Update on the 'Ticking" from my wife's Escape ... it is completely gone! She has about 700 miles on the R&P now and I have a few miles over 800. A friend suggested that since my V6 is a VVT engine, the R&P might very well have cleaned out the oil passages to the VVT solenoids, making them perform back to spec, which likely could explain the improved throttle response.