F150 Ecoboost Builds

tjm73

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I wonder if that loss of boost is the turbo, the tune or both.

The cost of used trucks is so high, it's almost better to lease a truck for my needs. Been thinking about 4x4 for winter and the camper in the summer. Keep my Focus for summer.
 

Mach2burnout

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Hah! Yesterday I found the Sport mode on the transmission shifter! :driver:

Also I dipped the tip of my cut antenna in some JB Weld to cover the sharp end. Then a little black paint and it looks factory. Still gets excellent reception also.

Considering dropping the back suspension a little to try and reduce the massive fender gap a little. Looks like I can move the spacer between the springs and axle to above the springs which should give me an inch drop. Not much but it might help. This truck is massive! Tailgate is almost a foot higher than my 2002.


What truck do you have? 2wd?

I have a set of lowering shackles I bought from a member here for my 13 a couple years ago and never installed. Mines a FX4 so I’m now looking at lifting. There yours for $50+ shipping if they’ll fit your truck! 2” drop.


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skwerl

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Thanks, but I just finished fixing it. I removed the stock spacer between the axle and spring which lowered the back 1.25". Now I have about 1" more clearance on the back fender than the front fender so it looks level without the 'Bully Dog' look. I really wish I didn't need to modify it but I just want a normal height pickup and not one all jacked up to the sky.
 

Shotokan1509

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5 Star gets decent results on their 87 tunes, if I'm not mistaken. I think they have some dyno graphs over on Stage 3s site. Obviously, the price jump to running premium is pretty steep, at least around here (it's usually $0.60/gallon more than 87). On my 36 gallon tank, that's around $15-18 dollars per fill-up depending on how low I take it. Granted I only fill up once every two weeks, but that's roughly $400 a year more in fuel costs (at least right now while gas is cheap).

EDIT: From the Stage 3 site re: 5 Star tunes>
On 5-Star's dyno run with the stock tuning, their test truck managed to hit around 260 horsepower and nearly 350lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. On their run with a 93 octane performance tune, their truck put down a whopping 315 horsepower and 445lb-ft of torque to the ground. Those are rear-wheel peak power gains of over 20%, all with greatly improved transmission function.

Even 5-Star's 87 octane Performance/Tow tunes make great power, putting down peak numbers of 305 horsepower and 375lb-ft of torque

EDIT 2: So only 10HP, but 70TQ going from 87 tune to 93 tune. Hmmm.....

I put about 17thousand on the truck per year, overall average around 15mpg (trucks computer lies it averages missing 2 gallons which is about 1 mpg more optimistic than real calc) so the difference for me using todays prices $2.49 vs $2.93 would be about $500 per year extra. Edit, that mpg is mix driving, when on highway usually 75-80 which kills mpg and town driving lot of hills, I drive 600' vertical just on my hill least once daily, I probably average few thousand feet across day.

While I lay in to it relatively aggressively sometimes, I rarely floor it and when I do most times is "clean it out". Basically doesn't make sense to pay for tune & tuner AND additional gas cost for 93 something rarely needed/used, other than I want it haha

Now the 87 one takes torque 300 to 350 in the 2500-3500 rpm range and looks like about 40 horse across the rpm range, so while not peak big gains it's probably decent for regular driving conditions.

Got a 2011-2014 F150 3.5L Ecoboost_ - 5 Star Tuning.png
 
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joe_momma

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My vehicle MPG calculator is a bit optimistic as well, around 1-1.5MPG. Highway driving at 70+ kills it, but if I stay below 70 it will get around 18 combined (hand calculated). That's after the level and wheels/tires. I'm just running P-rated 275/60/20. so they aren't terribly heavy.
 

01yellerCobra

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FWIW I had a 5 Star tune in my Expedition and the tow/performance tune gave me a couple more mpg. I had the economy tune and it gave me the exact same mpg. So I stayed with the performance tune. This was 87 octane by the way.
 

Shotokan1509

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My vehicle MPG calculator is a bit optimistic as well, around 1-1.5MPG. Highway driving at 70+ kills it, but if I stay below 70 it will get around 18 combined (hand calculated). That's after the level and wheels/tires. I'm just running P-rated 275/60/20. so they aren't terribly heavy.

I run same size Falken AT3W's, it really is amazing the wall feel as you pass 70. Steep downhills other vehicles are on brakes, I'm in the gas. I just can't bring myself to slow down for the mpg when I'm cutting an hour from a trip haha

FWIW I had a 5 Star tune in my Expedition and the tow/performance tune gave me a couple more mpg. I had the economy tune and it gave me the exact same mpg. So I stayed with the performance tune. This was 87 octane by the way.

Is the Expy an ecoboost?
 

joe_momma

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I run same size Falken AT3W's, it really is amazing the wall feel as you pass 70. Steep downhills other vehicles are on brakes, I'm in the gas. I just can't bring myself to slow down for the mpg when I'm cutting an hour from a trip haha



Is the Expy an ecoboost?


I'm running Nitto Terra Grappler G2s, love them. Honestly I'd like a bit larger tire, but the next size up are all E-rated, and a good bit heavier. It's a truck, I didn't buy it to save gas, nor do I expect "good" mileage from it. It is a tool, and I live with it as such.
 

Mach2burnout

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I'm running Nitto Terra Grappler G2s, love them. Honestly I'd like a bit larger tire, but the next size up are all E-rated, and a good bit heavier. It's a truck, I didn't buy it to save gas, nor do I expect "good" mileage from it. It is a tool, and I live with it as such.


How many miles have you gotten out of these Nittos? I have them as well and have over 70k miles on them. They still aren’t into the wear indicators, but have given up a lot of grip.
Of course I got 75k out of the stock Pirelli’s.


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Mach2burnout

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Any of you had A/C problems?

Mine is acting kind of crazy, compressor is ok, fans aren’t working. It has the dual zone with the Nav. system. I assume with the dual zone it has to have 2 separate fans or an elaborate system of doors manage the air flow. I get nothing unless the truck is moving. Then I get a little flow if I have on outside air, not on recirculate. Because of the flow when moving I believe it must be the fan(s) or the control switch or something.

Any ideas?


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oldVOR

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In order of most possible:
1 - Blower motor resistor assembly (fan usually doesn't run at all)
2 - Blend door assembly (fan runs but air isn't directed where it's needed)
3 - Cabin air filter (fan runs and blend door directs air but filter is dirty restricting air flow)
4 - AC/Heat control switch (nothing works at all)
 

Mach2burnout

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In order of most possible:
1 - Blower motor resistor assembly (fan usually doesn't run at all)
2 - Blend door assembly (fan runs but air isn't directed where it's needed)
3 - Cabin air filter (fan runs and blend door directs air but filter is dirty restricting air flow)
4 - AC/Heat control switch (nothing works at all)


Yeah, that’s the way I think as well. The funny thing is, sometimes in the morning when it’s cool, all works perfect. Next time I shut the truck off, especially once it’s hot it will not work.
When it works it perfect. When it don’t I have no blower working at all.

Thank you for your input. Where can I find the blower motor resistor?


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tjm73

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I think I found a truck I might buy. 2012 3.5EB 4x4 crew cab XLT max tow package. Very clean. Totally 100% stock. Never tuned. Two owner truck. Never wrecked. Potential downside is it has 86,000 miles. Mostly highway however.

Now I drove my current truck a grand total of 3312 miles this year. That's not a typo. About 80-90% of that was connected to camping trips. If I run at around 4,000 miles/year I can get a bunch of years out of it before I get much past 100,000. I'll park this truck every winter.

I'd love a new truck or even a 2 or 3 year old used truck, but for my use the payment is insane. New truck prices are stupid AF.

I tried to find the thread mention about issue with the 3.5EB, but couldn't find it. Where can I find out what issues I should be aware of?
 
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TRC51

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Where can I find out what issues I should be aware of?

The problem with looking up problems is that you can easily talk yourself out of buying something. That said, timing chain slap seems to be an issue for some. F150forum.com has a lot of information on it.
 

tjm73

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I take a lot of the stuff I read with a cup of salt. There's 100's of millions of these things on the road. If there were rampant truly wide spread issues, we would know it.

Lots of people complain about the Ecoboost fuel economy, but it isn't Ford's fault that those dummies don't understand physics. To get Z power you need to process X amount of air and Y amount of fuel. Turbos don't change physics.
 

joe_momma

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I think with the early EB motors there were some condensation issues with the IC. Most remedy that with a pinhole/weep hole in the bottom of the IC if I'm not mistaken. I'd def check out the F150forums, there is a ton of info over there.
 

tjm73

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Someone else bought the truck before I was able to make a move. Lot's of others to choose from. When the right truck comes along I'll be ready.
 

Greg Hazlett

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I think with the early EB motors there were some condensation issues with the IC. Most remedy that with a pinhole/weep hole in the bottom of the IC if I'm not mistaken. I'd def check out the F150forums, there is a ton of info over there.

The issue was the FMIC were too efficient; water would collect overnight, sit in the bottom and then when they were started in the morning they hydrolocked...the FMIC's after that were not as efficient :(
 

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