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5.0L vs Ecoboost

Fone5o

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Hey everyone, enjoying all the information here.
I am seeing a lot of ecoboost engines being build here just curious what your thoughts were on them over the 5.0L. Is it strictly MPG, or more trucks on dealers lots seems to have those engines already? Just curious for some response on the many different engines we get to choose from!
thanks.
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Bryan Simon

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I’m 60 and a little old timey
Have only had one pickup with a six
(82 D 100 shortbed with 4 sped overdrive)
Nice truck and dependable, just could not do anything or carry anything
All others have been v8 and fuel mileage has never been an issue
Pickup just deserve v8s
The 5.0 is a proven although retuned little guy that needs no external help
to reach its peak in the pickups, and is not likely to be worked beyond its capabilities.

It is my contention, the EcoBoost engines are running extremely close to the ceiling when pushed to max ratings. Higher compression, forced air, and greater expectations. Not to mention the extra external components that have failure possibilities.

I’m not knocking it or the owners at all. It’s just that I keep these trucks for many years and less stuff to fail means that stuff won’t fail.
Still have the Chevy c10 I bought new in 79 when I was 18
Just sold my v6 Ranger ( not sure I consider that a pickup) after 15 years
And have had my 98 k1500 for over 10 yrs
I want them as simple as possible
 

BigTex22

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I have an EcoBoost in my 2011 F150 and have had zero issues over the past 10 years. On my new 2021, I went with it again - only a few hundred miles so far, but paired with the 10-speed transmission it’s light years ahead of my previous truck. I like the better fuel mileage, higher horsepower and torque. But they’re both good engines - I don’t think you can go wrong either way.
 

Roady

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I have a 2013 FX4 with the 3.5 and went with it again in my 2021. It's not really about MPG for me as they are both similar. For me it's about towing up a mountain at 2000 RPMs vs 5 or 6000 RPMs. It's about stepping into that boost once in awhile just for fun. I'm 48 years old, so I'm in that age bracket where people think trucks should have V8's in them but let me tell you, once you experience 500ft pounds of low end torque, you don't want to go back to anything else.
 
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Fone5o

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I have a 2013 FX4 with the 3.5 and went with it again in my 2021. It's not really about MPG for me as they are both similar. For me it's about towing up a mountain at 2000 RPMs vs 5 or 6000 RPMs. It's about stepping into that boost once in awhile just for fun. I'm 48 years old, so I'm in that age bracket where people think trucks should have V8's in them but let me tell you, once you experience 500ft pounds of low end torque, you don't want to go back to anything else.
Yea I have driven the 3.5 a few times in the past and it can be fun to step on. I get the towing capability of them as well. Thanks for the input!
 

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BigTex22

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I have a 2013 FX4 with the 3.5 and went with it again in my 2021. It's not really about MPG for me as they are both similar. For me it's about towing up a mountain at 2000 RPMs vs 5 or 6000 RPMs. It's about stepping into that boost once in awhile just for fun. I'm 48 years old, so I'm in that age bracket where people think trucks should have V8's in them but let me tell you, once you experience 500ft pounds of low end torque, you don't want to go back to anything else.
This.
 

neverenough14

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I have a 2013 F150 that has been babied...annual bed filled with mulch or dirt, but kept clean, slept in the garage and had all maintenance done at the dealer. I had a 100k miles warranty. At around 60000 there was a TSB for the eco boost that had to do with timing.....they basically took the entire engine apart to fix whatever they needed to. Fast forward to 110,000 miles. Issue with the main seals where the TSB was addressed....they want $3k for that. Also started leaking coolant at the boosters...bad...that was $4k and required the entire cab to be removed to get to the boosters and it was two days of work. I just joined this forum to start exploring what ford has in line for 2022 and beyond. I will likely go with the most standard V8 engine they offer vs boosts and other whistles that have proven to me they fail in the long run.
 

Hugo

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Mostly this. My dad also bought a 2019 F-150 w/ the 5.0 and he was caught up in the whole oil consumption debacle with less than 1000 miles. They ended up lemoning that truck and he ultimately ended up with a 2020 F-250 with the 7.3. Now he's got a crank gasket leak.
 

lcrain

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Have an ecoboost in my ‘13 and ordered it again for my ‘21. I want the low end torque for towing, plain and simple. If I weren’t towing as much, I’d probably opt for the v8. MPG is probably exactly the same, despite Fords claims.

I agree with the comments that less complexity means fewer items to fail. My experience with the ecoboost has been very positive, with 114k reliable miles. It has never stranded me. I did start to notice a rattle during cold starts that I believe is the timing chain tensioner, based on other owner’s experiences. That was probably 30k miles ago when I first noticed it and since starting more frequent oil changes, I haven’t noticed it again. Probably did it 10 times total. More recently my valve cover gasket has started to leak, but that can happen on any vehicle.

The ecoboost is a workhorse for Ford, lots of them on the road. Not perfect, but a very good option to get added torque.
 

Pedaldude

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...with the 7.3. Now he's got a crank gasket leak.
I was just reading another forum where a 7.3 owner had a leak from the front main seal and had low miles. The dealer claimed it was a loose oil drain plug :p
 

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Hugo

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I was just reading another forum where a 7.3 owner had a leak from the front main seal and had low miles. The dealer claimed it was a loose oil drain plug :p
Yeah...there's a YouTube video of a Ford tech fixing one. As we speak his is sitting @ the dealership waiting on Ford to diagnose the root cause.
 

Pedaldude

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Just watched it, he did a good job getting it done with the radiator still in there. I would have put a piece of cardboard against it, so as not to mess up the fins. I also would have taped off the throttle body, you know some of those metal shavings that the air tool kicked out into a cloud of silver dust got in there. Having the fan clutch wrench, I would be peeved seeing someone taking it off with an air chisel unless it was the side of the road. Though, I’ve thankfully never had to work Flat Rate. Bottom line, looks like a bunch of bad seals got installed in the ‘Godzilla.’ Had to laugh at the Ford ‘special too’ being show up by the old school seal puller!

I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos on the F-150 engines as well as reading the forums. I based my choice of the V-8 on the the time it takes to change the water pump in addition to the absence of turbos. I watched a bunch of the FordtechMakuloko stuff and he’s got a bunch of videos swapping turbos for various reasons. One of the stupidest is for the wastegate flapper, which is in the turbo housing, it’s about as complicated as a hinge on a garden gate and just wears out. There’s also the problem where the v-6 engines waterpump is inside the chaincase, so the weep hole will quietly mix coolant with your engine oil. Pretty much any failure, even of a minor ancillary component, will more than offset any fuel savings.

One thing that I am not excited about on the 2021 is cylinder deactivation. Same thing as the turbos goes for that and the fuel savings is even more minimal. If I could have gotten the 6.2, I would have.
 

Goose2

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When the twin turbo was introduced in the trucks I got the first one my area had seen. I loved it then and my new one will also have it. Goes like hell with plenty of power.
 
 




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