F150 Engine recommendations

Thinking of replacing our really tired 99 F150 and am not up to date on the engine selections available. Used to tow large two horse trailer (not fifth wheel) and possibly small travel trailer. Budget appears to be keeping us in the 2010-15 year model range. We've been happy with our tired 4.6 v8 by avoiding mountains, ha. How are the eco-boost engines, etc? Anything to avoid?

TIA,

Bob

Hey Bob, I have a 2015 supercrew 2-wheel drive with the 2.7 ecoboost. It replaced a 202 F150 I had with the 4.6. Have really been impressed with this little motor. Lots of pick-up-n-go but also is good with the mileage (although I'd assume all of the current motors including the 5.0 have been tweaked to get better mileage than just a few years ago). I do have the tow package and have pulled a car hauler from south Florida back to Atlanta when I purchased my 1989 Mustang GT convertible and had no issues at all. Only concern I have is the overall longevity since was the first year for this motor package. I like to get 10-15 years out of my vehicles (200k+ miles) and do all of my own maintenance. Only time will tell how well this little package will hold up but so far I'd say it is a keeper. Would have to say I have been satisfied with my choice.

I have a 3.5L eco boost V6 in my 2014 SCab. I love that engine. It has all the grunt you will ever need, actually has the equivalent tow rating of the largest V8, but I can get 21 - 22 mpg if I baby it, which is hard to do when it’s so much fun to mash the go pedal.

I specifically sought out a used 2014 because it was the last year of the steel bodies. There is really nothing that I don’t like about that truck.

I've got a 2010 with the 5.4l Triton engine. Powertrain has been OK and its done everything I've needed, but I don't pull any big loads so don't know how well it would handle it. If you're going to be looking in that vintage, I'd suggest you look for an '11 or later when they switched to the 5.0l Coyote engine.

Overall it's been a reasonable vehicle and it gets better mileage on the freeway than i had expected (about 16mpg average) and with a 34 gallon tank its got great range. But I've had two issues with the AC system that required expensive repairs, specifically the blend doors behind the dash that control the hot/cold air mixing so it makes me think that its a systemic flaw.

The F-150 is the best selling vehicle in the United States. You can hardly go wrong with any of them. If you were satisfied with the old 4.6 you will be off the charts thrilled with any of the available engines in the newer F-150s.

There are only two good reasons to avoid owning a Ford F-150. Both Fred W and HotRodZilla are Ford owners. Those guys are the worst. Don't associate yourself with them.

Redfish Hunter said:

The F-150 is the .....There are only two good reasons to avoid owning a Ford F-150. Both Fred W and HotRodZilla are Ford owners. Those guys are the worst. Don't associate yourself with them.

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Maybe I should look into a Chevy or Dodge then. WHFO.

I have a F150, my second, with the 3.5 Ecoboost. In my 17 I get between 18-19 mpg mixed driving. In my 14 i got 15-16 mpg mixed driving. The major difference between the two is the aluminum body and 10 speed transmission though the engine received some updates too. Both trucks had trailer tow package with 3.55 rear axles. While towing my 6500# travel trailer I can set the cruise at any speed and the truck will hold it up hill etc... I get between 9 and 12 mpg while towing depending on speed and wind. I usually tow in tow haul mode, in cruise set at 65mph. It tows like a diesel!

We have the baby eco boost and it pulls better than the 5.0 liter in our previous truck. I tow my neighbors 5 yard dump trailer with some big loads all the time. The milage suffers but it takes fuel to make HP. Normal average is around 21 MPG. I plan on keeping this truck untill I win the lottery.

Oh damn. Big John just joined the dreaded Ford owners scourge-club.

For all the smack talk Ive heard about Fords, Ive been an off and on owner and have never had reason to be ashamed. OTOH I have owned a Dog and a couple of chebbies, and Id rather take my chances with being Found On the Road Dead.

But you gotta do whatever makes you feel good.

Fred W said:

Oh damn. Big John just joined the dreaded Ford owners scourge-club.

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Been in the club since '14, I've put nearly 100k miles on the two Ecoboost trucks I've owned, 25,000 of that towing. No scourge here.

I had the 5.4 in my 08 and hardly drove it because of the mileage, bought my 12 with the 3.5 ecoboost and love it.. last fall drove from Washington to Minneapolis to pick up a 27 ft trailer. Got 17.5 going at 80ish, and coming home 9 towing 8800 lbs. Had to back out of the throttle pulling the passes to make the corners. A good friend just got the new 18 with the ten speed and has towed up to 9000 and loves it.

Ford Guys, check out Youtube:

Fordtech Makaloco. He is a top notch Ford mechanic who does videos on all the Ford power plants and tails what to look for and how to repair & maintain them. He caught a lot of flack for it so went out on his own. I don't have a Ford but I enjoy watching his videos. There's certainly a lot of negative stories on Forums about the Eco boost engines being grenades & unreliable. You Guys have a lot of good results fortunately.

The only real issue Im aware of on ecoboost engines is not really a Ford problem, but rather a problem that plagues all direct fuel injected engines, and that is the carbon build up on intake valves over time. Since there is no fuel in the intake charge through the intake valves their seats never get cleaned by the fuel additives. The solution is blasting them with crushed walnut shells, which is an expensive labor process to gain access.

But like I said, it affects all engines with the injectors going directly into the cylinders, aka direct injection. It is one reason that I specifically sought out an older, naturally aspirated 3.0L I-6 for my wifes BMW 328xi rather than the higher performance twin turbo 3.5L V6. The former has intake port injection and the latter has direct injection.

I need education cause I quit working on automotive stuff in the early 80s.

How do you get carbon build up on the intakes when just air is going passed them??? Is there that much crap in the crankcase system??? I've worked on a lot of direct injected diesel's and no carbon build up there.

https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/01/is-carbon-buildup-a-problem-with-direct-injection-engines-.html

Not sure if that explains it, but it does occur. My wife's Mini brought it to my attention.

I'm wondering if turbo engines are more inclined to the problem?

Answering the OP, I love my 5.0

Thanks for all the replies. My wife just came home from a local horse show with a third place ribbon and all happy our f150 made it there and back. I was her umbrella girl/groom cause it rained at the end of show.

Being a bit of a Luddite, those videos showed me what kind of technology I’d be buying and caused a small tremor of fear. Twin turbos and vvt. Buying new wouldn’t be bad, but used without a verifiable service record (oil changes on the mark, etc) would be a concern. Looks like I’ll be shopping carefully for a while. Thanks for all the help and information. Bob

I believe that there is always a small amount of combustion backflow before a valve closes on a properly timed intake valve. Combustion deposits are normally flushed off the valve faces by the wet mixture, but dry air doesnt do that. High temps on the exhaust valves burn the crap off but no such luck in the relatively cool intake valves

You may be able to delay the effect by tromping on it every now and then, a la the Italian tune-up.

FJRay said:

I need education cause I quit working on automotive stuff in the early 80s.How do you get carbon build up on the intakes when just air is going passed them??? Is there that much crap in the crankcase system??? I've worked on a lot of direct injected diesel's and no carbon build up there.

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There is a good pictorial explanation on savage geese, Youtube.........the truth about direct injection. The new Raptor & Lexus have addressed this by running the typical injection cycled in with the direct injection to eliminate this issue.

The 4.6 is an awful little engine. Good reliability, just very lacking in power. My '97 F150 had a 4.6, because that was the only V8 available that year. When I got my '99 with the 5.4, the power difference was amazing. Mileage was pretty good until I added bigger tires and a bigger exhaust. Still, if I was concerned about gas mileage, I wouldn't have had my foot in it all the time. It was a 4x4 Off Road package with a tow package. It had the electronic shift 4x4, which was awesome. I loved that truck. We used it like a truck. It towed our 23ft camper, horse trailers, went hunting, went to Mexico. Lived in sand, mud, snow, and rocks its entire life. That truck was the best, most problem free vehicle we ever owned. Ever.

Kept the '99 until 2016, when we bought an F250. The F150 motors now are all strong. The 5.0 is the only normally aspirated V8, and is way stronger than the 5.4. The 5.0 currently makes 395 BHP and 400lb/ft of torque. The 3.5 EcoBoost makes 375 BHP, but 470lb/ft of torque, which is why it feels so strong when it tows. No matter what you buy, you'll be happier with the new engine.

It will be hard to go wrong with a Ford truck.