FrankReynoldsCPA

Yeah so far it seems to be okay. I believe they have a different implementation than the GM and Dodge systems. What worries me is the change to a belt driven oil pump. Reading that that's an engine-out maintenance item.

geko29

Correct. The GM and Dodge systems disable the lifters. Oil pressure through a hole in the side of the lifter activates a latch that decouples the bottom of the lifter from the top. So the bottom moves up and down as normal, but the top is held in place by the pressure from the spring. This is done in alternating order depending on the desired count of cylinders to be deactivated. GM in particular has an additional weird 3-cylinder mode where the firing order changes in a seemingly-haphazard (albeit predictable) pattern to follow the crank around.

Ford's system disables the rocker arms. Two rockers in each head have a "split" rocker arm where the fulcrum (the fixed connection to the head) is controlled by a solenoid. To deactivate a cylinder (it does all 4 at once like the old GM systems), oil pressure causes the piston of the solenoid to retract. So when the cam pushes on the rocker, the end that would normally be fixed is depressed instead of the side that actuates the valves. Release the pressure and the solenoid extends, restoring normal rocker operation.

Considering the oil pump gears have historically been major failure item on the Coyote to begin with (and are virtually guaranteed to destroy the engine when they do), I don't see this as a bad change. Either can be replaced with the engine in the car, but both are a pain. Both require removing the timing chains, the belt-driven one also requires removing the oil pan.

You're looking at a >$1500 replacement cost either way, but <fingers crossed> it looks like failures may be less frequent with the belt-driven units, as well as being less catastrophic when they happen, as it doesn't result in shards of metal flowing through the oil passages. That's why nearly every Coyote build I've ever seen includes replacing the oil pump gears with billet units.

Striker223

Those belt drive pumps are hell. Massive regression in all the other engines so far, maybe the 5.0 will be spared but I'm not hopeful. It is ford after all lol!