Ford Shelby GT500 Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

2014 bell housing has dimpled cracks.

10K views 119 replies 19 participants last post by  blackcad55 
#1 ·
Hi All

Havent been here awhile due to log on issues.

On my 2014 OEM Gt 500 at 8,500 miles I noticed small cracks on my bell housing. Looks like someone shot it from the inside with a BB gun.

Clutch is good and no vibrations.

Going to Ford today to see whats going on.

Steve
 
#2 ·
Welcome (back) to the forum Steve. If you have posted previously from a different screen name, send me a pm with the screen name and the email address it is linked to. I'll reset your password so you can log back in. If you haven't posted previously, disregard and you can check the New Member area in the link below.

Also, sorry for the bell housing thing. I haven't heard of that issue before. Keep us posted!

New Member Introductions - Ford Shelby GT500 Forum
 
#6 ·
First, the cars drives perfectly, no clutch issues, no vibrations. Smooth, like being in your favorite chair moving at 140mph.

The bell housing has dimpled cracks protruding outward. I had taken pictures, but cant find them yet. The cast markings/seams/blemishes on the bell housing are easy to identify as compared to the cracks.

I do have an inspection camera and before taking it to Ford, I looked inside the bell housing to see if there was any hint of what could cause such a thing.

I noticed a clutch bolt that has a small portion (20%) of it's head 'chipped" off by something it may have impacted. The certified "Shelby tech" at Ford said that maybe somehow a bolt came loose or someone had left something inside the housing. At this point it is under warranty.

I'll guess my clutch friction pads may have come apart at high RPM's. I don't think Ford will cover the clutch, but we'll see. If they don't cover the clutch, I'll get a new bell housing, have them put my current clutch back in and get a light weight ACE dual disc replacement.
 
#7 ·
Steve, I got your pm about your old screen name. I had to do some "tweaking" and sent you a reply. Hopefully you can see it and log in now. If not, make another screen name and contact me again. Since your new screen name (this one) has your current email address, I wasn't able to change your old screen name to the current email without first putting a bogus address for this screen name. The system doesn't allow 2 screen names with the same email address. I also changed your password and pm'd it to your reply. Hopefully you can read it and log into your old name. If not, like I said, holler at me again and I'll get it working for you.
 
#8 ·
What ever you did Goose seams to work for now.

Thanks.

So, just got a call from Chino Hills Ford, CA. service guy. He said for us to see what the problem is, we need to tear down the trans , meaning separate it from the engine to see what went wrong. "IF" it is covered by Ford then you owe no money, but to proceed, we need you to approve the cost of tear down. Is this how warranties work these days?

I said, I will separate the trans from the engine and have a flat bed bring it in for inspection, they said no, separating the trans from the engine must be done here.

This is like rolling dice in Vegas. This is not a good warranty. Probably the last Ford for me. Going to pick up my car today.

I will contact FordMoCo about this policy.

Steve
 
#9 ·
Steve, try logging in under your old screen name. Post here if it works.
 
#10 · (Edited)
That is how the warranty works unfortunately. Good luck.

Having said that, if your clutch and tranny hasn't been touched with aftermarket parts, it would be very hard for them to deny your warranty. If they do, they have to give you a reason why. Sounds like they can't. A bolt backing out is by no way any fault of your own


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#12 ·
That is how the warranty works unfortunately. Good luck.

Having said that, if your clutch and tranny hasn't been touched with aftermarket parts, it would be very hard for them to deny your warranty. If they do, they have to give you a reason why. Sounds like they can't. A bolt backing out is by no way any fault of your own
^^^^^ I agree with Ace, if the car is 100% stock, I don't see where Ford could do anything but fix it under warranty......but then again, I have known a few 'sleazy' car dealers that I wouldn't trust with my lawn mower, let alone my Shelby! Best of luck in this ordeal.
 
#11 ·
Ok Goose worked with my SCALECRAFT name. I will go back to using that name and not 372of500S/PJ

Thanks

So, I failed to mention that the tear down cost to me would be $930.00 just to inspect and determine if ford will cover it.

If ford covers it i get my $930 back.

So I picked my car up and will do the inspection and if necessary, replace the clutch with a superior after market clutch.

Also was told by ford that the clutch is covered for 3yr/36 mo. only. Not 5yr/60 as are the drive trains. Shame really.

Steve
 
#13 ·
My bet is you'll be covered.

Please post pics when you get them.
 
#14 · (Edited)
As per Ford. The clutch is warrantied for 3 years/ 36,000 miles. It is "not covered by the drive train 5 years/60,000 mile warranty".

Does not cover collateral damage such as my bell housing issue. If they gave me a new bell housing, I would do the clutch myself. the The bell housing cracks are small and will not cause any structural issues. Just a shame really.

I'll post pictures once I lift my car in the next few days.

My only issue I've had with my Shelby has been a driver side valve cover oil leak. That was covered. However, in the repair, the valve cover finish was damaged because the "tech" didn't remove the brake booster as noted in the shop manual, (copies of those pages left on front seat) and the valve cover finish was stained with the gasket sealer that is suppose to be used to seal gasket. Sloppy work.

They gave me a new valve cover and offered to put it on. I said no thanks. So I have a new valve cover sitting in my office.

And it started leaking again from the same location.

This is why I have little confidence in taking the car to a Ford dealer.

Oh and the airbag recall. I took mine in after Ford said they have the new driver side airbags. Ok. Took the car in, 15 minutes later the car comes back with a horse on the airbag. No cobra???? They said they cannot take the badge off the old one. So I asked them to put the cobra airbag back on and let me know when cobra bag was available. Never did. Found the proper part number from the internet and had them order one. They exist!!

At this point I may try with different dealers. I also need to buy a car for my son, I may offer to buy a car from the dealer who covers me 100%. Or close to that.

Steve
 
#15 ·
My only issue I've had with my Shelby has been a driver side valve cover oil leak. That was covered. However, in the repair, the valve cover finish was damaged because the "tech" didn't remove the brake booster as noted in the shop manual, (copies of those pages left on front seat) and the valve cover finish was stained with the gasket sealer that is suppose to be used to seal gasket. Sloppy work.

They gave me a new valve cover and offered to put it on. I said no thanks. So I have a new valve cover sitting in my office.

And it started leaking again from the same location.

This is why I have little confidence in taking the car to a Ford dealer.

Oh and the airbag recall. I took mine in after Ford said they have the new driver side airbags. Ok. Took the car in, 15 minutes later the car comes back with a horse on the airbag. No cobra???? They said they cannot take the badge off the old one. So I asked them to put the cobra airbag back on and let me know when cobra bag was available. Never did. Found the proper part number from the internet and had them order one. They exist!!
Steve

What a crock-of-****t dealer........definitely time to find a better one!! :(
 
#16 ·
Are Corvette or Hellcat clutches warrantied for 5 years/60,000 miles? Curious.

Your dealer does suck, no argument there.
 
#18 ·
I am a bit upset and not sure what to do or contact. The cost to find out if it's covered is the issue. If I screwed up my clutch, ok, but I am within the drive train warranty period. Period!

I'm not sure if it's California, but all the dealers here have this policy to charge between $720-$930 (6.2 hours) to separate the transmission from the engine to inspect and find out if it is something the warranty covers. Hyundai was turning away 2016 owners of certain model that had major engine failures, blaming the owners for some maintenance failures. Now there is a recall of thousands of cars with "catastrophic engine failure". It seems no matter what the warranty, (factory or extended) the dealer will first look to get out of helping, oppose to helping. Extended warranties through third parties according to a friend at Porsche, will put used and clone parts to save money, if covered.

(One dealer said the clutch is covered for 12 months only, and another dealer said 3/36.)

This policy would led one to believe that if your engine has an internal problem, a massive tear down charge could come into play. And the Ford dealer may decide it is not covered.

Note that my cars power train is OEM which has a warranty of 5/60 as do all. But........... The service manager said the clutch is not covered under the power train until HE looks at it and says "yes it is covered under the power train". He also said "if you dump your clutch or drag race, it is not covered". I never dump the clutch. I have the OEM GY F1s' if I want to burn out.

Does FOMOCO have dispute resolution/warranty issue site?? Or something?

Thanks In Adavnce.
Steve
 
#19 ·
This isn't going to be helpful but I bought the wife a 2011 Camaro SS New, with the factory authorized extended warranty. Have taken back to the selling dealer for service and every warranty issue is a fight to get them to cover it.

When the A/C belt came apart at 18,000 miles, they claimed we use the A/C too much.

It was 100 times worse at the MINI dealer. Think BMW at every turn. That was the worst ownership experience I have ever had.

I think it is the new way of the car business.
 
#23 ·
#22 ·
M2's are nice.

BMW= Break My Wallet. There is a reason they got that reputation, be forewarned.

I have owned 3 BMW's. The dealers are the worst of the worst. They will make you hate an otherwise good car. The only people who may feel differently buy a LOT of new product on a regular basis. You have to earn their respect rather them having to earn yours.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 03reptile
#29 ·
You're right! I've had a BMW in the family since 1971. Back then, they were less complex (think no computer technology) and were reliable and tough machines. My wife's 2008 535I has experienced a number of costly problems over the years of ownership (not under warranty). Both my 2010 Fusion and the three Shelby's I've owned have been bullet proof in comparison. BMWNA has a crap reputation, nation-wide, for denying warranty coverage. I still have not found a car that handles, performs, and just makes you feel like you are part of the car, as much as a BMW does. When they are not having issues, they simply are a spectacular driver's car. In Montgomery County, Md., many BMW drivers lease their cars and once the lease is up, they get another. They have the money to afford doing that and therefore, no problems. Wish I could do that!
 
#25 ·
2112.

I keep hearing that about the BMWs'. Don't need that headache. Too bad.

The Alpha Romeo V6 is very nice also, but is having engine shut down issues. Probably not economical to maintain either.

Plus with my Ford warranty issue, I figure "warranty" has become no "guarantee" things will be covered entirely by manufacturer these days. Must be due to all the major losses on lack of recalls and fatalities, voluntary recalls to avoid potential liability, and TSBs' maybe.



Steve
 
#26 ·
Scalecraft

I know you like to track your car. I was just discussing this with a buddy and we concluded the Z28, GT350 and Grand Sport Corvette are our top contenders. All about the cost of an M4 (or less) with no BMW tax.

But as I mentioned, I think this business on warranty coverage is the new norm. I would guess to separate a transmission from an engine in a BMW dealership would be 4x the $900 you mentioned. BMW also denies claims you would absolutely believe would be covered.

In Ford's case, I think they are reassessing everything necessary to get their stock price up. Everything counts at the bottom line.
 
#27 · (Edited)
2112

I would have to agree that with the recalls and lack of recalling vehicles, that in itself costs all manufacturers in fines and settlements. Imagine the air bag issue. Although a small repair, via an out side contractor, the volume of labor alone would be big $$.

The warranty policy may cover one, however the manufacturer is going to ask the owner to authorize a "tear down" to see if it is warranty covered. And since i like to track my car, I had told Ford i am not looking for a free clutch. Only looking to see what happened inside the bell housing. The service guy also said,"if it's a knock in your engine, it will cost the owner $2,500-$3,000 to tear down the engine to see what went wrong and if it's in warranty".

So at this point I have found new OEM Ford 2014 GT 500 clutch/fly wheel for $900.00 delivered. I'll install it myself and video the entire process.

On the top contenders (from what I have observed) for a track day car for an average guy. The Z/28 was a mistake. GM put expensive big sticky tires and ceramic rotors on a car that the Camaro buyer can't afford to replace. The engine should have had a bit more power and not just the Z06 engine dropped in. Very few are at the track and don't do well when they show up.

The GT 350, in OEM form , not one has put down a better time than my 2014 GT 500 with a watts link and brake cooling ducts. I'm not the greatest driver either. Both me and the 350s' on OEM tires. Me with my GY F1 tires.

Now the GT 350R, one guy out of two just put down a better time than me by .7 second. Less than 1 second faster. This is due to the tires they run. That would be it. I wanted one! But not now. On a tighter course maybe the 350 can do better. But at AAA speedway Fontana, not so good.

The new Grand Sport. A guy just got a manual GS after using the California Lemon law on his 2016 Auto trans Stingray vette. Kept over heating on the track. And yes, the guy told Chevy he tracks it as per the owners manual settings before going on a track. His lawyer liked that page of the owners manual.

The guy has never driven a manual trans and put down a time around 2 seconds faster than me and around 1 second faster that the 350R. First day out.

The camaro ZL1/1LE will be the one to watch in the next few months. Iron rotors, 18" wheels, no magnaride. I will wait to see how those do. I will retire my 2014 Gt 500 from track days and use it only to drive and enjoy on the street. Need another track day car. Maybe an older 2012-14 Boss 302. Stripped down, those do wheel.

Sorry about the rant. Its a quite 4th so far.

Steve
 
#28 · (Edited)
Steve,

I, for one, really appreciate hearing of your first hand experiences.

The Grand Sport has Magneride, correct? I didn't realize they deleted that on the ZL1 1LE. Wonder why?

Obviously, your times show the 500 is no slouch and your comments on the BOSS 302 ring true from what I have seen, (but not from behind the wheel).

Another friend has been track tuning a 2016 5.0 GT. It is all about set up for him and at this juncture he has done coilsprings, light weight wheels and 305 tires (on 18" wheels) on all four corners. He reports it is very fast and not a budget buster (1/2 the cost of a 350 all-in) He is very happy. He bought the car 6 months old with a few miles on it. Track use only now.

BTW, he had his short block replaced under warranty due to a spun rod bearing.

Are you going to take your bell housing down for inspection when yo do your clutch?
Michael
 
#30 ·
2112

I'm thinking of looking at slightly used Mustangs also. But in the S197 GT version. I have some Cortex suspension parts I have not put on my Mustangs. Plus I know the cars mechanically. Now.

I will inspect the bell housing internals myself. It is not really that bad from the outside. Hopefully the reinforcement webbing inside the housing is not damaged.

Steve.
 
#32 ·
Please keep us up To date.

Maybe a good opportunity to swap the clutch cable.

I am a S197 fan myself. Tho I would love an IRS, You can make a solid axle work quite well.
 
#33 ·
So 2112, did your friend have to front the tear down cost of the engine to see if the damage was covered by Ford? Did they know he tracked the car?

Steve
I don't know if they knew it was a dedicated track car, I would think the wheel/tire combination would have tipped them off tho.

No, he did not have to pay for a tear down, I think they pulled the pan and made the call. He took it to the dealer he bought it from.
 
#34 ·
Hi All

Current status:

Known: OEM From Ford dealer
Retail Costs:

*The car runs smooth and perfectly. This is why I only discovered damage while changing my oil.

*Clutch $550.00
*Fly wheel $262/w bolts?
*Bell Housing $314

Upon further inspection by me, I discovered a 2" hole on top of the starter . So, not only fractures. The clutch has lost a piece of something with mass and tremendous velocity beyond a clutch plate "pad" material as it blew out of the housing and slightly damaged the sheet metal of the uni-body.

Never drag raced. Never dumped clutch. Always smooth clutch work. Spinning with in the advised RPM ranges.........

After not much effort by the local Ford dealers to try to work with me on a Labor cost tear down ($720-$930) to see if clutch damage is covered, I contacted FordMoCo and opened a complaint. The complaint case number will appear at any Ford dealer once your vin number is put into the Ford system. The FordMoCo company said the clutch is considered as part of the drive train warranty, and "should" be covered. Also, FordMoCo said tear down should be more around the $150-$350 range.


So, off I went to my local Ford dealer (in my Nissan) and sat down with a service guy that screwed up my valve cover when that leaked. Still leaking.

I said I opened a complaint with Ford about my clutch. He looked it up and found it. Then I said, ok I'm a local customer, have two Mustangs, want to stay local, what can we work out on this clutch warranty? He did some calculations and said $675 labor tear down to see if covered. Big gamble since I drive it to it's near limits. I said, is there any other recourse I may have? He said, " you can escalate your case". I said, split the cost of labor with me. As I was saying that, right at the word "split" he said "ok". I'll gamble the $340 or so bucks.

So,on 7/7/17 (good luck date?) I'll have Ford tear down. I said, I would like to see the clutch before it's removed. I did mention if it's not covered, leave it apart, Ill have it towed home, and I will buy the parts and make the repairs personally. May have to support the back of engine somehow.

I just hope they don't drop or ding my carbon fiber drive shaft. It has a sticker on it that says " Discard if Dropped"!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top