Ford Engine Questions?

[CP]

3.5L PFDI or 3.5 Eco boost?  Power is obvious but:

Which is more reliable? 

Which gets better MPG?

Ford haters feel free to comment.

[Dan-o]

I would ask @jackelope

He works this stuff all day.

[wadu1]

I would ask @jackelope

He works this stuff all day.

Helped me through a Ford issue with ease. 

[CP]

Yeah, Jackalope has helped me out many times as well.  Been a great resource.  I’m sure He’ll weigh in when he sees this. 

[follow maggie]

What’s pfdi?

[frazierw]

Don’t get the 5.0 in 2018-2020. At 67k mine started burning oil like crazy. Of course ford sent a bulletin out about it but since it was passed warranty I am hosed. Sick.

[buglebuster]

The answer is 6.7 😉

I love my 6.7, but a couple guys have the 3.5 eco boost at work and they tow decent size camp trailers and boats all summer. They love them, and haven’t had any problems. They also get good mileage and have plenty of pep.

[jackelope]

What vehicle? I own one of each and spend my life surrounded by them.

[280ackley]

I've got a 2018 F150 3.5 eco boost with 210k on it.  I get around 20-21 mpgs on the highway and around 17-18 when i spend a bit of time on logging roads.  It did start getting the cam phaser rattle at about 160k miles and I had that taken care of at about 180k.  Overall the 3.5 eco boost been a decent motor for me.

[jackelope]

205k on my 2016 Ecoboost Explorer sport. No phaser issues. Super fun to drive.
I’ve replaced PTU’s and water pumps on both cars. 2014 explorer not ecoboost and 2016 explorer ecoboost. 

[CP]

What vehicle? I own one of each and spend my life surrounded by them.

The vehicle will be a Transit. 

[CP]

What’s pfdi?

"Referred to as PFDI, this dual-delivery system features two fuel injectors per cylinder These injectors work together to improve power output, eficiency and emissions One injector located in each intake port where air enters the cylinder (Port Injection) One injector located inside each cylinder (Direct Injection) Flex-fuel (E85) capable"

[jackelope]

I guess I’d say that we don’t have issues with either. The 3.5 ecoboost issues of old seem to be fixed in the new ones. Can’t speak to the fuel economy.  I guess I don’t have a 3.5 pfdi but I do have an ecoboost. I have an older 3.5 non ecoboost in an explorer. The difference in power is night and day and my ecoboost shows better fuel economy than the NA one, but the NA one is driven by my kid back and forth to school and that’s about it. I haven’t driven either engine in a transit. I’ll guess that the power difference would make me want to have the ecoboost. The NA explorer is a gutless turd.

[CP]

A lot of love for the EB.   But not much info on the PFDI.  I guess it's still relatively new.   

[b23]

Not sure how different the newer PFDI 3.5L is but we had a Duratec 3.5L V6 in a MkZ that we drove the bejeezus out of.  We put more miles on that car then anything I've ever owned.  It had nearly 250,000 on it when we traded it in and except for routine oil & filter, air filter changes, and spark plugs once that engine ran perfectly without a single issue ever.  Wife's new car is 2011 MkS with 3.5 Ecoboost, I think we're around 114K on it, and as jackelope mentioned there's night and day difference with regard to power and it has been flawless so far as well.  Had a 2017 Explorer with 3.5L Ecoboost for a couple years but we didn't have it very long I think it only had around 20K when we sold it but it too had zero issues.

A good friend of mine had the first year they put 3.5 Ecoboost in the F150's.  He had over 280,000 on it when he bought a new one in 2022 and I wouldn't consider him real high on maintenance but other then basic oil & filters changes and maybe spark plugs once he had zero issues with it.

There's good and bad with any brand but I think, some, of the horror stories you hear/read about get shouted out and made into being the norm when they're the exception.