Any eco-boost converts here?

[robman3387]

I was thinking today how much more enjoyable my 5.7L non-etorque is vs the second gen 3.5L EcoBoost 10 SPD I came from. For reference, Hemi's 400hp / 410 tq vs 3.5L EcoBoost 375 HP / 470 tq.

Anybody else here come from a Ford EcoBoost? I enjoyed that engine, it definitely pulled, but I find the linear power and of course sound much more of an enjoyable experience. What do others think?

 

[John Galt]

Not eco boost per se but I’ve had some high-strung turbo sports cars in my wild and misspent youth and after I bought my first V8 I never looked back.

my friend has an eco boost F150 and he got really mad when I said “oh yeah I was looking at one of those for my wife”.

 

[SD Rebel]

I had a 2.7L Ecoboost with the older 6-speed auto, it was fine, I would say faster than my Hemi if I'm being totally honest. It was a light truck, an XLT Supercab 2WD, something like 4,300 lbs.

The power felt linear to me, I never felt any noticeable turbo lag, similar feel to a naturally aspirated V8 and rather miss the sport button, which adjusted the throttle ratio and transmission program, wished the RAM had that feature.

However, I prefer the Hemi, mainly the sound it produces, with an aftermarket exhaust it gives the truck a sense of occasion when you drive it, a bit of theater. Something no Ecoboost can do, which at best sounds like a family sedan. I really feel a big burly truck should sound like a truck.

I do miss the MPG however. I averaged about 18 mpg with my current drive cycle with larger wheels/tires on 87 octane. With my Rebel, similar drive cycle, I'm doing about 13 mpg with 89 octane.

 

[robman3387]

I had a supercew XLT. I noticed a bit of lag with my 3.5, but nothing major. Mpg is down w the Hemi, but only slightly so far. I do agree though, the driving experience all things considered is much better w the Hemi powertrain.

 

[Azsmc]

I came from a 2014 f150 3.5l ecoboost and Ill never go back. I did like the truck and here in Arizona, the ecoboost ran very well at altitude. No power loss with the turbos is nice. However I love my Ram 1500 limited! Fit and finish, sound of the hemi and the smooth ride is a cut above the Ford. I had a lariat trim and was nice but the Ram has a much nicer interior and of course the technology has come a long way from the 2014 Ford. As far as the engine, I prefer the 5.7 hemi over the ecoboost. Nice smooth power and the sound I much prefer. Ive only got 4k miles, so time will tell, but I’ve had no problems with my Ram. Nicest truck Ive owned so far. Also I wasn’t looking forward to a turbo failure as it gets older and I can’t even think about working on the ecoboost with all the stuff in the engine compartment. Very complicated. My ram looks very simple in comparison. Just my two cents worth.

 

[Scap]

Had a 13 ecoboost previously.
Don't miss it. Even though it was fun turning it up.

 

[GrumpyOleMan]

I may be a bit of an outlier here, but I switched from Ford trucks to Ram because overall, I felt Ram is a better truck. But the EB was and still is an excellent powerplant. I love my '19 Ram Limited with the 5.7 (non ETorque), but it was the interior and ride that caused me to cross over, not necessarily the engine choices. As far as reliability, all powerplants have their issues, but my experience with EB was entirely positive. I sold my '13 F150 3.5 EB witn 180k on it and it was still running strong. However, by comparison, my wife had an older Durango with the 5.7 (I believe it was an '06) and we sold it to our son at 210k and he sold it at 235k and it too was still running strong. I towed quite a bit with the F150, but never heavy so I really cannot compare towing dynamics. We still have an '18 Explorer Platinum with the 3.5 EB and it is a hoot to drive when I feel froggy. That thing will plain scoot when you put it in sport and loosen the reigns. The two negatives I usually see about the EB are really non issues to me;

1) The turbos are an added complexity that will fail.
Sure, they are an added layer of technology, but every semi on the road, virtually every tractor in the field, and large construction vehicle have turbos and have had them for years.

2) They sound like wheezing sewing machines and not like a masculine V8.
Can't argue with that, its true a 3.5 liter V6 will never sound like a larger displacement V8. But once I get on the road and turn on the tunes, who really cares? Well at least not me. And besides, I am too old and grumpy to need a specific exhaust note to advertise my virility.

Anyway, a bit long winded and disjointed but in the end, I enjoyed my EB'd truck but I do not miss it. Love my Ram too much to look back.

 

[robman3387]

I may be a bit of an outlier here, but I switched from Ford trucks to Ram because overall, I felt Ram is a better truck. But the EB was and still is an excellent powerplant. I love my '19 Ram Limited with the 5.7 (non ETorque), but it was the interior and ride that caused me to cross over, not necessarily the engine choices. As far as reliability, all powerplants have their issues, but my experience with EB was entirely positive. I sold my '13 F150 3.5 EB witn 180k on it and it was still running strong. However, by comparison, my wife had an older Durango with the 5.7 (I believe it was an '06) and we sold it to our son at 210k and he sold it at 235k and it too was still running strong. I towed quite a bit with the F150, but never heavy so I really cannot compare towing dynamics. We still have an '18 Explorer Platinum with the 3.5 EB and it is a hoot to drive when I feel froggy. That thing will plain scoot when you put it in sport and loosen the reigns. The two negatives I usually see about the EB are really non issues to me;

1) The turbos are an added complexity that will fail.
Sure, they are an added layer of technology, but every semi on the road, virtually every tractor in the field, and large construction vehicle have turbos and have had them for years.

2) They sound like wheezing sewing machines and not like a masculine V8.
Can't argue with that, its true a 3.5 liter V6 will never sound like a larger displacement V8. But once I get on the road and turn on the tunes, who really cares? Well at least not me. And besides, I am too old and grumpy to need a specific exhaust note to advertise my virility.

Anyway, a bit long winded and disjointed but in the end, I enjoyed my EB'd truck but I do not miss it. Love my Ram too much to look back.

Well said!

 

[WXman]

Towing? EcoBust all day. Random traffic signal drag race? EcoBust 6 days a week and twice on Sunday. The power of the Eco engines can't be denied, especially with the new 10R100 trans. I no joke have seen them pull away from V8 Mustangs when the light turns green.

However, if we're talking an engine that you want to spend 150,000 miles with, Hemi is the only way to go. It's the ONLY V8 in the segment that still remains simple, tried, and true as it has been for 20 years now. Ford had a great thing going with the first gen Coyote 5.0 but they have updated that engine twice and it has gotten less reliable each time. And GM...well we won't even go there.

So if you want power and speed, go EcoBoost. If you want an engine that will be ready to go to work every day for the next 15 years with no fuss, Hemi.

(I had the misfortune of doing an EcoBoost timing job a year or two ago. It solidified why I hate them.)

 

[Jrodd52]

I had a 2017 Ford expedition 3.5 eco boost and it would get up and go but there was a delay when I hit the gas. I got used to it as I know that is just how the engine responds. It towed our camper really well, however I don’t feel like I benefited from the mpg savings. I was averaging 15 mpg normal driving and 9mpg towing. Plus the engine seemed to run hot while towing especially last year. I was within my payload and towing specs so I don’t feel the engine was overloaded. Currently, I’m waiting on a 2023 ram 1500 so I can’t compare yet but from my test drives with the ram 1500 I really loved the feel and sound of the V8. I’m sure I will get less mpg but I don’t feel like It will be that drastic especially towing. Looking forward to switching!

 

[MO Rebel]

I still have my ‘13 F150 Ecobeast. It’s just too much fun to get rid of. It’s leveled on 33’s and has been tuned since 1K miles. It’s got aftermarket intake, down pipes and full cat back exhaust. It just turned over 177K. Not a single issue with the drivetrain. It puts down 375/500 to the wheels. It pulls like a diesel and runs high 13’s. 4x4 boosted launches are neck snapping and it has embarrassed some pretty respectable sports cars from stoplights. From a performance and towing perspective, it beats the Hemi without a doubt.

With that said, my ‘22 Rebel is my favorite of the two for everyday driving and comfort by far, not to mention the looks and the sound of the Hemi through the MBRP muffler. I actually have an MBRP full 4” cat back exhaust on the 3.5TT that doesn’t sound too bad, but it just can’t match the sound of the V8.

 

[CalvinC]

Actually still in my 15 3.5 Eco F150 (so beer can body, but gen 1 motor w/ 6 speed).
Missed the boat ordering a Ram in 22, but Mark Dodge's 23% off program looks to like it will finally make it happen - wasn't happy with the 23 MY changes but this might smooth over some of that!

For me its all about application. When I was using the truck to put in work, the F150 did nothing but make me smile. Hauling heavy on a flatbed was surprising every time in how remarkably well it did - yes, in the power department as everyone knows, but also the overall suspension package (after shocle & tire upgrades) and transmission (after tuning).

However, years on now as a desk jockey, its role is family hauler and weekend warrior.
This application has been much less enjoyable.

The unloaded ride is absolutely terrible even with Bilstien 5100s all around and 34" tires @ 36 psi (though its much better than when it was on OEM suspension + p metrics - I don't know how hundreds of thousands of ppl live with these things stock). And while the Lariat is trimmed out really thoughtfully, its no match for the Ram - wife does not care for long trips in the F150, but has loved the Rams we've driven.

As mentioned above, since its more of a fun-mobile I'm looking for sense of ofcasion r in the drive experience and for additional comfort as a family hauler - both in terms of ride quality but also interior appointments. So I want to cash in on a Ram before the Hemi hits the exit.

I believe once the 3.0 I6 Hurricane takes hold, the power will be every bit of impressive as the EcoBoosts and it will be great for folks who want that, but that sense of theater will be equally absent. And, just like the EcoBoosts, I am 100% confident there will be minimal real-world MPG improvements.

The only things I will miss are:
a) the Sport mode/absence of drive modes, and
b) the ease and impact of engine and transmission tuning
(although from what I can tell the ZF 8 speed really doesn't need tuning; on the Ford 6 speeds it was beneficial, and on the 10 speeds it's all but mandatory).
c) Forscan is easier and cheaper to use than AlphaOBD, but nevertheless we are lucky to even have these options.

I had merely a highly refined custom tune and an intercooler on my F150 and it was right on the border of being faster than I'd ever want to go in a 6k lb brick. I worked with multiple tuners, got to be very specific in what I wanted, how I wanted things to change, and it became so. From what I have seen, true custom tuning is all but non-existent on the gas Ram platform (HemiFever still around?), and of course, as with any N/A engine the gains to be had are minimal anyway.

I think any engine with the lifespan of the Hemi or the EcoBoost has proven its reliability, and I haven't had any issues with the Ford beyond broken exhaust manifolds, which is also a Hemi trademark. Difference is with the EcoBoost, it is an absolute nightmare affair thanks to the additional plumbing.

 

[WXman]

I still have my ‘13 F150 Ecobeast. It’s just too much fun to get rid of. It’s leveled on 33’s and has been tuned since 1K miles. It’s got aftermarket intake, down pipes and full cat back exhaust. It just turned over 177K. Not a single issue with the drivetrain.
View attachment 158072

Impressive. My brother still has his 2013 Supercrew FX4 with EcoBust. He's had it for many years. It finally passed 100k last year. I don't think a single year has gone by that we haven't had to work on it. It's always something with that truck. And just when we thought we finally had the engine lined out so that it would run OK for a while, we noticed the rocker panels are completely eaten alive with rust and it's starting to come through the exterior paint. I look for him to ditch it and buy another truck as soon as he's financially able (he's single living alone at the moment).

I have a good friend who is the head technician at our local Ford dealer. He's been there since 1999. He bought a new truck a few years ago and asked him why he took the V8 instead of the Eco. His reply: "I work on those every single day. I don't want to work on them at home too."

And then there's "Ford Tech Makuloco" on YouTube who literally earns his living repairing EcoBoost engines.

Sounds like you found the needle in the haystack.

 

[MO Rebel]

Impressive. My brother still has his 2013 Supercrew FX4 with EcoBust. He's had it for many years. It finally passed 100k last year. I don't think a single year has gone by that we haven't had to work on it. It's always something with that truck. And just when we thought we finally had the engine lined out so that it would run OK for a while, we noticed the rocker panels are completely eaten alive with rust and it's starting to come through the exterior paint. I look for him to ditch it and buy another truck as soon as he's financially able (he's single living alone at the moment).

I have a good friend who is the head technician at our local Ford dealer. He's been there since 1999. He bought a new truck a few years ago and asked him why he took the V8 instead of the Eco. His reply: "I work on those every single day. I don't want to work on them at home too."

And then there's "Ford Tech Makuloco" on YouTube who literally earns his living repairing EcoBoost engines.

Sounds like you found the needle in the haystack.

It has really been bulletproof. It has not had an easy life either. I pulled a 33’ 8500 lb TT with it for probably 15K of those miles. Taking it up some 6-7% grades in the Poconos several times, it always put a smile on my face. My previous truck was a 2500HD with 6.0, headers, and exhaust. It would scream at 5000 rpm in 2nd gear pulling some of those same hills. The Ecobeast just chugged along at 65-70 mph with no drama. It’s probably made two dozen or more 1/4 mile passes launching hard in 4 wheel drive. Whenever I still drive it, it’s usually a little spirited, and I still occasionally pull my flatbed with 2 or 3 4-wheelers on it. I was initially concerned about longevity when I bought it, but it’s been the most dependable truck I’ve ever owned. All I ever did was basic maintenance with 4K OCI’s using Motorcraft semi-synthetic blend. It does like new plugs about every 25-30K though. I do run a catch can on both sides and it catches quite a bit of oil/gas/condensation. Way more than I see with the Hemi.

 

[CalvinC]

It’s become fairly evident that the EcoBoosts that get short tripped and putt putted about are prone to most of the failures. The ones that are worked hard don’t seem to have issues hardly ever. Crazy! And wonder how/if that will translate to the Hurricane.

 

[SD Rebel]

It’s become fairly evident that the EcoBoosts that get short tripped and putt putted about are prone to most of the failures. The ones that are worked hard don’t seem to have issues hardly ever. Crazy! And wonder how/if that will translate to the Hurricane.

That's interesting, maybe similar to Porsche IMS bearing issue. Cars that were driven hard tended to get more lubrication to the bearing and less likely to have oil starvation and a failure. I think the Ecoboost turbos are fed oil from the main oil pump, so not really sure about my theory.

 

[Ramit392]

I had a 2.7L Ecoboost with the older 6-speed auto, it was fine, I would say faster than my Hemi if I'm being totally honest. It was a light truck, an XLT Supercab 2WD, something like 4,300 lbs.

The power felt linear to me, I never felt any noticeable turbo lag, similar feel to a naturally aspirated V8 and rather miss the sport button, which adjusted the throttle ratio and transmission program, wished the RAM had that feature.

However, I prefer the Hemi, mainly the sound it produces, with an aftermarket exhaust it gives the truck a sense of occasion when you drive it, a bit of theater. Something no Ecoboost can do, which at best sounds like a family sedan. I really feel a big burly truck should sound like a truck.

I do miss the MPG however. I averaged about 18 mpg with my current drive cycle with larger wheels/tires on 87 octane. With my Rebel, similar drive cycle, I'm doing about 13 mpg with 89 octane.

I get right at an average MPG with my 2023 Laramie Sport 5.7 19 to 20 mpg. driving highway speeds of 65 to 78 mph. in town about 35 to 40 mph on Regular fuel non ethanol when I can get it. On the open road 65 to 75 % in town about 25% of the time. New truck just turned over 5000 miles.

 

[Ramit392]

It has really been bulletproof. It has not had an easy life either. I pulled a 33’ 8500 lb TT with it for probably 15K of those miles. Taking it up some 6-7% grades in the Poconos several times, it always put a smile on my face. My previous truck was a 2500HD with 6.0, headers, and exhaust. It would scream at 5000 rpm in 2nd gear pulling some of those same hills. The Ecobeast just chugged along at 65-70 mph with no drama. It’s probably made two dozen or more 1/4 mile passes launching hard in 4 wheel drive. Whenever I still drive it, it’s usually a little spirited, and I still occasionally pull my flatbed with 2 or 3 4-wheelers on it. I was initially concerned about longevity when I bought it, but it’s been the most dependable truck I’ve ever owned. All I ever did was basic maintenance with 4K OCI’s using Motorcraft semi-synthetic blend. It does like new plugs about every 25-30K though. I do run a catch can on both sides and it catches quite a bit of oil/gas/condensation. Way more than I see with the Hemi.

Not to be impudent or smart but if the ECO done well in all areas why would you buy a new Ram? Why not just another new ECO?

 

[MO Rebel]

Not to be impudent or smart but if the ECO done well in all areas why would you buy a new Ram? Why not just another new ECO?

Ford has put a lot of restrictions on the ability to tune the Eco. V8’s are not going to be around forever. I absolutely wanted one more V8 before they become extinct. Ram was the last V8 I could get without stop/start technology (I went non eTorque for that very reason). Ford had just introduced cylinder deactivation in the F150 V8’s. Chevy, well they’ve had their issues with a number of reasons and it was pretty much impossible to order one with any hopes of seeing it. At least with the Ram I can disable cylinder deactivation. The Ram is hands down the nicest interior. And, I could order one as I wanted for invoice and get it in less than two months. It wasn’t really much of a decision if you ask me. Happy as hell with the Ram. Love the sound of the V8. And, I’ve still got my old Eco to play with.

 

[boogielander]

my friend has a second gen raptor and he laughs at my range per tank even with 33 gal.
but i also work on my own car and i always laugh at ford engineer's inability to communicate: they put a ramp to let the oil from the filter follow when you remove it, but somehow the oil comes out on the opposite side of the ramp.
like whoever designed the engine are not on good terms with the guy designing the frame, or if it's the same guy is he cross eyed or something



After that i said hell naw to ford