Ford 2.7L EcoBoost: Everything You Need To Know

It may sound strange, but in traditional truck terms, the smaller Ford 2.7 EcoBoost engine is nearly as powerful as the 5.0 L V8 Ford. With its 325 HP and 400 lb-ft of torque, you don’t have to remove it automatically when talking about truck engines, especially at this size producing that much power.

Redesigned engines are not rare these days, especially if those engines do not have problems to deal with and working just fine. Manufacturers carry over these engines, tweak them a little and put these engines under the hood.

This is not a bad thing; it retains the brand that some potential buyers are looking for and the heritage that comes with it.

What are Ford 2.7L EcoBoost Engines?

Installed in various Ford truck applications, Ford 2.7 EcoBoost engines, gained more popularity and followers as an engine for the F150 truck, including the latest generation.

The reliability and durability of these trucks created a vast opportunity for Ford to explore some ideas. However, the 2.7L engine is not the only option for the F150; there are 3.0L, 5.0 L, and many more.

Introduced in 2015 as the new engine for the F150 truck, the Ford 2.7 EcoBoost became the widespread use of choice among Lincoln and Ford vehicles such as Fusion Sport, Lincoln MKX, and Ford Edge Sport.

As the primary goal of EcoBoost engines, the 2.7L is another banger from this engine family. Designed to deliver power and torque of a larger displacement in a smaller engine with less fuel and emissions; the engine’s power is comparable to those of naturally aspirated V6 and V8 engines.

Furthermore, the engine is a direct-injection, twin-turbocharged machine produced in the USA at the Lima plant in Cleveland, Ohio.

The German company FEV engineering co-developed the engine concept with Ford, the same platform who also collaborated in developing the 3.5L EcoBoost.

There are two generations for the Nano 2.7L engine. The first generation was released in 2015, and the second generation in 2018.

Engine Specifications and Design: 

• Production Run: 2015 – Present
• Cylinder Head Material: Aluminum
• Cylinder Block Material: Compacted Graphite Iron
• Configuration: V6
• Bore: 83.0 mm
• Stroke: 83.0 mm
• Valvetrain: DOHC four valves per cylinder
• Displacement: 2.7 L (2694 cc)
• Compression Ratio: 10.3
• Weight: 440 lbs. (Dry)
• Maximum HP: 330 HP at 5,000 – 5,750 RPM
• Maximum Torque: 400 lb-ft at 3,000 – 3,250 RPM

Ford 2.7 EcoBoost Nano First Generation

As a next-generation engine design, the Ford 2.3L EcoBoost uses a two-piece engine block design – upper and lower block. Compacted graphite iron, a material Ford used in the 3.0 L Power Stroke and 6.7 L Power stroke engines, is used for the upper cylinder section.

This includes the cylinders with the fractured main bearing caps, crankshaft, pistons, offset I-beam connecting rods, and individual piston cooling jets.

The lower block composition consists of the usual cylinder block of die-cast aluminum ladder frame bolted to the iron block and bearing caps for the lower stiffening section of the block.

A composite oil pan seals the bottom aluminum frame.

Furthermore, the engine has an integrated front cover which is somehow complicated. It includes an integrated water pump, oil filter, oil passages for an oil cooler, cam phasing, and accessory drive components.

The IFC acts as a frame and a foundation structural piece.

The 2.7 L EcoBoost aluminum heads are integrated with water-cooled exhaust manifolds, dual overhead chain-driven camshafts with four valves per cylinder, and roller finger followers, as well as a variable intake and exhaust camshaft timing.

With the aid of twin turbochargers, the engine was able to add a significant amount of power and torque.

Restyling the intake system starting from the intake manifold, which was made of composite material. In addition to that, the upgrade also includes an air-to-air intercooler and pipes.

The 2.7 L engine employs a reverse-flow cooling system, auto stop-start, and variable displacement oil pump.

A direct fuel injection system delivers fuel and provides precise fuel management and eliminates detonation tendencies.

Applications of First-Generation 2.7 EcoBoost engines:

325 HP at 5,750 HP and 375 lb-ft at 3,000 RPM

• 2015 – 2017 Ford F150

335 HP at 5,500 RPM and 380 lb-ft at 3,000 RPM

• 2016 – 2018 Lincoln MKX
• 2017 – 2020 Lincoln Continental
• 2019 Lincoln Nautilus

315 HP at 4,750 RPM and 350 lb-ft at 2,750 RPM

• 2015 – 2018 Ford Edge Sport

335 HP at 5,000 RPM and 380 lb-ft at 3,000 RPM

• 2019 Ford Edge ST

325 HP at 5,500 RPM and 380 lb-ft at 3,500 RPM

• 2017 – 2019 Ford Fusion Sport

Ford 2.7 EcoBoost Nano Second-Generation

The second-generation 2.7L EcoBoost was introduced in the 2018 F150 and is mated to a ten-speed transmission. Ford buffed this engine by adding 25 lb-ft of torque from the previous 2.7L EcoBoost model.

It also uses the same cylinder block material of those 2.0L EcoBoost, compacted graphite iron, solid and lightweight.

The upgrades that the 2.7L EcoBoost gained were also adopted to the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. Some of them were the addition of port fuel injection and combining it with a direct injection system, a new high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation system, and reduced internal friction to improve power and economy.

The specific output of the engine has dramatically increased too at 121 HP/L. Going head to head against the naturally aspirated 395 HP Ford Coyote, which has a specific output of 78HP/L, the 2.7L is somehow comparable to those bigger machines.

The second-gen 2.7L EcoBoost undergo more fundamental changes, including a solidified double-chain cam drive system that significantly reduces parasitic friction loss; a new lightweight cam to minimize some weight; unique electrically actuated wastegate providing more precise turbo boos control, and a variable displacement oil pump which is electronically controlled to regulate oil flow to reduce parasitic loss aggressively.

Applications of the Ford 2.7 EcoBoost Second-Generation: 

325 HP at 5,000 RPM and 400 lb-ft at 2,750 RPM

• 2018 Ford F150

310 HP and 400 lb-ft

• 2021 Ford Bronco

Engine Tuning, Upgrades, and Modifications

The first thing you should do with the 2.7L EcoBoost is tuning the ECU, then take it from there. Take note that ECU power gains come from increasing the turbocharger’s boost pressure (in psi).

By increasing boost pressure, the air going to the engine has more pressure and creates more combustion and power.

Intake system upgrade is highly recommended to provide more airflow to the engine, improving turbocharger efficiency and opening up the engine more.

Once done setting up for a larger airflow, it becomes an instinct like the saying goes, “anything that goes in must come out.” So, if you have a larger intake system that delivers high-volume air, you will need an exhaust system that complements its actions; requiring the upgrade of downpipe.

Not only it increases exhaust airflow, but it also improves the turbo spool and efficiency by reducing back-pressure. Thus, increasing horsepower and torque.

Problems Surrounding Ford 2.7 EcoBoost engines:

Considering the young age and youth of Ford 2.7L EcoBoost this engine may sound flawless but there are no exceptions. And from that, we have to say that some problems may not be as clear as they are, but some owners report about issues that they have experienced with this engine.

Don’t worry because these are just minor problems and do not put a huge risk on the engine.

Carbon Build-up

Early EcoBoost engines, not only the First-Gen 2.7L, have problems with carbon build-up. This issue does not require immediate attention, but later it will become so annoying since the engine receives a varying amount of air.

Carbon build-up also clogs and suffocates the airflow going into the intake side. Good thing that Ford already managed to solve this issue at the second-generation 2.7L EcoBoost.

They combined the direct injection with the port injection system to execute natural oil blow-by inside, preventing the possibility of carbon build-up. However, some outliers engines go their whole lives without cleaning the intake valves; but that’s not common.

Oil Pan Issues

Another 2.7L first-generation issue is leaking in the oil pan. The oil pans of MY 2015 – 2017, which possesses the first-generation 2.7L engines, are plastic-made, not a good option if placed on fluctuating temperatures.

Since oil pans are there to hold hot engine oil, plastic oil pans tend to expand more with increasing heat causing some problems in sealing the block.

Once the sealant starts to break down, the oil will begin to leak from the oil pan. However, Ford was able to fix this in 2018 when they updated the oil pan design.

In addition to those mentioned above, spark plugs and ignition coils should not be overlooked since these are standard maintenance items. It is imperative since turbochargers put a lot of stress on the engine contributing to expedited wear.

Like other engines, Ford’s 2.7 EcoBoost needs quality engine oil as well as fuel for it to reach its peak performance. Please don’t settle for lesser quality as it can compromise the actual abilities of the engine.

Summary

Even though this engine is not that big in its displacement or comparable in size to most truck engines out there, it has shown that it is capable of beating other ‘high displacement’ engines.

Its specific power, fuel economy, efficiency, and lower friction loss collectively raise money’s value with this engine.

Its specific power is much higher than other trucks. It’s like having the same engine in a compact size with lesser cost but produces almost the same. This twin-turbo 2.7L EcoBoost boasts a lot of features that appears on most high-performance vehicles.

From that, we can say that the Ford 2.7L EcoBoost is a tremendous overall engine, experiencing truck power with a smaller machine.