Phil,
Can you talk about the aluminum block. I know you have done extensive testing, but how do you alay peoples fear that aluminum wont hold up as compared to steel blocks? Can you speak to specifics on the aluminum block and what was done to assure it will be strong enough to last long?

 

Has anyone in the lab tried running one of these leaned out with water mist injection?

 

I want to install a EcoBoost engine in a older vehicle (Mid 60's) Is there a way to purchase a engine/trans package along with a harness computer?

 

Hi Mark. How are you doing?

 

You will have to check with your local dealer after the truck goes into production (early spring) to see if you can buy a complete Ecoboost engine.

 

I don't think you answered this one.

 

It's not there and nobody seems to know. Ed, the head V6 guy said that it would be available in the supercrew at last weeks chat but we have no confirmation and nothing on the Ford website.

 

1. What is hp and torque on premium for the ecoboost? Don't tell me that Ford hasn't tested it with premium because nobody believes that.

2. How does the ecoboost's efficiency compare to the 5.0 and 6.2 on towing? In other words, is it more efficient to gain hp/torque with a smaller engine with boost or a larger displacement V8? Does the efficiency change when towing a max load as compared to a light one? I am sure that since the F-150 is designed for towing, Ford has spent lots of time testing this.

3. Why didn't the truck come with a boost gauge? It would help with mpg if I knew whether is was using boost or not.

4. Has the tranny and rear end been upgraded the handle the added torque of the ecoboost?

 

When you guys beat the competition at Davis Dam with the EB demo, would your lead while towing have been greater, or smaller had you ran it with the now available 4.10 rear end of the FX4?

 

Do you recommend using seasonal thinner oil (vs. factory 5W30) in extreme cold climates where flow at cold start is an issue?

Such as 0W30 or 0W20. Wouldn't the advantages of flow at start-up outweigh any (unlikely give the temp) excess potential heat issues.?

 

My psd 6.0 is getting 14.0 mpg with no load and lite driving. any ideas on what could be wrong

 

Subscribing. Thanks to Phil and the V6 team for the new products!

 

Phil,
What tools does ford use when designing engines like the ecoboost? Is something like Solidworks used to model the engine and do finite element analysis? Do you run virtual testing before prototyping or is everything prototyped? How much have new tools like CAM helped speed/improve engine design.

 

First of all I apologize for the slow response, and thank you for your interest. I have tried to go in and answer the shorter questions. I wanted to have time to answer your questions as clearly as I can.

1. Under nornal weather and driving conditions, premium offers very little benefit. However, as the Ecoboost owners guide will state, premium fuel is recommended and will provide better performance under severe duty usage such as trailer tow.

2. Under normal trailer tow conditions, the Ecoboost offers a clear fuel economy advantage over th 5.0 and 6.2L engines. The advantage may be reduced in steep grades and very high ambient temperatures if regular fuel is used.

3. I am not sure of the different instrument cluster options, so I can't comment on the boost gauge. What I can say is that the engine efficiency does not immediately decrease with boost. So running boosted at lower engine speeds can actually be more efficient than unboosted at a higher engine speed.

4. As I stated above, running boosted is not necessarily bad for fuel economy. The advantage of the Ecoboost is the capability it provides with an additional 60 hp and 140 ft-lbs of torque when you need it. When you don't need that performance, it provides outstandin fuel economy compared to much larger displacement V8s.

5. Being an engine guy I can't speak about any changes that may have been required for the transmission and rear end. What I can say is that the entire powertrain including the rear end has to pass very rigorous tests before being released for production.

 

I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for joining us here and fielding these questions Phil. I know your time is probably as precious a commodity as ours and we are grateful for your input.