Finally coming over from my S197, looking for some direction

[MRGTX]

Some background and a couple of questions..thanks in advance for any insights!!

So I have thoroughly loved my 2011 GT 6spd/Brembo car, ordered and bought new in August of 2010. Over the years, I kept the mods mild but I was able to extract a lot of fun out of it. RE-11 285/35/19 tires, tune, Bilstein shocks, eibach springs, Boss 302 fascia and side-exit exhaust... it was a blast and easily my third favorite car I've owned. I never abused the car but ran it to redline frequently and I fell in love with that awesome Coyote engine and never got tired of it. The MT-82 never gave me any trouble...nor did anything else for 38k miles. A+ ownership experience all around.

Several years back, I began tinkering away on my first love, my vintage Dodge Dart and bringing it back from a LONG hibernation. After countless hours, gallons of sweat and blood...and a lot of cash, it is back up and running after the engine swap and suspension overhaul. The Mopar has become my go-to summer night cruiser/tire burner and it's just the most fun I've ever had on four wheels.

As a direct result, the S197 has sat, taking up a garage bay and insurance bucks. I only managed to put 1k over each of the past three years so it stopped making sense as a garage queen. Meanwhile, my daily driver 2017 WRX has been great in all of the ways that you would hope from a 4cyl turbo AWD but I've never been satisfied with the power delivery. As much as I try to keep an open mind, I'm a V8 guy at heart.

So...I traded them both in on a new 2020 Kona GT base that will be dedicated as my daily driver, picking it up tomorrow! I'm committing to let go and not worry out about getting winter road salt on it or leaving it in the work parking lot, etc. I want the experience of having a manual V8 muscle car as part of my daily life before they're all gone...and now is the time with an awesome deal and generous trade-in offers on both of my cars. So that's that.

Questions:

1)I have seen rumblings on here about 2018+ oil consumption and correlation to break-in practices. Is there a definitive authority on this?

2) This is a base car but it has the active exhaust. Is the exhaust valve actuator a risk for failure? Has anyone had them croak yet? Is it difficult/expensive to replace? The aftermarket electric cutouts usually live short lives. This is usually the kind of option that I skip so I just want to know what I'm in for.

3) My 2011 had the "typewriter" (aka "BBQ") tick since...almost forever. It never amounted to anything. Is that still a thing on 2020s? Is it a problem to be concerned about?

4) Are the 2018 MT82 shift fork breakage problems, etc. still a thing in 2020 or has there been a design revision?

5) Any issue with running my S197 style 19x9.5 RTR wheels with 285s?

6) My 2011 hood was just starting to blister (like most of them do). Will this happen to the new car too?

7) Is there anything you wish that you knew before putting miles on your S550?

Again, thanks for any insights or opinions.

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[dn1984]

the BBQ tick is still a thing but 1 bottle of Ceratec quiets it down. i had the BBQ tick on my 2012 all the way up to 165k trouble free miles and i'm sure this will be the same, a non-event as you know

 

[MRGTX]

the BBQ tick is still a thing but 1 bottle of Ceratec quiets it down. i had the BBQ tick on my 2012 all the way up to 165k trouble free miles and i'm sure this will be the same, a non-event as you know

Thanks!
Looking that up now... If this fixes the problem, it seems like that would be diagnostically helpful since so far, there's no good answer as to what's causing it, no?

 

[WildHorse]

1. Follow the breakin procedure and you'll have no probs with engine/clutch
2. 3 year bumper to bumper, don't worry about it
3. If you get the tick, bring it in for warranty
4. I dunno. But again, thats what warranty is for
5. No
6. 3 years on mine, still looks new
7. Just loving the smiles per gallon.

 

[givemeadollar]

1) Follow the manual and you will have no issues

2) I can't help to much here as I have the base without the active exhaust, I have driven s550's with both oem and aftermarket active exhaust systems and the oem ford one is way better than the aftermarket I saw.

3) 2019 has no tick or maybe it does and I can't hear it over the super charger, either way no issues.

4) Yes, I believe the manual shift forks were updated in 2019 but they are still not great.

5) as long as they have the same lug pattern, you should have no issues.

6) Can't say too much on this as, I don't think the s550's have been out long enough for those kind of issues.

7) Gas is cheap, people are locked inside during quarantine. Great time to joy ride.

 

[Ghost50]

1)I have seen rumblings on here about 2018+ oil consumption and correlation to break-in practices. Is there a definitive authority on this?

-- You will get a lot of differing answers on the break in practices. We have guys here who follow the manual to a tee. We also have guys who drive the car off the lot and have a tune loaded on it within hours of getting it home. From the threads I have read over the last couple years there isn't a common denominator when it comes to what is "right". Personally? I changed my oil first at around 3k miles. My car is a weekend car but I drive it relatively hard. I have the tick (more on that below) and I thought I had an oil consumption problem but that appears to have subsided.

Two oil changes ago I was something like a quart and a half low. I do my own changes so this wasn't an issue with the lube tech not putting in the correct amount of oil. I use an oil catch can and I know over the life of that change I did not dump 1.5 qts from that thing. So I was a bit concerned and prepared to open up an oil consumption case with Ford. However when I changed the oil recently it wasn't really low. Less than one quart.

3) My 2011 had the "typewriter" (aka "BBQ") tick since...almost forever. It never amounted to anything. Is that still a thing on 2020s? Is it a problem to be concerned about?

-- Ford says its normal. I don't buy that and you will find yourself down a deeeeep internet rabbit hole reading threads about The Tick. Mine has it. Originally I was concerned because it was loud. I didn't use Ceratec or anything to quiet it down but it is not as loud now, or maybe I am just used to it? Who knows. But I can tell you this...I drive the piss out of that car and the tick has not affected power at all. My view has gone from concerned to oh well if I blow it, I have warranty.

4) Are the 2018 MT82 shift fork breakage problems, etc. still a thing in 2020 or has there been a design revision?

-- In 2019 they fixed the anemic shift forks they were putting in 2018 cars. Mine, despite being a 2019, was built in 2018. My trans left this earth in March of 2019 with 5k miles on it. Shift forks and synchros went. The backlog of repairs through Ford was so great that I was looking at a 6 week lead time I think for new parts. I negotiated with the dealer to have them take a 2019 car off the lot, yanks its trans and put it in mine and then let their car sit for a new trans. They did the deal. I pitched this because I knew they put the fatter forks in the 2019's. It was night and day difference from the moment I picked it up. The trans has been running great since then. I have added the BG fluid too.

6) My 2011 hood was just starting to blister (like most of them do). Will this happen to the new car too?

-- No bubbling issues with mine but I have seen a few guys in here mentioning it. The paint is definitely thin and I am a victim, despite not driving it daily, of little rock chips on the leading edges.

7) Is there anything you wish that you knew before putting miles on your S550?

-- Not really. My only regret was not getting the 401a package. Not for magneride or active exhaust but for the digital dash and upgraded leather.

 

[2018GT]

The only common thing I have ever found on break in is to not keep the engine at a steady rpm for long periods of time for the first 1000 miles (like cruising on a long trip).

I’m not speaking about Mustangs specifically,but more about in general. I’ve done this on 3 new cars and none of them used a drop of oil. I also follow a routine of slowly ramping up rpm after a couple hundred miles and also downshifting the car to slow down to help seat the rings.

But again the only common thing I have found from various sources is to not keep the rpm at a steady state for long periods of time for the first 1000 miles.

 

[MRGTX]

Excellent info and insight, guys. Thanks to all.
I'll follow the manual to the letter on break-in.

This one is entirely subjective...

In your opinion, is it tacky to run PP2 replica wheels on a base GT? The SVE SP2s look pretty darned close to the real thing.

Edit:
It looks like they're unavailable and the real deal are quite spendy. Oh well.

 

[MRGTX]

Well, the new machine is home.
I’m feeling like I screwed up in not finding a Magnaride/performance pack car. Is there a reasonable upgrade path that can Get close to the handling/braking capabilities?

 

[frestylmotox01]

A great start is the Steeda IRS braces/stop the hop kits along with the front subframe brace. I've got a PP1 car, but with those installed and felt like those made a huge difference in how the car feels. Pretty reasonable cost and is on sale right now.

Magneride can't be retrofitted that we've seen yet.

 

[ice445]

As someone with an Oxford 2020, I can give some insight into oil consumption. I'm at 1600 miles and change, I've had it since 25 miles. The oil level has just finally dropped from the top hole to the top of the crosshatching. My break-in was pretty chill overall, I did use a lot of engine braking and kept it under 6,000 RPM for most of the first 750 miles or so. Now I'm just running it hard fairly often, so that's likely where the small bit of oil went. At this rate it might use a quart by 5,000 miles, but I'm doubtful. Either way that's considered a pretty normal rate for these engines in general. So basically what this story is supposed to convey is that other than the first 100 miles, there's no need to baby it at all, but just don't sit on the rev limit or go WOT constantly. Use some common sense.

Secondly, 2019+ MT82 is honestly really nice. The synchros smoothly comply with redline shifts for me and every gear feels nice and easy to find. I still don't gorilla shift it, but I sure as shit snatch gears when I'm going all out and it doesn't complain at all.

Third, if I had to give you any warning at all, it's that the paint on these cars is really soft and chips easily. This means door dings will chip rather than dent, and your hood/front bumper will quickly succumb to rock damage if you drive on the highway often. I know you plan to daily this and beat on it and not care that much (which is what the base is great for) but if you can swing it, some paint protection film on the front bumper and hood ledge goes a long way for these.

Oh, and suspension wise you'll notice that the base car feels kind of wallowy. Partially from the stock Pirellis, but the stock springs are also pretty soft. Once you actually load up a corner the feedback and handling feel is pretty nice. There's so many aftermarket options to pretty much eliminate that so no real need to be concerned.

 

[givemeadollar]

Well, the new machine is home.
I’m feeling like I screwed up in not finding a Magnaride/performance pack car. Is there a reasonable upgrade path that can Get close to the handling/braking capabilities?

m-18000-f - ford performance shocks and struts

bmr sp083 lowering / handling springs

aftermarket front sway bar

wheels/tires

upgrade to pp1 brakes when you see someone with a takeoff set or buy the parts and swap out the 4 piston base front brakes for the 6 pistom brembos.

 

[ihc95]

First of all, congrats. Kona blue is beautiful and I still wish I got that color sometimes.

1) Generally speaking it seems like oil consumption isn't really an issue for the Gen 3 Coyote but it's still relatively early since the engine has only been out for ~2.5 years. I don't think it'll be any different than the Gen 1 and 2 Coyote. My car doesn't burn oil between changes.

2) I have seen a couple cases of the active exhaust actuators failing on the GT and GT350 but obviously it was fixed under warranty. My active exhaust has been great and it's my favorite option on my car.

3) Yes the BBQ tick is still a thing and it still doesn't affect anything. I think it's due to mild oil cavitation. You just have to live with it or put some Ceratec if the noise bothers you.

4) I believe the shift forks were updated for the 2019+ MYs.

5) You should be fine with the s197 wheels.

6) Unfortunately the 2015-17 hoods get corrosion too. It's TBD for the 2018+ but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens.

7) As mentioned before, the paint quality is trash on these cars so be prepared for rock chips.

 

[Biggus Dickus]

Don't buy PP2 wheels - your money would be better spent on a good set of forged rims. And CLEAR_BRA the shit out of that thing. FYI, here's my old 2011 that went 190K miles when I sold it and was still running fine:

 

[MRGTX]

Thanks to all, guys. I take all of your input seriously and I really appreciate your time in sharing your wisdom.

Thanks to the lockdown, I'm telecommuting and ordering supplies so I have to look for excuses to go drive...which usually means taking a rolling lunchbreak. In any case, until things get back to normal, it feels like it's going to take forever to get the break-in period done, let alone gently burn the tankfull of (presumably) 87 octane that they kindly sent me home with. In the 75 miles on the car so far, I'm falling in love with it quickly. I was super loyal to my S197 and it was a hard decision to move on to something new after owning it for 10 years but you can't stay with the same high forever, right?

Per @givemeadollar 's advice, I found a set of clean PP Brembo takeoffs being sold by Shelby American. They look to be nearly brand new and they come with the hoses. I'll still need to source the hardware, pads and the dust shields but I already feel a little better just having them on the way! The price was way better than sourcing the calipers and rotors as new parts. I'm fairly certain that the stock 18s will not clear those brakes so I'll just focus on keeping them clean and maybe recouping a few bucks by selling them...though I suspect they're not in high demand.

I'm hearing you guys loud and clear about the 3M clear bra...typically, this is a pricey procedure but it seems like it might be worth it. Has anyone tried to apply this stuff at home?

I ran an oil separator on my 2011...I assume that this is still critical, correct? Looking at the lengths of the PCV line and the weird new engine cover, it seems like the Gen 1 Coyote separator might not fit.

How important is the PP strut tower bracing?

Again, sincere thanks to all.

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