GM's New 2.7-Liter Turbocharged Truck Engine Rated For Regular Unleaded

pronstar · October 13, 2018

I think alot of people simply are stuck in the era of wet intake manifolds (fuel wet, not coolant wet) and traditional ignition systems. There was a camshaft company back in the late 70s/early 80s that was pushing a kit that consisted of 12:1 pistons and a special camshaft grind that allowed engines to use regular fuel on a high compression engine. For the life of me I cannot recall which company it was. They used the camshaft profile to allow it to work.

There is no sense in being stuck in the era of port injection. Direct njection was a huge improvement that most people simply either don't believe it, or don't understand it. Direct injection can allow regular fuel to be used with high compression, including the cylinder pressures under 14psi boost conditions. I can understand the doubt, but, don't really get the idea of writing this engine off without ever seeing it this engine is not shown on the Silverado or the Sierra website. GM is showing the 5.3 as the standard engine, with no indication the 2.7 will even be in the 2019 truck.

Ford put the V6 Ecoboost engine in their 150 series of pickups 8 years ago and the pundits declared that engine would never work in a pickup truck, and who would ever tow with a lowly V6. You have to admit Ford accomplished what they set out to do.

Engine power has nothing to do with the number of pistons it has. It does however have everything to do with the effective displacement. A 2.7 litre engine running under 14psi of boost is now effectively a 5.4 litre engine. It has half the rotating mass of a V8 5.4 litre engine, and that frees up some power that gets transferred to output. The addition of direct injection has changed how engines are tuned. And it is not just a simple single change, it changes the pressure of injection, the timing of the injection, how the fuel is injected, even the number of times the fuel is injected in one compression stroke.

Ford is so sold on the ecoboost engine that they are putting a 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque ecoboost into the 2019 F150 pickup truck. A v6 in a pickup truck. Don't know how far back this website has threads available, it would be interesting to see how many predicted that a V6 would never be able to tow reliably. I simply prefer to wait to see this technological wonder of an engine. I have already called my GM salesman to have him call me when the first 2.7 sales lot truck comes in so I can take it for a weekend test drive.

What we haven’t seen yet, is a boosted gasser in a medium-duty application, where the engine is under load more than it isn’t.

That’ll be the true test for longevity and durability.

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17gmclowlow · October 13, 2018

My wife and I bought 2- 2016 f150s with the 2.7l ecoboost. They ran well with premium and u could tell a difference in power on even plus. It all depends on the manufacturer and the tune they give the truck. U can tune a boosted engine to run anything if u have the programming experience to do so. Doesn't mean it will run as well as on a higher octane fuel.

My wife now drives an 18 Chrysler 300s and I have a 2017 Sierra. We were not fans of the 2.7l. She ran a 17" wheel and 33s on a leveling kit. I had 20x12s with 305/40. And I was lowered. We both got the same fuel economy. But regardless of the fuel economy. We both felt like chumps with no power.

shift_grind · October 17, 2018

What engine does your Sierra have? Everyone likes to talk about how much power the Ferd 2.7 has, but I've not driven one.

I'd like to see the official Ferd ratings on 87, but they'd rather decive customers.

17gmclowlow · October 18, 2018

Ford wants premium only ran in them. According to our ford dealer in town when we bought them only premium fuel and semi synthetic oil motor craft.

Regardless the 2.7ltt was "peppy" but only because lack of weight from a metal body. My sierra has the 5.3l and its much more powerful but u can feel the weight of the body! Now, if I were to put a tuner on the 2.7l and do away with all the factory slow settings. Different story completely.

My personal opinion.

Doug_Scott · October 18, 2018

9 hours ago, shift_grind said:

What engine does your Sierra have? Everyone likes to talk about how much power the Ferd 2.7 has, but I've not driven one.

I'd like to see the official Ferd ratings on 87, but they'd rather decive customers.

Do you know that by misspelling Ford like you do makes your posts appear like they were written by a. 14 year old?

shift_grind · October 18, 2018

3 hours ago, Doug_Scott said:

Do you know that by misspelling Ford like you do makes your posts appear like they were written by a. 14 year old?

I suppose I'd respect your opinion on my spelling and grammar more if you wrote in complete sentences.

A bit ironic, no?

Travo · July 12, 2022

On 10/13/2018 at 8:06 AM, Imcrazy said:

I think that the 2.7 I4 is a dang joke.. If it got 30MPG Hwy OK maybe it'd be worth considering but. with a 2 mpg difference vs the V8 ? Same argument I have against the old 4.3, for the minor increase in MPG it's not worth giving up the power... Plus I'd be embarrassed to own a 4cyl full size pickup, at least the 6cyl models are respectable but, a 4 banger in a big ole truck like that just seems funny...

So I have the 2.7 I4 in my GMC Sierra and I’m getting around 30 mpg if don’t speed everywhere I do have intake and exhaust and it blew my mind how much power it has I am looking to tune it to get more out of the turbo but I hit 25 mpg across the board I’m a v8 person always have been but it did blow my mind 10 to 15 years ago no way I would have thought about being in the driver seat

2021TurboMax · June 4, 2023

I have owned the silverado with the double cab, 4x4 and 2.7l 4 banger since July of 2021, pre factory horsepower/torque increase. I pull a 32' 7,000+ lbs camper from southern ohio to Myrtle Beach twice a year with this truck. Through the mountains of West Virginia and North Carolina with no problems at all. Getting anywhere from 12 to 16 mpg (on 87 octane) there and back. Y'all can laugh all you want at this little engine, but it blows the crappy 4.8l in my 2013 Silverado out of the water in both power and fuel economy pulling the same camper.