When we talked about the Sidewinder package from Long McArthur, we highlighted that the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 is far from the perfect engine for an off-road pickup truck with 35-inch tires. The engine with the smallest displacement for the F-150 can be tuned to 540 rear-wheel horsepower with bigger turbos, along with 550 pound-feet of torque at 3,850 rpm.
5 Star Tuning is responsible for this build, based on the STX Package with rear-wheel drive and the ten-speed automatic transmission co-developed with General Motors. Running 12.34 seconds at 113 miles per hour at the drag strip is all the more impressive, more so if you remember that the single-cab body style would perform better thanks to the lower curb weight.
In addition to CR Performance Stage 3 turbochargers, the EcoBoost also benefits from an upgraded intake system, exhaust system, a 3.55 ratio for the rear axle, and special fuel blend. More to the point, E30 stands for 30-percent ethanol and 70-percent gasoline. Even the intercooler is a Mishimoto upgrade while the SPD piping is complemented by Hi-Flo catalytic converters.
When 5 Star Tuning ran the F-150 STX Crew Cab with the stock turbos, the 2.7-liter engine put down 310 horsepower and 379 pound-feet at the wheels. In other words, these mods account for an upgrade of 230 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. The question is, how far can you push the EcoBoost before modifying the internals give up the ghost?
In the long run, a safer tune would be recommended to maintain reliability without compromising the towing capacity of the 2.7 six-cylinder plant. Hennessey can upgrade the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 to 600 horsepower and 622 pound-feet without too much of a hassle, but then again, an off-road truck is rather different from a street-oriented sleeper like this fellow here.
Speaking of the Hennessey VelociRaptor 600 twin-turbo upgrade, the Texas-based tuner managed 12.9 seconds at 110 miles per hour on the quarter-mile with the 35-inch Toyo off-road tires wrapped around 20-inch alloy wheels. With the right gearing and tires, there’s no denying the VelociRaptor would come extremely close to 5 Star Tuning’s results on the blacktop.
In addition to CR Performance Stage 3 turbochargers, the EcoBoost also benefits from an upgraded intake system, exhaust system, a 3.55 ratio for the rear axle, and special fuel blend. More to the point, E30 stands for 30-percent ethanol and 70-percent gasoline. Even the intercooler is a Mishimoto upgrade while the SPD piping is complemented by Hi-Flo catalytic converters.
When 5 Star Tuning ran the F-150 STX Crew Cab with the stock turbos, the 2.7-liter engine put down 310 horsepower and 379 pound-feet at the wheels. In other words, these mods account for an upgrade of 230 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. The question is, how far can you push the EcoBoost before modifying the internals give up the ghost?
In the long run, a safer tune would be recommended to maintain reliability without compromising the towing capacity of the 2.7 six-cylinder plant. Hennessey can upgrade the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 to 600 horsepower and 622 pound-feet without too much of a hassle, but then again, an off-road truck is rather different from a street-oriented sleeper like this fellow here.
Speaking of the Hennessey VelociRaptor 600 twin-turbo upgrade, the Texas-based tuner managed 12.9 seconds at 110 miles per hour on the quarter-mile with the 35-inch Toyo off-road tires wrapped around 20-inch alloy wheels. With the right gearing and tires, there’s no denying the VelociRaptor would come extremely close to 5 Star Tuning’s results on the blacktop.