I think you missed this subtle point....

Quote:

(once the warranty expires).

During this whole process of decision making about a new truck, the thought of "tuning" has gone through my mind on a number of occasions. Each individual must make that decision for themselves. Although the urge to tune is strong, the consequences of me possibly voiding a warranty are not worth it.

 

No I saw it. My point being if you are going to modify it why extend the warranty? As soon as the 3 year/36k warranty is out, go for it.

 

I can understand that line of thinking too. And your right...IF modding is the main point, then purchasing an extended warranty is not likely the best option.
Using what I have learned through researching the EB, I personally believe that the "tuning" is a "one size fits all" thing that the factory simply has to do to cover the widest array of buyers/drivers. I also believe that individuals can/could "improve" whatever characteristics they deem important via specific tunings. Personally, with the HP and torque that the engine produces, my goal would be to tune it for the best MPG. Others might demand as much power and torque as they can get.

 

I agree on that. Over on pickuptrucks.com I suggested that Ford supply the truck with 3 tunes, economy, towing and performance. If we could run economy and gain an additional 1-2 mpg that would be great.

why go buy an aftermarket programmer? Ford could build it in and it would be "safe"

 

That would be super nice! Maybe in the future Ford will do something like that...but knowing the auto makers, they would turn it into an "option package" and charge an extra $1,500 for it! LOL!

I'm still doing my homework on "tuners"....but I think I've read that at least some of them come with "tunes" like you mentioned? (performance, towing, economy)

As long as my new rig is still in good condition when 75k miles comes along, I suspect the temptation will be too great for me to resist buying a tuner and seeing how it works for the truck.

 

I broke down and spent $495 for a Superchips for my diesel a few years ago. I could feel the increase in hp and torque but it did not help with the turbo lag or fuel economy. From my experience I will not buy another one

 

I was talking to a long-term truck owner (who I think drives turbo diesels). I was noting my concern about turbo chargers based on past (admittedly long past) experience, and he said they have worked those issues out by now....

 

The main issue with turbo's these days is that folks work them hard then don't let them cool down before turning the engine off. This causes the oil to coke up around the bearing. Most of the guys with diesels are the gearhead type and understand this

Since Ford is planning on putting the ecoboost in 90% of their vehicles they had to come up with a way to prevent the "uneducated" from destroying the turbos; therefore the turbos in the ecoboost are water cooled and even after you shut off the truck the water continues to flow until the turbo has sufficiently cooled.

Having said that, I will still let mine sit at idle and cool for a minute or two.

 

I read an article about the Mustang(2011) I believe. Ford gives you 2 keys, one for regular performance...like your kid wanting to "run" to the store with it, and one key for real performance. Its a great idea, but in the truck world, as mentioned up this thread, gas mileage, towing, performance tunes would be so sweet from factory. Good points guys, thanks.

 

Ford is offering the "MyKey" feature in several of their updated vehicles...including the 2011 Ford F-150 (STX and higher trim level).

 

Unless I missed it, there were no comments about the turbo itself. A turbo in general is a high maintenance component. I know nothing about the Ecoboost engines but unless the turbo lubrication system has changed in the past several years, the turbo gets it lubrication from the engine oil. A turbo run very hot. Engines with a turbo will generally require the oil to be changed more frequently. Those that like to get the maximum usage from the engine oil will quickly find them selves with turbo problems because the bearing in the turbo will not hold up.

It's one thing to extend the use of engine oil a bit longer than normal, but when you try doing that with an engine that's has a turbo, you can get into trouble quickly.

 

Looking at the specifications for the EcoBoost and the 3.7L V6, I see the valve train is a Direct Actuated Mechanical Bucket. This sounds like the Shim and Bucket systems used on high performance sportbikes. On bikes there is no hydraulic valve adjuster so the valve clearance is adjusted by replacing the shims with one that is slightly thinner or thicker to change the clearance. They come in .002" increments.

Two different systems are used. Older models used a shim about the size of a quarter on top of the bucket so the cam rode directly on the shim. These are easy to adjust because a tool is wedged between the cam and the bucket to force the valve open, then the shim can be removed and replaced.

The newer bikes rev even higher so smaller buckets and shims are used, and on these the shim is very small and sits on the tip of the valve stem, under the bucket. The cam runs directly on the bucket. Adjusting these is a pain because if even just one valve needs to be adjusted the camshaft(s) have to be removed so the buckets can be removed to get to the shims.

Hopefully a tech can respond and tell us which system is used on these engines.