Hi All-

I've been asked, a few times to post my introduction. I'm not new to online forums or cars and performance mods. My first car was a 65 Mustang Convertible. I've had a SVT Contour and was on CEG. I've also owned a 03 Mazda 6s (great car), SAAB 9-2x and a Ford Freestyle. After that I had a lot of Ford Fleet vehicles before purchasing my MKT last year.

I was looking for a family hauler that wasn't a minivan. I looked at the then new Ford Explorer and Flex. I liked the Ecoboost, but the Explorer Sport was out of my price range at the time. Looking at the Flex's they were more expensive and the styling was OK. I found the MKT is a lot cheaper especially off lease, because not many people like the styling. I loved it. I found my 10' MKT Ecoboost Black on Black, Adaptive Cruise, DVD Headrests, and Elite Package in Central Ohio with a bad case of lot rot. It was a former Ford Fleet vehicle for an executive in Dearborn. I bought the car for $26.5k with 48k on the clock. I spent a few grand refurbishing the wagon along with the 2 weeks at the end of 2012 getting all the warranty work done before the 50k bumper to bumper warranty expired. It just recently rolled 87k and I decided to change the rims and do another major overhaul to it. I've bought a USB endoscope on Amazon for $20 and checked the intake. It's really dirty.

Things I've done since I bought it:
Added the Factory Tow option (And wrote the guide for the MKT on FordFlex.net/LincolnOwnersForum)
Tinted the front windows to 20%
Swapped the SP504s for SP512s and had the Dealer update the strategy code
Flushed the PTU/Rearend in the spring of 2013 with new fluid
Flushed the Transmission
SeaFoamed the Intake track

This month (after 40ishK of ownership):
Swapped the 20" Blade wheels for the 18" Flex SEL wheels
Had the Flex/MKT brake Fix Kit installed (Converts the brakes/pads to the new style Explorer type)
Fluid change the PTU again with Motul 75w140 by the dealer ($129)
Installed the K&N Drop-in Filter
Cleaned the CAC
Installed the 3 Bar MAP
Loaded Torrie's 93 Performance tune

On tap:
Install the 170 Degree Thermostat
Install the SP534s
Clean the intake track manually (Dunk/soak the intake manifold in parts cleaner, clean the intake valves with Walnut Blasting)
Update the tune

Next month:
Service the rear brakes
Flush the Brake Fluid
Fluid change the Rear Diff with Motul 75w90
Catch Can Install

Wish List:
Aux Trans Cooler
Oil Cooler
2014 3.5L Ecoboost Interceptor Utility Cooling Fans and Controller

My front bumper is starting to peel the paint. It isn't covered by warranty and might not be covered by insurance. I'm looking to get the holes filled on the bumper(front mount license plate are the devil!) at the same time and "maybe" get the silver non-chrome section of the grill painted Black to match the car. I've attached the pics of what the car looks like now and what it looked like when I bought it.

Welcome  ..... glad you made it over from your previous posts .


I sense an MKT ROTM in the future .....

Welcome, leecox, thanks for putting up a great intro   The MKT is a real looker, and a nice find!  Too bad about the paint, especially since it's a Lincoln.  Would definitely pursue a fix with Lincoln Customer Service, they are reputed to be pretty good.  You are really on top of things with the MKT, excited to see any pics you can throw up of your existing mods/future mods

Since you have done a PTU flush twice already, with 40K or so in between (?), you are the right person to ask:  how did the PTU fluid hold up, compared to the first time you flushed it?  Was it as gunky/thick this time around?  Did you notice a restoration of lost performance?

Do you track the MKT at all?  Run Torque or other software?  How does the MKT feel after being tuned?

Welcome aboard. Nice looking ride and great set up. Looking forward to hearing more.

Welcome!! Very nice MKT, even more of a sleeper than the MKS.

Quote from: SHOdded on September 14, 2014, 07:55:58 PM
Welcome, leecox, thanks for putting up a great intro   The MKT is a real looker, and a nice find!  Too bad about the paint, especially since it's a Lincoln.  Would definitely pursue a fix with Lincoln Customer Service, they are reputed to be pretty good.  You are really on top of things with the MKT, excited to see any pics you can throw up of your existing mods/future mods

Since you have done a PTU flush twice already, with 40K or so in between (?), you are the right person to ask:  how did the PTU fluid hold up, compared to the first time you flushed it?  Was it as gunky/thick this time around?  Did you notice a restoration of lost performance?

Do you track the MKT at all?  Run Torque or other software?  How does the MKT feel after being tuned?

I'm going to explore my options on the paint. I'm hoping I can get a decent deal from my dealer given the business I've done with them.

I can notice a difference on the PTU the second time around. Especially on the downhill coast. I didn't really notice anything the first time due to how bad the fluid was at 50k. I was only able to get about 2/3s of it out. I then over filled the case until it leaked out. Closed it up with the intention of changing it again in a few thousand miles, but never got to it. I'm hoping for a similar noticeable improvement when the rear fluid is changed, but I'm not holding out hope for it since there is more fluid back there. My advice is change the PTU every 30-35k if you live in a mountainous region or a lot of urban driving. The gear oil I chose is a European Racing Synthetic, not cheap. It amazes me the fluid capacity difference between my 2007 FreeStyle and the MKT.

I have run Torque on it. I bought a Bluetooth ODBII reader when I got the car. Played with it for a while then let it go. I kept getting questions about my Tablet mounted to the windshield. ;-) I've just started playing with the SCT X4. We'll see how it goes.

The tune really wakes the car up. Barks the tires from first to second. Hoping with the intake cleaning and new plugs to get some more out of it. I forgot to add the 3 Bar to the Mods list. I fixed that. The first time I stomped after loading the tune, it left a light cloud of smoke down the on ramp. I'm guessing it was buildup from the CAC and intake path.

I took videos of the CAC cleaning and the Carbon Buildup a few days ago. I'll try to get those on YouTube to share.

Quote from: glock-coma on September 14, 2014, 09:36:35 PM
Welcome!! Very nice MKT, even more of a sleeper than the MKS.

Thanks! I'm going for the sleeper look. I swapped the rims to the same style the 2013+ TownCar MKT have. They gives a smoother ride(more sidewall), save a little weight(a few pounds/wheel) and no one expects it to pass them. :-)

i always love the MKT.  i was shocked it wasn't more of a hit for lincoln.  welcome, nice ride!