Performance Upgrades for the EcoBoost Raptors
The Raptor is the crown jewel of Ford’s development of high-performance, off-road pickup trucks. From their debut in 2010 until the latest iteration for model year 2021, these trucks came from the factory with several variations of Ford’s strong V8 motor. These days, times have changed a little. Instead of big, gas-guzzling V8s, nearly every automaker has experienced a sea change towards turbocharged motors of smaller displacements, in the hopes of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing fuel efficiency. To that end, the third generation of the Raptor was released exclusively with Ford’s very successful 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine (the V8 has recently made a reappearance in the Raptor R, but this is a very fresh development). If the word “EcoBoost” sounds familiar, it may be because you’ve heard it referred to in conjunction with the new Ford GT. That’s right, the same mill under the hood of your new Raptor is also used to power the greatest American supercar of all time.
In its stock form, the EcoBoost is certainly no slouch at all. While it receives a less aggressive tune than the Ford GT, it is still good for 450 horses and 510 pound-feet of torque in the Raptor. In a pickup truck, this translates to one mean burnout machine and a 0-60 time of 7.8 seconds. Of course, many car enthusiasts wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing their motor is capable of more power than they are currently seeing. Thankfully, the EcoBoost has reached a stage in its development where there are now a variety of accessories available for Raptor owners (or indeed, anyone with this great V6) to increase the output of their motors just a little bit. Here are a few great solutions to eek out a few more ponies.
ECU Tune
An ECU tune is one of the best ways to get the most horsepower for your dollar, and there are many tuning companies to choose from. Additionally, many tunes offer benefits other than sheer horsepower and torque gains. For example, take the Livernois tune for the 3.5L EcoBoost: not only do they advertise gains of a whopping 68 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque, they’ll also remove your top speed limiter, tune for specific octanes, enhance the throttle response, and allow you to disable Ford’s cylinder deactivation, if desired. Other companies offering tunes for the EcoBoost Raptors are Burger, Stage 3 Motorsports, More Power, and COBB. It’s hard to beat the value offered by a great ECU tune from a reliable tuner.
Cold Air Intake
It won’t net you as many horsepower as an ECU tune, but an upgraded intake is an easy modification that will boost the output and response of your motor. Cold air intakes have been popular modifications for decades; by reducing the temperature of the air heading into the combustion chambers, your motor becomes more efficient. As an added bonus, most of these intakes also flow more air, helping your motor breathe a little better. Stage 3 Motorsports offers a variety of intakes (including those with a snorkel for added style points) starting at a few hundred dollars. With the base setup, Stage 3 advertises better throttle response and more power at the top end of the rev range. It should be noted that the ECU may still need to be tweaked to accommodate the additional airflow into the engine, so consider performing both of these upgrades at the same time to optimize your results. The Roush Cold Air Intake is another popular and time-tested piece.
High-Flow Turbo Exhaust Adapters
Having an efficiently breathing engine largely comes down to two things: intake and exhaust flow. By eliminating any factory air restrictions with an upgraded intake as described above, you’ll want to pair that more efficient intake system with a more efficient exhaust system. In this case, a simple turbo exhaust adapter can do wonders. By optimizing the size and shape of the adapters that sit between the stock turbo housing and downpipes, these aftermarket items reduce turbo back pressure and smooth out the flow of exhaust gases coming out of the turbo. Ultimately, these simple parts can net you around 25 horsepower and over 40 pound-feet on top of any other modifications you’ve made. This is an easily overlooked, but very inexpensive modification to make on the EcoBoost engines. Once again, Stage 3 Motorsports offers this part, as well as an install kit. Other companies offering the high-flow adapters include Rogue Offroad, CJ Pony Parts, and 5 Star Tuning.
Performance Intercooler
Intercoolers are an essential part of any turbocharged or supercharged engine. Essentially, these are radiators for the turbocharger, as the act of turbocharging (forcing more air into the motor than would otherwise be naturally sucked in) creates a lot of heat. Replacing the OEM Ford intercooler with a beefier unit can help increase the reliability and efficiency of your stock turbochargers, and most aftermarket offerings (such as the intercoolers from COBB and Mishimoto) are easy to install yourself and are legal in all 50 states. These are fairly pricey parts, but if you have already completed the above modifications, it’s a good next step to take towards the ultimate high-performance Raptor.
Conclusion
While you might see internet keyboard warriors denigrate the 3.5L EcoBoost motor from time to time, it has literally won LeMans and is a fantastic choice for any application. In the Raptors, these motors come with a moderately high level of tune, but still leave a little on the table. Any of the above modifications would be a great choice to soup up your truck just a little bit more, whether it be for actual competition driving or just sheer bragging rights. Thankfully, at the end of the day the Raptor is still a Ford, which means you have the entirety of the Ford aftermarket to choose from. If you have a favorite aftermarket parts manufacturer that you don’t see listed here, give them a call; they just might have any of the parts above that you’re looking for. While the V6 might still be “new” to Raptor enthusiasts, the EcoBoost motor is highly capable, and with the right combination of the above modifications, can walk the Coyote V8 like it’s standing still.
