How difference between H/O and Regular Ecoboost?

[Partsjockey]

Want to buy a used convertible (2019-2024)! Is there really that much difference between H/O or regular Ecoboost or is it when you modify the engine that there is a difference?

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[S550HPP]

HPP gets you GT brakes & rad, strut tower to firewall bracing, underbelly bracing, 155 mph top speed, upgraded engine w bigger turbo 330 HP /350 ft/lb w lineage to Focus RS. quad active exhaust, same front bumper and splitter as GT PP1 incl belly pan and brake cooling ducting, different dampers, springs and sway bars and 19 X9 wheels .....all DOT / crash test approved. Also get the two uber cool gauges upper center dash.

Would need to spend a lot of time and money replicating. HPP convertibles are very rare.

 

[Anyone3505]

From my research, the HO engine is the "standard" 2.3 with the cams, turbo, and i think intercooler from the Focus RS. Compared to the RS, it's tuned conservatively.

You can upgrade a standard Mustang EB engine to the HO with parts from the Ford Performance catalogue, but unfortunately they don't offer the HO tune. I believe you'd have to go aftermarket.

The HPP wasn't an especially commonly ordered option, probably because the price put it pretty close to a base GT (despite being a higher trim with more features).

I spent a long time-3 or 4 months- looking for an HPP convertible stick 201A in a not-boring color combo. Eventually i gave up and got a GT instead with almost everything i wanted. It was about $2k over my initial budget, but I have absolutely no regrets. I hadn't been "settling" for the HPP because of budget constraints, i specifically wanted that configuration over everything that was available, but the GT was easier to source, for not much more $, and it turned out to be a more enjoyable vehicle for me.

 

[MrMike]

HPP Convertible is a unicorn on the used market; just get a GT.

 

[ModernSVO]

HPP gets you GT brakes & rad, strut tower to firewall bracing, underbelly bracing, 155 mph top speed, upgraded engine w bigger turbo 330 HP /350 ft/lb w lineage to Focus RS. quad active exhaust, same front bumper and splitter as GT PP1 incl belly pan and brake cooling ducting, different dampers, springs and sway bars and 19 X9 wheels .....all DOT / crash test approved. Also get the two uber cool gauges upper center dash.

Would need to spend a lot of time and money replicating. HPP convertibles are very rare.

9.5" wheels and a diff cooler. or maybe that is part of the handling package on top of the HPP.
I love mine. I've never seen a Drop top EB HHP.

 

[Partsjockey]

Would love to get a GT, insurance is just stupid crazy! So not for this purchase.

 

[Boosted Pony]

Contrary to what some say the engine is not the same as the standard 2.3 ecoboost, the engine did come from the Focus RS, if the engine was no different than the standard ecoboost engine Ford would not have spent all that money to reconfigure the block to fit the Mustang rear wheel drive configuration from the Focus RS transverse configuration. Ford would have just used the standard ecoboost block if it was the same.

It is hard to find information on the HPP 2.3 engine and you have to dig deep to find anything, the 2.3 HPP blocks were all cast in Valencia, Spain, they did all the work to reconfigure the engine to fit the Mustang. Again if there was no difference then why spend all that money to reconfigure the block for the Mustang.

The 2.3 HPP likely has a stronger alloy cast block and it does in fact have high strength cylinder liners, the head is cast with a stronger alloy and is a high flow design. There is some links that Cosworth helped Ford develop the Focus RS cylinder head but that was the limit of Cosworth's involvement. The 2.3 HPP/Focus RS also had relief holes in the block instead of slits between the cylinders, Ford updated all 2.3 ecoboost engines with the relief holes I think in 2021 which helps with head gasket issues. The Focus RS/2.3 HPP also used a stronger head gasket to handle the boost from the larger Ford Performance turbo.

Obviously the engine mapping software is different and allowed the 2.3 HPP to have more HP and a wider torque curve than the standard ecoboost.

 

[21 STANG]

Here's a great video to watch from the Ford engineers that designed the HPP.

 

[S550HPP]

9.5" wheels and a diff cooler. or maybe that is part of the handling package on top of the HPP.
I love mine. I've never seen a Drop top EB HHP.

Correct. Yeah vert HPP are very rare. Just sold mine today to Ford dealer pocketed $8K after lease buyout. Have a full audio system, Garrett IC, Airraid tube, new front OE end links I can strip before handing over if anyone wants them.

 

[GR1MxREAPER]

Would love to get a GT, insurance is just stupid crazy! So not for this purchase.

Not sure your age etc but I was paying $155 for my 2019 mustang GT premium and I thought that was pretty good but switched to state farm about 8 months ago and now it’s under $100 for full coverage towing and glass $500 deductibles. Try calling around it surprised me that it was so much cheaper at another company. Good luck on your search either way

 

[Son of SVO]

Here's a great video to watch from the Ford engineers that designed the HPP.

GREAT video on our cars from the guys that designed it! I love mine, now almost six years in.
Very interested in the HPP successor 2026 Ecoboost RTR. Very similar formula and if Ford Racing is providing the rumoured 350/400 tune I'm probably going to be a buyer.

 

[BlueHPP]

As the owner of a 2020 HPP/HP car I have tried to find the differences between the base and HPP ecoboosts. Here is what I have found. Serial number for HPP has D, regular has H in it.

	1FA6P8TH8L5188091	1FA6P8TD8L5143XXX	Handling package	Source
	Regular	HPP
Engine	LR3E- 6007-CA	LR3E- 6007-AA		Ford Service CD
Cylinder head	EJ7Z-6049A	says high strength no part # diff		Tech Specs
Head Gasket	EJ7Z-6051-C	EJ7Z-6051-E		Online part #s
Block	LR3Z-6010A	High tensile liners-no part # diff		Tech specs /Hot Rod
Piston Rings		Improved- no part # difference		Tech Specs ?Hot Rod
Turbocharger	57 or 60 mm 18 psi	63 mm impeller/ 22 lbs boost
springs		?	Stiffer front	Ford Engr video
Front sway bar/Rear bar	32 mm front/20 rear	32 mmm front X 21.7 mm rear	33.3 mm Front/ 24 mm rear	Tech specs
Front brakes	320 X 30 vented single piston	352 mm X 32 vented 4 piston caliper	Improved pads	Tech specs
Rear Brakes	320 X30 solid rotor single piston	330 X 25 vented rotor single piston		Tech specs
active exhaust	Optional	Std	Std	Tech specs
Wheels	18 X 8/ 19 x 8.5	19 x 9.0	19 X 9.5	Tech specs
radiator	RAD 129	Larger RAD 205 20% more capacity		Tech specs/ Mishimoto
ECM
Differential	3.31 ltd slip	3.55 ltd slip	3.55 Torsen	Tech specs
Shock absorbers			Magnaride electronic	Tech specs
Weight	90 lbs lighter-3542	3632	3632	Tech specs

Things to remember:
Tech specs are not always right.
The Focus RS and HPP use a thicker head gasket to lower compression ratio from 9.5 to 9.37.
After April 2021 the Handling package cars got the six piston Brembo brakes with 15 inch rotors.
If there is really a difference what is the part number for the different part? I cannot find a different part number for the head or block.
Overall I really like the car for the value. I have checked on the weight difference between a GT and the HPP. Base GT is only 73 pounds heavier but the Bullitt is 218 pounds heavier than a 6MT HPP/HP car. So a PP2 car I would expect to be about 150-170 heavier with all of the upgraded parts.

 

[Boosted Pony]

The 2.3 engine carries certain basic design features that are in every version of the engine, the open deck design is a prime example of this. When Ford started production of the current open deck design version of the 2.3 they were using slits between the cylinders.

When Ford created the Focus RS 2.3 engine they made multiple changes to the engine over the standard 2.3. One was instead of using slits between the cylinders they drilled a relief hole on each side of the cylinder in the block, this helps in head gasket sealing. Two they used a high strength cylinder liner. Third they used a higher strength alloy to cast the block with. Forth they received some design help from Cosworth on the cylinder head so it would be efficient and high flow and cast it with a high strength alloy with Cosworth casting the head. Fifth they used a stronger thicker head gasket. There are some other performance features used on the Focus RS as well because that was the hot rod version of the Focus RS it made 350 HP and 350 LB FT Torque.

Fast forward to the Mustang, the design team knew the Focus RS was being discontinued but they were intrigued as to how the Focus RS engine would preform in the Mustang so they took one and fitted it to the rear wheel drive chassis layout and found that it really was a blast to drive, it has excellent power with a wider power band than the standard 2.3 and because it was lighter in the front end it handled better than the V8 Mustangs.

So the Ford R&D team got the approval to make the necessary changes to the Focus RS 2.3 engine to install it in the Mustang creating the 2.3 High Performance Package using suspension from the GT, the front splitter and under tray with the brake cooling ducts as well as the GT four piston brake calipers and larger rotors and a rim and tire package. They also added the extra gauges to the center of the dash.

Part of the reconfiguration of the engine to fit the Mustang was they had to us a different intake manifold and the Turbo had to be redesigned as well to fit the rear drive configuration. The Turbo is the Ford Performance Turbo with has a 63mm compressor wheel which is 5% larger than the standard ecoboost 2.3. Obviously the ECU tune is also more aggressive so you ended up with a 40% wider usable torque curve in the 2.3 High Performance Package engines, this works perfect with the 10 speed automatic as every shift keeps you in the meat of the torque curve.

Now back to the Cosworth connection I mentioned, you are going to find some who say Cosworth had no role in the design of the head, I have found this view came from one individual who posted on multiple Focus RS forums saying Cosworth was not involved but that individual also never provides any proof that Cosworth was not involved in the design.

There are several other pieces of information saying that yes Cosworth did help Ford in the design of the head in the area of flow so it would be an efficient high flow design, Cosworth has a lot of experience in high performance engines as we all know.

Car & Driver said:
The engine has a heavily revised twin-scroll turbocharger with a larger compressor housing and a unique airbox. It has high-tensile-strength cast-iron cylinder liners to deal with increased boost pressures, as well as a unique cylinder head. Which, in a fitting connection to the previous Escort and Sierra RS models of the 1980s and 1990s, is cast and machined by Cosworth in the U.K.

Autocar said:
But using Ford’s 2.3-litre Ecoboost Mustang engine as a basis, it has taken a whole new Cosworth-milled cylinder head and gasket

Ford Press only says this with no mention of Cosworth:
The cylinder head is produced from an upgraded alloy material capable of withstanding higher temperatures, and is mounted on a more robust head gasket with improved thermal capability.

Now if the 2.3 engine from the Focus RS was just your run of the mill 2.3 engine block and head Ford would not have spent all the money and retooling on the Focus RS block to make it fit the rear wheel drive Mustang. They would have simply used the standard Mustang 2.3 engine block instead saving a lot of money on retooling.

My take is Ford used Cosworth but did not want to designate the Focus RS a Cosworth RS as they had done that twice already in the past on cars plus that would eliminate any on going royalties to Cosworth for the use of the Cosworth name, so just paying Cosworth for the design work and casting meant just payment for services rendered.

It is hard to find information on the 2.3 High Performance Package Mustang engine as Ford themselves has only let out small bits and pieces of information on it but you would think Car & Driver as well as Autocar received a little more information than Ford has put out in their own press releases on this package.

I look at it this way, the 2020 Mustang 2.3 High Performance Package was taken to Virginia International Raceway by Car & Driver for their road testing review of the car, they were able to run a faster lap time than the 2015 Mustang GT they tested at the same track just five years earlier, while the GT was 10 MPH faster down he long straight it was not able to make up all the time it lost in the twisty sections of the track to the lighter more nimble Mustang 2.3 High Performance Package.

I also think Ford detuned the 2.3 High Performance Package engine some to separate it a little further from the GT, the last thing Ford wanted was for the Four cylinder 2.3 High Performance Package to be competitive performance wise against the more expensive GT which would have stolen sales from the more expensive GT.

That is where the aftermarket comes in allowing you to build a 2.3 package that will run with a stock GT in 90% of situations and in some cases beat the stock GT. Add in the more robust 2.3 High Performance Package engine and you have more reliability to go along with it.

Ford did make an upgrade to the standard 2.3 engine block in I believe it was 2021 in that they stopped using the slit between the cylinders and changed all of them over to the drilled holes on each side of the cylinders which helps to eliminate blown head gaskets.

 

[GrabberBargeCaptain]

That's really cool, had no idea there was such a difference. You know when Cosworth is helping you out with engineering, you're gonna be in for a good time.

 

[BlueHPP]

At least one person has said that after the 3/2020 build date all of the 2.3 blocks got the between cylinder cross drilling. That might explain the block part number. Would not account for liner difference. Would like to see part number difference. Head number as well.
I believe that the RS got the 63mm turbo compressor as well. The RS and the HPP got the thicker head gasket to lower the compression. My information says both are 9.37:1. There was a
problem with the head gasket during the RS build that caused an issue with the cars. Ford said wrong head gasket.

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