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thoughts on Ecoboost

huskyfan68
Explorer
Explorer
Having too many issues with the 09 F150- The 5.4 that year is proving to be to problematic. I borrowed a friends 3.5L Ecoboost to pull my 5000lb trailer and it pulled with little effort. Looking for feedback on dependablity
25 REPLIES 25

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
And why is the Bain of your ford experience still proudly listed in your signature?
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
^While not a Ford guy per se and understanding pretty well the issue you had, to put it in perspective, sounds like 90% of the problem or frustration is split somehow between supply chain parts availability (maybe not but reasonable assumption in these times) and dealer incompetence.
I can tell you the latter 2 issues (and not the fact that it broke and really shouldnโ€™t have) are NO different than with other brands and too much typing to give my largely similar experiences with the other 2 of the big 3 brands). And same for the root cause which was a defective or poorly designed, or possibly incorrectly assembled but most likely the first 2 reasons, is also absolutely a concern with other brands.
That said, it warms my heart to see another Ford sale bite the dust! #likearock #rammafia
Lol!!

These are vehicles and every year there is a different or maybe continued gripe about ____ issue with ______ vehicle. Heck if you had a horse instead, even it would require some repair and a visit/trip to the vet for a minor or potentially major issue.
The balance is making an educated decision on what you think the magnitude and propensity is of the (thanks internet) known issue issues and then hood for the best.
If I didnโ€™t buy a particular brand of vehicle based on a dealer incompetence experience, Iโ€™d not be able to own any of the big 3 ever again? (Never bought a jap or Korean car and precious few eruo mobiles for comparison, and probably never will)
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Procrastinator
Explorer
Explorer
I bought a 2018 3.5 ecoboost brand new in late 2018. I towed 7,000 pound trailer over 15,000 miles with it. Plenty of power, good mpg when not towing, not good mpg when towing. I wrote up a lengthy review of a 5,000 mile trip towing to California and back on here if you want to search it.

I bought it fully aware of timing chain stretch that can affect "some" of the 3.5 motors. With over 800,000 F150's sold a year and majority of them Ecoboost of one or another configuration, I took those odds.

Well, in 2021 with 53,000 miles on the timing chain stretch got so bad that the truck was in the dealership for about 2.5 months waiting for techs to fix it right. 3 attempts didn't fix it. The ford dealership was such aholes about it, I dumped it and purchased another truck from a different brand.

Its a shame really, I had two excursions, a couple of F series trucks, and because of that ONE truck and the way Ford and the dealership(s) treated me I am out.

I buy a new truck every three to four years, and I know I won't be getting another ford anytime in future.
2018 F150 Max Tow with 6.5 "long" bed.

2019 Coachman Freedom Express Liberty 292BHDSLE

librty02
Explorer
Explorer
You can ask me anything you like about the 3.5 Eco's as I have 2 of them an 11 and 18....the 11 has over 80k miles towing alone on it and the 18 is at 60k now with 45k miles towing on it. Use it to tow our rig all over handles anywhere we take it and with ease..The 18 is also my current daily as well..gets 18mpg city as a daily and 9mpg avg when towing as well...and we don't tow on flats its mostly all through the blue ridge mountains of WV VA NC...been to Fl from Pa and back many many many times...love the trucks and that engine and the 10 speed tranny is flawless. When I step up to a larger rig I'll be looking at the 350 with the 7.3 and 3.73 axle for the next tow vehicle. The 18 did have the cam phasers replaced at 18k and has been perfect since apparently there are new updated parts they are using now it was a 4 hour fix at my local dealer done by noon that day. No other issues at all other than it makes me smile ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚ especially when I have the rig hooked up to the back of it....
2011 FORD F-150 FX4 CREW CAB ECO...
2018 Ford F-150 Max Tow Crew 6.5 3.5 Eco...
2013 Keystone Passport 2650BH, EQUAL-I-ZER 1K/10K

FishOnOne
Explorer III
Explorer III
I believe the main issue with the 3.5 EB engine is the cam phasers has a lock out pin that engages and locks the phaser until oil pressure at start up can take over and these pins don't engage creating a rattle on start up.
'12 Ford Super Duty FX4 ELD CC 6.7 PSD 400HP 800ft/lbs "270k Miles"
'16 Sprinter 319MKS "Wide Body"

Turtle_n_Peeps
Explorer
Explorer
Yes and they did a few other improvements like double set injection which helped out the carbon fouling issues.
~ Too many freaks & not enough circuses ~


"Life is not tried ~ it is merely survived ~ if you're standing
outside the fire"

"The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly."- Abraham Lincoln

FishOnOne
Explorer III
Explorer III
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Here is a great video on the EcoBoost.

The guy does a great job of talking about the good and the problems with this engine.

When this guy talks about this being a high performance engine he is a 100% correct. This engine needs to be thought of as pretty much a race engine. As mentioned, race engines need impeccable maintenance.

Another thing about this engine and engines like this. They don't have much duty cycle. That's why class 8 diesels have a big CID displacement in them. We can make big power with a little engine but when the weather turns hot and the mountains get steep you need that big mass to displace the heat the engine produces.

In short, if you are going to pound on this engine day in and day out up steep mountains in hot weather this engine is not for you IMHO.

If you are a weekend warrior and pull a trailer now and then in easy or moderate conditions this might be a great engine for you.


Just a fyi this video is on a first gen EB engine. The second gen EB engines have 2 timing belts like the old Triton V8 engines.
'12 Ford Super Duty FX4 ELD CC 6.7 PSD 400HP 800ft/lbs "270k Miles"
'16 Sprinter 319MKS "Wide Body"

Bionic_Man
Explorer
Explorer
2112 wrote:
I drive a 2011 3.5L ecoboost with 164K miles on it without any problems YET. It tows my 9400lb FW great on mostly flatlands.

Towing anything at 75mph will render you horrible gas mileage


Iโ€™ve towed with a 3.0 diesel, a couple of 5.7 Hemi, a 318 5.2, 360 5.9, a 5.9 CTD, a 6.2 GM and a 6.7 CTD. None of them returned that poor of fuel economy towing a light weight boat.
2012 RAM 3500 Laramie Longhorn DRW CC 4x4 Max Tow, Cummins HO, 60 gallon RDS aux fuel tank, Reese 18k Elite hitch
2003 Dodge Ram 3500 QC SB 4x4 Cummins HO NV5600 with Smarty JR, Jacobs EB (sold)
2002 Gulf Stream Sea Hawk 29FRB with Honda EV6010

Adam_R
Explorer
Explorer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZlysdE6pvw

The torture test Ford put this 2011 through was pretty impressive. Towing 11,000+ lbs around a NASCAR track at full throttle for 24 hours shows a pretty impressive duty cycle IMHO.

I'm sure the engine has just gotten better and better over the past decade.

Adam

BarabooBob
Explorer III
Explorer III
BionicMan-try do2wnshifting the engine yourself. I have towed over almost every major pass in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. By downshifting, I have NEVER had my engine and tranny anywhere near 245 degrees. I drive at reasonable speeds and shift when by tranny digital temp meter starts getting near 205.
Bob & Dawn Married 34 years
2017 Viking 17RD
2011 Ford F150 3.5L Ecoboost 420 lb/ft
Retired

BenK
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks Turtle...GREAT video !

Only have one issue and is with his mix up of gas vs diesel describing the fuel PSI. IMHO, most won't pick that one up, but that is the way of it

Folks who argue dino vs synthetic engine oil won't get this one either. Yup, dino has come a long ways closing the gap with synthetic, but so has synthetic been improving at the same time. That additional headroom on specifications might make the difference down the road. Especially when it gets driven hard using that big block volumes of air/fuel in a tiny combustion chamber.

That then gets into rejection thermal management of all of those BTU's and is with surface area between a small displacement vs larger displacement.

That can be managed with higher flow rates of coolant, which up to a point tops out, and then the efficiency of each square inch matters. Play with temp differential to have higher transfer rates, to swirl, to better plenums both in & out (multi in & out paths of virgin coolant helps and is the why they had reverse coolant flow to the heads a few years)

Lubrication, and why most of the higher priced oils now claim some sort of molybdenum sulfide these days. Am still adding my own last quart, which has been mixed in a blender with MolyB powder. Have some Tungsten disulfide powder, but limited 'cuz the buddy's firm bellied up and he dropped off the face of the Internet

That added margin of better lube (the lowest coefficient of friction for additives...both MolyB and Tungsten) makes a huge difference in anything metal to metal. Like the chain-stretch wear from extreme pressure when the turbo's kick in.

Cool video and like Dustin Golley. Smart guy showing his knowledge of the engineering & technology involved




Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Here is a great video on the EcoBoost.

The guy does a great job of talking about the good and the problems with this engine.

When this guy talks about this being a high performance engine he is a 100% correct. This engine needs to be thought of as pretty much a race engine. As mentioned, race engines need impeccable maintenance.

Another thing about this engine and engines like this. They don't have much duty cycle. That's why class 8 diesels have a big CID displacement in them. We can make big power with a little engine but when the weather turns hot and the mountains get steep you need that big mass to displace the heat the engine produces.

In short, if you are going to pound on this engine day in and day out up steep mountains in hot weather this engine is not for you IMHO.

If you are a weekend warrior and pull a trailer now and then in easy or moderate conditions this might be a great engine for you.
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...

2112
Explorer II
Explorer II
I drive a 2011 3.5L ecoboost with 164K miles on it without any problems YET. It tows my 9400lb FW great on mostly flatlands.

Towing anything at 75mph will render you horrible gas mileage
2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost SuperCab Max Tow, 2084# Payload, 11,300# Tow,
Timbrens
2013 KZ Durango 2857

Groover
Explorer II
Explorer II
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Here is a great video on the EcoBoost.

The guy does a great job of talking about the good and the problems with this engine.

When this guy talks about this being a high performance engine he is a 100% correct. This engine needs to be thought of as pretty much a race engine. As mentioned, race engines need impeccable maintenance.

Another thing about this engine and engines like this. They don't have much duty cycle. That's why class 8 diesels have a big CID displacement in them. We can make big power with a little engine but when the weather turns hot and the mountains get steep you need that big mass to displace the heat the engine produces.

In short, if you are going to pound on this engine day in and day out up steep mountains in hot weather this engine is not for you IMHO.

If you are a weekend warrior and pull a trailer now and then in easy or moderate conditions this might be a great engine for you.


The 3.5 EcoBoost came out 11 years ago and there are a bunch of them on the road now but I rarely hear first hand complaints about its reliability. Timing chain stretch on 2014 and earlier seems to be a problem but I don't hear much about that anymore. I just had to have the timing chain replaced for the first time on a 2013 model with 144,000 miles on it and quite a few of those miles were pulling a loaded three horse trailer.

Unfortunately, the mechanic my daughter took it to for the timing chains turned out to be incompetent The truck still doesn't run right after 3 weeks of work. The guy even destroyed the running boards while he had the truck.

Yesterday he told us that it was in perfect running order and to take it home but it immediately started throwing a variety of error codes and the turbos don't work. We took it away from him and will take it somewhere else to try to get it straightened out. I am over 60 and that is by far the worst performance I have ever seen by a mechanic.

Groover
Explorer II
Explorer II
Bionic Man wrote:
I have a 2019 Expedition MAX as a secondary tow vehicle for my 7000 pound boat.

Towed a very light 17โ€™ fishing boat back from North Dakota a few weeks back. 75 mph with some wind and I was at 9 mpg. There really doesnโ€™t seem to be a huge difference in MPG when towing regardless of weight.


That is what I have been telling people for a long time, weight only impacts fuel economy through rolling resistance and lost energy when braking. Rolling resistance is tiny compared with air drag at highway speeds. Braking losses due to increased weight are only important if you are using the brakes, which rarely happens on the highway. On most highways air drag is by far the dominant factor in the fuel economy equation. Fuel consumption rate in gallons/hr due to air drag goes up with the cube of your airspeed. That is basic physics.

Stop and go traffic is an entirely different story.