How much power can a small twin-turbo V6 make? I visit our friends at 5 Star Tuning to learn more about what’s possible with the new 2.7L and 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engines. You may remember the white F-150 with a 2.7L twin-turbo V6 stage 2+ build. We did a couple of tests with it when the truck was in Colorado. Now, it’s back home in South Carolina to make even more power than before! The silver truck may also be familiar to you. This one has a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 with a stage 5 build. The silver truck is pushing the limits of what’s possible in a V6-powered F-150.
Ford F-150 2.7L V6 Stage 2+
The stock output for the smaller EcoBoost engine is 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.
The truck you see here has upgraded CRPerformance Stage2 turbochargers, special performance intake and exhaust systems, an upgraded intercooler, a methanol injection system to cool down the incoming air, and add a little more fuel, and an ability to run on E50 fuel. Of course, the customized 5 Star Tune ties it all together in the best way possible. E50 fuel stands for “ethanol 50%” fuel. You can achieve this mix at your local gas station if you have access to E85 and premium 91-octane or 93-octane fuels. You can use a simple fuel test kit to determine the ethanol content of your premium gasoline, the calculate the gallon mix for the size of your fuel tank. The team at 5 Star Tuning can answer any further questions about this.
Here is a more detailed list of the 2.7L V6 truck modifications, before methanol injection.
- Tuner: https://5startuning.com/product/2018-2020-f150-2-7l-eb-hp-tuner-n-gauge-choice-5-star-custom-tunes/
- Cold Air: https://5startuning.com/product/2018-f150-2-7l-3-5l-ecoboost-raptor-expedition-sb-cold-air-intake-kit-oiled-cotton-filter-75-5122/
- Downpipes: https://5startuning.com/product/2015-2020-ford-f150-2-7l-ecoboost-spd-performance-ecoboost-catted-downpipes-dp27f1519-hfc/
- Resonator: https://5startuning.com/product/spd-performance-3-performance-resonator-pipe-standard-length-prp52
- Exhaust: https://5startuning.com/product/2015-2020-f150-2-7l-3-5l-ecoboost-magnaflow-3-inch-mf-series-cat-back-exhaust-kit-19052/
- Intercooler: https://5startuning.com/product/2015-2019-2-7-3-5l-f150-ecoboost-2017-2018-f150-raptor-mishimoto-front-mount-intercooler-kit-stealth-black-mmint-f150-15bk/
- Radiator: https://5startuning.com/product/mishimoto-2015-ford-f-150-performance-aluminum-radiator-mmrad-f150-15/
- Turbos: https://5startuning.com/product/2018-f150-2-7l-cr-performance-stage-2-turbo-set/
- Headlights: https://5startuning.com/product/2018-2020-f150-morimoto-xb-led-headlights-for-oem-halogen-headlights-lf501/
- Graphics: https://www.rayzesst.com/
The end result is 529 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque to the wheels! Indeed, this is pushing the limits of what this engine and truck can do. When considering an average drivetrain loss of 15%, this setup is making around 600 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque at the crank. The guys at 5 Star tell me that this truck is running 13.1-sec quarter-mile times near sea level. This extra power increase will likely put it into the high 12-sec range.
Ford F-150 3.5L V6 Stage 5
If you want to keep pushing beyond the limit, then this 3.5L V6 truck is for you. This truck has a stock engine block, but most other components are upgraded. This build includes CRPerformance exhaust manifolds, stage 5 turbochargers, a special fuel pump to support e85 fuel, upgraded air intake/exhaust systems, an upgraded intercooler, methanol injection, and customized 5 Star tuning. This truck also has upgraded suspension with rear traction bars, and a special wheel/tire package.
The team really wanted to see 700 horsepower at the wheels from this truck, the end results is 699.3 horsepower and 667 lb-ft of torque at the wheels! Yikes. This is still an amazing amount of power. Assuming a 15% drivetrain loss, this engine producing over 800 horsepower at the crank. Can this truck produce more power still? Yes, but it is currently running into a fuel delivery limitation. It may need a more high-flow pump and/or upgraded injectors.
All this power translates into a blistering fast real-world 0-60 MPH acceleration in 3.8 seconds. This crew cab 4×4 truck is not only quicker than the new monstrous Ram TRX. It is also quicker than many new sports cars.
