Why Ford Ecoboost Engines Fail

[@jarehelt]

I got 300,000k miles out of the original 3.5 ecoboost, but I did go through 4 transmissions to get there so it was bittersweet

[@speedkar99]

Awesome!

[@Josh55907]

did you have the 6r80 6 speed?

[@jarehelt]

@@Josh55907 It was a 6 speed for the Taurus SHO. Great engine, Glass transmission

[@Chrissy212]

The transmissions never last Ford will not make a reliable fwd transmission and I don't know why I'm convinced they want them to fail at this point

[@DrPizzle]

I have the 3.5 NA in my explorer its a good engine. Transmission always clunks into gear but its held up a long time.

[@bendeleted9155]

I haven't had to crack open my car's engines for any reason since I went all-Toyota. Thanks for reminding me what I'm missing.

[@speedkar99]

Great! But does your car but any oil?

[@bendeleted9155]

@@speedkar99 It just runs when I tell it to. It's really boring how it just goes and goes with no problems. My tools are always working on other people's stuff now, because I have all these tools from when I had American cars. Even Infinity, Subaru, and Mazda, I only had shocks, radiator and a TCM to change out. No tow trucks ever on those. 😂

[@ststst981]

Affordability

[@bendeleted9155]

@@ststst981 up front, they cost more. More than worth every penny though, if you don't like contingencies.

[@mlynch001]

Heck, my poor old 99 SAAB 93 Turbo has 250k Miles on it and never had a bolt turned on the core engine or the turbo system. It helps when a company knows how to build a turbo engine on the front end and from the ground up. FORD basically used their warranty system in place of an R&D department with the 1.6 ECOBOOST. Sort of like GM did with their 5.7 Olds Diesel conversion. I kid you not, when GM came out with this engine, they told concerned dealers that "we will let the engine tell us what needs improved through the warranty program."

[@MeGBillG]

i Would not be surprised if there is a plastic Piston head :/

[@mikefoehr235]

Only Ford.

[@DashCamSerbia]

@@mikefoehr235 And Garage 54.

[@dietznutz1]

​@@DashCamSerbiahaha true, or resin engine block

[@Vultain]

Plastic camshaft and pop tin valves coming next. Then gotta figure out a way to make the head gaskets even worse.

[@GAMRMNTS2]

@@DashCamSerbiafacts 😂

[@auntbarbara5576]

Ford should merge with Boeing. Both 120 year old American brands that can't make their products anymore 👌🏽

[@stevenweiss2148]

FORD did in fact build airplanes

[@TonytheGr8]

😂😂😂

[@Jeez001]

Alan Mulley was Boeing engineer who came over to take over and save Ford in 00s after he was passed over for CEO position of Boeing in favor of someone who has no engineering exp and was reason for current issues

[@xuimod]

Boeing is good at offing whistle blowers though.

[@luisrazi]

The engineers at American car companies are stock investors. That’s why they’re the worst

[@alexgolovchenko3791]

Great breakdown Dude and your commentary is spot on. As a former auto mechanic it reminded me of how much I hated being called a 'grease monkey'. People have no idea how much education and talent is required to do that job!😢😢😢

[@davemccage7918]

“Eco-Burst”

[@97336cf]

Honestly 85 percent of mechanics qualify as that- in today's cars, too many people are simple parts changers, these modern mechanics REALLY need some true intelligence and talent to make complicated connections. Those that can diagnose and find the strangest solutions to problems, they are the real wizards. The other 85 percent are the grease monkeys.

[@dmandman9]

@@97336cf I’m a Ford Sr. master tech. But To be honest, I don’t mind the terms grease monkey, mechanic or technician. I know my worth.

[@miguelcastaneda7257]

Now it's more friends quit they had a booming business but equipment had to be switched out every five years...taxs..and had to take at least two classes for latest tech new cars not to mention some manufacturers won't give codes out on newer cars to smaller shops just dealers

[@miguelcastaneda7257]

@97336cf ahhh there's a shop in San Gabriel Valley name we won't mention but works on Porsche and bmw..well kinda if he can't plug into it and show up on screen pretty much can't fix it there's people who dropped off older cars for mechanical issues that they have literally sat for a year or more

[@CedroCron]

"Built Ford Tough" ... They forget to tell you that their definition of tough is being able to get itself to a scrapyard for an early death. 😂😂😂

[@meathead585]

You forgot to say....Quantity is job one at Ford.

[@albaker2938]

It's "Built Ford Proud" now.

[@jcgamer892]

nah, it's not been ford tough since the 2000s, it's built ford stupid now.

[@johngamer6255]

I've seen maccas happy meal toys that probably meet fords standards for "tough"

[@DG-sf9ei]

Epic. Funny, yet sad though true and proven

[@FairladyS130]

The spacing between the cylinders is so tight that it's no wonder that head gasket leaks of coolant are common there. A metal head gasket is necessary to handle the turbocharged high cylinder pressures so the seal there is metal to metal, no sealant possible to aid the seal. Then there is that coolant groove which interrupts the sealing ability of the head gasket. What a marginal design.

[@speedkar99]

Agreed They tried to make this one so compact

[@krzysztofpoznan5226]

@@speedkar99 compact crap

[@daledavies2334]

Freestanding cylinders is the problem. In especially turbocharged applications, the cylinder an move with the piston side thrust during compression and power strokes. Detroit Diesel tried the same with their 8.2L Fuel Squeezer 4 stroke V8. Almost monthly head gasket revisions released and eventually a kit to drill and tap the head bolt holes from 14mm to 15mm in an attempt to gain more clamp load. My personal feeling is that a machine shop could make plates to fit snuggly in the top of the block to lock the cylinders together and against the block perimeter to control the dance. Holes in it to match the cylinder head coolant transfer holes. On these Ecobomb engines, 2" to 3" pieces of l welded between the cylinder major and minor thrust parts of the cylinder would stabilize them and head gaskets would last.

[@garykeith1048]

@@daledavies2334 So you have to reverse engineer a BS engine they didn't build right to begin with. That's why I hate the Ford brand. They can't even build their F-150's right without hundreds😒 of recalls.

[@JD-nb4rp]

Built to fail. Oh, my

[@phoenixraven1118]

My buddy has seven 2.7 ecoboost F150s for his landscape company all between 140k and 300k and they've been rock solid

[@middleageguy]

Yessir it's called scheduled maintenance.

[@michaelisola6328]

Someone once said “simplicity is the key to reliability” car manufacturers especially US manufacturers have gotten so far away from this concept

[@ShotgunTurtle816]

Simplicity and quality create reliability, Ford has neither.

[@marshallforeman2051]

So true

[@rosspursifull5661]

American use to be a simple easy to work on ,dependable , then they copied of of Europeans and Japanese and went to crap. Now every engine is a interference, 20 feet of timing chain with plastic tensioners that the oil pressure keeps the tensiion crap.

[@tbunreall]

simple is also the key to inefficiency. With all these emission requirements they're forced to make complicated engines.

[@ravenshrike]

Blame the EPA.

[@magnusterminus4728]

As an amateur "mechanic" with 2 classics I really appreciate your videos 👍👍

[@gowdsake7103]

American junk ?

[@magnusterminus4728]

@@gowdsake7103 Swedish and British (EU citizen)

[@Bluelightbandit]

Can't believe those aren't key'd.

[@albovandyk3842]

yes but the reason for it is if the belt snaps that the valves wont hit the engine so hard, you do the timing by locking the cam pulleys and at the back of the block there is a bolt you remove to put the engine on TDC, but you do not tighten the crank pulley as yet, it needs to be loose to replace the timing belt, your tensioner has a lock on it, the crank pulley needs to loose, the cam pulleys need to be locked and while the crank pulley is loose and then you release the lock pin on the tensioner and the timing will set it self on the crank pulley, no possible way to use the timing marks on the crank pulley because it will just jump out of timing it was tightened, so once you removed the lock pin on the tensioner the crank pulley will turn then its on the right spot, then tighten the crank bolt to correct spec and remove the locking tools and assemble everything and it will be fine, this is a very good engine if maintained correctly, I've seen they ran up to 300000km with no problems at all

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

@albo a 2012 Toyota Yaris engine can go 500,000 kms. Most Ford engines are garbage

[@ferrumignis]

@@albovandyk3842 _"but the reason for it is if the belt snaps that the valves wont hit the engine so hard"_ It has _nothing_ to do with this. This engine, and many other modern engines do not have the timing components keyed because this simply doesn't provide an accurate method of setting the cam timing. Tolerance stack up on engine machining means there is always some variation in the distance between crank and cam pulleys, with fixed keyways this results in a variation in cam timing. This could be fixed by taking the time to measure the variation and fix it with offset keys, but this is not a production friendly system, and it's likely many technicians (parts fitters) would fail to perform this correctly during a belt change. Having the pulleys unkeyed and locking the crank and cam in their timing positions prior to torquing up the pulley bolts removes all tolerances and gives precise, repeatable cam timing on every engine.

[@Wtrxprs007able]

They arent keyed because ford didnt want to spend the extra .2c to machine the slot and make the woodruff key for each of the parts. Sadly other manufacturers are going the same way too **VW** Ive done a few timing belt jobs on the pre DI versions of these engines which looks exactly the same as the one in the video and theyre actually not too bad to time up, as long as you have all the locking tools.

[@albovandyk3842]

@@mann_idonotreadreplies ive seen fords with same engine like this with proper maintaining did also 500000km.

[@bigddb92]

17 Fiesta ST owner here. Car is tuned with big turbo and bigger fuel injectors. I do regular cleanings of the valves with crc intake valve cleaner thru the port on the intake manifold with good results each time. Power, response and gas mileage every time. I've done the valve cover because of course it leaks after high mileage use. They can be pretty stout when cared for, even in the pursuit of only performance

[@rmkilc]

That doesn't damage your tarbos?

[@bigddb92]

@rmkilc nope. Used on the stock turbo and big turbo. Been doing it since the vehicle was new bought in 2018 with 0 miles and 94k miles later👍🏾 50k miles big turbo. I do occasional track days too

[@rmkilc]

@@bigddb92 I suppose if you bought the vehicle new, and do it all the time before it has a chance to get any real build-up, then it is probably safe. I'm wondering what happens if an engine with 150k miles of build-up tries it.

[@bigddb92]

@rmkilc only one way to find out. Do you have a Fiesta ST or ecoboost car?

[@rmkilc]

@@bigddb92 I have an F-150 and an Explorer Sport, both with the first gen 3.5 Ecoboosts and over 150k miles. I did walnut blast both of them myself at around 110k miles, but noticed no difference in performance or fuel mileage.

[@billl3936]

We had a 2014 Ford Escape with a 1.6 eco-boost engine. My wife put 185,000 miles on it, but we did have to replace the transmission and the turbo charger. It leaked antifreeze from day one and could never figure out where it was going. Sold it this year and bought a Toyota RAV4 with no turbo charger and no hybrid battery.

[@BRMCaptChaos]

Ford coolant expansion tanks are notorious. I was losing coolant on my 1.6Ecoboost Focus but couldn’t see where. In the end, it was the expansion tank. A £5 piece of plastic.

[@krimke881]

Early RAV4 had a alu head gasket between the iron block and the alu top. Result was corrosion and coolant leak built-in from factory :P ..

[@billl3936]

@@krimke881 We had a 1997 Toyota RAV4 and had very little maintenance problems with it. We put about 400,000 miles on it before we bought the 2014 Ford escape. Comparing the two I’d much rather have the RAV4 than the Ford Escape.

[@GumboDaShoota]

A 2014 hybrid? You doomed yourself from the start

[@anthonyfrontiera4876]

From what I was told by two Ford mechanics and one was a drivability mechanic. You must change the oil every 5 thousand miles and flush the coolant every 35,000 miles . Proper maintenance is key to any turbo motor. They come with more responsibility to the owners if you choose to own one.

[@TruthbtoldMD]

Glad to be back, last time i was here i just noted his wife's toothbrush as an excellent prop. Now i noticed he got his brother's shirt as a cleaner. Glad to see this channel is going forward.

[@Paxmax]

I can still remember the "excitement" around the release of the ecoboost line of engines, the 3 cylinder got some "Engine of the year" award in Europe. Then a few years later the trickle of problems started... and it never stopped I think.

[@speedkar99]

Ouch

[@nullvoid3990]

They where so hyped here in aus they shoved one into the fg falcon at the time it was the worst falcon ever made insanely unreliable nobody ever bought it and it was discontinued shortly after a couple of years run shortest in aus history

[@kandkmotorsports]

These engines have put 1000s of people in bad situations financially....Ford is aware and issued a TSB telling the dealers to replace with a new long block because they redesigned the block. Customer pays for the engine and parts.....

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

Hahahahaha

[@TheJackal917]

Why it's not class action yet?

[@DG-sf9ei]

Lmao, because they're not customers, just sheep to an oval on the grill

[@mdubz101]

Don’t buy fords. Problem solved.

[@kagaru01]

Well that explains alot stupid ford

[@ViniciusNegrao_]

As a new car enthusiast, I love how you briefly explain what all the parts are and what they do. I can already name most of the engine parts so I'm always guessing what you're pulling out of the engine next. Great video!!

[@fidzer1974]

wow, this is one of the best teardown and explanations of a engine I've ever seen on KZbin. Subscribed!

[@maxthomas498]

Had an motor engineering department head tell me at tech training (Hyundai) tell me you have 3 categories for an engine. Performance, efficiency, and durability. You can only choose 2 in the real world.

[@speedkar99]

Yep that's the triangle Choose one side

[@xXlURMOMlXx]

That's bs. Add in cost and you can pick 3

[@kennethcohagen3539]

All this tally against Ford when the Chevy 1.6 liter four cylinder engines were absolutely terrible! I had to take my Fusion in for service and they gave me a Chevy Aveo to use ford a day or so. With only a couple hundred miles on it, I left the dealer, hopped on the freeway for a few miles to get home and the car died I one mile from the lot. The engine seized and I was lucky to be able to let it coast off the fwy and into a parking lot. I called the dealer who used rental cars and they sent out a tow truck, then gave me a ride to another location to get another car. When the tow truck got there the driver said, not another one. I don’t know exactly what was wrong with them, but apparently it was a pretty a situation where crappy design or parts quality was a real problem for Chevy. That might be a good engine to tear down!

[@netw0lf]

I've got a story of second gen facelifted kuga from a sunny country. The block upgraded itself with a crack on 34000km.

[@James-vt2cb]

Added ventilation - for performance!

[@TwoPair72]

Have a '17 2.0 Ecoboost with 87K on it and so far, it's been good. Did have all four coil packs replaced with plugs, coolant, trans fluid and a new battery. Still on the OE brakes and serpentine belt. Every once in a while the number 3 cylinder misfire error code with show up. Give it a minute and it will clear itself. Been told if it stays on, I have a bigger problem. Ford recommends synthetic blend. Been running full syn to help with the extra heat. Put nothing but 93 in it and Seafoam once a year.

[@jrchesuk]

This is an unfair example of a 1.6 Ecoboost engine, oil becomes thick because of aged oil from extended oil change’s which explains the sludge in the sump and scouring on the cams. The wet cambelt issues are well documented along with the build up or carbon on the back side of the intake valves, but saying these valves have heavy carbon buildup is wrong, they are surprisingly good for a direct injection engine. The only issue here is the leaking head gasket which is likely due to the head becoming warped… which is probably due to overheating from the failed thermostat which looks to have been replaced. Conclusion to me is the engine didn’t have regular oil changes and was driven for an extended period with a bad thermostat which warped the head, it’s not through bad design!

[@hubertmalicki718]

Do you know how to check whether thermostat is bad or not? I'm wondering what can I do to lower risk of head gasket leak in my 1.6 ecoboost engine;)

[@jrchesuk]

@@hubertmalicki718 honestly if your vehicle is low mileage then thermostat failure is rare but this vehicle strongly looks to have had a failure at some point with the leaking head and new thermostat. It’s very rare for an engine temp sensor to fail so if your ecoboost car has a gauge that shows the temperature then I would be happy trusting that. Check the gauge is in the middle of the range when up to temp which should take only a few miles, if it goes beyond the middle regularly then look to change the thermostat.

[@jrchesuk]

@@hubertmalicki718 I would only do this if you were having overheating or too cool issues and suspected the thermostat to be at fault, it’s just not worth taking it off for testing otherwise, but the best way is to manually test the thermostat: 1. Place the thermostat in a pot of water on the stove. 2. Turn on the heat and use a thermometer to monitor the water temperature. 3. As the water heats up, observe the thermostat. It should start to open around the specified temperature (usually marked on the thermostat). If it doesn’t open or opens too early, it’s faulty and needs replacement.

[@RalphTempleton-vr6xs]

This just reinforces what I already knew about the smaller Ecoboost engines, there are several deal-breakers here for me. The biggest thing to my mind is the belt in the timing system, that and the direct injection. Then there's all the parts that imo should never be made of plastic. It's just what the title declares; engines that are designed to fail! Even with strict oil changes and diligent maintenance you'll be pushing the limits of its lifetime well before 100k. Would not consider buying anything powered by an Ecoboost smaller than the 2.7- and then only the 3rd gen

[@speedkar99]

Yeah these are definitely overworked

[@mmllmmll22]

Using this 1.6 in EUDM FiST (183hp/240nM). 180k km and still goin strong. Nothing worrying in engine, no worrying sounds etc. Just keep adding fuel and replace oil & filters every ~10k km, timing belt every 8y/160kkm and nothing is goin to happen.

[@robertdevoy3119]

If Ford would outfit the 2L engine with the same dual injectors design that the 3.5L and 1.5L have they would have an amazing engine.

[@sinautical]

I've owned nothing but Ford for the last 20 years. Never broke down or had any issues whatsoever.

[@kclefthanded427]

Even my 2011 Nissan Versa with the original MR18 engine and 4-speed automatic still going strong at 255k miles with scheduled maintenance

[@onenikkione]

Basic low hp engines for the win, that's why they last long and are trouble free

[@GF-mf7ml]

Low HP? Look at LS engine, that's perform engine still can last.

[@J.Nev.]

@@GF-mf7ml That’s A Simple Engine Design. It Better Last Long.

[@servicioelectromecanicocue7025]

I'm had a older one QG18 iron block 1.8 liter in a Nissan Sentra with 155,000 miles and stills run strong

[@chiefdenis]

​@@GF-mf7ml ls are low hp engines for their size

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

When was the last time anyone has ever heard a mechanic say, "...generally doesn't bode well?"

[@Baked-as-Bread]

last time i was at my mechanics shop.

[@timewa851]

@@Baked-as-Bread my cars don't even see a mechanic. Just me, it bodes well. Me & rockauto. Watchin' Toothbrush Guy. Learning horrible stuff.

[@lucian7182]

I’m really happy with my 3.0 TT ecoboost. Catch can is mandatory, full synthetic oil changes every 3-4 months or 5k miles. A good tune also goes a long way.

[@speedkar99]

That sounds like a good solution. Hopefully it lasts. Make sure you keep checking the oil at every fill up.

[@IKhanNot]

I work at a Ford dealership as a Service Advisor. We are always doing 3 to 5 of those 1.5 and 1.6 EcoBoost motors a week for short and long block replacements. I have seen some high mileage ones (250,000kms and up) but the owners were religious with 5000 km oil change intervals and coolant changes along with having that campaign done that runs the water pump more and opens the tstat earlier.

[@speedkar99]

Would you say that maintenance will prevent these failures or it's just inherit in its design?

[@IKhanNot]

@@speedkar99 For the most part maintenance will help. The issue is that the engines are so sensitive that any slight lack of maintenance will cause a problem. I'd stay from the motors completely just to play it safe.

[@filmboy18]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the later build 1.6T sigma engine's. It's just poor maintenance, poor quality fuel and people that floor it the second they turn the key. Only thing wrong with the earlier build engines are cylinder head coolant issue's. Amount of people running over 300, 350 even 400hp through these engines on stock short block extremely reliably is crazy, these fail due to user error or not taking part in the recall.

[@1bootyaa]

Would you stay away from a 2013 ford fusion 6 speed manual transmission with this engine in it? 🥲

[@passacaglia28]

This video was so satisfying to watch, and I could follow your explanations clearly. Thanks for posting!

[@speedkar99]

Glad you appreciate and learned something

[@filmboy18]

The main reason the 1.6T sigma engine fails is due to either poor servicing or not taking part in the recall on earlier build engines (which leads to overheating coolant). The 1.6T sigma is a strong engine and I've personally ran over 350hp among many tens of thousand other people in the ford car scene without a single issue and it had its head kicked in every single day for a few years. Was super economical too returning over 50 MPG (UK) on a run and that's with bigger injectors. Not one single issue, zero. Now it's the 1.0T with the wet belt that's the real issue, but lack of servicing also kills them. Just another person tearing apart an engine they don't really know the specifics about or why certain things are designed in such a way and the benefits they bring.

[@shaned4480]

Three minutes into the video I realized Ford took over 100 years of manufacturing knowledge and said F it.

[@leonmumford179]

My parents have a fiesta with ecoboost and 6 speed auto. Zero problems except for a door lock recall

[@flynn312]

The timing is great. I had my head gasket blow on my 2019 eco boost mustang about two weeks ago. Less than 50k miles. At least I know it’s a common problem now.

[@speedkar99]

Ouch. How much to replace?

[@flynn312]

@@speedkar99About 7k but the dealership is still checking the extent of the damage, whether it’s under warranty, etc. Said it’s gonna be at least a few more weeks until they know.

[@engineer_alv]

@@flynn312 for $7K they better put a new engine in

[@KevinKimmich44024]

@@flynn312 ouch $7000! That is nuts.

[@pathunter7003]

Biggest mistake is buying a mustwang

[@robertwagner850]

Oh, my god, you are so good. So much knowledge and, experience. Great presentation.

[@speedkar99]

Thank you! 😃

[@hereigoagain5050]

"Sometimes you feel sorry for these little engines and what they are trying to force out of it. It's kinda like a little calf that grows up, and they are already making veal out of it." Moved me to tears! If its engines are calves, Ford shears its customers like lambs or turns them into shawarma.

[@speedkar99]

Sadness.

[@Doritoslocos25]

That type of head gasket failure is called head gasket scrubbing. A new test was specifically developed to address this issue with current production engines and future engine designs. The bore to bore cooling passages were also changed to a drill style vs a slit.

[@rogerrabbit8756]

Got a 2.0 on my wife's fusion, lots kms with no issues.

[@polarbear3427]

you do not mention how many miles the engine has run and if the maintenance intervals were adhered to. Furthermore, there are many variants of the ecoboost varying from 1 liter ti 3.5 liter, I experienced no problems (yet) with my 1 liter 200.000 km ecoboost engine. So why stating that ecoboosts fail?

[@speedkar99]

I don't get mileage/maintenance information typically. I just get these from people or shops that have had them lying around after swaps or part outs and just wanna get rid of them.

[@mikeb6902]

when my Mom was looking at her now 2017 Ford Escape a few years ago, I made sure she got the 2.5L engine and not that ecoboost crap

[@speedkar99]

Good choice.

[@cocodog85]

the best way these engines save gas is to not start in the first place. after your video the used eco boost market just fell 50% in value.

[@speedkar99]

😢 I wonder if there videos have any effect on what people buy

[@jeremywhitesell2688]

The turbo dumps into the engine to burn up some waste. The leftovers vlog things. Direct injection causes carbon buildup. The holes that let antifreeze to cool the motor are in the middle of thin valve walls. The antifreeze superheats the walls and they fail. A cylinder breaks the wall and hits the next cylinder causing a fire. I just dodged this cause i saw the antifreeze disappearing and it wasnt on the ground. I made the Ford dealer check the motor with a scope and my 100000 mile warranty got me a new motor. The warranty guy almost didnt approve it but the mechanic told him to check the backseat. I had 2 gallons of antifreeze back there. He approved it after seeing that. I was 2 weeks away from getting that engine fire.

[@Bo-Dog]

Ecoboost had oil pressure loss due to the oil pump drive belt, idk which engineers signed that off, great idea😅.

[@johannjohann6523]

Plastic, Plastic, and more Plastic. Is it any wonder these new engines are crap?

[@ol6halodude577]

“……..overheats ‘cause it’s a Ford”!😂

[@speedkar99]

🤣

[@laura-ann.0726]

The #1 point of failure in any engine with a "wet" timing belt is, in fact, that timing belt. In Ford EcoBoost engines, the timing belt is so extremely difficult (and thus expensive) to replace that a lot of owners slide way past the 60,000 mile replacement interval, and of course eventually the belt will fail. One of the reasons that engines with timing chains can run 200,000 reliable miles is that the chain is steel, and isn't degraded by exposure to hot motor oil like a rubber belt is. Chains can stretch, and if they stretch excessively, the valve timing can be adversely affected, and if the chain tensioner seizes up, the chain can jump out of the crankshaft or camshaft sprockets, but most naturally-aspirated 4 or 6 cylinder engines can make it to 250,000 miles before the chain stretches so much that it needs to be replaced, and by then, the engine is usually needing a ring and valve job anyway.

[@speedkar99]

Belts have been around for a while. It can be done right. Just not in this engine.

[@laura-ann.0726]

@@speedkar99 - I've owned 3 cars with timing belts; all were mid-80's Ford Escorts (which were re-badged Mazda-3's). I had one of them long enough to hit the 60,000 mile timing belt replacement. I did the work myself. As I recall, I had to remove the alternator to get access to the timing belt tensioner, and the space to work in was extremely tight even with the alternator moved out of the way, but I managed it. The other 2 Escorts were out of my life before they needed a timing belt - one totalled in an accident, the other scrapped when the transmission failed at 45,000 miles and I was told the whole car wasn't worth what it was going to cost to fix this. Those Escorts were "throw-away" cars, like what the Pinto and Chevy Vega were to the 1970's, the Ford Escort and Dodge K-cars were to the 1980s. I finally got sick of spending every other weekend fixing poor quality "economy" cars, and have only bought Toyotas and 1 Subaru after that last Escort bit the dust. The only Dodge I've ever owned has turned out to be pretty amazing: it's a 1998 Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel, with the NVG-4500 5-speed manual transmission. The only things that have ever gone bad were the headlight switch - $28 and I was able to easily replace it myself, the driver's side power door lock, and the headlight lenses finally got so clouded from age that I spent $80 for a pair of aftermarket headlight and turn signal assemblies. The clutch is getting grabby, and I'll probably have to replace it soon, but the truck still runs great at 105,000 original miles (I don't drive it much, just when I need to tow a trailer or haul something too big for my car) and 26 years old.

[@fuelschool]

Nice breakdown and three comments. The oil jets at the main gallery are provided for piston cooling (piston cooling jets). The structure at the oil pan is applied stiffness and nvh, since this large surface could resonate. And the piston bowl is applied to position small air vortices inside of the combustion chamber relative to the spark plug for fast flame kernel development. But very nice video all in all.

[@speedkar99]

Thanks

[@zackmandarino1021]

the 1.6l are known to have head cracking problems can confirm 2.0 if taken care of is rock solid had 170k on mine before it got rear ended and totaled. it ran like a champ and started on a dime because i took care of it. never floor it at low rpm causes lspi that goes for all turbo motors. oil change every 4k miles spark plugs every 25-30k new coolant every 50k also before turning off the motor let it idle for a few minutes to get cool oil all around. the biggest problem with ecoboost motors is they are high performance motors and have to be treated as such the 2.0 in the focus st is the same motor in the escape for most part. when you have non car people who have had NA motors their whole lives and they get an ecoboost motor really alot of turbocharged motors and they do maintenance on it like its NA your begging for problems. turbocharged motors run hot eat through spark plugs and are all around quirky leading to alot of enhance maintenance intervals that most people dont do then wonder why their motor is running like shit at 100k miles and blows at 140k.

[@Electro1016]

The 1.6 does not have many issues with the head cracking. Mostly because ford put an insufficient cooling system on some cars. The head cracked due to overheating, but was revised in some later years

[@29kalel]

Coolant intrusion of cylinder 3 happened to my fusion with this same block design. Ford replaced my engine with the redesigned short block that doesn’t have the slit between the cylinders.

[@speedkar99]

What year? Under warranty?

[@mistybarr1761]

You got lucky. Had to get new engine. $6000. Out of warranty 2 months earlier.

[@TroyStevensStelzerPaintingInc]

If your wife doesn't want to kiss you tonight, I doubt it's cuz the gas on your lip. More likely due to using half her wardrobe as cleanup rags and 74 of her toothbrushes since you started this channel. Thanks for another great vid. Always impressed by your depth of knowledge.

[@speedkar99]

Haha !

[@Azov237]

I'm not sure how I feel about this. The 1.6s tend to handle more power than the 2.0L. From my previous experience they tend to spin the timing from the crank at around 430~hp. Well above what the 2.0L can take. These 1.6s are typically pretty reliable as long as you do proper maintenance and run premium fuel.

[@speedkar99]

It's too much power for this little guy

[@robertdevoy3119]

What advantage does using premium fuel offer other than maximizing power output?

[@Azov237]

@@robertdevoy3119 higher octane allows for a more controlled burn meaning the ignition timing and turbo pressure can be adjusted to create maximum power. On the Fiesta ST it states that 200hp is possible on premium fuel, and they advertise 170~180hp on regular 87. But from a reliability standpoint, the more controlled and efficient the burn the less stress on the engine.

[@imLinAhMa]

Modern definition of QC is very different from used to be. Instead of building something to last at least a certain number of years, things are now built to fail within a certain number of years. Ford seems to be a master of that.

[@jean-francoisgrun7524]

Same design as the honda 1.5t (slotted overlapping cylinders).

[@WDMtea]

2020 F150 Eco boost 170K on it, have has it since new, never had any engine issues. Always kept up on my oil changes with synthetic oil. Not sure why "everyone" is having issues.

[@fadedjate7230]

The smaller cheaper economy engines are cheap, throw away pieces of garbage. They need their bigger bread and butter cars. The trucks and SUVs need to run better. American car companies never cared about their small cars. And the American consumer doesn't really care either.

[@epicshade3463]

@@fadedjate7230 I dont know about you but with as much as I see for Fiesta st 1.6 "ST models anyways" forums, yall make them sound like they are terrible when must can people who have these cars say different. I know from my experience I have very little problems but I also keep up maintenance which is half of must peoples problems and also how they treat there vehicle.SOme people dont want to admit they are not the best at either but many times or not I have seen the blame of stupidity of design because of peoples negligence. "Lets go run the car wide open all the time before the engine has had any heat and see how long it last" Spark plugs not changed when there suppose to be and or oil. etc so on. I agree its not the best engine design in the world but must engines have some kind of weakness somewhere.

[@neoeclipseop]

this was a good watch, i build nissan, toyota, and mazda engines for a living and not really a fan of ford but i like to see stuff like this. I have one correction for you though... the oil squirters are not there to lubricate the cylinders, they are there to cool the pistons. Cast pistons are more prone to expansion and contraction due to the combustion temperatures so the oil is to help regulate their temp. When you do forged pistons on an engine you do not need that extra cooling from the oil. So on builds i do for customers i block off the squirter passage, which in turn actually will increase oil pressure to the crank and bearings.

[@youridv]

currently at 186K miles on my 1.6 ecoboost. No issues, no oil or coolant consumption. Never had any engine related work done other than replacing consumables like oil, filters, plugs and the timing belt once at 120k miles. I've had the car since new for 13 years. It's my daily driver and does a fair bit of towing. I've only ever had to had the coolant level sensor relocated to prevent the fires these had a few years back. There's a few video's on youtube making these engines out to be unreliable trash, but back in the real world I know quite a few people that have or have had one in their car with 0 issues to speak of.

[@Mytwistedvoices]

1.0 liter Ecoboost has the rubber belt in oil. European countries demanded that Ford fixes it because of the failures.

[@speedkar99]

That's a really bad design!

[@jonnyskidmarks]

My 2.0 eco awd 13 escape runs great, 178k miles so far. Oil catch can, turbosmart 50/50 blow off valve, oil changes every 5k miles. 💪 I heard the 1.6 were all 🗑

[@James-vt2cb]

Thoughtful upgrades and maintenance make a world of difference.

[@TheBanjoShowOfficial]

thinking about adding an oil catch can to my '17 focus st, but its a bit expensive and takes some time for installation

[@thetrainshop]

​@TheBanjoShowOfficial totally worth installing a PCV Can. I get gunk caught in mine that I dump at every oil change, the CCV one not so much. Check out Radiums cans, the price hurts a lot less than Mishimotos' eye watering prices.

[@engineer_alv]

yours has the closed deck block. 17-19 Escapes switched to the 2nd gen 2.0 Ecoboost with open deck blocks which could suffer from overheating. 20+ Escapes got a revised block

[@maxsinger3526]

Then they wonder why theres a mechanic shortage. I work on cars for fun. I could never imagine working on engines from today. Everything is so focused on cost savings and power. Plastic everything too.

[@leadnsteel1428]

Too many electronics. I'm fine with suspension and some engine stuff but lost when it comes to electronics. If something goes bad they charge you an arm and leg

[@notmenotme614]

@@leadnsteel1428 With so much expensive electronics. For example, engine control units, body control units and DSG automatic transmissions it can cost 1000’s to fix a car. It’s no longer affordable to keep on repairing a car and not easy to do at home. My previous car developed an engine fault and I was sinking 100s every time into it to trying to fix it (the mechanic wanted me to pay for a engine teardown that still wouldn’t guarantee to fix it), it got to the point where it would be cheaper getting another car on finance.

[@Jergling]

Just stunned by the inter-cylinder slots. I don't even know what to say about that. They saved maybe 3 cm on the overall length by violating every design rule in the book for turbocharged blocks. The way those slots are cut looks like deliberate sabotage.

[@speedkar99]

Yeah I'm surprised too.

[@lilbreezi1243]

I worked on multiple bmws and other German with baffling designs and thought that was the worst it get but holy this engines design decision’s are on another level and there’s nothing even redeeming about it already the German engines sounds good and make power😭

[@Tommy1198S]

2.3 ecoboost in a ford ranger, 113k miles no problems.

[@speedkar99]

Keep it maintained. I think the smaller engines had more issues tbh

[@k-bobby]

250k on my 2013 lariat FX4 3.5 eco boost works like a charm. I take it to a good ford dealer with great mechanics once a year and tell them to, “do what’s necessary.” Still runs like brand new.

[@SgtEarl]

In my twin turbo 2017 engine, I learned the hatred way that the water pump is INSIDE the engine block. Consequently, THAT brilliant design means a water pump replacement is a mere $5500!!!

[@YuckFoutube-e1z]

Is research really that difficult to perform before purchase?

[@SgtEarl]

@@YuckFoutube-e1z …. How would you know PRIOR to purchase? Mine was the first time I heard of this as an issue. My crystal ball was broken.

[@YuckFoutube-e1z]

@@SgtEarl Bro i mean common problems. Are they not easy to access on the interwebz?

[@YuckFoutube-e1z]

@@SgtEarl Water, fuel and oil pumps should be easily accessible is what i mean. Research where those items are on the mechanical horse you are buying is an option is all. Respecto.

[@rrdh3458]

I would not throw Ford, or other manufacturers, under the bus too quickly - for this anyway. Bureaucracy/EPA (enabled by ignorant politicians that have never had to produce anything in their lives), are dreaming up standards that are impossible to meet without compromising. It started back in the 70's and has, predictably, gotten worse. It's amazing these engines run as long as they do. That being said, I stick with V8 engines whenever possible.

[@speedkar99]

Agreed. It's in the name of the environment

[@braxos319]

This is the most intelligent comment I've read on this video. Mechanics like this one are quick to shit on the engineers without understanding how their backs are against the wall with the unrealistic standards brought down by our lovely EPA and Governing bodies. To me it's pretty impressive how long these engines and components last with all the compromising that took place in the design process. Also people don't take care of their cars and do regular maintenance like they should which is no fault of the manufacturer.

[@RecordnRtist]

@@braxos319 I agree with you but maintenance isn't cheap, though it's cheaper than repair. lol

[@jeffrey1312]

The fact that Japanese manufacturers produce awesome cars that meet the same standards would seem to imply that you are mistaken.

[@braxos319]

@jeffrey1312 thats because japanese manufacturers aren't under the same regulations as u.s. manufacturers. You can thank our lovely policymakers for giving the japanese a competitive edge in the name of being more "green."

[@lettuthegoat7419]

working in sales it's hilarious to see all the ecoboom cars with texts like "engine replaced" in 2018 models with 40k miles

[@speedkar99]

Ouch

[@wysetech2000]

What makes everyone think that Ford is the only manufacturer that has problems? Maybe you should get out into the real world more often.

[@ricepony33]

Speedkar can you do a Mazda 2.5 Turbo Skyactive engine?

[@GF-mf7ml]

Good luck finding one.

[@spardasquadspqr3535]

U gonna need to give it few more years so 1st gen of turbo activ 2.5 will reach 200k miles. Only then we will see how good was it

[@kr03grunt]

Yeah, I've got a 2017 2.7 with 155k, and it's never had a problem. I take very good care of it. Every make and brand has its issues.

[@speedkar99]

Didn't the V6 have other failure modes?

[@kr03grunt]

@@speedkar99 not sure what your asking

[@abdulsbadr]

"Its like a little calf that grows up and you already making veal out of it!!" 😂😂😂 I have no engineering background and your videos are super enlightening & yes entertaining!!

[@vsboy2577]

The only boost is to Ford executives salaries

[@speedkar99]

And to please the environmental regulations

[@tron6966]

My wife's toothbrush LMAO

[@trondjacobsen1808]

The family is drained 😅 clothes and what not!!😂 the mix of education and humor is just prima!!😂💥💥

[@speedkar99]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@djrommybalibalita5747]

I work on these a lot 😢 it got to the point some customers opted to just put those acdelco coolant seal tablets to manage the issue. Cause it got too expensive. Ford should dial back on the engine management and rework this engine.

[@Henry_Jones]

How bad is the carbon buildup on the Honda 2.4 DI i4 engines?

[@justsomeone6835]

Buy Toyota 2.5 Camry or 2.0 Corolla both port and DI injection and no turbos like the rest of those ford junk boxes

[@Jez3134]

It's no wonder my old Nissan engines last longer than the chassis did, cast iron block, main cap girdle, no plastic apart from the airbox. The old RBs didn't make much power by today's standards but they built them strong

[@huzudra]

There's also no timing marks on the cam pulleys or top of the engine, you need a special timing tool kit to put the engine in time and hold it in time for belt replacement. It's similar to the older Z-Tec engines and the previous gen Ford 4cyl engines with no keyway. Thankfully the engines usually don't fail early enough to send them to the junkyard on the newer updated engine blocks, it's the 6HP trans that eats it and the $5000+ repair bill that sends them to the junkyard.

[@JodyBruchon]

*Laughs in Mitsubishi Mirage*

[@speedkar99]

🚗

[@TheTekEffect]

So in other words, do not beat on your car and perform routine maintenance before they are needed which is what i laways have done. I have a 2011 acura tl with 280 thousand miles with no check engine light. I have had the car for 8 years now. I have replaced the timing belt, water pump, alternator and thermostat, thats about it tho and still running strong. Oh and all motor mounts but engine and transmission are good.

[@Steelologist]

What's next? Cardboard crankshafts? Margarine bearings? Thank you for reminding me why I've never owned a Ford.

[@felldin]

I've seen these engines in ford's and volvos and I have never seen an engine failure on the 1,6 T. That on well maintained ones that is

[@evanspage5]

I just traded my f150 with the 3.5TT with 310,000; only repair on that truck was a water pump and turbo oil lines.. only reason we traded it now was when the transmission started slipping.

[@richardberryhill718]

Great video with explanation, thanks!

[@speedkar99]

Glad it was helpful!

[@greggougeon4422]

Seems like a good idea that the bean counters ruined. They went cheap every chance possible. It seems like they started with a good idea then decided to do every thing as cheap as possible.

[@95TurboSol]

It seems like modern cars are designed to fail, what a shame

[@smashingpumpkin1986]

They made a big song and dance about how small the engine was when it first came out, but didn't mention the fact it was heavier than comparable engines. It's not like they needed it to be small, every other manufacturer manages fine.

[@antn8387]

Ford use to cast iron blocks and cast metal intake manifolds, stamped metal valve covers, etc. Which is why you notice the 1990-2007 era Fords are still rolling down the highways.

[@speedkar99]

Not around here. Rust.

[@Yousitech]

As an ls guy it really makes me wonder why they feel the need to stroke themselves into making an engine this complicated. The ls can make tons of power with very simple internals and parts. Everything is easy on one. Even if you chopped off 4 cylinders it would make more power

[@ohnehax]

We have that exact engine in our Volvo. No issues yet. Running an external mishimoto oil seperator and good oil doing the trick.

[@NineInchTyrone]

Cuz made by FORD

[@davidg5965]

I have a 2016 3.5 f150 with 84k and its been good to me, strong while towing and hauling, fun and the engine itself has been reliable. Did have to replace the throttle body at 74k and fuel pump, im going to add a catch can because of the carbon build up though. I love the truck though

[@CasterTown]

Crazy that the block and head gasket are basically perforated between the cylinders by design. I'm surprised any of these last 100k miles.

[@StudentDriverBR]

All the "Ecoboost" line is their old engines with a Turbo? This one looks like the Sigma/Zetec S, the 2.3 looks like the Duratec

[@engineer_alv]

Some of them are. You're right on the money this is a boosted Sigma and the 2L/2.3 are Duratecs. But the 1.5 3cyl Ecoboost is a clean sheet design (Dragon) and so are the 2.7/3/0 V6 (Nano) which were designed from scratch to be turbocharged

[@kingpuff10]

One of the biggest problems with this engine & other small Ford engines is the Floating cam gears & crank gears. U need 4 different tools to lock the thing just to service the timing belt. I've seen more Techs mess up this procedure than on any other engine. I could change many Japanese timing belts at around 1-2 hours, these take at least 3.

[@mkshffr4936]

Ford knows how to make good engines like the 300 I-6 and classic Windsors but for various reasons they no longer do. In many respects it is not just them. Improper use of plastic is widespread. Formerly reliable companies like Nissan/Datsun produce absolute junk with transmissions that die at the drop of a hat.

[@speedkar99]

It's all in the name "eco"

[@vapsa56]

With a direct injection engine, you have to use premium fuel. It will help prevent carbon buildup. I have a 2015 Nissan Juke with a 1.6 direct injection turbo 6-speed manual. 145,000 mikes on it. There are no issues with the drivetrain. Religiously change the oil on time. Flush out the coolant regularly. It is called basic maintenance.

[@robertdevoy3119]

The fuel does not come into contact with the back of the valves, so how does premium help keep them clean?

[@Maverickf22flyer]

About the timing job! It's not an easy job for who doesn't know how to do it. I had a lot of fun playing with + and - advance on intake and exhaust camshafts with those keyless pulleys so if I want just a 0.5 degrees correction on one camshaft I can do that... and I LOVE FORD FOR THAT as I can do some things as I desire. And no..., if I want to make it right as from factory, I can just put one piston in TDC and take it as a reference and from there adjust the valves carefully so that their own camshafts ends have a reference key perfectly aligned and that would be it.

[@miguelrosario7302]

You’ve confirmed my worst fears about these small displacement engines: a tiny engine straining to move a relatively large vehicle mass. The compromises made to reduce engine weight, increase power output, delicately control fuel delivery to the combustion chambers, cool the cylinders, and package everything into a very small space, makes for a an expensive and difficult engine to service that appears prone to poor reliability over the long run. Unfortunately, consumers don’t seem to have many choices when it comes to the engines found in their new vehicles these days. Kudos to the engineers for trying so hard; but, the tiny Ecoboost engines don’t look like thy will last for long…

[@speedkar99]

Consumers can speak with their wallet just as they have with EVs. That's why dealers are lined with EVs as they aren't selling.

[@MrVlodato]

Well its not so much as a problem to get this kind of power from a 1.5L. The problem for American Car makers is they relied on big displacement engines for a long time. American 4 cylinders have never been good. They will never be able to produce a reliable 4 cylinder thats as powerful as something from toyota or honda. They have been making big power from small engines long before ford or gm even thought it was worth investing in.

[@itsallminor6133]

Bwah haha ha. I guess you dont know much. Anyway. Go watch some videos of tundras spinning bearings​@@MrVlodato

[@engineer_alv]

@@MrVlodato Americans know how to do reliable 4 cyl engines. The Lima 4 cyl was bulletproof, it even lasted in boosted form (Mustang SVO, Thunderbird Turbo Coupe), The Zetec 2L was also good in general (although designed in Europe), the Quad 4 was quite reliable and so was the Iron Duke although that engine could barely get out of its own way but being honest that engine's output was not much different from the contemporary 22R Toyota or Z24 Nissan engine. Ecotec 2.2 and AMC 2.5 were also solid. Emissions, Fuel Economy targets and cost savings pushed these solid engines out of manufacturing in favor of clean sheet designs that shared no commonality whatsoever with their predecessors and reliability took the back seat.

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@MrVlodato This isn't really an American engine though, it's a Ford-Werke (German) engine. Ford-Werke and Ford UK have been making cars with small 4 cylinder engines for a long time. Indeed, the GM four cylinders (Iron Duke aside) aren't American either -- GM mostly pushed that design work onto Opel (German).