Ford is expanding its industry-leading range of powerful and efficient powertrains with the addition of an all-new 2.7-liter EcoBoost® with standard Auto Start-Stop engineered specifically for the next-generation Ford F-150.
The high-output twin-turbo 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 features an entirely new design that delivers power and performance in a stronger, smarter package.
“The F-150’s proven 3.5-liter EcoBoost has become the industry benchmark for advanced and efficient truck engines,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, global product development. “We’ve applied lessons learned from the 3.5-liter EcoBoost to the new 2.7-liter EcoBoost, but with new technologies that make this more efficient engine perform like a larger mid-range V8.”
Smart technology powerhouse
Boosting the 2.7-liter EcoBoost’s fuel efficiency is the debut of standard Auto Start-Stop technology in the F-150. This technology, specially tuned for truck customers, shuts off the engine when the vehicle is at a stop – except when towing or in four-wheel drive – to give drivers power on demand when they need it most. When the brake is released, the engine restarts quickly.
The 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine features the first use of a compacted graphite iron cylinder block in a gasoline engine, the same material used in Ford’s 6.7-liter Power Stroke® turbo-diesel V8 engine. The composite CGI/aluminum block saves weight while providing strength where it’s needed most for durability.
“Previous engine block design choices were high strength or compact or lightweight,” said Ed Waszczenko, engine systems supervisor. “We wanted to go further with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost and design an engine with compact structure and high strength and light weight.”
The 2.7-liter EcoBoost also features all-new engine logic that adjusts operating parameters on the fly to provide the best efficiency and performance for the environment and workload.
Other smart new features of the 2.7-liter EcoBoost include:
- First use of fracture split main-bearing caps, which create a superior fit between the cap and engine block for reduced crankshaft friction to help improve efficiency
- All-new aluminum cylinder heads feature water-cooled integrated exhaust manifolds
- Variable displacement oil pump reduces internal engine friction to improve fuel economy
- Intake and exhaust variable cam timing that improves torque while helping lower emissions
- Lightweight, durable composite intake manifold
- Cooling jets beneath the pistons that spray oil on the pistons to help lower operating temperatures
- Piston connecting rods use an offset I-beam that provides strength to manage peak engine power levels while reducing weight for better responsiveness
- Cartridge-style oil filter integrated into top of the engine for easy service
“No one’s ever built a six-cylinder engine like this,” said Nair. “It combines a host of advanced technologies found throughout the industry to create one of the most technically advanced and efficient engines ever designed.”
Tested tough
Pushing production engines to the limit is nothing new for Ford. Following in the footsteps of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost torture test, Ford labs and the 2013 Baja 1000 provided torturous environments to prove the 2.7-liter EcoBoost’s capability and durability.
The engine, which powered a disguised all-new Ford F-150 specially designed to look like a current F-150, raced Baja in stock form with no additional oil coolers or radiators typically added for multiday off-road races. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost race truck finished the grueling 883-mile event – called by many the toughest Baja 1000 in decades – without any issues. The only part changed during the event was the stock air filter.
In addition to its flawless Baja 1000 shakedown, the all-new 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 has surpassed Ford’s extensive and brutal testing regimen, including:
More than 1,000 consecutive extreme temperature loops that quickly bring the engine from minus 25 degrees to 235 degrees Fahrenheit – the equivalent of driving a vehicle nonstop from Death Valley to Arctic Circle 350 times
Structural fatigue tests that run the engine at full load for more than 17 straight days – the majority of the time at peak torque and power
The engine’s ability to withstand repeated stop/starts was validated with more than 900 test hours simulating 240,000 starts and stops
More than 800 hours of towing and unloaded-driving scenarios across the entire engine power range with gasoline-ethanol mixtures up to E20 and intentionally degraded engine oil
Proven family of engines
In addition to the all-new 2.7-liter EcoBoost, the new F-150 will feature a complete lineup of powerplants to let customers tailor the nation’s best-selling truck to their needs. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost returns, along with an all-new naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 and an improved 5.0-liter V8.
The all-new 3.5-liter V6 replaces the current 3.7-liter V6, and uses twin independent variable camshaft timing to provide a flat torque curve and improved efficiency as the highly capable new standard engine in the new F-150. The available 5.0-liter V8 returns with improved cylinder breathing and new mid-lock variable cam timing to improve fuel economy while maintaining its tow-friendly torque.
Sales of Ford F-150 with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost – launched less than three years ago – have already topped 425,000 units in the United States and account for approximately 35 percent of all F-150 sales.