Questions on the SHO after fixing all my F150 EB issues

93Cobra · July 23, 2015, 09:15:25 AM

Trying to find what issues plague both applications of the 3.5 ecoboost in the F150 and SHO as i own both.
2013 SHO (28k miles) and Airraid CAI
- car has been fine, but had a noticeable "tick" on idle all the time. Added fuel injector cleaner (Chevron w/ Techron) and went away.

2012 F150 EB (83k miles)
- truck had a stutter on acceleration as i passed a vehicle and nearly got myself killed.
- truck had a bad battery and i replaced it
- my findings: the f150 application (front mount CAC) generates condensate because it cools too well. On boost, water is ingested through engine blowing out plugs. So, i drilled a 1/16 weep hole in the intercooler and now it drains. I changed plugs to new motorcraft plugs gapped at .028. Now, problem solved. For the battery, I swapped it and still kept getting intermittent battery light on dash. I found out that there is a battery monitor reset that needs done at dealer (scan tool / tuner can't do I found) so that the de-clutching of the alternator happens at the right times (for gas mileage). Onc they reset, all has been fine and averaging 20mpg. I also had a tick sound at idle as well as some roughness. I added fuel injector cleaner (Chevron w/ Techron) and it is now fixed.

So, question is how much fo these two applications share for issues? Anyone drill a weep hole in the SHO CAC?

ZSHO · July 23, 2015, 03:51:13 PM

The best of my knowledge havent heard anyone drill any holes on the SHO,you can jack up the front drivers side and use a compressor type vacuum and try to suck out any oil residue inside the cac,mine had about a quarter of an inch of oil inside,used the oil dipstick to measure it,the next best thing would be to install a good oil catch can like rx,best of luck and welcome aboard. Z

AJP turbo · July 23, 2015, 05:18:57 PM

Playing witch doctor and drilling a hole in your intercooler was a bad idea...I can't believe u did that...u must not understand how turbo charging works...although I already know u will deny that....the only reason u won't see that in ur fuel trims is because the sho is map based for fuel tuning...but u are making the turbos work harder and taking the efficiency out of them...may have fixed ur perception of the problem but at what cost?....still amazes me some of the self engineered remedies

SHOdded · July 23, 2015, 05:36:07 PM

Haven't seen much issue commonality really between the F150 and SHO platforms, TBH.

BiGMaC · July 23, 2015, 06:09:33 PM

Quote from: ajpturbo on July 23, 2015, 05:18:57 PM
Playing witch doctor and drilling a hole in your intercooler was a bad idea...I can't believe u did that...u must not understand how turbo charging works...although I already know u will deny that....the only reason u won't see that in ur fuel trims is because the sho is map based for fuel tuning...but u are making the turbos work harder and taking the efficiency out of them...may have fixed ur perception of the problem but at what cost?....still amazes me some of the self engineered remedies

Agree with the comments on turbo efficiency as well as their longevity, and potentially degraded throttle response. Maybe consider fixing a tightly closing "drain valve" in the hole?

ZSHO · July 23, 2015, 06:37:56 PM

I guess you can always use a tire plug like monkey grip. http://www.amazon.com/Monkey-Grip-Tubeless-Heavy-Refill/dp/B001B5ANH8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_468_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1R9HHA49888EY8AG35NDZ

93Cobra · July 23, 2015, 10:42:03 PM

If you research the F150 ecoboost forums, you will find that the weep hole has been done by most every owner. I have not lost any performance from the truck and i do have faith it will never stutter again. When i drilled my 1/16 hole, i did have a bunch of water and oil come out. I ran it hard for a bit and got the system clean.
One nice thing about this engine is that any drop in gas mileage is indicative of an instant problem. I started at 16 mpg with the truck and after all the fixes i am now at 20.

93Cobra · July 24, 2015, 11:08:40 AM

This thread is just for me to find out what the shared issues are. I need to make the SHO safe to drive and last a long time.
My F150 ecoboost has been nothing but a pain as far as engine issues go, but now seems somewhat stable. The amount of TSBs and government investigation into the F150 application were alarming to me.

ZSHO · July 24, 2015, 11:47:14 AM

The F-150 is somewhat a different beast to say the least,with a long list of TSB'S to go along with it,were you able to get the PCM reprogrammed? another common issue related to your issues is the purge valve solenoid,something to consider checking,especially with the mileage on the F-150,great to hear both vehicles are running to its full potential and dont drill any holes on your sho. Z

14SHOCAR · July 24, 2015, 11:52:00 AM

I agree with Z.

Drilling holes = bad idea.

I've done extensive video blogs on the SHO, and that is the least of your worries. I'd start with the hose clamp on the vacuum line, re-gap the plugs, and go from there. Also, to note, the 2014 comes with plugs that are gapped at .032.

-Brenton

93Cobra · July 25, 2015, 04:49:58 PM

I have not done anything to the SHO, but the weep hole massively helped my F150 ecoboost. Seems like it has more power and much better gas mileage to boot.

SHOdded · July 25, 2015, 08:07:48 PM

Well, if you are comfortable with installing a drain plug, it might be worth it IF you see regular accumulation in the intercooler. You'd be pioneering a new mod!

65fastback2+2 · July 25, 2015, 08:35:21 PM

Quote from: ajpturbo on July 23, 2015, 05:18:57 PM
Playing witch doctor and drilling a hole in your intercooler was a bad idea...I can't believe u did that...u must not understand how turbo charging works...although I already know u will deny that....the only reason u won't see that in ur fuel trims is because the sho is map based for fuel tuning...but u are making the turbos work harder and taking the efficiency out of them...may have fixed ur perception of the problem but at what cost?....still amazes me some of the self engineered remedies

i agree with this...shoot, compressing air alone pulls the moisture out of it.

BiGMaC · July 25, 2015, 10:08:08 PM

Remember guys the F150 IC is more efficient than the SHO and there was actually a TSB for fluid condensation... mostly oil and unburnt fuel plus water from the PCV system dumping back into the charge pipe as it was being gulped into the manifold... Still it has to increase turbo load and decrease turbo efficiency to have a constantly open hole in the charge system.

65fastback2+2 · July 25, 2015, 10:34:07 PM

Quote from: BiGMaC on July 25, 2015, 10:08:08 PM
Remember guys the F150 IC is more efficient than the SHO and there was actually a TSB for fluid condensation... mostly oil and unburnt fuel plus water from the PCV system dumping back into the charge pipe as it was being gulped into the manifold... Still it has to increase turbo load and decrease turbo efficiency to have a constantly open hole in the charge system.

PCV delete or catch-can setup Id give you. drilling holes in a boosted system is ridiculous