F-150 EcoBoost

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by BSiple

How would the Ecoboost do at say 9,000 feet or so?

It takes every bit of my 6.0L Powerstroke in the Excursion to pull my 26 foot fully loaded toy hauler (80 gallons of water, 25 gallons of gas, toys, etc.).

I suppose at sea level or close to it, a regular V8 or the Ecoboost would do just fine, but I towed for years with my 5.3L Tahoe (older different camper) and it struggled a few times.

Also is the transmission in the Ecoboost the Torqueshift or whatever Ford is calling it now?

Bill

A turbine off the exhaust is driving a air centrifugal compressor that feeds the intake for the motor. The centrifugal supercharger gets spun faster with the lower resistance at a higher altitude, and still delivers the raised intake pressure. The turbine powering the supercharger, at higher RPM's, can provide more than enough power, which is why there are bleed off valves.

Basically, you have a unit that as exhaust gasses build, would start operating at over 100% of the amount required, so the rest is bled off. Raise the altitude, and it still starts bleeding off what is over 100%.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by BSiple

How would the Ecoboost do at say 9,000 feet or so? It takes every bit of my 6.0L Powerstroke in the Excursion to pull my 26 foot fully loaded toy hauler (80 gallons of water, 25 gallons of gas, toys, etc.).

Road Test Review: 2011 Ford F-150 FX2 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, Part 1 - PickupTrucks.com News

"Our drive route covered almost 2,100 miles, from Norco, Calif., just off Interstate 15 east of Los Angeles to Colorado’s Eisenhower Pass on I-70 in the Rocky Mountains – the highest point on the U.S. interstate highway system. In between, we crossed elevations from 200 feet above sea level to 11,000 feet, from the floor of the Mojave Desert to Alpine forests. Driving across terrain this varied, there’s no place for an engine to mask performance gaps. It’s the longest, toughest road test we’ve ever done."

"Doubts about towing comfort started to ease after we hitched up one of the trucks to an enclosed car hauler ballasted to 9,000 pounds. We used our Elite Eaz-Lift weight-distributing hitch’s height-adjustable ball and the trailer’s height-adjustable hitch to ensure the truck sat almost level with about 12 percent tongue weight (about 1,100 pounds) pushing down on its rear. We measured the gross combined weight of the FX2 plus trailer at 14,500 pounds, or 95 percent of its maximum GCW."

"The F-150 with the trailer had no problem pulling Cajon, finding its sweet spot in 4th gear in tow/haul mode at about 3,000 rpm and 60 mph to provide power as needed to get around slower traffic. The empty truck held 5th but downshifted to 4th or 3rd for passing....... As soon as we crested the top of Cajon and the highway flattened out, the F-150 quickly shifted into 6th gear to lug at around 1,800 rpm at 60 mph up to 1,950 rpm at 70 mph."

"On I-70 in Colorado, on the same route we did our Rumble in the Rockies, we also ran the F-150 pulling the 9,000-pound trailer. We were stunned by how well it pulled at such high elevation on the 7 percent grade to the Eisenhower Tunnel. It was so strong that we had to start testing at 10,000 feet to ensure the rig didn’t climb the hill at an unsafe speed at wide open throttle. The EcoBoost F-150 ran the quarter-mile in 27.83 seconds at 50.83 mph – more than enough to keep up with or pass traffic. That’s a performance we don’t think could be easily matched by a non-turbo gas engine, even a large-displacement V-8.

Now, compare that time to how the truck-and-trailer pair performed on Davis Dam’s shallower 5 percent grade at only 2,000 feet of elevation, where it’s easier to gulp oxygen to feed the engine. Here, it ran the quarter-mile in 24.56 seconds at 58.47 mph – not much slower than it did in the Rockies.

The EcoBoost’s Davis Dam time is also faster than what we measured in the 5.0-liter V-8 F-150 with a different 9,000-pound trailer (25.06 seconds at 55.46 mph).

On level ground, the EcoBoost F-150 and trailer covered the quarter-mile in 21.02 seconds at 67.21 mph and did zero to 60 mph in only 16.36 seconds (compared with 16.85 seconds for the 5.0-liter V-8)."

"EcoBoost also works well if you’re going to regularly tow a heavy trailer at high altitude because its performance is only matched by today’s heavy-duty diesels in that environment."

Also is the transmission in the Ecoboost the Torqueshift or whatever Ford is calling it now?

It's a six speed SelectShift. Basically a lighter duty version of the diesel's TorqueShift with wider spreads in the gear ratios.

[jfs911]

Originally Posted by johnkszabo

I own a 2011 F-150 supercrew 4x4 with the Ecoboost and love it! It is great on fuel ,21 mpg on the highway and is quicker from a rolling start than my 911.The towing abilities are quite impressive too.Great truck IMHO!

Thanks everyone for your replies, you were very helpful. I went and i bought one with 4,500kms on it, so far i like it, its a good truck, it will not be used for towing. Had a question for JohnKszabo, when coming to a slow stop there's a bit of a pulsation on the transmission, do you think that this is a normal breaking-in period?. I've heard 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 1st is rough in some cases.
thanks, John

[look 171]

Originally Posted by EarlyPorsche

I would put your 2000 F250 against my 1991.5 Dodge Cummins. Lower cost, mileage, and higher fuel mileage empty and loaded . BUT there is a dark side to the Cummins...I have to spend about $0.50 more per gallon for diesel than I would for gas. Yesterday I spend about $0.60 more per gallon than regular. It all really becomes a wash depending on your priorities. For example, my truck wouldn't win any ride or luxury awards but I didn't need that. If I did it would cost me (probably a monthly payment).

Tell me about your higher fuel mileage. I have a 93 with just a tad over 100k on the motor. I don't tow but do haul a little from time to time. a couple of times a year is more like it. My biggest concern is my auto tranny.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I'm bumping a semi-old thread to see if everyone is still happy with their Ecoboost trucks. My wife and I are very close to buying a new F150, but I'm still on the fence regarding Ecoboost vs 5.0. The 5.0 is cheaper and makes nice noises, but the Ecoboost gets better MPG and has that wonderful wave of turbo torque. Despite the added complexity of the twin turbo V6 I can't seem to find any common issues with the Ecoboost, and am leaning in that direction.

[EarlyPorsche]

Originally Posted by look 171

Tell me about your higher fuel mileage. I have a 93 with just a tad over 100k on the motor. I don't tow but do haul a little from time to time. a couple of times a year is more like it. My biggest concern is my auto tranny.

I get around 20city/25 highway. My truck is almost always loaded down but I don't see much of a drop unless its real heavy. Your Cummins is a baby. Your auto should be fine. Mine works and worked real hard and has 160K+ on the tranny. One thing to note is that these trucks do not have a lockup convertor so they are literally shearing the ATF apart. I cannot remember but I think the manual even says that ATF changes should be performed at 10 or 15K intervals. I would get a boat oil suction device and draw the trans pan empty and refill every oil change. Then do a pan drop and filter every couple oil changes. Oh and mopar has a reusable pan gasket that makes the changes easy. I put a quart of Lucas in my transmission and thats always nice to boost the ATF viscosity (can help with internal pressure leaks). ATF+4 is what our transmissions calls for.

With that said, my transmission does not owe me anything and if it went tomorrow I wouldn't call it names because its definitely earned its keep.

EDIT: oh and don't forget to adjust the bands!

[enzo1]

[Jim Bremner]

The Eoboost would be cool in an early mustang or Falcon with a Tremec 6spd manual.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by EarlyPorsche

I get around 20city/25 highway. My truck is almost always loaded down but I don't see much of a drop unless its real heavy. Your Cummins is a baby. Your auto should be fine. Mine works and worked real hard and has 160K+ on the tranny. One thing to note is that these trucks do not have a lockup convertor so they are literally shearing the ATF apart. I cannot remember but I think the manual even says that ATF changes should be performed at 10 or 15K intervals. I would get a boat oil suction device and draw the trans pan empty and refill every oil change. Then do a pan drop and filter every couple oil changes. Oh and mopar has a reusable pan gasket that makes the changes easy. I put a quart of Lucas in my transmission and thats always nice to boost the ATF viscosity (can help with internal pressure leaks). ATF+4 is what our transmissions calls for.

With that said, my transmission does not owe me anything and if it went tomorrow I wouldn't call it names because its definitely earned its keep.

EDIT: oh and don't forget to adjust the bands!

I am at 16 hwy no matter how I drive it. I did a three hour drive and filled back up and I got 16. I even pour in a qt of two stroke oil for lube. No help. I am not sure if there's tuning to be done. Most think I am wasting my time for a tune up on the motor. I agree. It doesn't have any leaks anywhere. What are you doing to get 20? will you spill the beans?

[EarlyPorsche]

Yeah I'm driving it lightly. On some sites I've seen mention of your mpg's on 4wd trucks. Mine is 2wd. Are you sure the previous owner didn't turn up the pump? My truck is stock. You could also advance pump timing which I've heard gets 1 or 2 mpg's easy.

[speeder]

4wd in a diesel PU in 2wd mode should not make a huge dent in mpgs, maybe 1-2 mpg at the most, all other things being equal.

All other things would be cab configuration, axle ratio, auto/manual trans, etc.

[nota]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

The Eoboost would be cool in an early mustang or Falcon with a Tremec 6spd manual.

I would love a twin turbo in my old ranger
anyone know if the bellhousing bolt pattern is the same
or if there is room in a ranger to fit the turbo's and plumbing ?

[sammyg2]

Does the steering wheel go to sheet on the 2011 F-150s after 20,000 miles or is that a 2010 F-150 thing only?

On mine the dark rubber coating on the top 1/3 of the wheel has worn away exposing the white foam underneath.
A co-worker bought a nearly identical truck 1 week after I did and he has experienced the same problem.
I'm working with the stealer to see if it can be replaced under warranty.

How about the driver's window, does it make a hellacious screech when lowering it when the sun has been shining on it making the squeegie rub on the glass like fingernails on a chalkboard?

Does the computer controlled transmission sometimes refuse to downshift when you nail it on the freeway to pass, then after about a 2 second bog slam hard into gear making you think you've been rear-ended? Mine's done that several times.

That's the thing with furds, lack of attention to small details. It's always the stupid nit-picky quality things that drive you crazy.

EDIT: BTW I have the 5.4 liter engine, 17 mpg in the city no matter how I drive it.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by EarlyPorsche

Yeah I'm driving it lightly. On some sites I've seen mention of your mpg's on 4wd trucks. Mine is 2wd. Are you sure the previous owner didn't turn up the pump? My truck is stock. You could also advance pump timing which I've heard gets 1 or 2 mpg's easy.

No stock truck 2 wd. Its my work truck. I bought it with very , very low miles on it from a guy who own show horses. I think it had 11,000 miles on it. No matter how I drive it, I get about 16. I hear people getting upwards of 24. That's a lot. Maybe they are driving it 45mph all day.

[EarlyPorsche]

Originally Posted by look 171

No stock truck 2 wd. Its my work truck. I bought it with very , very low miles on it from a guy who own show horses. I think it had 11,000 miles on it. No matter how I drive it, I get about 16. I hear people getting upwards of 24. That's a lot. Maybe they are driving it 45mph all day.

Well you have me doubting the measurement I did (once or twice). I will try and do it again. Also, I get much better mileage in the summer versus the winter...do you see a difference?

EDIT: Please allow me to apologize for derailing this thread into a completely unrelated topic. The ecoboost trucks are what I should have stuck with discussing. Again, my apologies.

[DanielDudley]

I have a buddy who has one of these. He towed a race car and trailer from NY to FLA and back recently. He came back through the hills because the traffic was less severe, and says it is the best tow vehicle he has ever owned.

I believe it is all true. Can't speak on durability yet.

[onewhippedpuppy]

For those that haven't read about the Ecoboost torture test, I thought this was pretty cool.

What the Inside of a Tortured Ford EcoBoost V-6 Looks Like - PickupTrucks.com News

[fuelie600]

I've got 11k on the clock now. No problems with the EB at all. Would I buy it again, yes. I don't think you would regret the 5.0 liter, but the EB will probably have higher resale value. It's also a blast to spool up the turbos. Both engines have the 6 speed, electronic transmission. It is sometimes quirky but never a problem.

Mileage over the winter was 16-17 MPG on average. Almost all short trips, cold engine and city driving. Definitely better with warmer temps and longer drives. On highway drives, I get 20-21 @ 55, 19-20 @ 65, and around 18 @ 70-75.

My truck is a 4x4, lariat super-crew, 20 in wheels, with 5.5ft bed.

I have done a few "upgrades" since getting the truck. I swapped the lousy stock speakers. Unless you go for one of the upgraded stereos, they suck. I added a power door lock actuator to the tailgate. (didn't want someone taking the tailgate with the backup camera in it - cost is like $2400 to replace.) Added a second USB port inside the console for my iPhone. All of these mods can be found on f150forum.com.

If/when you choose your truck, I recommend the backup camera, park assist, heated/cooled seats, and tailgate step. I really like each of these features. The backup camera has 3 levels of zoom and trailer hitch guidelines to make trailer connections a cinch with one person. The cooled seats are a great luxury in July-August and the tailgate step takes the struggle out of climbing into a 4x4 height bed.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Thanks Evan. Considering how close they are in price the Ecoboost seems like a no-brainer. The 5.0 is a great motor and makes nice noises, but the instant torque of the EB is addictive and the extra MPG can't hurt.

My wife (yes it's for her) wants a bench front seat, that pretty much locks us into an XLT. My required options are 4x4, a locking rear differential, Convenience with Sync and the other basic power options, tow package, Plus package with the power rear window and backup sensors, the backup camera, and we really only want silver or gray. Thus far I've found one in my REGION that includes the backup camera, they are impossible to find in an XLT.

[fuelie600]

Good luck with the search. If you are using Ford's inventory search, I found many trucks on dealer lots that didn't show up online. My truck didn't show up. Found it on a dealer visit, fresh off of the car-carrier.

Oh and one more option to consider is power-fold mirrors. Great for ATMs, drive thru's, etc.