I’m looking at buying a truck. 2011 F150 with 200,000 miles. I know and absolutely trust the current owner. He had the transmission rebuilt and one turbo replaced. Is there anything I should look for in these….maybe the timing chain? I know nothing about the ecoboost motors. Also, the truck was used to pull a bass boat quite a bit if that matters.

Thanks in advance

Do the F150 versions have the internal water pump like the ones in the Flex has? If so that is a concern as sudden failure will quickly take out the engine.

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:
Do the F150 versions have the internal water pump like the ones in the Flex has? If so that is a concern as sudden failure will quickly take out the engine.

I think that's only the N/A 3.5 V6 [Cyclone engine] that has the internal water pump.
We had well over 100k on our Flex & luckily no engine problems ither than a dead throttle body.

The the OP, my mom has a 2011 4wd F150 & it's got well over 200k on it with lots of towing. Pretty trouble free for her.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:
Do the F150 versions have the internal water pump like the ones in the Flex has? If so that is a concern as sudden failure will quickly take out the engine.

I think that's only the N/A 3.5 V6 [Cyclone engine] that has the internal water pump.
We had well over 100k on our Flex & luckily no engine problems ither than a dead throttle body.

The the OP, my mom has a 2011 4wd F150 & it's got well over 200k on it with lots of towing. Pretty trouble free for her.

my ecoboost flex has the internal waterpump, but just looked at some videos and the f150 version does not, so that is good.

By and large I really like the 3.5 ecoboost in my Flex... it has a couple well known issues but it seems they are Flex specific.

^ Maybe it's a FWD v RWD difference between the W/P
I'd assumed all the EB V6 had the same layout as the F150.

I wanted an EB Flex when we got ours, but they were out of our budget at the time.

Cam chains, tensioners, cam phasers, all should be considered suspect. I hear everything from $2800 - $5800 to repair and replace. It’s a once you're in there why stop thing.

Start it cold and listen for the chains slapping. It gets worse till it self destructs, don’t let it go that far. The vacuum pump is on back of right head that has to be considered as well. The FWD actuator on the hubs are known to fail but leave the hub locked not unlocked. Finally the cab corners collect water and rust from inside out. These are not deal breakers but something to be aware of.

My SIL folks got good service out of one of these trucks, enough so they put a fresh crate engine in it last summer.

spark plugs are a huge issue along with coil over plugs. if you don't know how to take them out the ends will break off and it takes a speicial tool to remove them. cam phasers are another issue lots of videos on these two subjects.

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spark plugs are a huge issue along with coil over plugs. if you don't know how to take them out the ends will break off and it takes a speicial tool to remove them.

This happened on 2005-08 5.4 3-valve V8 engines, not this engine. It has normal spark plugs. They are comparatively easy to get to.

The engine in the OP does have issues with cam phasers (variable valve timing camshaft gears/sprockets) and timing chains, usually evidenced by a rattle or metal teeth-gnashing sound on cold startup.

quote:

Originally posted by reflex/deflex 64:
Cam chains, tensioners, cam phasers, all should be considered suspect.

This is true. I have a 2012 F150 with the Ecoboost and I replaced these along with the water pump and a few chain guide rails. I did it myself guided by a YouTube series of videos made by fordtechmakuloco. This was when the truck had about 165,000 miles. It has 285,000 miles now and it needs to be done again. These engines also develop coolant leaks at the turbos which is not a huge deal to fix.

reflex/deflex gave good advice.

Personally I'd have to get it really really cheap to consider it. I'm a Ford guy but I'm not a fan of the ecoboost motors.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:
Do the F150 versions have the internal water pump like the ones in the Flex has? If so that is a concern as sudden failure will quickly take out the engine.

I think that's only the N/A 3.5 V6 [Cyclone engine] that has the internal water pump.
We had well over 100k on our Flex & luckily no engine problems ither than a dead throttle body.

The the OP, my mom has a 2011 4wd F150 & it's got well over 200k on it with lots of towing. Pretty trouble free for her.

It's my understanding that EVERY 3.5 V6 has an internal water pump, both normally aspirated and turbocharged. Even the ones provided to Mazda.

BTW, the new 2.7 V6 features a Wet drive belt for the oil pump that will also typically fail between 100 and 150K miles. It's nestled on the crankshaft between the two drive chains for the camshafts. The first release of this engine was a chain but Ford decided that chains were too expensive and replaced it with a belt.

I would not purchase any Ford product with a V6 due to these issues. If you must get a Ford then shop for a V8 or the 2.3 four cylinder.

quote:

It's my understanding that EVERY 3.5 V6 has an internal water pump

Your understanding is incorrect. The engine in the OP has an external water pump. (Which commonly fails prematurely, but at least you can get to it.)

Dang. You guys are scaring me away from it. I’ve been reading about the timing chain and cam phasers. I’ll ask him about those when I look at it.

Thanks for the help.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
^ Maybe it's a FWD v RWD difference between the W/P
I'd assumed all the EB V6 had the same layout as the F150.

I wanted an EB Flex when we got ours, but they were out of our budget at the time.

I think it is a space issue. In the Flex the 3.5 is transverse mounted while it isn't in the F150.

The trasnfer case (or whatever it is called) is also a problem in the Flex/Edge ecoboost.... it is supposed to be a lifetime fluid but reality doesn't match the manual... and depending on the year it can be a pain to change out. Not sure if that is the same in the F150 versions. That being said, I was able to change mine without too much swearing.... and I'm picky about what jobs I'll tackle under the hood.

I am a fan of Fords but there is not a chance in the world I would consider one with 200k miles.

Don't forget the transmission. 200K miles and you are in that uncomfortable spot of "do I replace the fluid? do I flush? do I drain and refil?" No way to be sure. That fluid is gone, frictionally, and antiwear / EP additives are consumed also.

No way I would purchase. Unless it was a simple old Ford.

I think any vehicle with 100k plus and certainly anything over 200k is a going to cost you serious money in repairs if you can’t do it yourself. Stuff like that is for mechanics or tinkerers unless you can get it for a paltry sum. Especially one with an unknown history.

quote:

Originally posted by cooger:
I’m looking at buying a truck. 2011 F150 with 200,000 miles. I know and absolutely trust the current owner. He had the transmission rebuilt and one turbo replaced. Is there anything I should look for in these….maybe the timing chain? I know nothing about the ecoboost motors. Also, the truck was used to pull a bass boat quite a bit if that matters.

Thanks in advance

Anything with that kind of mileage is going to need wear parts replaced, it's just the nature of the beast, Ford, Toyota, GM et al, stuff just wears down or out.

Even if you get a great price, you should budget for things that will need done anyway, does he have the receipts for the work done, paperwork on a vehicle showing oil changes, tires, brakes, general maintenance make it a bit more palatable and easier to determine what you'll need to deal with next.