2.7L blown engine failure list . . 68 so far [Updated: December 13, 2022]

[Bubbabow]

As to small pieces when mine blew metal filled the oil pan blew out the plug and penetrated both turbos and all lines- it was like a blender of ground up parts through everything. So not unusual

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[jon]

Reminder:
- only takes about 5-mins to file your engine report w NHTSA

As a 2.7L blown engine survivor, your voice to NHTSA can make a huge difference


These blown engines are big worry to thousands of owners still driving 2.7's with maybe defective parts - maybe blown engine any day

Ford needs to start a 'Recall' (or 'Replacement Campaign') to replace bad valves & other parts. This could extend to your new engine also

Here in B6g we're contacting people who had blown engines, asking them to file a report w NHTSA
- it's hard to believe, so far they only have nine engine reports - this badly mis-represents the hundreds of blown engines nationwide

These reports to NHTSA are the best way to motivate Ford -

NHTSA reports get a lot more attention from the press & other avenues -

Recently Ford confirmed the problems w bad valves - Lima Plant Newsletter
-- "Nano valve supplier issue was resolved with more robust design and material changes at the supplier."

Recently Ford changed the part#'s for the entire head assemblies

From an informed Ford source -
-- "At this point, the simplest and least costly option is to build a ton of the new head assemblies, then issue a Replacement Campaign for the affected owners. It will be a whole lot cheaper in total repair cost and rental . . . "

February '22 - MotorTrend article by Justin Banner
-- ". . if you've experienced a failure of your 2.7L Bronco V6 . . be sure to report it to NHTSA through their Report A Problem link at top of their website."

- the author Justin Banner is trying to help us here - he's coaching us -

A) what really matters is having the blown engines filed w NHTSA

B) unless they're filed w NHTSA, no one will pay attention


Note:
- last weekend NHTSA had only two (2) engine reports
- now they have nine (9) - and at least eight are B6g members
- Much thx to people who've reported


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) @mmcq
4) @ToddGinGA
5) @Bubbabow
6) @Nikole
7) @Hailey Jo
10) @estone28
14) @yogi_stvl
18) @Broncitis
20) @International_George
21) @Slosh1
22) @JollyFolly
23) @SS Hawk
24) @69-300
26) @TravisC91
27) @ChadJohnson
30) @ScottTexas
31) @matthiggins
34) @CanuckJeff

Thank you for sharing this valuable information! This should be on the sticky so that everyone can file for each of the 35 plus RUD

 

[jon]

Can anyone with more knowledge than me comment on how likely all of those small pieces of metal are to affect other parts of the vehicle? Is all of this carnage contained?

Contained? Well considering that the engine contain oil that cools and lubricates more than just the motor like turbos etc. pretty much anything within the engine that touched Oil, or coolant should also be replaced. Of course if you do not mind blocked lines or like to take chances you could just replace the oil and send them on their way but with a high likelyhood that the block oil lines or coolant lines will cause future failures for sure.

 

[jon]

Is this the reason why 2.7 orders are getting delayed?

 

[North7]

The thing I am trying to wrap my head around is, that oil pan is plastic/composite but yet no hole. In fact, I have not seen a hole in these motors, anywhere. It is like the components just fall apart. I mean come on these engines are running when they go boom and take from a guy who has been a drag racer when things RUD they will make a hole. When I have seen a motor "drop" a valve, chunks are stuck in the piston, not all of the internals in pieces. This carnage looks more like there should be an exit wound.

Another drag race fan here (this week is NHRA opening weekend). The oil pan penetration quandary has to do with the flexibility of the plastic/composite surface and its ability to "flex" and absorb impacts. Unlike steel or aluminum oil pans, that will quickly penetrate with the same surface force of a piece of exploding metal. The forces of a drag race engine explosion are also likely much higher that a 2.7 due to the higher horsepower and compression of a drag race engine.

Testing examples from plastic/composite oil pan development:

Research has shown that composites are capable of absorbing energy and dissipating it by various fracture and elastic processes when subjected to a low velocity impact.
PDF Download: Low Velocity Impact Behavior of Glass Filled Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Engine Components

Ribbing on the sump’s underside again played a key role in maintaining tolerances and resisting stone impact damage (parts were hit by progressively heavier steel balls, fired at 80 kmh via compressed-air cannon at a 45° angle until they broke).

Struck by a 100g steel impactor at 113 kph, the PA 6 lower pan sustained no damage, faring far better than legacy aluminum.
Autocomposites Update: Engine oil pans

 

[VictoryLights]

Contained? Well considering that the engine contain oil that cools and lubricates more than just the motor like turbos etc. pretty much anything within the engine that touched Oil, or coolant should also be replaced. Of course if you do not mind blocked lines or like to take chances you could just replace the oil and send them on their way but with a high likelyhood that the block oil lines or coolant lines will cause future failures for sure.

Thank you.

Based on the repairs that we’ve seen are people getting everything that touches oil and coolant replaced?

 

[BAUS67]

Another drag race fan here (this week is NHRA opening weekend). The oil pan penetration quandary has to do with the flexibility of the plastic/composite surface and its ability to "flex" and absorb impacts. Unlike steel or aluminum oil pans, that will quickly penetrate with the same surface force of a piece of exploding metal. The forces of a drag race engine explosion are also likely much higher that a 2.7 due to the higher horsepower and compression of a drag race engine.

Testing examples from plastic/composite oil pan development:

Interesting.

Just for the record I have personally helped a drag racer use "duck" tape to put a plastic/composite intake back together after a nitrous backfire enough to get the car running again to get it on the trailer. But that is a long story, not on topic for this thread about the 2.7.

 

[jon]

Interesting.

Just for the record I have personally helped a drag racer use "duck" tape to put a plastic/composite intake back together after a nitrous backfire enough to get the car running again to get it on the trailer. But that is a long story, not on topic for this thread about the 2.7.

Never underestimate the power of duct tape!!!

 

[JPye]

Another drag race fan here (this week is NHRA opening weekend). The oil pan penetration quandary has to do with the flexibility of the plastic/composite surface and its ability to "flex" and absorb impacts. Unlike steel or aluminum oil pans, that will quickly penetrate with the same surface force of a piece of exploding metal. The forces of a drag race engine explosion are also likely much higher that a 2.7 due to the higher horsepower and compression of a drag race engine.

Testing examples from plastic/composite oil pan development:

The problem with a plastic oil pan from an engineering standpoint is the differences in thermal expansion between plastic and aluminum. Constant variations in expansion can result in seals breaking down, and oil leaking over time. Granted, it could take 5 to 10 years, in a moderate climate, but could happen faster in either extremely hot or extremely cold environments. I hope Ford Engineers designed the seals to work in all environments and under all engine loads.

 

[North7]

The problem with a plastic oil pan from an engineering standpoint is the differences in thermal expansion between plastic and aluminum. Constant variations in expansion can result in seals breaking down, and oil leaking over time. Granted, it could take 5 to 10 years, in a moderate climate, but could happen faster in either extremely hot or extremely cold environments. I hope Ford Engineers designed the seals to work in all environments and under all engine loads.

Looking at the seal, from a fellow engineers perspective, it is a double, single parallel beaded rubber seal (perhaps silicon rubber?). That will provide plenty of thermal expansion and contraction between the plastic and aluminum surfaces.

Let's hope the Ford engineers used a standard wide temperature range in their modeling. If not, I would be shocked to hear, as that would be the first reported Bronco design screw-up? /s

 

[JPye]

Looking at the seal, from a fellow engineers perspective, it is a double parallel beaded rubber seal (perhaps silicon rubber?). That will provide plenty of thermal expansion and contraction between the plastic and aluminum surfaces.

Let's hope the Ford engineers used a standard wide temperature range in their modeling. If not, I would be shocked to hear, as that would be the first reported Bronco design screw-up? /s

That is good to know about the seals. I wonder if they changed them over EcoBoost engines of the past that did develop significant leaks.

 

[North7]

That is good to know about the seals. I wonder if they changed them over EcoBoost engines of the past that did develop significant leaks.

Oh oh, I never knew, I'm not a Ford guy.

@flip or @Bmadda can you please look up if the oil pan seal part number is the same or different on the Bronco vs other 2.7 installations?

 

[Carolina Jim]

I'm thinking the '21 Bronco 2.7 is well on the bad side of Six Sigma quality...but also not as bad as "they're all toast". So....somewhere in-between. My assumptions:

• @10,000 '21 2.7s built & mostly all delivered
• The blow up window seems to be May-August engine build dates. But that window must account for ~75% of 2.7 builds
• 'Something' was changed late in '21 to mitigate high incidence of failure.

I'm not a mechanic or statistician - nor have I ever played one on TV - but even if the 35 blown engines on the forum represents 300-400 failures across the country...it just seems to me if the 'curse' was on ALL '21 2.7s we'd be hearing of a LOT more blown engines

Thoughts?

 

[Bmadda]

Oh oh, I never knew, I'm not a Ford guy.

@flip or @Bmadda can you please look up if the oil pan seal part number is the same or different on the Bronco vs other 2.7 installations?

Don't have part #s but in shop manual pics the gasket looks virtually the same...all these composite parts, be they intake manifolds, valve covers, and now oil pans use basically these same style gaskets. Don't know what the above post was referencing, but when properly installed, these gaskets are 100% leak free for many years and miles.

Pans themselves are different...1st the bronco

Next f-150...note drain plug is in the rear, and sump includes an integrated pickup. They are not oriented the same way, they are both rear sump fyi.

 

[jwoobs]

Looking at the seal, from a fellow engineers perspective, it is a double parallel beaded rubber seal (perhaps silicon rubber?). That will provide plenty of thermal expansion and contraction between the plastic and aluminum surfaces.

Let's hope the Ford engineers used a standard wide temperature range in their modeling. If not, I would be shocked to hear, as that would be the first reported Bronco design screw-up? /s

Standard Automotive temp range is usually -40° to 110° or 130°

I would think the worst case would actually be in the cold condition when the elastomers are stiff and the plastic and aluminum are both shrunken down.

Plus I think the fill level is below the joint where they meet, and there shouldn’t be much positive crank pressure. So that double seal won’t have to work too hard.

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