Getting More Power out of the Ecoboost

Weighing in at around 150 lbs. less than the V8-equipped GT, the recent Ecoboost-powered Mustangs are a surprisingly good option for building a track car. Of course, with the right Ford Mustang performance parts, this engine can be made better, delivering better response and raising output to match or exceed the stock Coyote.

The Stock Engine

The Ecoboost 2.3l comes with Ford’s Ti-VCT variable timing system that alters the relation of the cams to the crankshaft position. A direct injection system sprays fuel into the cylinders to lower internal temperatures while creating a combination lean and rich fuel mixture for better fuel economy. Together, these technologies reduce the chance of knocking, allowing large amounts of boost.

The engine is connected to a twin scroll turbocharger. This uses a conical exhaust turbine driven by two exhaust channels: one channel sends exhaust gases toward the narrow part of the turbine blades for increased speed, adding boost, while the other channel sends gases toward the wide part of the blades, increasing torque on the turbine to spool up faster for better response.

The intake uses a throttle-by-wire system which can be changed by selecting the drive mode: normal mode is set up for smoothness when on the street, while track mode maximizes response.

The engine starts building boost at around 2,500 rpm, adding boost in increments of 10, 15 and 20 psi. Power peaks at 5,000 RPM and starts dropping off around 5,500 RPM. The boost gauge in the stock cluster usually over-reports actual boost coming out of the turbo.


Electronic Tuning

Even if you plan on leaving your Mustang mostly stock, there can be some major improvements to power and drivability to be had by altering the engine tune. There are three routes you can take depending on how far you want to push the engine.

JMS makes two plug-and-play boxes to alter the stock tuning: the PedalMAX retunes the throttle response for less lag, while their BoostMAX lets you increase boost pressure on the fly. Both boxes can be used together for easy control over the engine programming.

SCT’s X4 Power Flash programmer replaces the stock tuning with the company’s own fuel and boost maps. This unit can also be used for data logging and has a display that shows current running conditions. It gets its pressure information directly from the intake manifold sensor, providing more accurate measurements than the stock pressure gauge.

If you’re going well past the power available from the stock components, Ford Racing offers a performance calibration kit that can be programmed with a computer to dial in almost every setting on the engine.


Blow-Off Valve

The blow-off valve is used to redirect intake air to prevent runaway boost. This valve is entirely mechanical, while the wastegate that feeds it is electronic, allowing boost to be modified through tuning.

The stock plastic blow-off valve is known to fail even if the engine isn’t modified, and it quickly becomes the weak point in the system once boost starts being added. Switching to a billet wastegate like Turbosmart’s Kompact Shortie will eliminate this problem and allow the turbo to support more boost.


Intake Cooling

Gases heat up as they’re compressed, leading to decreasing air density and increased combustion chamber temperatures that can cause knocking. To counteract this, a radiator called an “intercooler” is used to remove intake heat to counteract these problems. The Ecoboost Mustang comes with a small air-to-air intercooler which passes the intake air directly through the radiator. Naturally, increasing boost also increases intake temperatures, making this intercooler inadequate for performance applications.

Mishimoto make a near stock-sized intercooler that greatly increases fin area and airflow for lower temperatures, while MAPerformance makes a much larger intercooler that manages to fit in the stock location with all the original hardware.

For short bursts of high boost pressure, we offer the Mr. Freeze methanol water injection system. Adding these liquids to the intake drops temperatures significantly, allowing the engine and turbo to be tuned to run at a higher PSI and more advanced ignition timing for more power.


Bigger Turbo

The stock turbo can only pump so much air, but there’s still room to squeeze more out of the engine. MAPerformance makes a kit that uses a Precision’s 5862 journal bearing turbocharger. Designed with racing in mind, it has a high efficiency air chamber that supports more boost while keeping lag minimal. The kit comes with all the supporting hardware including a blow-off valve that handles up to 40 psi.


Get More from Your Ecoboost with Help from Anderson Ford Motorsport

We may be famous for our work with small block Mustangs, but we’ve also spent years helping people get more performance from forced induction motors. Whether they were stock motors like the Ecoboost or Cobra, or built from the ground up, we can provide you with everything you need for your build.