37 MPG in a new F-150 with a 2.7 liter boxer engine

[frankd]

Watch this video and see what Ford's experimenting with. They have test engines running, and they estimate 37MPG on gasoline and 42 MPG on diesel fuel.

 

 

Frank

[Flyinfool]

2.7l in a full size truck? Just don't try to haul more than a loaf of bread on a regular basis.

 

Maybe I am just old, but I still go by there is no replacement for displacement.

 

Look at all of the 3/4 ton and bigger P/Us for the big 3 that have to actually work and last long, they all have big low revving engines rather than small high revving engines to make big power numbers on paper.

[BlueSky]

FlyingFool, you are falling behind. The F150 3.5l ecoboost is proving to be a good engine that will tow more than the V8s and accelerate quicker. A f150 with a 2.7L ecoboost has been available the last couple of years with plenty of hp and torque.

[RandyR]

Can I get in a K-bike?

[vzuden]

FlyingFool, you are falling behind. The F150 3.5l ecoboost is proving to be a good engine that will tow more than the V8s and accelerate quicker. A f150 with a 2.7L ecoboost has been available the last couple of years with plenty of hp and torque.

 

I used to think I needed a V-8 in my full size trucks too. I bought a new F150 12 months ago with the 3.5L and love it. 21,000 miles and 21-22 MPG on the highway and plenty of power.

[SilvrT]

Looking at the towing capacities for a 2016 F150 it shows the 3.5L Ecoboost engine can tow more than the 2.7L

 

The 3.5L EcoBoost® V6 shows 365 HP @ 5,000 and 420 lb.-ft. TQ @ 2,500

 

From 1st hand experience with my '03 F350 c/w V10 (310 HP & 425 TQ) there's plenty of power towing a trailer of 10,000# GVW as long as you're either on flat land with no headwind or going down hill.

[CaseyJ955]

2.7l in a full size truck? Just don't try to haul more than a loaf of bread on a regular basis.

 

Maybe I am just old, but I still go by there is no replacement for displacement.

 

Look at all of the 3/4 ton and bigger P/Us for the big 3 that have to actually work and last long, they all have big low revving engines rather than small high revving engines to make big power numbers on paper.

 

I'm going to +1 for the F150 ecoboost. I have a acquaintance that pulls a fairly sizable boat with one that is almost stock and it has plenty of stomp, I mean plenty. 0 trouble accelerating with it in tow and really impressive performance empty. With engine design/manufacture and elaborate engine management we can get a whole lot more from a smaller mill than before and they will last quite a while. Forced induction is something the Europeans saw value in long before we did, but we're catching on to just how darn impressive a properly tuned small engine can be with a huffer. The Ecoboost is a very capable truck, a turbo V6 of today will pretty easily decimate most V8s of yore while using maybe half the fuel and lasting probably twice as long. My car has a 2.0 direct injection turbo 4 cyl and it stomps, and I get 35 on the highway with a heavy-ish AWD sedan. A feat the 4 bangers I grew up with had absolutely no prayer of achieving. Moving away from carbs and points towards EFI and forced induction has really changed the game. I'm a huge fan of the oldschool Ford FE engines, they can make massive torque for minimal investment, but you could go broke fueling one as a daily driver. The claim in this video is that they will get more than 4x the MPG of my last 460 shorty.

 

I think this new boxer design is slick and intuitive. With the torque he was talking about it should be one of the best light trucks ever, if it does as they claim. Maybe we should look down the road for the F250/350 to have a higher displacement version of the same thing. I'm really excited to see where it goes.

 

If fuel were free I would have a 460, but fuel is pretty darn far from free anymore and MPG counts. I say to my bretherin that love the V8s as I do, have a fresh look at whats going on with smaller turbo charged engines. It sure surprised me!

[Kretz]

I noticed that he said it's a 2 stroke! Just wondering if the oil injected with the gas or does it have to be mixed in with it? (Cause that would be a PITA!) Also I always thought 2 strokes were a lot worse pollution wise (vs 4 stroke). It may be that due to the higher temps he mentioned that the oil is more completely burned?

[BlueSky]

Certifying it through the EPA tests will be interesting. To extract that much power with that much fuel economy, it must have an eye popping compression ratio and that usually gives high NO pollutants. One of the more interesting things said was that the Germans in WWII has bombers that used these engines and could fly from Germany to South America without refueling. Those Germans came up with much advanced technology back then, rockets, jet engines, and this. I'm sure there are many more. Just glad they didn't develop the A bomb first.

 

The turbo engines don't lose much hp in the mountains making them excellent choices for towing.

[Flyinfool]

I might be old school just cuz I am old.

 

BUT

 

Even the engineers at Ford, GM and Dodge, all seem to agree that you need big displacement to do real work, All of the 3/4 ton and bigger gas pickups have Big V8 or V10 engines. No little artificially aspirated engines with big numbers on paper. That tells me something. I can be convinced when I start seeing these little turbo charged engines still pulling that trailer around after they have 15 years under their belt and/or a quarter million miles on the clock, and not just a rare example but commonplace.

 

I guess the other thing with the eco boost engines that bothers me is that they pipe in the sound of a big v8 through the stereo system whether the stereo is on or off, so that it sounds powerful.

[RandyR]

1932 Junkers 205 D aircraft diesel engine that could fly from Europe to S America.

 

 

[RDawson]

I hope they do their homework better on this before it goes into production. I've repaired several heads on their 5.4s from blowing plugs. The fix for that was the plugs that snapped. Let alone the 6.0 debacle, Ford used a solid International engine but tried to squeeze too much out of it and created a monster. I don't mean to bash them but I'll never buy a new engine design from them until it proves out on the road.

[Air Ready Auto]

FlyingFool, you are falling behind. The F150 3.5l ecoboost is proving to be a good engine that will tow more than the V8s and accelerate quicker. A f150 with a 2.7L ecoboost has been available the last couple of years with plenty of hp and torque.

 

They are also a nightmare to work on. They have little tolerance for even the slightest deviance from speck and they have overheating problems when the boost runs a lot. They burn oil if you look at them funny and won't run if you cuss where they can hear you. This old school mechanic hates them...

 

I hope they do their homework better on this before it goes into production. I've repaired several heads on their 5.4s from blowing plugs. The fix for that was the plugs that snapped. Let alone the 6.0 debacle, Ford used a solid International engine but tried to squeeze too much out of it and created a monster. I don't mean to bash them but I'll never buy a new engine design from them until it proves out on the road.

 

+1 on that 5.4 engine. My shop won't touch them.

[BlueSky]

I hope they do their homework better on this before it goes into production. I've repaired several heads on their 5.4s from blowing plugs. The fix for that was the plugs that snapped. Let alone the 6.0 debacle, Ford used a solid International engine but tried to squeeze too much out of it and created a monster. I don't mean to bash them but I'll never buy a new engine design from them until it proves out on the road.

 

I agree with you in general. I'm old school also and I would buy the V8 over the ecoboost. But, the first generation of the "triton" engine with 2 valves/cyl plug blowout issue is resolved with torquing the plugs more. I put 105k on my 2000 F150 5.4L with no problems. I sold it to a friend who had the dealer replace the plugs and it had 170k on it when he sold it with no plug blowouts. I currently have a 2002 F150 5.4L that had 69k on it when I bought it. I changed the plugs myself at 119k miles and just torqued them properly which is about twice what the manual says. It has 148k on it now with no blowouts. Other than the plug blowout possibility it is a great engine. Google million mile van and read about an E250 van with the 5.4L 2V engine that finally blew up at about 1,270,000 miles.

 

The plug snapping issue with the 2004 thru 2008 5.4L 3 valve engines can be gotten around by using the proper technique. Some of them have variable cam timing issues though that can kill the engine.

 

My 5.7L Hemi engine in my 2005 Dodge Magnum has a reputation of dropping valve seats and destroying the engine. It turns out that the valve seats did not have a tight enough press fit in the aluminum heads and sometimes they drop especially if it overheats. The 95 Mark VIII with 4.6L DOHC engine that the Magnum replaced had a possibility of valve train breakage that destroyed some of those. So, there aren't any perfect vehicles out there it my knowledge especially with high mileage. The first car I started driving in 1960 was the family 55 Chevrolet 6cyl. It needed a rebuild at 60k miles because of excessive cylinder wear. My first car was a 56 Chevy convertible with a 265 V8. A piston cracked causing me to rebuild it. My next car was a 59 chevy 283 cu in V8. A lifter collapsed in that engine. On and On. I rebuilt several engines in GM cars I've owned. I quit having engine problems when I started buying Fords.

[Condor]

I'll be a huckleberry when one does diesel duty hauling heavy loads, and has 350K on the ODO. HP sounds good, and torque is good, but... how long is it going to last. On the oil injection for gas, it shouldn't be a problem. They've been doing oil injection on very large 2 stroke OB marine engines for 30 years or more. Some old schooler's go to mixed fuel, but it's a PITA. I've never had a problem with the system. IMHO diesel is the way to go. Detroit diesel 2 strokes have been around longer than I have, and that's saying a lot.... :-) Diesels love heat, and from what the guy said heat is an issue. I remember seeing OP engines in Popular Mechanics back when I was a kid and thought they were interesting then....

[RDawson]

I went back and watched the rest of the video and figured out this is an independent company that used a Ford truck. I wasn't trying to start a Ford vs Chevy thing. We all have our preferences for our own reasons. I'm usually a bow tie guy but right now I have vehicles from all the big three and one Nissan. In my experience with Ford trucks the last 15-20 years they've been in a hurry to get new things out without enough long term testing. All manufacturers have some issues, I've just personally had fewer issues with GM.

[BlueSky]

I didn't take it as Ford bashing. Facts are facts. I used to be a Chevy guy but I don't really have any brand preference any more except that I have a phobia about GM products now. The finality of that was caused by having 3 new not rebuilt but still bad engines (GM Goodwrench engines) installed in my last Chevy a 1986SS Monte Carlo by the Chevy dealer and then the fact that taxpayers lost billions of dollars buying GM stock at an inflated price to save them and selling it at a loss. Seems like we lost a bunch on Chrysler too but I'm not sure. Ford ended up saving themselves without costing taxpayers as I understand it. My wife has a very reliable Infiniti (so far) and I bought one Mitsubishi and two Mazdas all great cars in the past for my wife and stepson. I've owned several other foreign cars in the past, a new 75 Honda Civic that was a POS bought before Honda got the car quality up to snuff, a 81 Chevy LUV (Isuzu) that was a disapppointment, the red paint faded terribly in the 18 months I owned it, along with several other defects, and a 80 Ford Fiesta made by Ford of Germany which was a reliable car but had terrible brakes. I bought the Dodge Magnum Hemi because I got a great deal on it as a leftover and it had what i was looking for, V8, RWD, an independent rear suspension. I didn't want to spend the money for a BMW.

Edited January 19, 2018 by BlueSky

[Flyinfool]

I was not brand bashing either, I was small engine in big vehicle bashing.

The vehicles that you consistently see with huge miles on them usually have big engines. Just the environment that a turbo has to live in I can not see them lasting 15 years or well over a quarter million miles. And they are not cheap to replace.

[Leland]

I own a 2013 Ford F-150 with the 3.5L Ecoboost for my service truck. Prior to it, I owned a 2001 Dodge ¾ ton with the 5.9L Cummins diesel. I had a chip and a high flow air filter in the Dodge. The Ford is stock. Both trucks are (were) loaded with tools and equipment. More in the Dodge but not that much more. I am very impressed with how the Ford handles the amount of weight that I have in it without sitting on the overloads. My point here is that on I-70 heading Eastbound from Silverthorn, CO to the Eisenhower Tunnel at Loveland Pass which is 12 miles and an elevation increase of 2,150', the Ford pulls it without breaking a sweat. The Dodge would loose speed in 4th (high) gear and when dropping to third I had to keep an eye on the turbo temperature as it would overheat if I kept my foot in it. I am very impressed with this truck. 70,000 miles currently and no problems. I did have 320,000 miles on the Dodge when I got rid of it, but should have dumped it by 250,000 miles as too many things started going wrong. But I will say, no problems with the Cummins itself.

[BlueSky]

I was skeptical when the ecoboost first came out and I still am to a certain extent but they are proving themselves it seems. Over a million sold as of 2016. They are the most popular engine in the f150 since 2011 I believe.

 

 

https://www.torquenews.com/106/ford-has-sold-one-million-ecoboost-f150-pickups

 

https://jalopnik.com/heres-how-a-ford-f-150-ecoboost-held-up-after-200-000-m-1790602670

[SpencerPJ]

I also am in a RV forum, and lots of people have issues with EcoBoost over heating while pulling Travel Trailers. They are well within spec's too. I would guess for everyday light construction use, they would be fine. Don't think I'd want one for a workhorse though.

[RDawson]

I also am in a RV forum, and lots of people have issues with EcoBoost over heating while pulling Travel Trailers. They are well within spec's too. I would guess for everyday light construction use, they would be fine. Don't think I'd want one for a workhorse though.

 

That is my fear of small engines. I expect all my trucks to be workhorses when needed. A big V8!with more power than it needs doesn't have to work as hard to do the job. I buy trucks according to the job I need done, not fuel mileage. I'd rather buy a little extrA fuel along the way than pay huge repair bills from overuse. The best work truck I ever had was an 82 Chevy. I built a stroked 383 with an oem 350 cam and Qjet carb. All the torque you could want but got 22 mpg on the interstate. Make no mistake if I USED it hard it loved gas, but just driving it never needed to struggle so it sipped gas. I haven't really thought of that truck in 20 years, now y'all got me wanting to build another one.

[gr8hwfan]

Lol,I have a 2014 F 150 Super Crew 3.5L Eco-Boost Max Tow Package that pulls like a Freight Train never had an issue I am very happy with this truck and would and will buy another Eco-Boost. My truck does not make some sound through the radio to make it sound like a V8 it is quiet,I am confident that it is no harder to work on than any Modern day V8.I have owned many V8 trucks through the years and this truck would out pull any of them.Just my opinion!

[SilvrT]

Lol,I have a 2014 F 150 Super Crew 3.5L Eco-Boost Max Tow Package that pulls like a Freight Train

 

Pulls what?

 

What is the biggest GVW (actual weight) item you have pulled and over what kind of terrain?

[gr8hwfan]

Pulls what?

 

What is the biggest GVW (actual weight) item you have pulled and over what kind of terrain?

 

 

Probably right around 8000 lbs on flat,up hill never missed a lick.I see your in the market for a truck ,rent 1 of the new f 150's with the eco -boost for a day hook it to a trailer and pull it all over gods creation. Though i can not speak for the new f 150's i think you will find the eco-boost will pull what you want easily.