Engine Longevity Math
My 1965 F100 that my dad bought new still had the original 300-6 in it when I inherited it with 231,000 documented miles on the engine without a rebuild. It went through 2 transmissions and several sets of U-joints. At the time of purchase, fuel costs were .18 to .21 per gal. The truck got around 13 mpg back then. So if fuel prices were still that low, it would have cost an esimated $3731.00 for the 231,000 mile and 31 years of life with the original engine.
I can remember him complaining about the $1800 he had to pay for the truck.
I can remember him complaining about the $1800 he had to pay for the truck.
Last edited by shortride; Jun 29, 2011 at 06:14 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2011
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I have an ecoboost and I'm not worried about extra costs due to the turbos. Turbos have been used in diesels for years and I have had diesels pickups with 500k and still had the same turbo as the day it was new. Althougn diesels tend to live longer, mine where worked everyday pulling trailers pushing every ounce of hp out of the engine. Every engine lineup is going to have the ones that go for the long haul and some that die quick. If you are afraid of it, don't buy it, plain and simple.
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: TX
I was playing with Excel today and doing some thinking. I read a lot of nay-sayers calling the longevity of the EcoBoost and 5.0 into question because they're not "truck engines" as in they have DOHC, turbos and an intercooler (EB), and the sin of all sins in truck engines - aluminum blocks. I know I've read several times that "these new engines just won't make it to 250,000 miles, period" so I decided to evaluate that claim from an economic standpoint.
If you were to drive a 2V 5.4l engine (which seems to be the most long-lived variety based on what I've read) for 250k miles on the highway at 16 mpg, it would require 15,625 gallons of gas. At an average price (over the next 10 years) of $4/gal, that works out to $62,500 spent on gas over the life of the vehicle.
If you were to drive a comparably equipped (4x4 SCrew) EB truck, which I chose because it seems to get picked on the most for expensive to fix, at 21 mpg highway it would require 11,904 gallons of gas. At the same $4 average that would cost $47,620 over the life of the vehicle.
The money saved in gas adds up to about $14,900 which, if I remember correctly, would be about the cost of buying a brand new EcoBoost engine off the shelf.
Conclusion: Only if your 2V 5.4l goes 250,000 miles with nothing but preventative maintenance and the competing EcoBoost blows its engine do you come out on top financially. The numbers for the 5.0 are even more favorable. Yes, the new engines may not be *as* durable and long-lived as the old ones but they do so much better fuel economy-wise that the total cost of ownership over the life of the truck is lower.
Thoughts?
If you were to drive a 2V 5.4l engine (which seems to be the most long-lived variety based on what I've read) for 250k miles on the highway at 16 mpg, it would require 15,625 gallons of gas. At an average price (over the next 10 years) of $4/gal, that works out to $62,500 spent on gas over the life of the vehicle.
If you were to drive a comparably equipped (4x4 SCrew) EB truck, which I chose because it seems to get picked on the most for expensive to fix, at 21 mpg highway it would require 11,904 gallons of gas. At the same $4 average that would cost $47,620 over the life of the vehicle.
The money saved in gas adds up to about $14,900 which, if I remember correctly, would be about the cost of buying a brand new EcoBoost engine off the shelf.
Conclusion: Only if your 2V 5.4l goes 250,000 miles with nothing but preventative maintenance and the competing EcoBoost blows its engine do you come out on top financially. The numbers for the 5.0 are even more favorable. Yes, the new engines may not be *as* durable and long-lived as the old ones but they do so much better fuel economy-wise that the total cost of ownership over the life of the truck is lower.
Thoughts?
