Ford Ecoboost experiences ??

[vtjc]

This spring my in-laws took a 7,500 hundred mile journey(VT to CA via
OK, AZ, NV...) with their '12 Crew Cab F-150 FX4 which they used to
tow their 5,500 lb 24' camper. They drove 62-65 mph and got 10.6 mpg
for the trip towing, around town in they get 18-19... The EcoBoost has
plenty of power for an F-150, just needs the exhaust freed-ed up so
you can hear the turbos whine. I am curious to see how the Ram 1500
diesel does for real world mileage.

[nyryan2001]

The new Diesel 1500 Ram is taking light duty to the extreme with 240hp. Not impressive.

On the otherhand...1 more year out, Nissan is doing a new Cummings 5.0L diesel with 300hp/550ftlbtq ish late 2014/15. <--- this will be the first real light duty diesel contender.

[Woody_tobius_jr]

Here's an update, the the updates didn't really do much, the motor finally threw a code and it went back in. They ended up changing the coils and plugs, and she's running like a champ again. Power is back to where it was, but the fuel mileage still isn't back to where it was. Have to start chasing that down now that I have the power back to where it was originally.


Sent from my iPad

[Nautiquehunter]

So whats the benefit of the ECO ? I get 10 mpg towing a 08 210 at 70 plus with my 05 Savanna 3500 6L. No turbos to worry about and the truck dosnt even break a sweat. I'm sure they are nice but I still think you are asking a lot out of a little motor and I question the long distance reliability and endurance.

[nyryan2001]

^^^ benefits are simple.

That Eco would smoke your 6.0l. It gives 6.2L towing performance while loaded(same towing MPGs as the 6.2L)... Giving max tq at 2000rpms vs a regular V8 max tq at 3500 rpm. We tow at 65-75.... 2000rpms. This means max tq at regular RPMs, less need to downshift.

the Eco gets 18mpg unloaded vs 13-14 of your 6.0l.

but I am with you.... They gotta work the kinks out and prove these engines can make it to 300k miles without issues. So far that hasn't been the case.

[Nautiquehunter]

I was a GM tech for 20 years . I have seen the 6 cyl turbo/super charged motors come and go most were used up within the first 100k. Poor maintenance was a big factor. I have a dedicated tow vehicle so the towing mileage is the most important to me . The ECO and most diesels don't get the fuel economy needed to off set the initial cost and higher maintenance. Maybe the ECO is the real deal time will tell .

[vtjc]

but I am with you.... They gotta work the kinks out and prove these engines can make it to 300k miles without issues. So far that hasn't been the case.

What small block gas V8's go 300k now? The $8k diesel engine upgrades in 3/4+ ton pickups rarely go that far without a Turbo or head replacement...

I think its good to have options but time will tell if they hold up. In ten years if I am shopping for a used 1/2 ton for occasional use, I would probably buy the one without Turbo's. Regardless of how intoxicating that whine can be.

[Zach@n3]

The $8k diesel engine upgrades in 3/4+ton pickups rarely go that far without a Turbo or head replacement...

If you don't do anything stupid like turn adiesel up to 500+ hp and drive it like your 16 then it will easily surpass 300kwithout replacement of those two parts? In Cummins world anyways. It's more theage of the gasket materials in the long run than the service hours.


Modern gas v8s are easily runningdeeply into the 200k+ mark. I fully expect my 10 Hemi to run upwards of 300k ifI keep it that long. Problem with diesels now is every Randy Redneck in theworld thinks they are cool and wind them up to big power numbers, probablydon't adhere to proper maintenance standards, and use them outside of what theengine was designed to do. Starting a diesel cold every morning and pounding onit before the thing reaches operating temperature is the worst thing you cando. My commute is not suited for a heavy duty diesel engine. Most mornings mygas truck hardly reaches operating temperature. A diesel truck probablywouldn't even think about moving the needle off cold. Heavy duty diesel enginesare designed to reach operating temperature and stay at high power levels andsustained loads for long periods of time. That's why they run 4-5-600k miles.Piston to cylinder and ring clearances are larger on HD applications to accountfor the excess heat generated under high power high load situations and it'ssimply not designed with short trips that most people use your average truckfor.


Marine gas engines are put together with thesame ideas in mind VS an automotive application. Tolerances are much tighter inan automotive engine than its marine counterpart. With the torture tests theyhave subjected the Eco Boost engine to I would assume they have put it togetherwith materials and tolerances that are better suited for sustained high loadand temperature which should make the engine a long time runner. Now if you buyan Eco Boost to make short commutes its entire life I highly doubt you willreach the same mileage numbers as guys that buy them to work and tow comparedto putting around town.


That is why I have always beenconfused by the marketing behind Eco Boost. They turn the same numbers orsometimes slightly worse mpg than V8s but it seems as if the customers (andFord) are using them more like a heavy duty replacement for diesel engines. If that’swhat sells then that’s what sells. Another plus to longevity of an Eco Boostengine is the fact that makes gobs of torque at a lower rpm. Just by virtue ofengine wear an engine spinning at the same load at a lower rpm will besubjected to less wear than an engine operating at the same load at nearlytwice the rpm to accomplish the same amount of work.


That’s another major factor ofdiesel engine longevity vs gas engines. If a Cummins engine in a truck wasspinning 3500 rpm vs one spinning 1800 rpm which one do you think will lastlonger. The mileage traveled might be the same but the amount wear will be muchsmaller by virtue of the engine has spun around less times.

Sorry for the odd paragraphs. Usingword to try to find a way around the fact that my enter key doesn’t work onPlanet.

[BrennanK]

If you don't do anything stupid like turn a diesel up to 500+ hp and drive it like you're 16 then it will easily surpass 300k without replacement of those two parts. In Cummins world anyways. It's more the age of the gasket materials in the long run than the service hours.

Problem with diesels now is every Randy Redneck in the world thinks they are cool and wind them up to big power numbers, probably don't adhere to proper maintenance standards, and use them outside of what the engine was designed to do.

Finally. Thank you. Some days I feel like the only person in the world that sees it that. So many diesel owners slam a tuner on, massive tires, and a lift then wonder why they are replacing parts in their big bad diesel at 150k.

I have the factory tune and factory suspension and tires on my Duramax and have no plans on changing it. I have 168,000 miles and not a single problem.

Gas or Diesel, keep it stock and it will last a long time with good maintenance practices.

[Zach@n3]

Amen Brennan!! Engineers have spent countless hours perfecting every single detail of an engine and accompanying driveline to make it the best it possibly can be. The new diesel engines make over 800 ft-lbs why do you need more? I get offended when I see a 3/4 ton truck lifted with big wheels and tires because that person has just negated all R and D that went into the design of the truck and now have drastically reduced the safe towing capacity of the vehicle. Just makes me scratch my head. I am a purist in purist form ha so I dig how trucks look from the factory. That being said, my 96 12 valve was turned up through the moon its entire life but Dodge and Cummins made a deal with the devil on that engine backed by an nv4500 5 speed an a Dana 80 rear end. Virtually indestructible so that one breaks the mold and isn't applicable to this conversation ha. I am not saying cranking a diesel up to the moon isn't freakin awesome but you can't expect it to have the service life of one that is operating as designed for the specific application it is in.

[thedude]

Proper maintenance is the key.

Previous tow vehicle: 99 Suburban 2500 with 454 V-8, sold with 285k miles and still running strong according to new owner

Current: 2006 Chevy Duramax, 335k miles and counting, 35" tires, 4" lift. Stock motor and trans with the exception of EFILive tow tune and exhaust.

Every company makes a pretty good motor these days, just have to maintain them well.

[vtjc]

I guess we have strayed a ways from the original topic.

I agree with you that maintenance and type of use greatly affect component life. I used to work at a 4x4/diesel repair shop. We regularly saw stock(Ford and GM) diesels with less than 200k needing major repair(turbos, heads, EGR coolers…). I agree maintenance could have been an issue. However, the shop owners 08 6.4L Ford, which is well maintained, just needed a new turbo. It is stock with 101k, but used for allot of towing. Ford wouldn’t even entertain that it should could been covered under the 100k engine warranty. So if people can’t maintenance a diesel well enough to go over 200k, are they going to maintain a gas turbo well enough to last 300k?

[Zach@n3]

All of the add on emissions crap really has put a damper on the diesel world. Taking away all of the good qualities and replacing with bad. There has to be an issue with that 6.4 turbo. Does that silly twin turbo single exhaust housing dual compressor housing have a good reputation for longevity? That's one diesel I have never been around much at all. Anyways were straying away from topic but the Eco Boost seems to have been put together with similar qualities of a diesel which will hopefully bring in the longevity under adverse operating conditions where a normal gas engine would wear out sooner.

[MuskokaCanada]

^^ We shall soon see, Zach. But I never histated getting 200K worth of bumper to bumper warranty just in case.

[Zach@n3]

Hahaha, an extended warranty can be worth its weight in gold depending on the vehicle. I worked in 3 different automotive service departments and saw those save people numerous times. Some vehicles they were a waste others a savior.