My 2012 F150 Ecoboost Turbo Replacement Experience
I finally touch the bullet plus tackled my 2012 f150 ecoboost turbo replacement after placing it off with regard to way too longer, and honestly, this was quite the ride. If you have one of these trucks, you understand that 3. 5L twin-turbo setup will be a blast to drive when it's functioning right, but as soon as those turbos begin to go south, issues get noisy and expensive pretty quick. Mine started having a faint whistling that will eventually turned directly into a full-blown "dentist drill" sound, followed by a noticeable drop in strength every time I tried to merge onto the freeway.
It's a single of those jobs that looks overwhelming when you put the hood plus see how filled everything is. You've got heat shields, coolant lines, and oil pipes most fighting for area in a really tight spot. Yet if you're tired of seeing that "underboost" code or watching blue smoke cigarettes puff out of your tailpipe, doing the swap yourself can save you a mountain associated with cash in labour costs.
Exactly how I Knew the Turbos Were Photo
Before I actually actually started ripping things apart, I had fashioned to be certain it wasn't just a simple vacuum leak or a loose boot. The most obvious sign for me was the noise. A healthy turbo should have a nice, delicate spooling sound, yet mine sounded like metal grinding upon metal. I furthermore noticed some essential oil pooling around the intake pipes, that is a classic sign the inner seals are toast.
Another large giveaway was your P0299 engine code. Our truck just didn't have that "get up and go" anymore. It experienced sluggish, almost like I actually was towing a heavy trailer even when the bed was empty. In case you're experiencing that lag along with some funky scents or odd noises from your wheel wells, your turbos are usually likely on the last legs.
Obtaining the Right Components and Tools Together
You don't want to start a 2012 f150 ecoboost turbo replacement only to recognize halfway through that you're missing a particular gasket or the weirdly sized socket. Keep in mind that, I discovered that the hard method. I went along with OEM BorgWarner substitutes because I didn't want to gamble with some no-name brand just to save a several bucks.
Aside from the turbos them selves, you're going in order to need a complete gasket kit. Perform not—I repeat, do not —try in order to reuse your older gaskets. It's a recipe for leaks. You'll in addition need fresh oil feed ranges and coolant Jiffy-tite connectors. These small connectors are notorious for leaking as soon as they've been disturbed, so purchase new ones and save yourself the head ache.
Regarding tools, a good set of swivel electrical sockets along with a bunch associated with different extensions are usually non-negotiable. You're heading to be achieving around corners plus into blind areas where a straight wrench tool just won't reduce it. Also, grab a gallon of specialized penetrating essential oil. You'll be dealing with exhaust mounting bolts that have been heat-cycled for more than a decade; they will aren't going to come off easily.
Diving Into the Removal Process
The first point Used to do was pull the front wheels and the inner fender liners. This is the secret in order to keeping your sanity. While you can see some things from your top, the real access is definitely through the steering wheel wells. Once all those liners are out there, you can actually see what you're doing.
We started by depleting the coolant, which is always the messy job no matter how careful you are. Then came the task of disconnecting the intake piping and the downpipes. The downpipe bolts can be a nightmare. I drenched mine in PB Blaster for 2 days straight before I even touched all of them with a wrench, and I still had to use the bit of temperature to get a single of them to budge.
Disconnecting the oil plus coolant lines is how things get fiddly. Those Jiffy-tite connectors require a specific disconnect tool, but despite the tool, they could be stubborn. Simply take your time and energy plus try not to bend the difficult lines, or you'll be ordering even more parts and waiting another three times for shipping.
Dealing With the Infamous Exhaust Manifold Studs
In the event that you're doing the 2012 f150 ecoboost turbo replacement, there's a 90% possibility you're also heading to look for a broken exhaust manifold guy. It's only a "feature" of these trucks. While I got the turbos away from, I discovered the rear stud on the driver's side was clicked clean off. This is usually exactly what causes that ticking sound you hear when the engine is usually cold.
Since the turbo is currently taken care of, this is usually the absolute greatest time to fix the manifold. If a person ignore it, you'll just have an exhaust leak that will ruins the functionality of your brand-new turbo. I finished up pulling the particular whole manifold, replacing all the studs with upgraded metal steel ones, plus putting in a fresh manifold gasket. This added a several hours to the work, but it has been worth it with regard to the comfort.
Installing the brand new Turbos
Putting the particular new units in is much even more satisfying than taking the old types out. Before you bolt the brand-new turbo towards the a lot more, you want in order to "prime" it. We poured a little clean engine oil into the oil feed hole plus spun the air compressor wheel by hand. This ensures the particular bearings aren't dry the first time you fire the truck back again up.
Bolting everything back again together is mostly just the reverse from the teardown, but you need to be really careful using the torque specs. You're dealing with aluminum parts plus high-heat cycles, therefore over-tightening a bolt can lead to a stripped twine which will absolutely ruin your entire day. I used some anti-seize on the exhaust bolts too, just in case I actually (or the next owner) ever have to do this particular again.
Make sure those coolant and oil outlines click firmly in to place. If they aren't seated perfectly, they are going to leak, and you'll be doing this whole process over again. I actually double-checked every connection three times just before I even believed about putting the particular fender liners back again in.
The First Start and Break-In
Once everything was back jointly and I'd refilled the coolant and topped off the oil, it was time for your moment of truth. I pulled the fuse for the fuel pump and cranked the particular engine for about 10 seconds a few times. This particular builds oil pressure and gets oil into the turbos without actually starting the engine.
After I put the fuse back in, the lady fired right up. There was some smoke at first—that's just the natural oils out of your hands and the penetrating lubricant burning off the exhaust—so don't panic. I let it bored for about fifteen minutes, checking continuously for leaks.
For the 1st few hundred mls, I took this easy. You don't want to proceed full throttle instantly. You want in order to let everything heating up and negotiate in. After a week of traveling, I could happily say the truck seems like it's brand name new again. The ability is back, the whistle is gone, plus my fuel economic climate even ticked upward a little bit.
Had been It Worth Performing Myself?
Looking back, the 2012 f150 ecoboost turbo replacement is the tough job, yet it's definitely doable for a backyard mechanic with some patience. A store would have charged me anywhere from $2, 500 to $4, 000 for this, and am maintained to do it for the fraction associated with that by purchasing the own parts plus putting in the sweat equity.
It's a filthy, cramped, and sometimes frustrating process, specifically when you're dealing with with rusty bolts in a limited space. But there's a real feeling of accomplishment when you hear those new turbos spooling up perfectly. In case your F150 will be starting to sense tired and loud, don't ignore this. Grab some tools, clear out your weekend, and get those turbos swapped. Your truck will thank you for it.