Ford 3.5 Ecoboost disaster!

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by DavidJones
Is book time usually about right?
How long would it take you next time, if you were up for it?


Book time ends up being close to actual once you have done a job a few times and have either the special tools, or manufactured tools.

 

[wemay]

Sorry to hear about your day Chris. Glad you're able to come on here and vent.

Is the 2.7 EB much easier?

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by wemay
Sorry to hear about your day Chris. Glad you're able to come on here and vent.

Is the 2.7 EB much easier?


The 2.7EB uses a more conventional style water pump.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted by bdcardinal
Originally Posted by wemay
Sorry to hear about your day Chris. Glad you're able to come on here and vent.

Is the 2.7 EB much easier?


The 2.7EB uses a more conventional style water pump.


Good to know. This thread alone would dissuade me from the 3.5TT.

 

[pbm]

As cars get more complicated....leasing looks better and better.....turn it in before the problems begin....

 

[4WD]

What's with the water pumps anyway … are they going shortly after warranty ?
last one I changed was on a 2007 Chrysler … and it had not failed … just way smarter to do while changing the 100k mile timing belt … Actual failure before that ? 1979 Dodge PowerWagon … Nothing in between

 

[wtd]

I hear you on hose clamps being situated the wrong way. Years ago I went to replace the water pump on my then wife's 98 Grand Prix GT. It used spring clamps and the one that was on the hose at the water pump was facing the block and at the time I did not have spring clip pliers. I think it ended up taking me about 4 or 5 hours to get that clamp off.

That entire repair ended up taking me about 12 hours and I swore I would never do it again.

 

[Railrust]

This is why I don't envy independent repair techs...hardest way to make a living. Everyday you see different stuff, the service information is hard to come by, you're sending stuff out to get reprogrammed, you're waiting for parts and then you run into jobs like this without knowing the shortcuts.

Never mind the different tools you need or the scan tool that just doesn't seem to "communicate" like it's supposed to. You spend half your days having to google stuff or watch it on YouTube. All while sweating and bleeding under a hood. I'm all set with doing that stuff. No thanks.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted by bdcardinal
Book time ends up being close to actual once you have done a job a few times and have either the special tools, or manufactured tools.

The problem with all of these "estimates" is it takes virtually nothing to send the job way over. One broken bolt can easily double the time on many of these jobs. Or someone using the wrong type of gasket sealer, forcing a long and nasty cleanup of hard to get at mating surfaces.

And most of these times tend to be on the lean side if you have all the tools, and everything goes perfectly...... Which it rarely does. To make these "estimates" everything has to go right. To go over only one thing has to go wrong.

 

[Timmastertech]

Originally Posted by Railrust
This is why I don't envy independent repair techs...hardest way to make a living. Everyday you see different stuff, the service information is hard to come by, you're sending stuff out to get reprogrammed, you're waiting for parts and then you run into jobs like this without knowing the shortcuts.

Never mind the different tools you need or the scan tool that just doesn't seem to "communicate" like it's supposed to. You spend half your days having to google stuff or watch it on YouTube. All while sweating and bleeding under a hood. I'm all set with doing that stuff. No thanks.


Service information is not particularly hard to come by and programming can be done in house. I own a small independent shop, myself and one other person. We subscribe to 2 different info systems plus buy short term subs to factory info as needed. I also offer reprogramming and own the exact same tools the dealer uses for GM, Ford, FCA, Honda/Acura, Toyota/lexus/Scion, Saab, and Volvo. I am in the process of getting approval for VW/Audi. I also have a Locksmith ID/Vehicle Security credential so I can do security/key programming through the front door. Any indy that tells you we are "locked out" is full of [censored]. It costs money but its all available. Also cant tell you the last time I had to resort to google or youtube to fix a car.

 

[metroplex]

Be thankful it wasn't a transverse 3.5/3.7 V6 (Edge/Explorer/Taurus). 10-12 hours book labor due to the internal water pump.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted by 4WD
Yep … took a beating trading in our $50k 2015 Explorer when I realized it would not grow old gracefully … decided to get something where there is room for an arm and a wrench or two …

Keep those wounds clean …


Amen to that. I wouldn't buy anything with a transverse-mounted V6.

 

[buck91]

Originally Posted by 4WD
Yep … took a beating trading in our $50k 2015 Explorer when I realized it would not grow old gracefully … decided to get something where there is room for an arm and a wrench or two …

Keep those wounds clean …


Yup, we lost more than I would like to admit on 2014 Exploder Sport.

 

[wtd]

The mechanic that is working on my fiancée's son's truck has just ran into a situation where a job goes sideways and takes way longer than it should and currently it's not fixed. It's a 2014 F150 with the 5.0 and around 190,000 miles.

He took it in because it was making a tapping noise at around 1,200 rpms. The mechanic thinks it's the timing chains so we buy a timing chain kit that comes with the chains, tensioners, and guides and he installs it. After the repair, the truck now has a different noise that is worse than the first. Also during the repair, he discovered that the water pump was leaking and now thinks that is what the original noise was from.

So now the mechanic thinks that it's the cam phasers since the noise he is now hearing sounds like the noise that the 5.4's make when their phasers are bad. We ordered new Motorcraft cam phasers which should be in tomorrow. The mechanic is going to have to tear the front of the engine down again to install the phasers and who knows if that is really the problem.

I don't think this mechanic had ever tore the front of the engine down on a coyote 5.0 since he didn't have the correct tool to pull the harmonic balancer off and had to source one to do it. I told her son he should have taken it to the dealer or at least someone who has worked on these late model engines but even though he makes very good money(works for the railroad), he is tight as a tick about spending it. So now he has been without his truck for almost two weeks and who knows if it even will be fixed.

I take my hat off to mechanics because I don't have the patience to do a lot of that stuff.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by Danno
Originally Posted by mbacfp
My formerly owned 2012 Mazda CX-9 with the 3.5 (non turbo) apparently has to have the engine lifted up a bit to get to the water pump. Sounds like a nightmare to work on.

If you catch thd coolant leak in time. If you don't, coolant mixes with the oil and takes out the engine.

That might not actually be any more hassle than just doing the pump...

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by 4WD
What's with the water pumps anyway … are they going shortly after warranty ?
last one I changed was on a 2007 Chrysler … and it had not failed … just way smarter to do while changing the 100k mile timing belt … Actual failure before that ? 1979 Dodge PowerWagon … Nothing in between


I had to do the pump on my 95 Dakota...190,000 miles on the original. Last one I actually had fail was on my work truck-2014 Freightliner M2 with 6.7 Cummins-seized the bearing at about 150,000 (city) miles.

 

[antonmnster]

I keep waiting for my electric pump to give up. It's got about 110k on it but I think it's a lot easier to deal with than this!

 

[metroplex]

Girlfriend's 2003 Grand Am had its first water pump fail just over a year ago at 197,000 miles. Easiest water pump change ever... literally on top of the 3.4 V6 engine. Few bolts and it was out.

 

[dogememe]

Yeah I'm honestly surprised that those Ford water pumps are failing so soon. Sure it's a bad design that when it fails it leaks coolant into the oil but the only water pump I've ever had go bad on me was a 97 Suburban with a lot of miles. I was pushing it hard for a good hour with the speedometer needle buried... On a hot day. Then I got where I was going and the water pump failed as I was parking.

None of my other vehicles has ever needed a water pump... One Dodge, a few Fords, and a bunch of GMs.

So those specific Ford water pumps on the 3.5/3.7 are just trash.

 

[RISUPERCREWMAN]

Ford engineered Garbage !