EcoBoost Low-Down

FeatherFam · 05-19-2018, 05:36 AM

Alright, give me the EcoBoost for real:

We are now looking at 150s. I cannot tell what the deal is with the 2.7 EcoBoost F150s. The maximum trailering capacity on the dealer sites says 5,000 lbs. I looked on the Ford corporate site specifications page. It showed more capacity and more options for weights, but how do I know the specifics for the trucks on the lot?

Also are these little 2.7 engines for real? It sure does not work out too well in my old "no replacement for displacement" mind. I may not be able to afford a 3.5 EcoBoost. Please spare me the hype, hyperbole, and anecdotal legends. Just shoot straight. This is a huge investment for us.

Jopopsy · 05-19-2018, 05:51 AM

Depends on what you’re pulling. Also the 2.7 has a weaker frame if what I remember on the Ford forum is accurate.

I can tell you the displacement thing is old school now. My 3.5 EB has more HP and Torque then my 6.8 V10. Though it’d have to be boosting the entire time to do it.

TxLoser · 05-19-2018, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jopopsy

I can tell you the displacement thing is old school now. My 3.5 EB has more HP and Torque then my 6.8 V10. Though it’d have to be boosting the entire time to do it.

This is so true. I don't have Ecoboost experience, but went to test drive a car with my wife. Her current Nissan has a 3.5L V6. It's an '11 and still quite punchy. Test drove a slightly heavier Infiniti. Had a turbo charged 4 cylinder. Felt substantially stronger than the V6 in the current vehicle.

**Midnightmoon** · 05-19-2018, 06:14 AM

I would highly recommend taking a glance over at ford-trucks.com. There is just a ton of reading on these things and some great people that can pretty much answer any question you may have. They were extremely helpful to me when choosing my new F150.

The 2.7L Ecoboost is quite a capable little powereplant and more than capable of towing your 23RBM. What becomes confusing with the Ford specs is that each wheelbase, cab configuration, bed length, and engine choice changes the payload and towing capacities. You really need to dive in to the spec sheets at ford.com for the trim package you are considering to know for sure. I just did a quick look and for example, a 2.7L in a SuperCrew XLT 5.5' bed 4x4 has a towing capacity of 8000# with 3.73 gears and 7600# with 3.55 gears. The 2.7L is offered across the ford line from the most basic XL up through the high end trucks.

Then there are 3 different towing packages, the class 4 receiver, the towing package, and the max towing package.

Please stop back with additional questions and I will be more than happy to help in any way I can. Good luck in your search.

jbrnigan · 05-19-2018, 06:16 AM

You might want to spend a little time on the Ford truck enthusiasts forum where they review all matter of truck stuff. It was very helpful to me before I bought my Super Duty.

jimp · 05-19-2018, 06:20 AM

Pretty sure the 5k limit you refer to is w/o a WDH for the F150 EB trucks. Get the 3.5EB and 10 speed. You will still have the "payload issue" depending on what TT you have or want. Ford offers the Heavy Duty Payload Package (HDPP) but you will have to special order it and then limit the options/accessories on the truck to truly utilize this feature.

TCNashville · 05-19-2018, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbrnigan

You might want to spend a little time on the Ford truck enthusiasts forum where they review all matter of truck stuff. It was very helpful to me before I bought my Super Duty.

I agree. I joined FTE about 6 months ago a have learned a lot about my new '17 F-250. Lots of info on that Forum.

Jopopsy · 05-19-2018, 07:03 AM

This is where I became indoctrinated in all things FoMoCo.

https://www.f150forum.com/f118/

ifallsguy · 05-19-2018, 07:58 AM

I've got a 2016 Lariat with 5.0 and would never go with ecoboost. Talking to Ford Service Techs, they have a question about engine life. The V8 is proven to be long lasting. Some of the. techs expect to see major issues within 125K (turbines are high on their list) and, if used for a lot of towing, lower ends (bearings).

Something to think about, if you are out of warranty and loose a turbine, figure at least $900 for the replacement, plus other required parts (gaskets, hoses, etc) and labor. Average cost of replacing one turbine is between $1200 and $1800 depending on where it's done. And there are two on each engine.

Also a friend has a 2016 XLT 2.7L ecoboost and his mileage towing is no better than the 12mpg I get pulling 7000 LB. His rig is about 5000LB and is running at high RPM almost all time when on the Interstate. He has some concern about running around 3500-4000RPM at 70mph while towing. I'm doing about 1800RPM at 65mph.

Do your research. Test drive each engine and see if the dealer will let you tow with each engine. Mine did and after testing, talking to techs, other owners, I went with the 5.0L. And I expect at least 300K out of the 5.0L with regular maintenance.

This is just my opinion. I've seen issues being reported across the board with engines (and not just Ford). The 5.0L Coyote engine has been around for a long time and is proven. Personally I'm still not sure about the longevity of ecoboost for heavy use in towing. Just my opinion.

FeatherFam · 05-19-2018, 08:07 AM

That's what I have been unsure of, longevity and the life and expense of turbines. The lower end issue is also on my mind, especially with extensive towing. Hmm.

Quantum · 05-19-2018, 08:47 AM

Don't worry about the turbos, they've been building turbos for decades, every diesel on the road has them (ok, most).

The 2.7L and 3.5L Ecoboosts are solid engines. The 3.5 has been around for 8 years now and other than some growing pains in the 2011-2012 model year, I hear they've been pretty solid.

"Ford Techs" may warn against them, as like many mechanics, their motto is no replacement for displacement. I read people say "my tech said we don't know about longevity", well if in 8 years you still don't know about longevity, there probably isn't much to worry about.

Are there Eco's with problems, of course there are. When you sell 500,000 (probably more) a year, there are bound to be bad ones in between.

The previous 5.4L V8 (before the 5.0L) had many issues too that didn't crop up until 4 or 5 years of ownership.

I've had my Eco for 2 years now and wouldn't hesitate to buy another. The truck is a towing monster.

Yesterday GM announced their own ecoboost engine in the 1/2 ton pickups, so they must be convinced of the design too.

bdreinv · 05-19-2018, 09:10 AM

Have buddy who owned one towed a 8000 lb fiver.40000 miles traded it in on a F350. Had problems with tranny over heating in traffic.Truck was not heavy duty enough in the mountains over heats. I have an 06 Ram 3500 12 years now very few problems! Knock on wood. Thanks

Atlee · 05-19-2018, 09:21 AM

By the way the 5.0 Coyote engine is a brand new design introduced in 2011, the same year as the 3.5 Eco Boost.

It's also great you get the same mpg, 12, at the same RPM, 1800, at 65 mph as my friends do with their Cummins, Duramax, and Powerstroke diesels.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ifallsguy

. The 5.0L Coyote engine has been around for a long time and is proven. Personally I'm still not sure about the longevity of ecoboost for heavy use in towing. Just my opinion.

Les7h · 05-19-2018, 09:23 AM

Suspension and braking is as important as pulling for safety - if you can’t stop it then you won’t have it long enough to wear it out ( crash )

JeremyFr · 05-19-2018, 09:59 AM

Alot of old school guys will knock the EB's because of the turbo's etc. I've got both a 2016 Fusion withe 2.0L EB and a 2016 F150 with the 3.5EB.

There is no frame difference between the 2.7 and 3.5, the only frame difference is from the standard F150 to the HD F150. The 3.5 is a beast no doubt about it, I pull around 6k fully loaded in our 23FB and between the truck and the Equal-i-zer hitch it's like the trailer isn't even there.

Turbo's have been around for nearly as long as internal combustion engines, they were long used in aircraft engines, used to start and pump fuel into the amazing F1 engines of the Saturn V rockets that got us to the moon, etc. Turbo's are proven and time tested technology.

However! - Turbo engines do require a bit of loving that an NA engine wont. The big one for me is that Ford oil cools their turbo's in fact when you shut the engine down the turbos sump oil from the pan to cool down. Because of this I only run full synthetic oil in my EB engines, yeah it cost a bit more but in the end it breaks down to the same cost since full sythentic will also require changing the oil less often.

As with any engine the reality is it'll last based on how well you take care of it. I've seen guys with EB F150's that have over 250k on the motor with standard maintenance and little to no repairs. Turbos are nothing to be scared of and honestly theirs nothing like the whine of em at 15 lbs of boost to put a smile on your face

TWP723 · 05-19-2018, 10:00 AM

I've worked for Ford for over 30 years now. If you have any questions, I'd be glad to help!

Good luck on your search!

dhinkle57 · 05-21-2018, 02:15 PM

The only way to know for sure is to look at the sticker on the door pillar. The more options you add really cut into the payload.

akemper · 06-06-2018, 12:15 PM

We pull a Jay Hawk with a 2014 F-150 with no problems. However it only gets 9 MPG when pulling the trailer. The truck does have the towing package which is necessary, in my opinion. The only small issue is the mirrors are not extendable, which makes it a little hard to see what's behind you.

Ford 2014 F-150 XLT
4WD Supercrew 145" Wheelbase Blue Flame
Engine: EcoBoost 3.5L V6 GTDi DOHC 24V Twin Turbocharged
Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic Electronic

pulling this Jayco Trailer:
Model: 27RBOK WHITE HAWK 17TT
Year: 2017
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 6010
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) 710
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) 7750
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 1740

suzieshome · 06-06-2018, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quantum

Don't worry about the turbos, they've been building turbos for decades, every diesel on the road has them (ok, most).

The 2.7L and 3.5L Ecoboosts are solid engines. The 3.5 has been around for 8 years now and other than some growing pains in the 2011-2012 model year, I hear they've been pretty solid.

"Ford Techs" may warn against them, as like many mechanics, their motto is no replacement for displacement. I read people say "my tech said we don't know about longevity", well if in 8 years you still don't know about longevity, there probably isn't much to worry about.

Are there Eco's with problems, of course there are. When you sell 500,000 (probably more) a year, there are bound to be bad ones in between.

The previous 5.4L V8 (before the 5.0L) had many issues too that didn't crop up until 4 or 5 years of ownership.

I've had my Eco for 2 years now and wouldn't hesitate to buy another. The truck is a towing monster.

Yesterday GM announced their own ecoboost engine in the 1/2 ton pickups, so they must be convinced of the design too.

Boy glad to read something positive. Just picked up our 3.5 with 3.55 and was beginning o think we made a mistake. Can the nay sayers define “heavy towing?

Retired17 · 06-06-2018, 12:51 PM

My son is a Phd Mechanical Engineer at Ford. On his advice, for my 2017 24MBH, I purchased a 2017 2.7L Ecoboost with the high gas mileage rear end (can't remember what it is). My trailer empty empty weight is 5,500#. In Texas, I rarely need to pull in "Tow" mode. I have not been to the mountains yet; but, will be (too hot here). In Texas my ecoboost can pull way more than my 6,000# +/- loaded weight. I am highly satisfied with my eco! As I recall my F-150, 2.7L eco is rated for 7,600# and the 2018's are significantly higher.

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