commbubba19

2.7 never raced. this is a fun family car only. rarely even sees full throttle.

LMS doesn't data log but the information for the a/f is in the PIDS that SCT and HPTuners can pull. A tune wouldn't cause the oil fouling of the spark plug. That's a mechanical failure. Cause is the tricky part. Could be rings, valve guides, PCV, etc. Hence why I'm leaving the plug in there and driving it around until it throws a code again. At which point I'll see what Ford says.

I've ran it both tuned and stock for various periods of time. I've seen random puffs of blue and i've already added a qt of oil since my last change 5k miles ago. I've also added about 1/2 qt of coolant as the tank always seems to be below max level. I've never smelled coolant being burned and no leaks. 15k miles on it right now. I plan to change the oil Sunday. Obviously I can replace the plug and solve the problem temporarily, but if there's an issue with that cylinder like a head gasket issue or something else, that plug will eventually get fouled up again. So I'm thinking i'm going to leave that plug in as is and when the misfires return, bring it in and let ford dick with it.

I posted this up on the Facebook group but I'm aware not everyone here is on that page. Been having random rough idle on and off over the last few months. Picked up a bluetooth OBD reader with software to monitor. Nothing exciting for the last month. Perfectly normal engine reports. Yesterday, drove around for about an hour and then got gas and a car wash (touch-less at least) but the line was long. As I was waiting the idle started to become rough and vary enough to shake the car. A couple quick free revs didn't clear it up so I plugged in the scanner. Found that Cylinder 5 was reporting misfires and a lot of them. I then shut the car off and let it sit until I needed to move up in line. Upon start up it was immediately rough and I got a CEL for misfires on cylinder 5. It continued to be rough for about 15 minutes but then just cleared up and was perfectly smooth. Drove home as normal. Later that evening I pulled cylinder 5 and cylinder 4's spark plug to compare. As you can see, 5 is pretty messed up. A lot of build up from what I'm guessing is oil possibly from blow by or the PCV system. Since 4 is clean, I don't believe it would be the PCV but I'm not an expert. I've cleared the CEL and am going to make an appointment with Ford the next time this happens which based on that plug, should be soon. I'd be curious if anyone else has a dirty #5 plug. It's pretty easy to get to.

Yeah Pics would be great. Props for diving into the unknown like that. I knew the wiring wouldn't be an issue. I'm just surprised the shifter mechanism swapped over so easily.

Depends...If you're seat stops moving forward/backwards, they can't blame the H&R springs. Your shock fails and starts leaking, they will likely say the springs caused the premature failure and tell you you have to pay up. There are many folks running the springs. They are not an aggressive drop but you will likely be shortening the life of the shocks/struts by a bit. I much prefer the ride of the springs and am willing to pay if the struts or shocks fail sooner rather than later.

I'm surprised the shifter handle was plug/play.

I was worried it would annoy me but so far i like it. Especially under 3k. It does get buzzy in the higher rpm ranges but that's inherit of a V6.

My next project was to solve the flappy sound underneath the car at speed or windy days. From what I found, there are little plastic plugs that hold felt panels underneath in place. However, they sit loose and I think when air passes just right, it causes them to make noise. My solution is to wrap them in foam. So far so good. You will need this: Find this panel underneath Use a 10mm socket to remove these nuts along the sides You can then pull the panel down and see the plastic grommets. There are three you need to pull out of the body. They can be tough, so use a screw driver for leverage if you need to but they will eventually pop out. Cut your foam and also cut a hole in the middle to stretch over the plug. Install Then pop them back in and re-install your 10mm nuts.

MRT Exhaust installed. It sounds good. Like a purring cat. Get's a bit buzzy on the top end. However - you will want to take it to a muffler shop. I made my cuts and everything lined up as it should. But the OD of the factory exhaust is just over 2". The ID of the MRT exhaust is just under 2-1/4". The design requires the clamp to compress the relief cuts in the neck down to compress onto the factory exhaust. That wasn't going to happen. Especially at the 30ftlbs they recommend for the clamps. Also of note, they stated there were hangers near the differential. My Edge did not. So the only hangers holding the exhaust were by the resonator and the tips. With the cuts where they were, it requires a large amount of friction to hold the exhaust in place and not sag. Again, not happening. I had some 2-14" 4" long band clamps i used instead temporarily. Stopped by my local hot rod muffler shop and had it welded up. I did talk to MRT finally since they never returned my original call. Explained everything to their engineer. Most likely it was a manufacturing defect in that they did not neck down the pipe to the correct size for the factory exhaust. But I also explained that my vehicle didn't have the hangers they reference and based on their design, really need to exist. If anyone else can take a peak under their edge to see if they have any exhaust hangers by the differential it'd be nice to know. Kit Stock Cut Driver's installed Exit Gap ( A bit close to the bend here but the size difference was the same going back farther ) MRT Factory basic placement of driver's side

Sorry about the missing photos, photobucket went full retard with hotlinking.

Kit Stock Cut Driver's installed Exit Gap ( A bit close to the bend here but the size difference was the same going back farther ) MRT Factory basic placement of driver's side

So I get this installed. Sounds good. Like a purring cat. Get's a bit buzzy on the top end. However - you will want to take it to a muffler shop. I made my cuts and everything lined up as it should. But the OD of the factory exhaust is just over 2". The ID of the MRT exhaust is just under 2-1/4". The design requires the clamp to compress the relief cuts in the neck down to compress onto the factory exhaust. That wasn't going to happen. Especially at the 30ftlbs they recommend for the clamps. Also of note, they stated there were hangers near the differential. My Edge did not. So the only hangers holding the exhaust were by the resonator and the tips. With the cuts where they were, it requires a large amount of friction to hold the exhaust in place and not sag. Again, not happening. I had some 2-14" 4" long band clamps i used instead temporarily. Stopped by my local hot rod muffler shop and had it welded up. I did talk to MRT finally since they never returned my original call. Explained everything to their engineer. Most likely it was a manufacturing defect in that they did not neck down the pipe to the correct size for the factory exhaust. But I also explained that my vehicle didn't have the hangers they reference and based on their design, really need to exist. If anyone else can take a peak under their edge to see if they have any exhaust hangers by the differential it'd be nice to know. I have pics, just need to pull them off my phone.

but the edge isn't a race car. so if you're not racing it, when would you use the paddles? just like you said, at random times and infrequent. so then why not just have them on the console? marketing gimmick, that's why (and what I've been saying). my point this whole time is normal street cars having flappy paddles is stupid no matter where they are. They are street cars, not race cars. i've raced manuals, steering mounted paddles, and sequential style. manual is best, but because i prefer a manual on track, i tend to prefer sequential style as well. i hate flappy paddles. just stupid. I'll be interested in the OP's findings. The shifter mechanism internally hopefully is the same across both generations. The issue may come up if the wiring is integrated into the vehicle CANBUS. That may cause headaches getting it to work correctly with the shifter handle. Keep us posted.

it's human nature. you put effort in trying to the first to test a part and you want it to succeed and show benefit to other owners. totally understandable. however, i'm an engineer and i'm telling you, that in this very specific situation, you are incorrect. also however, if you're happy with it, that's all that matters. If others buy the part based on your words, and they're happy with it, that's also fine. your money, your car.

meant to say seconds . Glad you missed those bikers.

Nothing that you're saying is wrong. But you're assuming the strut towers ( again assuming macpherson strut ) only move in or out in relation to each other when the chassis is flexed. The flex in a hard turn is a more vertical movement that the bar may help prevent by preventing that movement by laterally connecting to the other tower. The strut is mostly vertical in a car. The force is vertical pushing up against the tower. Under let's say a hard right turn, the highest load is upwards against the driver's tower, while the passenger side tower has the least load, if not almost negative. That only becomes an issue if the front end of the chassis has enough flex to actually allow differential movement of the towers in relation to each other vs at rest. If it does, then a solid bar will help prevent that deflection. A hinged/pivoted bar like the OP's will do nothing. The whole point of a strut bar is to box the front end. I'm definitely not saying they don't help. I'm just saying that the Edge's chassis design doesn't lend itself to benefit as much as others to a strut bar nor would it improve handling so much to drop a full 4 seconds on a canyon road.

So you've never been on a 500 mile drive and taken one hand off the wheel? Do you feel less safe if/when you do? Doesn't matter, let's stay on topic or at least more so. Speaking just to driving on the street, you're assumption is that your hands always stay at 9 and 3 when making a turn. It is impossible to turn a vehicle from lock to lock while your hands remain at 9 and 3.

There are so many other variables that must be considered that could make your time from point a to point b vary on different days. Strut bars essentially are supposed to transfer load from one tower to the other when a chassis is under flex. Considering how close the strut towers in the edge are to the a-pillar, the amount of possible flex/load is less than a standard sedan where the strut towers are farther from the a-pillar. This of course does not account for other frame/body designs that would keep flex to a minimum. If you told me you bought some sticky summer tires and saw a 4 minute improvement, i'd buy that. Strut bar, no. Like I said, placebo effect. It sure does look pretty but it's not doing anything. Especially as stated since it has a pivot point on both sides. That is adding another friction point that no matter how tight that bolt is, if there was any load high enough to flex the strut towers, that little amount of friction area provided by the bolt would be superseded and therefore you'd have the same flex. Strut bars must be solid to be effective. Designs like this remind me of what i saw kids put on their 98 civics. It's lazy engineering by the manufacturer to cut costs by being able to use different flange mounts with the same bar design. It's basically a universal part.

I said flappy paddles came from f1. didn't say which style. f1 cars do have them on the wheel because the wheel does not turn very much. therefore the driver always knows where the paddle is. on race cars derived from street cars and high end street cars, most have large paddles attached to the column much like explained by doug. others have moved to the wheel. the problem occurs as soon as you go hand over hand, you've lost the location of the paddle (on the street, rare on track). however, many other race cars like i already mentioned, use a sequential console style. my point is, for a STREET based vehicle, such as the edge. Having steering mounted paddles is for marketing. not to actually improve street driving dynamics. a sequential style shifter on the console is far more practical. go try what i asked you to do and be in sport mode with the gear selector in 1 at a stop turning right into the inside lane and try to keep your right hand near the shift paddle. you can't. you will have to look down to upshift or be some sort of contortionist or simply rev it out in 1st until you straighten out the steering wheel and can flick the paddle. it's dumb for street driving. to argue about what's best on a road course is pointless considering an edge (and most street cars with flappy paddles) will never see a road course. and yes i call bs on the whole keep both hands on the wheel at all times crap.

My complaint isn't the functionality of paddle shifters, it's the placement. Wheel or column, street cars should have the gear shifter on the center console, not the wheel. Justifying the shifter being on the wheel because race cars do is just dumb considering many race cars also use sequential shifters on the center console. It's a marketing/packaging thing only. Not what's most efficient for driving. Is it handy to down shift using the paddle when passing or slowing? Sure. Can i do the same thing with a lever on the console? Absolutely. Is it more dangers? No. Is it more convenient and practical to shift on the console vs wheel? Yes. it is a trend that will die off eventually but not soon enough.

Have you ever driven, you yourself, a ferrari on a race track? I doubt it, because you're coming across like a 12 yr old trying to one up argue his friends. Seriously, you've lost all credibility by comparing real life street cars with Gran Turismo and a logitech steering wheel. Next you're gong to tell me you're on the level of navy seal because you play call of duty.

Not sure why you're bringing up manuals. Not talking about manuals. The original poster wanted to put a sequential style shifter on the center console. Most argued why as you have the paddle shifters. I explained why paddle shifters are not the 'best' alternative. It is a marketing fad. Nothing more. A proper sequential lever on the center console accomplishes the ability to manually change gears far more efficiently than paddle shifters. I'm not sure who taught you how to drive, but i'm not aware of anyone that drives aggressively and leaves their hands on the shifter, manual or not. You move your hand to the shifter, change gear, and move it back. The process can happen in less than a second. Also, I do believe a vast majority of drivers who are just driving normally do not keep their hands at 10/2 100% of the time. Safety nazi's and this trend in touch screens along with the marketing ploy that the car has paddle shifters and therefore is sporty is causing the steering wheel/column to be the end all location of all vehicles controls. There simply isn't the real estate to do this efficiently.

Doug DeMuro has an excellent write up on paddle shifters. Doug explains why race cars have static paddles attached to the column and why most manufacturers have moved them to the wheel. Hint, it's a compromise. My counter point is instead of putting them on the wheel, shifting should be placed back on the center console like it's been for the last 50+ years. https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/whats-the-correct-location-for-paddle-shifters-266345 Here's an overview of the situation as I see it. Right now, there are two types of paddle shifters -- paddles on the wheel, or paddles on the steering column. The vast majority of street cars with paddle shifters stick them on the steering wheel, while virtually every race car with paddle shifters has them mounted on the steering column. To me, and to everyone who's serious about driving, the race cars have it right. Here's why: When you're in a tremendously tight corner, and you've gone hand-over-hand on the steering wheel, meaning that you no longer really know exactly what part of the wheel is "up," you don't want there to be any ambiguity at all about where you can shift gears. So if you're in a tight corner, and you're slowing down from 200 miles per hour, and your steering wheel is inverted as you negotiate the bend, you don't want to have to look down and figure out where your downshift paddle has gone. You want that thing sitting there, precisely where you'd expect it, precisely where it always is, on the same side of the steering wheel. The alternative is tremendously annoying: While you're turning, while you're braking, while you're finding the right racing line, you have to also be thinking about the direction of the steering wheel, in case you need to fire off a downshift. It's bad design for anyone who's really serious about driving on the track. And so, race cars do it right: In a world where hundredths of a second count, race car designers take great effort to ensure they have no disadvantages. Race cars mount their paddle shifters on the column, and they sit there, bolted down, unmoving throughout the race. But it isn't quite as easy in road cars. You see, race cars don't have column-mounted stalks for the turn signals or windshield wipers. Instead, virtually everything in most modern race cars is controlled solely from the steering wheel itself, leaving race car steering columns freed up to contain the paddle shifters. But road cars do have stalks -- for the turn signals, the wipers, the cruise control and sometimes even the transmission. And if a car manufacturer started bolting the shift paddles to the steering column, it would have to redesign a car's column-mounted stalks to be longer, and to have strange angles, so they could still integrate these things easily around the paddle shifters. Naturally, carmakers don't want to do this because it adds cost and complexity, and so most cars have steering wheel-mounted paddles. However, Maxy, they probably shouldn't. For a serious car, with serious driving capabilities, intended to be used on the track, the paddles should stay still when the steering wheel turns. With that said, most of us don't drive on the track, so most of us don't really care -- and this isn't a topic that earns a lot of complaints. Nonetheless, I hope I've successfully pursueded your friends.