Ford F150 eco boost motor

[bdm 47]

Not sure if anyone on this board has one of these trucks.  I'm in the market for a new truck and was having drinks with a friend who works at a National Oil Change place and I asked his opinion of the Big 3 heavy duty trucks.

Hes not a fan of Fords and how they build their engines, he says to many plastic parts that are high service parts (they have a rebuild able plastic oil filter) and he said the F150 with eco boost has a plastic oil pan with a plastic drain plug and if someone who doesn't know what they are doing changes the oil they could very easily crack the oil pan..  He also said hes seen more than one come in that had large "dings" in the oil pan and expect the pan to fail at some point.

For the record, he did say the Dodge trucks are the best to work on, but feels the GMC is the best looking of the three.

[LONE-STAR 370]

Well I was about to tell you to buy a mega cab ram 3500 4x4 srw Cummins. But I see you already have one, we love ours but we only have 4 thousand miles on it. But I also really liked my 2012 f350 powerstroke. As for half tons they cost to much for what you get when it comes to towing. 

[bdm 47]

9 minutes ago, LONE-STAR said:

Well I was about to tell you to buy a mega cab ram 3500 4x4 srw Cummins. But I see you already have one, we love ours but we only have 4 thousand miles on it. But I also really liked my 2012 f350 powerstroke. As for half tons they cost to much for what you get when it comes to towing. 

Yeah my Ram is pushing 325k miles.  The drive line is great, but the seats are coming apart.  The last trip the family took the wife looked at me and said No More Camping in a farm truck...  I guess shes got a money tree stashed away for the 60k needed to buy a new truck. 

[LONE-STAR 370]

32 minutes ago, bdm said:

Yeah my Ram is pushing 325k miles.  The drive line is great, but the seats are coming apart.  The last trip the family took the wife looked at me and said No More Camping in a farm truck...  I guess shes got a money tree stashed away for the 60k needed to buy a new truck. 

Your ram will still get you 10 to 12 grand trade in and there taking 10 grand off msrp right now. So maybe you only need 40 to 45 k. You  drive a lot more then me my 2012 I traded only had 45,000 miles on it.

[caveat lector 181]

1 hour ago, bdm said:

 

Hes not a fan of Fords and how they build their engines, he says to many plastic parts that are high service parts (they have a rebuild able plastic oil filter) .........

I do all the maintenance on my 2011 f250, and it has alays had a standard steel oil filter.

[swimmarz 72]

Has Ford F150 with Ecoboost.but the baby one 2.7 L twin turbo, 325 hp and 375 tq, 6 speed auto with 3.31 gears

yes the oil pan is plastic composite, it requires no tools to pull the drain plug, its the same drain plug used on the 6.7 L  Powestroke
The oil filter is a cartridge style, and sits on top of the motor, at least for the 2.7L it does, you unscrew it but don't remove it till after you have drained all the oil from the pan, slide the old filter out, put the new one in with its 3 new o-rings
Oil changes take 20 min, 15 of that is waiting for the truck to drain fully.( lots of tiny passages due to the auto start stop feature of the engine while driving)
oil change video if you want to see it

your trailer if i looked it up right is 12,500 lbs and that may be over the limit of the F150 with the ecoboost motors

that new motor comes with a new transmission, 10 speeds!

All-new, second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost® V6 engine in the 2017 Ford F-150 produces 375 horsepower and a segment-best 470 lb.-ft. of torque, a gain of 10 hp and 50 lb.-ft. from previous 3.5-liter EcoBoost

Class-leading torque of 3.5-liter EcoBoost  and new 10-speed automatic transmission will deliver improved acceleration and performance

I can tell you that the truck is very roomy, and they are using the cab from the F150 in the 250 and 350 in a few more months, so it will be the same cab/ interior across the line, the superduty getts differnt fenders/ grill/ tailgate but the rest of the body will be the same

Personally i have the 2.7, I have a pop up that weighs 3400 lbs,  I remember getting almost 20 mpg while towing it, but the engine was still breaking in

I say that because up until i got 1500 miles on the truck i never saw better than 22 mpg on the highway with no trailer and being empty

after 1500 miles its like a switch flipped and i get 26+ mpg if i stay out of the throttle and keep it near the speed limit (70)
I upgraded from a nissan xterra that would get 19 on the highway, 15 in the city and 12 mpg when towing the same pop up 

the other end of the spectrum is the aluminum f150 when unloaded is "on par with a mustang" in terms of acceleration, this came from my uncle who has a 2015 mustang and had a big grin when he got on the gas in my truck, he was surprised that it could pull that hard for such a small motor
for example a 2015 f150 with the 2.7 ecoboost 4x4 supercab was clocked at 6.1 second 0-60, an others claim they have gon 5.8 in the supercrew with the 3.5 L ecoboost

for comparison the mustang v8 is 4.5 seconds but the v6 and the ecoboost are both 6 second cars for 0-60

 

[Dogdiver 3]

Just gotta say this..,

Real trucks don't use spark plugs...

Enjoy.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[swimmarz 72]

my 2.7L oil filter from Amazon is $7.66, the 5.0 L is $5.39

the 2.7L takes 6 quarts of oil vs the 5.0 taking 7.7 quarts

Personally i run Pennzoil platinum and that is  $7.87/ qt or the 5 qt jug for $22.50
so 2.7 is 1 5 qt and 1 single quart= $30.37
the 5.0 is 1 5 qt and 3 single or 2x 5 quart  $46.11 or $45

service interval is based on the computer and the oil life monitor and that is between 4000- 8000 miles depending on use

my 2.7 oil and filter is $38.03 per change

the 5.0 would be $50.39 per change

The dealer has "the works" for $39.99 and its not full synthetic, but i do get a tire rotation 

and DogDiver, keep your "real tuck" I camp 6 times a year and don't need the diesel maintenance costs or extra fuel costs, If i was a full timer/ retired it would be a different story

that's why they have variety in vehicles you can get them in any color now... not just black   



 

[bdm 47]

International started ford down the path to the top mounted oil filter.  A lot of German cars are like that.  That was one of the big hangups to the 6.0 Powerstroke it would get warm and melt the stem inside the filter cartage and cause all sorts of problems.

My issue with a plastic oil pan its a insulator for heat, keeping the oil a bit warmer.  Also its thermal expansion properties are different than that of a aluminum, or iron block so as it heats up and cools down it grows differently and that could cause oil leaks over time.   As well as the above stated shop guy cranking down the oil cap to tight and snapping off something. 

 

As for Cummins Heavy truck motors having plastic oil pans.  I've been under several fire trucks with 2015, 2016, and 2017 8.xx liter Cummins motors and have never seen a plastic oil pan.  Every one is steel and painted red from the factory. 

12 Quarts of Valvoline 5w-40 synthetic oil - $55

Fleetguard oil filter - $25

Fleetguard 3micron fuel filter - $36

And i'm good for 7500 miles before my oil life indicator chimes in

[LONE-STAR 370]

10 hours ago, Dogdiver said:

Just gotta say this..,

Real trucks don't use spark plugs...

Enjoy.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well said.

[ftwildernessguy 778]

All I can say is I have a buddy who teaches diesel repair for Mack and he always buys Ford f series gassers.  He is not a fan of small diesels.

[keith_h 420]

The fact is all of the small truck manufactures are going to have to make major changes to lighten the vehicles over the coming years to meet fuel efficiency standards. That means you are going to see more plastic, composite and aluminum parts as they are the only significant way to lighten the trucks up.  IMO the 2.7L is a solid engine and puts a lot of performance in a small, light weight, efficient package. Ford even ran a stock F-150 with a 2.7L in the Baja 1000. Not too many companies will do that. The 2.7L is a new engine so only time will if I'm right but I think Ford has a winner with this one. 

 

12 hours ago, bdm said:

 Also its thermal expansion properties are different than that of a aluminum, or iron block so as it heats up and cools down it grows differently and that could cause oil leaks over time.

I've owned and worked on vehicles with the more conventional oil pans that leaked. Gaskets dry out or in the case of some models the attachment screws loosen regularly. I don't expect the 2.7L to be any different in this regard. I can't count the number of oil pan plugs I've replaced because some monkey at a quick lube stripped the head or cross threaded the thing. This isn't so much a problem with the plug but the people doing the work. I don't know this friend of yours that works at the oil change place but he seems to have an axe to grind with Ford. I don't care for GM vehicles and could go into a litany of potential issues they have. Some of it is even based on inside information having a GM dealer and engineers in the family. I don't because most, if not all won't cause a problem for owners in real life and I see no reason to disparage their products for hypothetical reasons.

[Travisma 1,317]

39 minutes ago, keith_h said:

The fact is all of the small truck manufactures are going to have to make major changes to lighten the vehicles over the coming years to meet fuel efficiency standards. That means you are going to see more plastic, composite and aluminum parts as they are the only significant way to lighten the trucks up. 

I just saw a TV ad last night about GM trucks.  They dropped broken cement blocks from about 4 -5 feet above into the bed from a front end loader.  Did the same to a competitor (saw the Ford emblem).  The blocks punched holes thru the bottom of the Fords aluminum bed.  Not a good place to save weight.

[Tuke 16]

IDK, it seems everyone has their favorites. Personally, I've heard nothing but great things from the EcoBoost engines and above and over the Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation system). I believe there is some confusion among fans and critics when comparing the different EcoBoost engines at the top or bottom of a model lineups.

[NLPRacing 4]

My Ford F150 Raptor has the 6.2L V8, so I can't comment on personal experience with EcoBoost engines in F150's.  But, I have friends & family with 3.5 EcoBoost F150's and they couldn't be happier.  Also, my daily driver is a 2014 Fusion with a 2.0L EcoBoost and our company has two 2013 Escapes also with 2.0L EcoBoost engines that are used by our outside salesmen, and I have to say that they have been great engines so far.  Both Escapes have nearly 100,000 miles and only one has had any problems (it was an emission related part that failed).  I also have a 2017 Explorer on order for my wife with the 2.3 EcoBoost.  We test drove Explorers with both the N/A 3.5 V6 and the 2.3 EcoBoost back to back.  The little 2.3 EcoBoost felt much more powerful than the 3.5 V6, that's why we decided to get it.  If it gets better mileage, that'll just be a bonus.

As far as plastic intakes, oil pans, etc., I don't have much of an issue with them.  My son's 04 Mustang GT had a crack in the plastic intake manifold after 12 years & 120,000 miles.  So I bought a new one on Amazon for $150 (with free next day delivery) and we had it installed in a few hours.  If I can drive a vehicle for 12 years and 120,000 miles and then only put $150 into it, I'm okay with that.  :)

[swimmarz 72]

2 hours ago, Travisma said:

I just saw a TV ad last night about GM trucks.  They dropped broken cement blocks from about 4 -5 feet above into the bed from a front end loader.  Did the same to a competitor (saw the Ford emblem).  The blocks punched holes thru the bottom of the Fords aluminum bed.  Not a good place to save weight.

here is the ad

The problem I have with that ad, is that GM will be aluminum in the bed as well in the next 1-2 years, they are investing heavily in aluminum production and have inked deals with Alcoa and invested $877+ million to re-tool the plant ( just like ford did a few years ago)
http://www.wsj.com/articles/gm-to-invest-877-million-to-upgrade-flint-mich-truck-factory-1438696800
The second issue i have with the ad is no one will load a truck they way they are doing it, #1 it would damage the material being loaded in this case its the brick pavers, #2 most people who use truck for hauling have a bed liner of some sort, be it line-x, a plastic liner, or in my case a thick rubber mat.
any of those in use, specifically the rubber mat or line-x would have prevented the aluminum bed from being punctured

its a great ad at the end of the day as it does show the competitive advantage they currently have, but in a year or so  this ad will bite back at them...
 

15 hours ago, bdm said:

 

As for Cummins Heavy truck motors having plastic oil pans.  I've been under several fire trucks with 2015, 2016, and 2017 8.xx liter Cummins motors and have never seen a plastic oil pan.  Every one is steel and painted red from the factory. 

 

My dad was a FAT ( fire apparatus technician) for 33 years, so i believe you, the article that i had read was more geared at OTR semi's 
Paccar is used in Kenworth and peterbuilt and they feature the use of the plastic oil pan for weight reduction, and noise reduction as it dampens the sounds of the engine
http://www.truckinginfo.com/article/story/2015/11/test-drive-paccar-mx-11-pulls-stronger-than-expected.aspx
" Sitting in an engine compartment, the MX-11 looks like almost any inline six-cylinder diesel. Like all Paccar engines, it’s painted a conservative dark gray. It might look like an MX-13, but few parts are interchangeable between the two engines. Compacted graphite iron forms the MX-11’s block, double overhead camshafts actuate the valves, a “lube module” consisting of two filters cleanse the motor oil, and a composite plastic material is used for the oil pan. "

At the end of the day the OP ask for an opion onthe ford Eco-boost I have one so i gave my opinion
we all do different things and use our vehicles differently, I work from home, behind a computer screen 8 hours a day, but when i am off work I like to play, and I am a home owner 
my Xterra wasnt cutting the mustard when i needed to bring home 20 bags of mulch, or new appliances, or taking the bikes and 4 people to the park, my truck does what i need it to do and thats what matters to me.  now I am not saying ill never upgrade to a diesel but for now, i dont need one
 

[keith_h 420]

7 hours ago, Travisma said:

I just saw a TV ad last night about GM trucks.  They dropped broken cement blocks from about 4 -5 feet above into the bed from a front end loader.  Did the same to a competitor (saw the Ford emblem).  The blocks punched holes thru the bottom of the Fords aluminum bed.  Not a good place to save weight.

Yep a good piece of marketing that will put GM in the position of explaining why they have moved to aluminum in a couple of years. GM is actively working on cutting over to aluminum for truck bodies and even filed few patents related to the processes they are using. One of the patents I've seen even appears to be a better way than Ford has handled construction. I'm hearing 2018 or 2019 model year and yes you can call me on this.    Back to the commercial, a real person doesn't throw or drop cement blocks from 4-5 feet above the bed so it is somewhat disingenuous. I've also seen some 2015 F-150 construction trucks and they aren't any more or less banged up than all steel pickups. None the less I think it will  help them sell an extra truck or two for those that were leaning towards a GM truck but might have bought a Ford for the right price. 

When the all aluminum bodies first came out everyone was talking about how it cost more to repair aluminum and it did. This was because they repaired the aluminum like you would steel by banging it out and filling the body. When the aluminum was repaired via panel replacement the costs came into line with repairing steel. A couple of the auto rags even corrected their early articles. I also go by my insurance premiums which are actually a bit cheaper than I would get on an all steel 2013 or 2014. If there was an inherent problem with aluminum I would expect the insurance industry to know about it and charge accordingly. Anyhow I'm pretty much an agnostic when it comes to brands. I prefer Ford for trucks but have no issues or concerns about folks who prefer GM, Dodge or the other manufacturers. It's nice that people can find something that appeals to them and that we aren't all stuck with the same thing. 

[ftwildernessguy 778]

I have two words for those idiots in the video.  BED LINER

[BigTom 76]

You need to remember, most 150 series truck buyers only use them as passenger vehicles and only ever now and haul a small load like some mulch or fertilizer a few times a year. If you are going to work one hard you will get a 250 or larger. Therefore the durability of the bed is not a big concern.

[caveat lector 181]

There is a alot of parity among manufacturers.most of the trucks are great and each will produce some lemons. I buy based on 30+ years of driving / owning. Fords have been great, while I've had problems with Dodge. It could have easily been vice versa. Commercials developed by the respective marketing departments are seen through a skeptical optic at best. 

[arthuruscg 34]

The lever puller would be replacing the truck bed and looking for a new job if they puled something like that in real life.

Heck, pavers come packaged on pallets, so they would be loaded via fork lift while still on the pallet.

I guess Chevy/GM was trying to appeal to the Bro truck buyers.

[PGHFiend 140]

2 hours ago, arthuruscg said:

The lever puller would be replacing the truck bed and looking for a new job if they puled something like that in real life.

Heck, pavers come packaged on pallets, so they would be loaded via fork lift while still on the pallet.

I guess Chevy/GM was trying to appeal to the Bro truck buyers.

My buddy had a new Chevy Avalanche a few years back.  He went to get some mulch and when the guy loaded it, he forgot to flip down the bucket locks on the skid steer. Dropped the bucket and all down the side of his truck! Not funny at the time, but hilarious now!

BTW,  my truck is a real truck, and does have spark plugs....10 of 'em!

[BigTom 76]

I have a question, not that it makes any difference to me, will not even consider a Ford Truck. They lost me when they went to the twin I-beam front end in mid 1960's and their engineering does not seem to have improved, consider the 2 piece spark plug they had. I have been a mechanic since high school both at dealerships and fleet mechanic so I am not complete uninformed. When you take an engine and increase power by turbocharging and blowers you can get a lot of power, check funny cars at drag races, however you have an engine that is not durable. All this to ask how long are these small engines pumped up by turbo charging going to hold up under a heavy load? Also how often will the turbos have to be replaced? I know I have replaced many on large trucks but they get a lot of miles.

[PGHFiend 140]

5 minutes ago, BigTom said:

I have a question, not that it makes any difference to me, will not even consider a Ford Truck. They lost me when they went to the twin I-beam front end in mid 1960's and their engineering does not seem to have improved, consider the 2 piece spark plug they had. I have been a mechanic since high school both at dealerships and fleet mechanic so I am not complete uninformed. When you take an engine and increase power by turbocharging and blowers you can get a lot of power, check funny cars at drag races, however you have an engine that is not durable. All this to ask how long are these small engines pumped up by turbo charging going to hold up under a heavy load? Also how often will the turbos have to be replaced? I know I have replaced many on large trucks but they get a lot of miles.

The 2 piece spark plug was a silly idea, but the motors they are installed in are pretty stout mills and the lower value of a GM powered class A vs a ford modular is evidence of that. Turbo chargers and super chargers can shorten an engines life, but is usually thats the case when those are added after the engineers are done.  Obviously diesels that run half a million miles are not affected by it, and so far, GM and ford have had great success with the turbo engines. Biggest problem I have read about is carbon accumulaton in the intake tracks. The use of gasoline direct injection into the engine doesn't allow any detergents to clean the intake anymore. Otherwise, time will tell!

[keith_h 420]

I don't know the projected turbo life span but the 2.7L block uses a compacted graphite and iron block the same as Ford uses in its diesel engines. It also shares many parts with the 2.7L diesel Ford sells in Europe. So my guess is it should be a pretty solid engine but as PGHFiend said, "Only time will tell."