like being told I had a disease that there wasn't a cure for. I looked over the related information on the web site and came to the realization that I could take my chances and hope my engine wasn't one of the ones that may fail or get my cams modified. I spoke with some of my coworkers and bounced the possible cures for my engine woes, locktite (yea right), pinning, or welding. You see the ironic part of this story is that I have worked for Ford Motor Company as a Service Advisor or Service Manager for the last 16 years! I have not heard or seen anything on this problem till I got on the net. 

I reviewed the information on the people who will weld your cams and after much agonizing, research and yes even some prayers I contacted Eric Lehman. We spoke on the phone and much to my relief due to the holidays he had some cancellations and could get to my car. We firmed up the details and I set out for my cam weld hoping not to be Found On the Road Dead. 

After a five hour drive from Des Moines I arrived in Lombard at the Red Roof Inn at 11:09

checked in and spent a sleepless night ( The room was okay, the mattress was under whelming, but the Semi Tractor idling 30 yards away from my room was no help at all.) with visions of cam shaft dancing in my head. Eric's directions were right on the money and easy even for a self proclaimed directionally impaired person like me. I got there at about 7:45 and Eric came out to greet me. We exchanged pleasantries and after shuffling two SHO'S and his supercharged, alcohol injected Thunderbird (one look under the hood and I knew I had someone who was comfortable with a wrench in his hand.) he tucked my car into the operating room and we got started. I have worked with a lot of technicians in my 16 years and I could tell Eric knew what he was doing 20 minutes into the procedure. He pulled the left valve cover and checked the cams on that side to make sure some one hadn't welded them previously. No such luck. The exhaust cam shaft had .002-.004 of play in it. I felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. Eric began to disassemble my engine and inspect the parts as they came off. He found I had some plug on coils that were cracked and we discuss a plan of action to replace them. I called a local Ford dealer and much to my and Eric's surprise they had 4. Not only that but they sold them to me at 10% over cost. Eric said my luck was sure to run out soon. As he was accessing the cams he explained what he would be doing and why he was doing it "his way". Eric is a cross between a motor head, engineer and an anal retentive mad scientist. The thing that impressed me the most was his unflinching attention to detail from covering the entire top of the engine with each weld to cutting the wire at the tip of the TIG welder before each weld. He cleaned the surge tank runners and lower intake. Oh did mention after 2-4 cans of carb cleaner we had to open the garage door to lessen our buzz. The 18 Deg. breeze made me perk right up . Eric worked tirelessly thought the freezing temps with no breaks except to up load my engine pictures onto his lap top and helping Uncle Larry by loaning him his floor jack to change the oil filter in his wife's Pontiac. My luck held out again when Eric's fingers let a surge tank bolt slip (think the cold had something to do with it.) and he was able to retrieve it on the first try. I credit his experience for that break. He now had all of the repairs done and my engine was back together at 5:30 PM. Eric warned that the initial start after all that cleaning may be rough but when he hit the key and the 3.4 l popped off and idled just as it had when we shut it off 9 1/2 hours ago. He shook his head and smiled in disbelief and said "than never happens". We went for a short romp around the block and then checked for leaks (none), changed oil and filter and I was on my way home to Des Moines.

This is the way repairs should be done! Fix the problem, don't cause any other problems and fix it right the first time. 

Eric gets an A+ completely satisfied grade from me.

If you are looking for some one to weld your cams, look no further.

Greg Freshour 
96 TR
Welded and damn proud of it


3/3/2004

Larry,

Sorry for taking so long to get you the write-up - crazy week after leaving Eric's. I am the original owner of a '96 with a little over 38,000 miles and you can add me to the list of cam failures (caught in time however by Eric Lehmann). I have religiously changed the oil three to four times a year exclusively with Mobil 1 since it's first change at 1000 miles (yes Eric, I know .... a little anal, but I figure it's cheap insurance). The car has not been raced/abused or otherwise beat on, however I do drive it as it was designed to be driven. I had NO outward signs of any problems with the engine (no ticking or other strange noises). But after reading about the rising number of failures I knew it was just a matter of time so I did my research into having the cams welded, reading the many reviews on the V8SHO site before picking Eric Lehmann to weld my cams. 

After going almost a year wondering when cam failure might happen; doing the research on welding vs. Loctite; and basically worrying the entire time about when I'd have a candidate for the car garden - getting my SHO cams welded by Eric was the greatest relief a SHO owner can have. 

What can I say, Eric did a great job! Everything as promised. I know he hates the praise, but he was great! Knows his stuff, genuinely concerned about these cars and one of the best bargains around for the peace of mind. If you're within driving distance (or towing distance) don't wait till it's too late - drag it, push it, carry it over to Eric's. In by 8:00 and out by 3:00 which was a little ahead of schedule even though I continually bugged him throughout the entire process with questions. Great guy! He even let me push him in the FUBAR car around the block! - (although my back still aches from that one).

I know for a fact now that I would have been documenting the car as an engine failure if I hadn't gotten the car to Eric as the #1 cam had 3/1000 play in the sprocket. When would it have failed? Who knows, but it would have happened. Now you can record me as a cam failure (fixed), engine saved, happy customer of Eric's and a lost customer of Ford's anytime in the future. And add my name to the class action suit - If my car with so few miles and as pampered a life had a bad cam, then I'm convinced.

Fritz Goetz
'96 Silver Frost 
38,500 miles
Schaumburg IL


4/07/2004

Eric is a great guy and knows a great deal of SHOs!! I also met Larry and saw his famous fogs in the grill SHO, what another great person!! Im sure Ill keep in contact with E1 with any question that I may have regarding the Gen III cars. Thanks a million Eric for the info and the weld. If you need to get welded please see E1 and check out his famous Shofa, pretty cool.
Billy(foesho2)
This was originally posted on SHOCAGO today.

U.L.


4/13/2004

Larry,

I finally got my car to Eric Lehman last Saturday to have the cams welded. I had made the appointment about 3 weeks prior. Unfortunately the company I worked for closed up 10 days after I made the appointment. Eric's charge of $450.00 is extremely reasonable, but I wasn't sure it would be a good time to spend the money. What I was sure of was I did not want to be unemployed and making payments on a car I couldn't drive because of a cam failure. So I bit the bullet and kept the appointment.

Because it was Easter weekend it got a little hectic. I actually dropped the car off about 5:30 on Friday evening as I had other commitments for Saturday. I didn't get to meet Eric when I dropped off the car. My son drove me back to Lombard on Saturday afternoon to pick up the car. We spent about an hour talking with Eric. During the cam weld process Eric also replaced a broken hose (no charge) wrapped and insulated the wire harness along with the welding. Eric is truly a SHOhead. He knows the cars and is happy to share his knowledge with others.

Peace of mind is PRICELESS.

Pete Roeters


 

4/22/2004

Larry,
You can add me to the list of another happy SHO owner, who recently had his cams welded 4/17/04.

Eric is a VERY intelligent individual, I can't say enough about the guy, He answered ALL of my questions and even explained what he was doing as he was doing it, I've never felt so relaxed in leaving my vehicle w/ a total stranger, he treated my car as if
it were one of his own. We also changed 2 coils, being I drove the car from Kenosha and the car was running on 7 cylinders. I just bought the car about a month
before my appointment, and the dealer I bought it from was supposed to have it tuned up w/ all new coils.

Upon Eric starting his teardown it was apparent that all the coils were not changed, and the plugs other than being the wrong ones, were barely hand tight.
I also got to meet Larry Eck and got to see his "famous" SHO you know the red one the start up up page of V8SHO, he even took me to pick up some lunch, thank's again Larry.

So if anyone who lives within a reasonable radius of the Chicago area, and has not had there cams welded yet no fear Eric is here! Just a class first class guy
who loves these cars and is VERY reliable!

Mike Baratta
Kenosha,WI
97'Red SHO welded


5/03/2004

Larry,

I just took my car to Eric to have the cams welded on May 1 2004, after reading all the favorable reviews on your website. I was so happy to learn there was such a knowledgeable person so close to me to take care of my car.

Everything Eric said he would do, he did, and his price of $450 is the best around. I don't know a lot about cars, ( Eric can certainly verify that) but I learned a ton just talking with him. All I wanted was to feel confident driving my car. This is our third SHO, I was so excited to get the V8, then I read I was driving a time bomb. We thought about getting rid of it, but there just isn't anything else comparable out there I want to drive.

So, I am $450 poorer, and the happiest mom on the road. Eric told me "Drive it like you stole it" to teach it to respond quicker and to handle better. Well now that I am so much more confident, I am having a BLAST.

I recommend Eric to EVERYONE who hasn't had it done. He ABSOLUTELY knows what he is doing, and my car feels like it's brand new! Thank You Eric!!!! When you go, do not leave without seeing the Shofa!!!

Jeannie Autry
97 Silver Frost
05.01.2004
89K


06/01/2004

Larry:
I have not forgotten to note Eric's cam weld work on my 96 SHO on March 26-27.

Eric was able (barely) but very willing to begin work on my 96 SHO immediately upon arriving in Chicago on Friday evening, only a day after a large truck shortened the back end of his Jeep.

Eric's work involved swapping the front/rear sets of coils, cleaning the surge tank, intakes, and butterflies, welding, oil change, and answering all of my questions.
(the plugs had recently been changed).

Work was completed early Saturday afternoon - and the ride back to WI was surely a joy!

I appreciate all information on his experience with the v8 engine and practical advice on its care and feeding. Eric's diligence, quality of work, and willingness to answer questions (and seeing the SHOfa) are certainly enough to earnestly recommend his work to anyone requiring cam welds.


Eric:
Any recommendations regarding oil changes more frequently than 3K miles? Just changed mine for the first time since the welding, and the oil seemed a bit dirty - relative to my frequent 2.5K miles max between changes on my '90 SHO. You may recall that your
cleanup of my surge tank, intake, and butterflies was required about 7 cans of Berrymans. Is it likely that additional sludge in the crankcase is draining?

I also have some rather significant squealing seeming to be from my rotors when the vehicle initially moved when cold - I have not yet examined the status of the brakes. I anticipate brake/rotor service only, but should I be concerned about something more significant?

Another question - if driving steady at 65-75mph on highway (sometimes in cruise, but not exclusively), the engine will rev from a constant 2200-2500 up
approx. 300 RPM for about 1 second, then back to 2200-2500RPM. Any ideas? Assuming nothing inherently wrong with the transmission, I am wondering if this condition is due to the tuning of the engine response based on my driving upon leaving your house? I have
not tried to retune since the cam weld.

I enjoy seeing your latest efforts on the web site - when next in IL, I may stop by to see your latest modifications.

P.S. Larry, I am still working on that photo for the next version of the screen saver - I will attempt to obtain a G.B. Packers "G" placed perfectly on the rear window of the SHO - however, I am sure you could do the same with the Bears' "C". Although I have taken
little time to implement many modifications of the SHO, (ATX fluid cooler is in the garage, saxocone removal will be next) I have noted and downloaded much
of the information on the website - it is an excellent resource. Let me know if I can contribute to keeping the site active.

Thanks,

Tracy Reineking 96 SHO TR
 


06/02/2004

Sorry it took me so long to get this to you but time seems to fly by. I'm happy to say that, thanks to Eric Lehman, I haven't worried about my cams since May 22nd. And like Eric told me, the drive home was the best drive I'd had in my beloved SHO.

I knew very quickly that I had the right guy working on my car. I bet I asked him a question every 10 seconds for about 7 straight hours and he answered each one (I would have killed me after about 2 minutes). Eric is a very passionate when it comes to these cars and we are lucky that he is willing to help us. The guy does unbelievable work for a very good price. The $450 he charged is a very small price (investment) to pay for cam freedom and 100K maintenance. I'd recommend Eric to anyone.

On a side note to anyone considering Eric - after he is done doing his magic, not only should you ask him to pop the hood on his German alcohol fed Thunder Chicken, ask him to start it. WOW


Thanks Eric!!!

Joe Wede
97 ES - 84K and counting


9/27/04

Howdy folks,

Well, this past weekend, I finally got to take one of my SHO's to Eric Lehmann.  I found out about the cam problem 2 years ago, but had procrastinated and didn't have the money until now to get it done.  It's doubly nerve wracking because I have 2 of them!

I left Saint Paul, MN at about 6:40 on Friday night.  I arrived at my motel in Oak Brook at about 1am.  I got up the following morning at about 7:15 and arrived at Eric's shortly after 8am.  Eric greeted me at the door and we talked about cars, kids, the SHOfa, and other topics for about 20 minutes before Eric backed my car into his garage and popped the hood.  He got to work immediately, and had most of the top-end off the motor with the cams exposed in less than 45 minutes.  My engine looked pretty clean (Valvoline 5/30 synthetic with Purolator PureOne filter) which made me happy.  I learned a LOT, including potential issues with the wiring harness (and what it actually LOOKS LIKE), how the coils' housings crack, and proof that my plugs were trashed (although Eric said the car is running pretty well for almost 100K on original plugs).  I even learned that most TR cars are all different colors!  Eric also checked my cams to see if they had failed (not yet, thank God) and showed me a baby-failure and full failure cam (scary!!!).  About that time, Larry Eck stopped by with the newly rebuilt SOWHAT9.  Larry, Eric and I chatted for a bit, and we looked at Larry's resurrected car for a few minutes and discussed transmission coolers (my next project).  Larry's is working off an indentured servitude, so he helped with the cleaning of my intakes, etc.  We talked about different mufflers and I got to hear Larry's bullet's and the glasspacks on one of Eric's cars.  I hung around for awhile, and watched Eric start the welding process.  I learned that our cams are all hand stenciled with serial numbers. 

By about 11:00, hunger got the better of me, so Eric loaned me the side-exhaust SHO, and I toodled down Roosevelt and found a restaurant to have some food.  I then stopped at Trader Joe's for about an hour (there are none in MN) and drove back to Eric's to check on the progress.  Some observations about driving the side-exhaust:
1 Cherry Bomb Glasspacks are loud.  2 People are looking around for a car with this big booming V-8.  3 You can hear all the rpm changes with the torque converter.  4 You get off the throttle when passing by police.  A little much for my taste, but I did enjoy cruising around in it for a bit.

I got back to Eric's a little before 2 and he was finishing up already!  We filled out a little paperwork, looked at the rest of the old plugs (way gone), and talked a little more.  I got my requisite picture on the SHOfa, then asked for a ride in his Thunderbird.  For those of you who don't know, let me tell you a little about this gem of a car.  It looks like a typical non-descript early 90's T-Bird.  Only the mellow exhaust rumble and the Daimler-Benz "KOMPRESSOR" badge on the trunk are present to warn kids in their VTEC Acura's that this may not be the best car to mess with.  But under the hood, is a blown 302 with other mods, and this car flat out HAULS.  Eric took me for a jaunt and we did a 1/6 to 1/4 mile to really show me how much this car scoots.  AWESOME!

I was out of there around 2:45, as a much happier camper.  No more nervousness about spontaneous engine implosion (at least on this car), and yes, the car runs stronger and smoother than before.  I stopped by my wife's uncle and aunt's house nearby before heading back to the Twin Cities at about 4:40pm.  After asking Eric about it, I put 87 octane in the car for the first time, and yes, it does run fine folks.  I arrived home at 10:35pm, only 26 hours after I left.  Tired, but happier about my car than I have been for a long time.  I will be back with my wife's TR as soon as I have the cash (and Eric has the time).  We only pray that her car will remain intact until then.

Some final observations:  Eric is a class act and does a tremendous service for our community.  I learned as much about our cars on Saturday as I had the previous 5+ years I have owned SHO's.  Larry is also an amazing person and deserves much credit for maintaining this list and our website.  It was great to meet 2 of the many fine folks who populate this list.  They made me proud again to own SHO's after feeling somewhat upset for buying two of these cars once I learned of the cam issue.  Thank you Larry for your hard work.  And thank you Eric, for servicing my car, providing valuable information and technical expertise for our group, and for the great ride in your T-Bird!  Eric sent me pics of the work too!   I know there's more stuff that I wanted to share, but can't think of it right now.  Cheers!

David Jones
'96 SF (welded by Eric on 9/25/04)
'97 TR (will be welded by Eric in '05)

*blush* Thanks Man

U.L.


10/09/2004

Larry,

I'm writing to give Eric Lehmann the highest recommendation concerning the cam weld procedure he performed on my white 1999 SHO in August of 2004. Unfortunately, I was not able to make the trip, but my father drove from K.C. to Lombard and was highly impressed with his knowledge of the SHO's. My father (a mechanical engineer) is not impressed easily, but he had only the highest remarks for Eric's professionalism. I would recommend Eric to my family or friends, as well as anyone thinking of getting their cams welded. It still wonder how he does all that work for just $450.00, but I guess he has a true love for these vehicles. I also want you to know V8sho calmed my nerves in providing vital information on choosing who would perform the procedure. Thank you Eric and V8sho.

Healthfully,

Cale Van Cleave
99 white (welded cams)
92 red


02/06/2005

He did the 1998 SHO we own. Perfect, along with the satisfaction of knowing our car wont end up in a junkyard. Pulls nicer now that its clean.:) Took a while to convince my dad to weld, but after he learned about Eric, he had no problem letting him work on his pride and joy.

He also did my 1997 SHO. Perfect yet again, his knowledge, and banter make the day fun, and watching him put his expertise to work is awesome.

One very satisfied SHO family.

Jon Martinucci
1998 Silver Frost
1997 Ebony Satin


-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Gullette <charlesgullette@gmail.com>
To: Larry@v8sho.com
Sent: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 20:38:06 -0500
Subject: A thanks and some other stuff...

Hi Larry,

Hope all is well.

I just wanted to write a note to anyone else out there that may have the Ford Taurus SHO (applicable years for cam issues) and wondering if they really "need" to get the cams welded.

I just want to say:

DO IT NOW!!
DON'T WAIT!!
DON'T THINK "everything is fine".

I have to admit, to be humble, that I was skeptical; but after hearing my car sound like a diesel engine for several hundred miles and then having Eric Lehmann weld the cams, I am a believer!! It purrs like a kitten and roars like a lion now!!! What was it you guys said?..oh yeah...drive it like you stole it!! I can do that now!
Oh and is it ever nice!!!

Eric told me that I was one more key turn from several thousand dollars worth of engine repairs. After seeing what I saw and now knowing what I know, I have absolutely no reason to believe otherwise.

To add just a bit more; I thought my beautiful lady friend (Kathy) had an interesting observation on Eric Lehmann during our visit.

"No matter how upset Eric is at Ford for allowing these engines to continue to run without admitting there is a problem, he is passionate about these SHO's!"

Sounds like - Love the sinner; hate the sin!! Kudos to you Eric.

To anyone interested in getting their cams welded, wherever you are: Call Eric Lehmann in Lombard, IL. He is extremely knowledgeable, extremely passionate, inexpensive by comparison and just one heck of an all around nice guy. Way worth the trip.

Kind regards,
Charles
Peoria, IL

P.S.
In the words of many wise men before me:
"I have been to the "SHOFA"; and it is good"


7/25/05

Hey Eric,

Just wanted to say thanks again for a job well done. The car ran great on the way home. 

Well thanks again man, and keep in touch. I just wanted to tell you that everyone in my family and friends, including my girlfirend, thought I was nuts for taking my car all the way to you, but I guess I SHOed them huh? LOL. Well take care, and if you still come across a throttle box for me, let me know please.

Thanks
Your Friend
Steve


05/27/06

Hi Larry
You can add my name to the folks who had their cams welded by Eric Lehmann. I bought my 97 Silver frost (117,000 miles) in Dec. 05 last year and only put on about 150 miles in 6 months. I was terrified to drive it because of the Cam issues. I did some checking on to who was one of the more knowledgeable people in welding Cams. Well, everything kept pointing to Eric Lehmann. The best part; He lives only 20 minutes from me! How lucky is That! Well I brought the Sho to him on Sat. May 13th. at 8:00am sharp and picked it up at 3:30pm the same day. The relief I felt knowing the cams were welded was unbelievable. Talking to Eric you can see how passionate he is about the Sho. By the way his Rose Mist Sho in his garage is Beautiful! I highly recommend contacting Eric Lehmann if your cams aren't welded yet.
Jeff Fry
97' Silver Frost
Cams now Welded 


1/4/07

Subject: PVC pipe ram air..35 MPG on recent trip

Just kiddin of course, just thought this was a good attention getter. I just wanted to write to everyone out there who is unwelded. This last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Eric Lehman in Illinois who welded my cams. This man is an absolute genius when it comes to these cars. At first I was very apprehensions about letting someone else touch my car, but Eric and his amazing attention to detail blew my fears right out of the water. I'm tellin ya folks, for the money and the overall experience this man really is the best bang for the buck. All I'm saying is if this man can put up with me, my questions, and my quest for knowledge for over 8 hrs.... he can handle anything and deserves a medal. He really has a way of putting things in Lehman's terms (pun intended of course). The best drive I ever had in my car was the drive home when I knew that I no longer needed to worry about a cam failure. On top of that, the much needed tune-up that Eric performed on my car did absolute wonders for my performance. From what I hear the 120,000 miles on the original spark plugs is a good long life. I'll tell ya, those Bosch platinum +4's really did the trick. All in all folks don't wait another minute thinking about getting welded, just do it before you become another one of the growing failure population. To steal a saying, all and all I must say good form sir. If anyone has any questions about the entire experience please don't hesitate to write me off list and I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Jon Gore
'98 TR - 120K - welded (Finally)
Cone filter
Exhaust mods
other mods
________________________________________________________________________
04/12/2007

Larry,

Thankfully, I got my cams welded Saturday by Eric Lehmann. He is awesome when it comes to gen 3 SHO's. After 2 minutes of looking at my car, he knew more about it than I did after 2 months. He had the top of the engine off and down to the cams in no time. He could tell by the serial numbers on the cams that one set had already been replaced at some point, but fortunately, there was no walk at all on either set, and the engine was pretty clean, so it was smooth sailing. He was cleaning and checking everything, all the while explaining to me what he was doing, why he was doing it, and what to watch out for in the future.

As he dug deeper, he suspected that my engine had already been a victim of a cam failure, seeing as the cam numbers were mismatched, the heads had different amounts of wear on them, and somebody had been that deep into the engine before. Surprise, surprise, that wasn't on the carfax report, neither was the repaired front end collision that Eric also pointed out. In those first two minutes, he noticed a difference in the headlights, and the fact that the drivers side strut tower had been moved and re-welded. The stickers missing from underneath the hood was another sign.

I have some previous experience with machining, welding, and engineering, and I was pleasantly surprised at just how extensive Eric's knowledge was in regards to those areas. The amount of time he has put into researching the cam problem, including the solutions, is astounding. Throw in the time he's spent on researching the best oil filters, oil, and plugs, and you have someone who knows SHO's. He truly has a passion for the V8 SHO's. He treated my car as if it was his own.

I was in by 8, out by 2:30. I knew my car was in good hands when I pull up and see 3 SHO's in the driveway, not to mention the immaculate Rose Mist SHO in the garage. I can't even remember all the things he was telling me about my car, but I can't forget the SHOfa, it's what legends are made of....and I want a computer chair just like his, if you've seen it, than you know what I mean. Eric is one of the nicest guys I've ever met, and handled my 500 questions flawlessly. His attention to detail, and wealth of knowledge helped put my mind at ease immediately. I would recommend him to anyone, and everyone, looking to get their cams welded, even if there is someone closer, Eric is well worth the drive. I could go on for days, but I think you get the point.

As for results, it's like I have a new car. The ride home was the best yet. I was doing 85 on the freeway and it felt like the car wanted to go faster. I really had to watch myself. I have the peace of mind knowing I am now able to drive my SHO like it was meant to driven....with a smile and an open throttle.

Thanks again Eric, I am no longer afraid to drive my SHO.

subdermalpiercing@yahoo.com
____________________________________________________________________
5/02/2007
Hi Larry,
I'm writing to let you know i enjoyed meeting you this past Saturday at Eric
Lehmann's when he welded my cams. He is one awesome guy. I have to say that my
hood wasn't up 2 minutes and he could already tell someone had worked on it
previously. Apparently someone had already put in new injectors, a new coil and
1 new plug in #1. He also mentioned that my engine was very clean and there was
no play in the sprockets. I'd also like to mention that even though I ran into
some trouble getting home I really enjoyed the 700 mile trip back to my home in
Stephens City, VA. It turns out I ended up with a flat and I couldn't find one
anywhere. I ran it all the way home on the donut. I did feel very reassured
though, knowing that the cams had been welded. Oh, and i also got to see Eric's
"shofa". That was something! (LOL) He even helped me out by fixing some other
things too. He fixed my shifter because the button wouldn't release. He also
fixed my entry system by going underneath the dash and getting the numbers. Oh,
and I really like the CD changer he sold me out of the SHO he was parting out.
He was nice enough to put that in for me too!! I can't say enough about him,
he's such a nice guy. I really enjoyed meeting him and his wife as well. She was
very nice too. I just want to thank him again for the hard work he did on my
car, I really do appreciate it Eric, thank you so much!
Bob Miller
97 Silver Frost 90,000
Cams Welded 4/28/07.
4/28/07
______________________________________________________________________

As many of you know, I'm a professional musician. I spend about 7~8 months a year on the road, traveling between live or recording dates. Many times in my industry, plans change suddenly........for many reasons. People in "entertainment" are notorious procrastinators, poor management/artist communication, opportunity, obligations, etc.

Well, I was in Nashville for the last 10 days or so, having booked several "sessions" back-to-back to make the most of my time in town. I had driven my car as I carried part of my own rig to record with. I'm kinda partial to my own stuff and I program most of my own "sounds". Being in the business for a number of years (old fart), I've come to expect change....it's the one of the few things in my industry that remains constant. Anyways.......an artist that had booked me for a session over the weekend wound up having to cancel.....actually, he turned out to be a complete flake but, that's another story.

Being one to make the most of opportunity, it occurred to me that I suddenly had about 3 days free (Fri~Sun) and I immediately called my friend Eric Lehmann as I needed to have my cams welded and other services performed. I had planned the cam weld many times in the past with several vendors but, because of the aforementioned aspect of change or schedule conflicts, I've had to cancel each time. I figured if Eric could make a space for me, sometime during the weekend, I was 7 hours from Chicago instead of 14 from Ft. Worth. Sure enough, he had Sunday available.......more than enough time for me to finish up in Nashville, drive to Chicago, have some quality (read, beer) time with the Lehmanns and the Ecks and get the car worked on, Sunday.

I got to Chicago Friday night, checked into the hotel and got to bed early (for me) at 3AM. After arriving at Eric's early Saturday afternoon, I observed as he was welding/servicing a car and talked to him about the surgery he was about to perform on mine. I was struck by the amount of attention he paid to detail.......and the patient explanation.

On to dinner.........myself, Larry & Heather meet back at the Lehmann's for drinks before dinner.....then, reservations for 5 at 7PM at Sal Carvao.....a Brazilian restaurant. Famous for the waiters that roam the room with skewers of broiled meats and swords to slice/serve it. An experience I'll look forward to repeating. I left stuffed..........and amazed at how such a little person like Heather could consume that volume of martinis and still walk & talk....lol!

Sunday morning, Larry and Eric start work on my car before I manage to stumble out of bed. By the time I get there (noon), they're done welding and almost finished cleaning my really filthy intake. Larry & I make a quick trip to the AutoZone for a K&N and return to "Porterize" the intake and replace the cabin air filter. I find Eric installing the new phenolic spacers onto the LIM and reassembling everything. Shortly after returning, Larry has to leave for home (Wisconsin) as Monday morning will come early. All that remains is the final test drive.....we find smoke on our return and upon inspection, determine it is Berryman's/excess oil, spilled on the rear exhaust manifold during the cleaning process and decide to drive it again until it stops.....and it does.

The thing I notice, first off, is the immediate throttle response and the new "growl" that's a by-product of the fresh, clean "Porterized" intake. At 3400 & up, it's an unmistakable howl. After the final test drive, we return to find Kris grillin' burgers and sausages. Pronouncing the job "done" we down the necessary number of beers and critique her cooking technique. Not wanting her to throw ALL the food at us, we decide to finish the critique AFTER we eat.

Seriously, I can't think of a better way to kill a weekend. Friends, food, beer, more food, more beer, and somewhere in there a first-rate cam-weld service that gives me great peace of mind. As a by-product.......my fuel mileage on the way home (14 hours) averaged an incredible 27.4 mpg. Considering the fact that I had the cruise set at 80 (an occasional burst above) and A/C on the whole way (I did no worse than 11 gallons per 300 miles driven), I'm really pleased. My thanks to the Lehmann's & the Ecks who, on a moments notice, made time for me.........graciously.

Rex in Ft. Worth
'99 SF
73k
Mods
Welded
______________________________________________________________________________

Was great hooking up with Rex for some quality garage hanging out time as it was to meet another SHO Owner Bob Miller from VA who also was welded. But I did have other chores I had to attend to Sunday afternoon....

Yup quality hang time with Wills was the order of the remainder of the day! I think he's listening to Whiskey Girl, but not sure!

Uncl Lar


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