Need New Engine 2017 3.5L Ecoboost | Ford Explorer Forums

  • Register Today It's free!

Need New Engine 2017 3.5L Ecoboost

Enzo Chiapet

Member
Joined
February 26, 2019
Messages
14
Reaction score
3
City, State
Nashville, TN
Year, Model & Trim Level
2017 Explorer Sport
Need to replace my 2017 3.5L Ecoboost,,, where can I buy crate engine? Options?
Thanks, Jon (Tennessee)
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year or try it out for $5 a month.

Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





See the link that Peter posted in your other thread about the low boost.
 






I am curious. What failed that required the need for a replacement engine?
 






I am curious. What failed that required the need for a replacement engine?
I've another string on the original issues; which was a turbo failure.

Problem is I immediately dropped it at a Ford dealership and they had it for nearly 2 days. I told them when dropping off I suspected a turbo failure due to 3 different symptoms. They took it out 3 times and said nothing was wrong with it. I picked it up and immediately upon pulling out of their parking lot it was falling on its face under acceleration (down at least 50% power... no turbo). I drove it home, +45 miles, and hooked up my own code reader and pulled a P0299 (turbo boost insufficient). I crawled around couldn't find any issues, in/out test drive while I did things, then she started smoking out left rear exhaust. Parked it, called Ford customer care, they created an incident and advised me to tow it to my local Ford dealership. They completed diagnostics and in short, "engine completely sludged up, left Turbo oil line plugged up and thus turbo failed, unsure root causes and recommendation is new engine and new turbos @ $20K).

I'm 10K over warranty, however I told Ford customer care the original dealership inability to identify issue is beyond comprehension and while I was prepared to pay for a turbo replacement at my expense, now I expect Ford to accommodate 100% as there's no way of knowing the additional damage caused on that +45 miles drive home.

I'm preparing for a contingency back-up plan here, as we all know $20K is highway robbery.
 






Thanks for the info. Have you checked the salvage yards, COPART etc. for rear end collision vehicles as a donor?
 






Thanks for the info. Have you checked the salvage yards, COPART etc. for rear end collision vehicles as a donor?
Getting estimates so I have options, goal is to unload this thing at the lowest loss impact possible. I'm done with the Ecoboost platform.
 






Getting estimates so I have options, goal is to unload this thing at the lowest loss impact possible. I'm done with the Ecoboost platform.
The move toward small displacement, under designed, turbocharged engines is a long term repair disaster in the making. Many of these vehicles are going to be repaired totaled when they are 10-15 years old. When I was replacing my 2002 XLT over two years ago I planned to buy a 5th gen. Once I looked into them I quickly ruled out the turbo models due to frequent turbo related failures. Then I ran across the water pump issue with the 3.5L engines, in general, and ruled them. I am a Ford SUV guy so I decided to find a 2010 V8 4th gen because my wife won't drive anything larger. So far I am very pleased with my decision. If I were buying a 6th gen it would be the hybrid model since it uses a N/A V6. Hybrid technology has been around a long time and is very refined now so this engine is very likely the best choice for long term reliability. The power of the small turbocharged engines is appealing but they aren't designed to make this level of power for the long term. Especially if they aren't maintained properly which means you ignore following Ford's recommendations and change fluids far more frequently.

I wish you well in finding a solution for your problem.
 






The move toward small displacement, under designed, turbocharged engines is a long term repair disaster in the making. Many of these vehicles are going to be repaired totaled when they are 10-15 years old. When I was replacing my 2002 XLT over two years ago I planned to buy a 5th gen. Once I looked into them I quickly ruled out the turbo models due to frequent turbo related failures. Then I ran across the water pump issue with the 3.5L engines, in general, and ruled them. I am a Ford SUV guy so I decided to find a 2010 V8 4th gen because my wife won't drive anything larger. So far I am very pleased with my decision. If I were buying a 6th gen it would be the hybrid model since it uses a N/A V6. Hybrid technology has been around a long time and is very refined now so this engine is very likely the best choice for long term reliability. The power of the small turbocharged engines is appealing but they aren't designed to make this level of power for the long term. Especially if they aren't maintained properly which means you ignore following Ford's recommendations and change fluids far more frequently.

I wish you well in finding a solution for your problem.

I appreciate your time in researching these things, and posting some about that. You know I'm casually considering an engine swap to a 3.7 NA V6, those are still my preference. But maybe later one of the later turbo models could be worth a risk. I'm still aiming for the 2017 F150 3.7, being the first of the dual injection upgrades. I could probably find one with the 4WD and trans etc, locally for a decent price. But I'm about three projects away from being serious about that.

I wish Ford would stick with more reliable platforms and designs, and refine them way better before mass producing them.
 






I appreciate your time in researching these things, and posting some about that. You know I'm casually considering an engine swap to a 3.7 NA V6, those are still my preference. But maybe later one of the later turbo models could be worth a risk. I'm still aiming for the 2017 F150 3.7, being the first of the dual injection upgrades. I could probably find one with the 4WD and trans etc, locally for a decent price. But I'm about three projects away from being serious about that.

I wish Ford would stick with more reliable platforms and designs, and refine them way better before mass producing them.
The N/A 3.5L/3.7L engines in the ford trucks and Mustangs are rock solid engines since the water pump is mounted externally. If they had done this with the transverse mounted 3.5L engine I would be driving a 5th gen right now. The twin turbo 3.5L engines have their fair share of issues but the big Achilles' Heel with them, and Ford's entire Ecoboost line, is turbo failures and the damage resulting from it. Single port direct injection is another problem with earlier engines which causes carbon buildup on the intake valves. With a few mods and tuning you can get the same power from a 3.7L as you can from the 4.6L 3V engine with equal, or even better, reliability. Add in the 6R80 transmission and you have one potent, stout combination. I am looking forward to you doing the swap you have planned. It will definitely be an interesting build and maybe the only one in existence.

There is so much pressure on automakers to meet ever stricter mileage and emissions standards that they compromise long term reliability to do it. This is probably why they keep pushing electric cars on us even though they are completely impractical in any mass quantity. It will be interesting to see how the 6th gen Explorers and its variants do regarding long term reliability. The cost of major repairs for them will be astronomically expensive.
 






I hope I can get to my later projects, doing the main things is still slow going for me. I'd love to be on my 98 Explorer project, I added the 6R80 trans to the early part of that. I'm hoping to build an exhaust, and then pull the engine and trans to do the six speed. My low mileage Mark VII has a 302 HO engine that I plan to swap to a 347 this year. Then I can use that shortblock, with the Explorer heads rebuilt, and its cam, to put back in with the 6R80. The block needs to have one bolt hole cut off, the area where the top starter bolt goes. Then it should be mild trouble for the rest, just a high cost for the trans and controller, plus new ring gears and shafts.
 












I've another string on the original issues; which was a turbo failure.

Problem is I immediately dropped it at a Ford dealership and they had it for nearly 2 days. I told them when dropping off I suspected a turbo failure due to 3 different symptoms. They took it out 3 times and said nothing was wrong with it. I picked it up and immediately upon pulling out of their parking lot it was falling on its face under acceleration (down at least 50% power... no turbo). I drove it home, +45 miles, and hooked up my own code reader and pulled a P0299 (turbo boost insufficient). I crawled around couldn't find any issues, in/out test drive while I did things, then she started smoking out left rear exhaust. Parked it, called Ford customer care, they created an incident and advised me to tow it to my local Ford dealership. They completed diagnostics and in short, "engine completely sludged up, left Turbo oil line plugged up and thus turbo failed, unsure root causes and recommendation is new engine and new turbos @ $20K).

I'm 10K over warranty, however I told Ford customer care the original dealership inability to identify issue is beyond comprehension and while I was prepared to pay for a turbo replacement at my expense, now I expect Ford to accommodate 100% as there's no way of knowing the additional damage caused on that +45 miles drive home.

I'm preparing for a contingency back-up plan here, as we all know $20K is highway robbery.
Too bad you can't go through your insurance; $20,000 would probably trigger a total loss and a salvaged title.
 






If you goal is to get it running to unload it, I'd buy a junk yard engine. I'm seeing motors with under 80k miles for $2200-3000.
 






If you goal is to get it running to unload it, I'd buy a junk yard engine. I'm seeing motors with under 80k miles for $2200-3000.
I should know early this coming week; looks like Ford corporate is going to cover the full repair given the negligence of the first dealership. Keeping my fingers crossed...
 






That would be very good. That's the difference between keeping a customer, and losing a customer.
 






Featured Content

Back
Top