...and that engine was run hard and fast over a short period...not idled in traffic for hundreds of hours, not started on winter mornings for 10 years, etc. Put one in a cop car or taxi, or grandma's car, and we will see how that does. The passage of time and operating conditions have a lot to do with how an engine survives the long term. I saw the teardown of that engine at the Detroit auto show and it did look good. I do not WANT the EB to have problems, but only time will tell.

One of my son's engineer buds works for Toyota engine development in Ann Arbor. They had a direct injected VW in their parking lot and it was part of someone's job to start it daily, drive it across the parking lot, park it, and turn it off. I think in a few months the oil was 40% fuel. I bet VW (2nd largest automaker in the world) tested that engine hard too.

Note that I like the EB and am thinking of one of the small EB engines in my wife's next car. So I am watching and being hopeful that all will go well with the engine. The little 1 liter 3 cylinder EB coming in the Fiesta looks to be a really cool little package for a hyper-miler engine.

George

 

Yeah, I've been waving the BS flag ever since they produced that video series. There's no possible way that a truck can turn 150,000 miles in only 300 hours...that would mean it was travelling 500 miles an hour! Of course I don't know their testing program, and I'm sure it was unbearably harsh, but that's not the same as a 5,000 hour test, which is how long it will take the average engine to travel 150,000 miles.

That being said I wouldn't hesitate to buy an EB F150 to tow my trailer with. I think they'll hold up just fine, but of course time will tell!

 

I found the cite (and remember the engine from seeing it with my own eyes). They say the 300 hours was the *equivalent* of running it 150k miles.

What the Inside of a Tortured Ford EcoBoost V-6 Looks Like - PickupTrucks.com News

Clearly, the engine passed some mechanical torture tests with flying colors and I do not minimize that as a testament to the big mechanical bits holding up. But 150k miles driven by grandma over 30 years, going to church and the grocery store, is gonna produce a far different result. Although they will probably take grandma's license away before the 30 years is up.

George

 

So your beef isn't with the Ecoboost, or turbos, but with DI engines. What happens next year when Ford announces the improved 5.0L as a DI engine? Early talk from Ford is they will drop the 3.7L and the 6.2L from the F150 lineup. They will have an improved 3.5 EB, an improved and DI 5.0L V8, a 3.5L NA V6, and a smaller 2.?L EB. If this holds true, both top engines will be DI.

 

It was a LONG time ago, but I am the guy (aka OP) who started this thread with my main concern being with the DI aspect of the Ecoboost, so yes, that is where I was going with this thread and what I consider the topic of this thread to be.

It is pretty clear that DI engines (with or without turbos) are the future, and I have no doubt that they will eventually be wonderfully dependable and long lasting. However, at the age of 60, I have seen a lot of new engines and other areas of technology where the early adopters were not really happy.

As a Detroiter and Ford fan, I also want Ford to do well and be successful, so I have no interest in badmouthing Ford, but when I spend a pile of my money on any vehicle, I like the idea of it lasting a long time without giving me headaches, especially when they involve expensive repairs.

The 2 valve 4.6 in my '02 E150 has 111k miles on it, runs perfectly, and uses no oil. I like that kind of reliability. It did, under warranty, get a new pair of cylinder heads at 42k miles because it was an early Romeo PI engine, and Ford messed up the cooling passages in these heads so the exhaust valve stems would carbon up and stick in the rear cylinders. Would have cost me $4200 or so if I didn't have an extended warranty...so new designs can be problematic.

George

 

YoGeorge,
I know you weren't bad mouthing Ford. And my post was intended to open some peoples' eyes as to what's ahead. To embrace the future tech because it's coming whether we like it or not. Back to the EB, I think it's a very good engine and is on it's way to becoming a great one. No doubt there will be problems with the early ones. Ford has changed parts on/around the EB each year already. Go pop a hood of a 2013 and you'll see quite a bit of difference from the first year already. Look at the parts list and even the turbos are different for each of the years, with the 2013's being the third so far. I'm sure they are tweaking th engine to work out bugs and improve performance and longevity. Or at least I hope they are.

 

emissions equipment will be the death of all good engines.

 

That's funny, I think the same was said back in the '70s.

 

My take: I'm aware of the problems some other DI engines have had, specifically VW/Audi and Mazda. But it's worth noting that those were earlier iterations of the technology than the Ecoboost, and that Ford does competitive teardowns ALL the time.

That said, I will continue to get Blackstone analyses done every other oil change on my truck. I also purchased the extended warranty. My philosophy is to trust, but verify.