TST 2.3L Optimization Thread (Updated)

After some refinement and input from others etc. I think this updated list may be helpful for those looking to squeeze the most power out of your car WITHOUT significant risk of voiding the warranty or risky alterations.

1. Front Mount Inter Cooler: best bet would be a drop in replacement like CP-e or MAP Stage 1 as it's low key and looks stock, most of the high end stage 1's have nearly identical pressure drop to stock as well, but much better cooling capacity. This is a must! Larger FMIC's would add capacity for future upgrades, but they do "show" more so you add a little "perceptive" risk in warranty issues, but given that we have not heard of anyone ever being denied warranty repair over a FMIC upgrade, I think that's still low risk even if you choose a larger option like the Levels 20x14x3.5 Street.

2. Ford Performance Tune: only PCM software I can recommend at the present time is the Ford Performance calibration because it's the only calibration which offers a supplemental warranty of 36k/3y. Yes Roush does offer a warranty, but it adds cost as it's purchased separately and their software does not add any performance over the Ford Performance tune.

3. DV+ Diverter Valve: eliminates valve flutter and boost leaks, giving you a smoother boost curve and allowing more consistent and accurate boost control. Also responds faster than any pneumatically operated system and maintains 100% PCM control just like the stock configuration. It's also very "stock" looking as it integrates with the original valve, so unlikely to "raise suspicion", yes perception matters at the dealership weather you like it or not. A decked out car with many "showy" aftermarket components is likely to give an unfavorable impression to the dealership who has discretion over warranty issues, it's just a reality and why this is my top pick. Think "stealthy" mods.

Boomba also makes a decent valve, however it is NOT as fast as the DV+ as it's pneumatically operated, but you can get it in Vent to Atmosphere or Diverter configurations and it's ECU controlled still. This system however has that "I modded my car" look, which makes it a bit riskier on that aspect.

4. Gearing Change: if you want to run the 1/4 mile as fast as you can, 3.55 rear end for Auto's and 3.73 for manuals will get you there the fastest on a stock turbo. Gear swaps however should only be done by those with significant mechanical inclination and experience. While the parts are cheap, about $300 for a ring / pinion and install kit, it's labor intensive.

For a home mechanic that's skilled, it's worth the time and effort IF your not already equipped like so from the factory (some PP or special ordered cars are) and there's little risk overall assuming proper installation. We've seen very few drive train related issues with Ecoboost Mustangs so this is a winner in my opinion.

5. 1 Step Colder Plugs: NGK's, Denso's or Brisk are the most popular. If you run Brisk AND the Ford Performance Calibration, use the RR14S. If you do NOT run the Ford Performance Calibration, use the RR14YS.

6. Steeda 35lb Clutch Assist Spring for MT-82 equipped cars: if you find the stock clutch NUMB beyond belief, for $22 this is an easy, cheap and safe mod.

7. Short Throw for MT-82 equipped cars: pick your poison, Steeda Tri-axes, Ford Performance, Boobma etc. all offer short throw's for under $200.

8. Lowering Springs: There are many good brands, but one that comes to mind is the Ford Performance X Street springs as they maintain your chassis / suspension warranty if installed via a certified technician. Other brands that are popular and proven are Steeda, Eibac etc. A set of lowering springs will not only give the car a more aggressive look, but more importantly it will improve cornering by reducing body roll, provide better braking by reducing nose dive and better acceleration by reducing squat. For about $200 to $275 in parts this is a great investment.

9. Sway-bars and Strut Tower Brace: A set of adjustable sway-bars for front and back will run you about $300, there are many brands out there such as Steeda, SR etc. The adjustable sway bars give you the ability to fine tune front or rear biasing, so you can give yourself more mid-corner steering or more traction depending on what you like / need.

The Ford OE PP Strut Tower bracing will run about $175 if your not already equipped and provides sharper and more consistent steering by significantly reducing chassis flex in the front end.

10. If you intend to track your car, live in a hot climate or want added reliablity, an upgraded radiator is a welcomed insurance (if you have a PP radiator, generally with the above modifications you should have no issues). For base model owners you currently have two options: 1. A Performance Pack Radiator or 2. Mishimoto 2" all aluminum radiator. Either is a viable option but the Mishimoto, being the same price as a new stock PP radiator, gives you more headroom for big power adders down the road should you choose so and it's less likely to develop a leak as the end tanks are all aluminum and welded to the frame. A radiator upgrade will run you around $500 in parts.

11. Dual Valve Catch Can: catch can's help keep those intake tracts and valves clean. UPR is one of the top performers on the market, but there are also other good options. As well. Be sure to go Dual Valve so the catch can functions during boost and non-boost conditions. A UPR DVCC will run you about $250 and is a plug and play part.

12. Oil: while last on the list, it's NOT least. There is a lot of debate about oils, however for warranty purposes stick with 5W-30 unless otherwise specified by the dealer (some states with extreme climates may run something different such as Alaska for example).

AMSOIL is one of the most versatile (and pricey) oils on the market. It has exceptionally good resistance to boil off, the best wear protection and one of the best cold flow. It has a 15,000 mile service life under SEVER driving conditions, so if you change every 10k you had reserve capacity, meaning the oil is still performing well even at 10k if you beat the crap out of your car.

When choosing an oil however, you need to be aware of your environment. Some oils have very poor cold flow properties such as Royal Purpal and Red Line. Warm up is where 60% of engine wear occurs, so it's very critical, especially in very cold temperatures. While RP and RL oils accel in warm environments, they are not well suited for cold climates where you see 90F+ summer days but 10F winter days (it's 17F out as I'm typing this). So be aware of how the oils perform and if they will work under your range of conditions: http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g3115.pdf

Anyone is free to offer additional suggestions, but please keep this to low risk modifications and things that are generally warranty safe or very low risk. This thread is intended to help those new to Mustang modding or those wanting to mod but keep the warranty in tact.

Oh and I almost forgot...

13. Sub-Frame and Differential Bushings: this is a significant improvement in putting down power to the ground without that dreaded wheel hop. There are many kits on the market, Ford Performance, Steeda and many others. Steeda has the easiest kits to install, which do not permanently modify the sub-frame either which is a plus. That is what I used when I did the 3.73 GT diff swap, but any of the options on the market work well from a performance standpoint. However if you do run big power, I've seen a few V8 guys snap the grade 10.9 bolts they use on their diff bushings, so be aware of that if you intend to run big power at some point, but no stock turbo ecoboost should have any issues.

14. Light Weight Wheels: 18's are as small as you can go and still clear PP brakes. They are also the lightest if your using a standard low pressure cast wheel, more tire and less wheel. However lower profile tires typically have better cornering stability and appearance (in my opinion), but at the expensive of durability on rough roads / pot holes (a real issue here in Ohio) and added weight. Light weight Forged 19's or factory 18's are a good option to keep unsprung weight low. You can upsize the width on factory 18x8's and still maintain a proper roll out diameter, 255/45R19's have a 27" roll out on 18x8 wheels, so that's another upgrade option that's a "no cost". Yes you pay for the tires, but if you have to replace them due to wear, why not get a little more width and traction? 255 width is just about right for a street car.

As an ecoboost newbie this post is extremely helpful and informative! I really appreciate the time and effort you put in making this informative thread !

Thanks, glad to hear it's helpful. I think this is where the bigger majority of modders will start out and it's a great place to start out.

These modifications can give you a factory like result if installed properly, most of them work with other more involved modifications and they can all be reversed and play well with an otherwise stock car.

Thinks to avoid: Waste Gates and Down Pipes. These modifications must have specific calibration and testing done to properly function (aka you need a custom shop tune or extensive R&D development from a company like Livernois). They cannot be used with Ford Performance Calibration or Stock Calibration. They are outside the scope of this thread.

I run rotella T6 in hot south Florida. Daily driver that some days I beat on and some days I keep under 3k. I use it with the motor craft filter and change every 5K. Am I safe?

Heardcuh said:

I run rotella T6 in hot south Florida. Daily driver that some days I beat on and some days I keep under 3k. I use it with the motor craft filter and change every 5K. Am I safe?

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In very hot environments or specific situations, you can run a heavier weight of oil, Ford Performance has done that in certain situations for custom ProCal tuned cars, however those are typically custom built very high output engines that primarily see track use. It's not common practice for street cars that are expected to see 150k to 200k service life.

Running a higher viscosity oil MAY increase mechanical wear, oil pressure (thus pump load while also reducing lubrication of the pump itself and any bearing or cam surfaces) as well as reduced fuel economy. It's hard to say how running a 25% higher viscosity oil will impact those without any documented testing. Saying "well I've always run it fine" or "I don't have any problems" isn't exactly engineering quality testing...

We do know that engine testing is quite extensive from the factory and oil viscosity is generally chosen to mitigate wear, provide adequate service life and fuel economy in a wide range of environments, including hot ones. Take a look at Ford's Ecoboost V6 torture test and compare it to your application: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/01/what-the-inside-of-a-torture-tested-ecoboost-v-6-looks-like.html

1. 300 hours under high load on an engine dyno to simulate an equivalent of 150,000 customer miles.

2. Repeated thermal shock from -20F to 235F during that testing.

3. The engine was then put into a F-150 which then was used to tow 110,000 lbs of logs total to demonstrate the low end torque.

4. Then the engine in that same F-150 drove around a nascar track towing 11,300lbs at WOT at 82 mph for 24 hours straight.

5. Then the truck was put into a towing competition towing 9,000lbs uphill against Silverado and Ram trucks.

6. The engine was then removed from that truck and put into the 7,100 lb F-150 baja race truck and driven another 1,200 miles for practice and then 1,062 mile race where they won the Baja 1,000 with it.

7. They finally shipped it back, dyno tested it to find it made the same torque and power (well -1 hp, inconsequential).

They used the standard Motorcraft 5W-30 oil and changed it regularly. None of the bearing or cam surfaces were found to be outside of their tolerance range, meaning they are fully functional.

Here's my point, 99% of us cannot reproduce those conditions in terms of wear and stress. None of us have any documented testing of T6 or other higher viscosity oils and its long term effects even in hot environments on the Ecoboost 2.3L.

It is my recommendation that IF your concerned about wear due to high temperatures and heavy use (racing, frequent WOT etc.) to do the following:

1. Run a premium 5W-30 synthetic oil such as AMSOIL Signature. If your in a hot environment that doesn't generally get cold often, something like Royal Purple might be a good alternative. I'd avoid Red Line, while it has a good NOAC rating and Wear rating, it also has a VERY high level of deposits, which can cause flow issues for turbo bearings etc. over time and reduce oil flow, which obviously increases wear and heat: http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g3115.pdf

Higher quality oils maintain their viscosity more consistently over a broader range of temperatures. We know the Ecoboost 2.3L was designed with 5W-30 viscosity oil, so why not enhance an already known good quantity by using an oil that has more IDEAL characteristics of 5W-30?

2. Run an Oil Cooler: this will keep your oil within optimal operating temperature, thus it's viscosity will be in the ideal range. Combine this with option 1 and you will achieve excellent results regarding oil life, wear, boil off etc.

3. Run a 160F thermostat: cooler thermostat will also help keep oil temps down (assuming your not running an oil cooler) as the engines overall operating temperature is lower. It also allows for more aggressive timing = higher power output or added safety margin.

The reason most OE's use 180F thermostats is for emissions, it's very difficult to pass emissions with cooler running engines due to lower burn off of pollutants, so this may not be an option depend on where you live and your emissions requirements.

You may also need a higher capacity radiator or better quality coolant with higher thermal conductivity if you use a 160F thermostat depending on your car. Most PP equipped radiators seem to have enough capacity to deal with tuned engines, but my base model was running too hot even with a 160F thermostat. Mishimoto offers a good synthetic coolant which some people have even used to cure over heating issues on older fox body mustangs with stock radiators (due to the higher thermal transfer, it increased the efficiency of the existing radiator).

In a nutshell, is it possible that running T6 in your situation is ok? It MAY be, but we can't prove it one way or another. No one has an documented testing of the 2.3L ecoboost under those conditions, so we simply don't know. But we do know how 5W-30 performs in Ecoboost engines, we do know there are superior oils on the market to the Motorcraft 5W-30 Semi-Synthetic oil used in that testing. We do know that oil coolers help regulate oil temperatures to a specific and settable value. So why not use known good quantities? Besides, going this rout, your car may actually be faster due to having the ideally intended oil viscosity (less resistance).

Here's some more food for thought: you could judge the appropriateness of T6 based on oil pressure. If you have a data logger, you could monitor the oil pressure from the time you cold start your engine until the time you turn it off.

Determine what the factory specification is and compare. That might give you a reasonable indication at least regarding weather the 40 hot viscosity is appropriate or not.

But again, I'll pose this: AMSOIL Signature series has a 15,000 mile service in under Sever conditions including Severe conditions for TDI engines. It has a 25,000 mile service life under normal or moderate conditions.

It has some of the most ideal flow properties, resistance to boil off, detergent packages, wear properties and one of the lowest deposit rates of any oil on the market, period. It's expensive, but there's the reason for it.

If you run that oil for 10k miles, you have a 33% reserve oil life capacity to soak up any abnormally stressful use that might exceed even "severe" service conditions. When combined with a thermostatic oil cooler, not only do you have the oil's ideal property's to rely on, but your created an more ideal environment for the oil to exist in, there by extending it's life even further. You just can't go wrong taking that route, but I leave it up to you. I can respect your choice either way, but since you asked that's what my advice is based on known testing from both Ford R&D and ASTM testing. I don't have any data on how T6 (5W-40) compares to the specified 5W-30 in the Ecoboost 2.3L.

You've made a solid case, I'll try Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil. Thanks for your time and information.

I'm still ignorant on a lot of things about turbo'd DI engines. What exactly is a diverter valve? Is it just another way of saying BOV?

metalhead79 said:

I'm still ignorant on a lot of things about turbo'd DI engines. What exactly is a diverter valve? Is it just another way of saying BOV?

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Blow off valves typically vent (allow air to escape) vs diverter valves simply divert (or recirculate) the air remaining in the system.

Heardcuh said:

You've made a solid case, I'll try Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil. Thanks for your time and information.

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Your welcome. Just be sure to get a thermostatic oil cooler. The thermostat, once it reaches a set point, will change the flow path of the oil from a bypass channel to the oil cooler heat exchanger.

It allows much quicker warm up, so the oil isn't running through the cooler when the car is cold, which is where the bigger majority of wear occurs. Even in warm environments this is important and most factory / OE solutions that I'm aware of would be thermostatic. The added cost isn't huge, $75~$100 more.

Mishimoto is one of the only vendors on the market that I"m aware of that makes a mustang ecoboost specific solution, but there are quite a few universal thermostatic oil coolers at a fraction of the cost if your creative and adventurous.

jbailer said:

Blow off valves typically vent (allow air to escape) vs diverter valves simply divert (or recirculate) the air remaining in the system.

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Ah. Nice. I'm not a big fan of BOV noise.

You've made a solid case, I'll try Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil. Thanks for your time and information.

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There had been a lot of discussion early in the year when a lot of motors were going that Amsoil might not be the best choice for a turbo motor due to I THINK calcium levels? Or some other content level. I will say when my engine blew I was using and had only used Amsoil Signature oil. Could have nothing to do with it but worth mentioning. I have since changed to Pennzoil Platinum since the engine was replaced.

marjen said:

There had been a lot of discussion early in the year when a lot of motors were going that Amsoil might not be the best choice for a turbo motor due to I THINK calcium levels? Or some other content level. I will say when my engine blew I was using and had only used Amsoil Signature oil. Could have nothing to do with it but worth mentioning. I have since changed to Pennzoil Platinum since the engine was replaced.

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good choice

just in case you didn't know there is a current rebate out there up to $48 back easy to rack up if you change often like me this is available for pennzoil platinum and ultra platinum for those interested

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/00/00/90/01/79/98/9001799870._CB298595177_.pdf

I was involved in that discussion heavily on the original TST Optimization thread. There was some small correlation between the calcium content of the oil and LSPI issues in MazdaSpeed 3's and Hyundai Veloster's. But content levels much beyond 2400 ppm made almost no discernible impact on lab testing. 2400 ppm is a ceiling if you will. Also calcium isn't the cause of LSPI, it was only a contributing factor in the frequency of occurrences, primarily because it increases the intensity of hot spots.

Ford Motorcraft Semi-Synthetic blend, has around 1858 ppm of Calcium and is an OE spec oil where AMSOIL Signature has 3428 ppm. Motorcraft 5W-20 has around 2141 ppm of calcium and is the OE spec oil for Ecoboost V6's in the F-150's and Taurus SHO's. If this was an issue, why would they spec an oil which is near the ceiling of maximum probability of LSPI in their line of TDI engines, especially in F-150 ecoboost equipped vehicles which tow up to 10,000lbs at just 2,000 rpm on the highway? That is the most LSPI prone you could possibly get, high load, low RPM, towing a significant load...to boot, the boil off rate of the OE spec oil is far higher than AMSOIL signature or other similar high performance synthetics. The data does not support the expressed concerns above.

Long story short, I read through a lot of the testing done back when I started the original TST 2.3L Optimization thread because I couldn't wrap my head around why people were freaking out over it (I wasn't familiar with LSPI at the time as I had only owned NA engines in the past, V8's, V6's and I4's). It was eventually concluded (in the SAE testing, using their 1.6L TDI test engine) that LSPI is largely resolved through engine design and the engine management software architecture. This is generally a non issue in current TDI designs. Hyundai eventually addressed the issue in the Veloster after about a year and a half, Mazda updated their engine design after more was eventually understood and Ford ended up with a variation of that design in the Focus ST under the Ecoboost family.

Can LSPI still occur? Sure, but generally it only occurs in modified vehicles due to improper cooling and inadequately tested engine management software (aka the tune). Also, think about how the calcium actually gets into the combustion chamber...vaporization aka boil off. It doesn't matter if AMSOIL has a high calcium content because it's resistance to boil off is extremely good ergo very little will ever enter the combustion chamber regardless of much content is in the base oil. I'm not trying to make a plug for AMSOIL here, but I use it in my own vehicle because it has such ideal properties. It scores top in 4 of 6 ASTM standard tests and is in the top 3 in the two remaining tests. In a 4-season state (yes, a bit of a misnomer) where you go from 0F- in the winter to 90F+ in the summer, your oil better perform!

Case in point, Motorcraft 5W-30 has a NOAC score of 15.2% and a calcium content of about 1858 ppm. Assuming calcium content in the vaporized oil is relatively linear in proportion to the NOAC rating, thats 282 ppm of calcium in the vapor. AMSOIL Signature 5W-30 has a NOAC score of just 7.5% but a calcium content of 3428 ppm resulting in 257 ppm of calcium...that's lower than the factory spec oil by 9%.

In order for LSPI to occur and for calcium to be a contributing factor you must have the following conditions:

1. High cylinder / cylinder head / spark plug temperatures or hot spots in the combustion chamber at specific locations due to frequent knock, detonation or deficiencies in cylinder head / chamber design.
2. Low RPM conditions under enough load to generate the hot spots
3. Inadequate cooling which allows the hot spots to occur
4. High boil off rate of an oil that also has a high calcium content which leads to high percentages of oil being ingested into the combustion chamber via the PCV system. The leading factor is the creation of hot spots through carbon deposits, calcium is only a contributing factor to the carbon buildup, not the primary cause.

LSPI is different from knock or detonation to be clear. LSPI occurs during the upward portion of one complete cycle, so the pre-ignited cylinder is trying to suddenly move in the opposite direction, thus it is fighting the momentum of the crank, drive train, entire mass of the car and other properly functioning cylinders. Typically only a few occurrences can be tolerated literally, so LSPI failures are generally perceived as immediate and occur while cruising on the highway due the combination of heat, high load of driving in over drive and low RPM in said gear.

Knock is a second flame front which propagates in a particular region of the combustion chamber near the surface of the cylinder heat, it is a secondary ignition process on the yet un-burnt fuel. Most modern engines can tolerate mild knock indefinitely. Higher intensity knock is generally not harmful if resolved within a reasonable amount of time. Detonation is a term for severe knock and can lead to pitting of the piston head and eventually damage to the rings and lands, causing piston failure. It detonation could also cause rod, wrist pin, bearing or even crank failure depending on the engine design and weaknesses. The rods tend to give out before the pistons in the ecoboost 2.3L where as the pistons tend to give out before the rods in ecoboost 2.0L. While similar, they are not identical and have different weaknesses.

Furthermore, in the extremely unlikely event such a condition were to occur, for the scope of this thread, your warranty would cover engine replacement. Using AMSOIL Signature series oil does not void your warranty as long as you change it every 10k miles, or when the oil indicator tells you to or 1 year, whichever comes first. It is a SAE certified oil. I'm not trying to be rude or a jerk, but this is old information and this issue has been vetted to death already. Most OE spec oils have a fairly high calcium content which is one of additives that acts as a detergent.