Ford F-150 EcoBoost 'Hero' Engine Laid Bare In Front of Live Audience In Final Web Documentary

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Jan 26, 2011, 03:11 ET

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Key internal components of 2011 F-150 EcoBoost^™ "hero" engine found to be within rigid factory specifications during unprecedented live teardown at the 2011 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)

Ford engineers say EcoBoost truck engine could go another 150,000 miles after enduring harsh testing that simulated more than 160,000 miles

Engine teardown featured in final episode of series of web-based documentaries demonstrating the durability of the new EcoBoost truck engine

The block, pistons, turbos, crankshaft, valves and other internal parts of the 3.5-liter F-150 EcoBoost "hero" engine are still within rigid factory specifications after enduring testing that simulated 10 years of wear or about 160,000 miles.

In an unprecedented – and high-stakes – public reveal, Ford engineers disassembled the engine for the first time in front of a live audience of nearly 1,000 at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

"I was amazed that, first, the engine looked as good as it did, and second, Ford took the chance of opening it up in front of the public," said Gary Heinz, coordinator of the Automotive Student Service Education Training program at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn.

"You know that in a Detroit crowd, there are a lot of auto mechanics who know a good engine from a worn out one," said Heinz, a long-time engine mechanic who watched the teardown with a group of students.

Heinz said he credits the engine design, the high-quality manufacturing process and the precise tolerances between the moving parts with the low wear found on the components.

Over the past three months, EcoBoost engine No. 448AA performed a series of rigorous events to prove out the new technology's durability. Specifically, the engine hauled 55 tons of lumber, ran at full throttle for 24 straight hours towing 11,300 pounds, beat competitors' larger V8 engines in an uphill towing competition and completed the world's toughest desert endurance race, the SCORE Tecate Baja 1000, in Mexico.

Said one spectator: "Ford has a lot of guts to take this apart in public, especially after all that has been done to this engine."

Ford powertrain technician Chris Rahill has torn down nearly 2,000 engines in his 20-year career at Ford Motor Company. He said the engine he disassembled is not even close to being near the end of its life.

"Given the intense engineering and research and the severity of the durability tests we run that go into all Ford engines, I'm not at all surprised how good this engine looked," said Rahill. "Everything was within manufacturing specification. Nothing was out of the norm."

Back to the dyno lab

After completing the SCORE Tecate Baja 1000 in just over 38 hours, the engine was pulled from its race truck and sent to Dearborn for analysis. There it produced best-in-class 420 lb.-ft. of torque and 364 horsepower – one horsepower less than its original number.

"The results on the dyno confirmed that the EcoBoost truck engine still delivered outstanding power even after the extreme use this engine had been subjected to," said Phil Fabien, Powertrain Operations.

The dyno and teardown events are captured in the final episode of a web-based documentary that goes live today at http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/experiencef150. The documentary series explores the engine's durability.

Key findings related to the durability of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine discovered at the teardown include:

Turbochargers: No visual issues with the compressor or turbine, which rotated freely
Pistons: Rings spun freely and pistons showed no obvious signs of wear
Carbon deposits: Nominal. Carbon deposits can vary based on quality of fuel used and when in the cycle the engine was stopped
Cylinder leakdown test: The engine's cylinders are pressurized with 100 pounds of air to measure the sealing performance of the rings and valves. The cylinder leakdown test results ranged from 6 percent to 13 percent. That's well within manufacturing tolerances, and as demonstrated by the dyno test, had no affect on the engine's performance.

Why the EcoBoost engine was so clean

The comparative lack of engine sludge/grime indicates that the engine's PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system and the recommended Motorcraft 5W-30 synthetic blend motor oil – available off the shelf – worked in harmony to contribute to clean engine operation.

The PCV system essentially "recycles" crankcase gases back into the intake for reburning, which contributes to improved fuel economy and lower emissions.

In terms of oil consumption, the 2011 F-150 EcoBoost has a 10,000-mile oil change interval and includes an intelligent oil life monitor (IOLM). The IOLM uses actual engine and vehicle operating conditions to more precisely calculate anticipated service intervals, depending on vehicle operating conditions, as follows:

Up to 10,000 miles: normal commuting with highway driving
5,000 to 7,500 miles: trailer tow/high-load driving
3,000 to 5,000 miles: short-trip usage, extreme temperatures

Instead of using a predetermined interval schedule (either by time or mileage), the IOLM tells customers, based on their driving habits and engine operating conditions, when to change the oil through simple communications in the message center.

Intense testing key to durability

The F-150 EcoBoost engine saw its first action on the dyno in July. Engineers punished it in temperature and load extremes simulating a regimen tougher than any customer's.

"In the initial dyno test, we accelerated real-world mileage or engine cycles," said Fabien. "We ran at much higher engine speeds and higher torque levels and added in more extreme temperature swings than a customer can possibly do. We can go from minus-20 coolant temperature to 235 degrees within three minutes at peak power.

"Essentially, with these accelerated tests, we can run conditions customers may be able to get into for a short period of time, but we do it for hours on end."

After the dyno testing, most engines would be ready to be rebuilt or retired, but the EcoBoost torture test was just beginning.

The entire live teardown can be viewed on YouTube via the following links:

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG6xZ3e4_pI

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L8rEGAGMJg

Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG2d_Y1bmKI

For more on the 2011 Ford F-150, please go here.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company