How Much Boost Does The Ford 3.5L EcoBoost Make, And What PSI Can It Handle?

The 3.5-liter V6 Ford EcoBoost, the founding member of Ford's EcoBoost engine lineup and one of the most reliable turbocharged engines available, hit the streets in 2009. With its special blend of power and efficiency, one of the 3.5L EcoBoost's first assignments was delivering 365 horsepower and an estimated 20 miles per gallon to the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO.

Ford lists the 2024 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost horsepower at 400 and torque at 500 lb-ft. For comparison, the 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 also has 400 horsepower but only 410 lb-ft of torque, and the 3.5 makes peak torque at 3,100 rpm as opposed to 4,250 for the 5.0. However, the 2024 F-150 Raptor uses a High Output 3.5L EcoBoost with 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, and the Ford GT Mk II supercar's 3.5L EcoBoost makes 700 horsepower.

The key to the 3.5L EcoBoost's power is the forced air induction, or boost (measured in pounds per square inch or psi), provided by intercooled twin turbochargers. Power ratings found in the early 3.5L EcoBoost come from relatively minor boost values of around 12 psi per MotorTrend, and the more powerful Ford F-150 Raptor version has a boost of 18 psi.

Aftermarket engine tunes, like the one from Cobb Tuning, can increase the horsepower and torque of the stock Ford 3.5L EcoBoost by boosting pressure. For Example, in the High Output engine in the Ford Raptor, it can boost the pressure to 22.5 psi. The second-generation 3.5L EcoBoost, used in 2017 and newer Ford F-150s, uses twin BorgWarner K03 turbochargers with electronically controlled wastegates to manage boost pressure. Boost is generated by high-tech turbine wheels "made from a high temperature resistant alloy" capable of fast-spooling (up to 17,000 rpm) quickly, even at low engine rpm. Other 3.5L EcoBoost applications used two Garrett Motion turbochargers.

A Roush Yates Racing Engines' (RYRE) 3.5L EcoBoost is capable of producing over 800 horsepower and unrestricted dyno runs up to 1,000 horsepower, however, International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) rules limit output to 600 horsepower. The good news, for those wanting to upgrade boost pressure, is the RYRE 3.5L EcoBoost version that produces 600 horsepower uses the same cylinder bore, crankshaft stroke, engine block, cylinder heads, valve sizes, and valve springs. The Roush Yates engine uses twin-60mm compressor, 54mm turbine Honeywell Motorsport (Garrett's parent company according to MotorTrend) turbochargers with boost dialed to 10 psi.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to increase the boost of a Ford 3.5L EcoBoost engine is by installing a custom tune from a company like Cobb Tuning or MPT Performance (MPT being short for More Power Tuning). In addition to delivering more power by increasing boost pressure, a quality tune can improve throttle response and transmission shifting.

Another way to achieve higher boost pressure in the 3.5L EcoBoost is to install aftermarket turbochargers. Upgraded turbochargers from companies like KC Turbos, Garrett, and BorgWarner offer "bolt-on" turbo kits featuring both left and right turbos. Among those manufacturers you'll easily find a new-and-improved set of turbochargers designed to fit nearly any Ford model powered by the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine.

One downside is that most of these aftermarket turbos require the use of 91-93 octane gasoline, and the use of high ethanol gas blends could require upgrading the stock fuel pump system. Some upgraded turbo kits are expressly intended for use away from public streets.