Out of sheer curiosity I watched a video of the 2.7 turbo 4 cylinder Chevy 1500 truck being tested towing a trailer. I was surprised to hear them say that they thought it towed as god as the 6.2 liter..although it got under 4 miles per gallon doing so (3.7 MPG). Check it out..https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=351&v=cSxBKR___Sg

Here's a link to make it easier...Link

The top comment on the video:"I'm not paying $50k for a truck with 1/2 an engine":B hahaHere's something to ponder....That 2.7L 4 cyl has 310 hp and 348 tq. Many here on these forums praise GM's 6.0L V8, which, until recently, was the top gas engine in their 2500 and 3500 trucks. And it had a whopping 300hp and 360tq until a few years back. Then they increased it to what 360hp/380tq? Still not that far off. Just goes to show how far we've come. Think about the big, powerful vortec 7.4L (454) in the 2500 and 3500 trucks a few years back. What did that have 290hp? Pretty amazing for the 2.7L. And really, for 90% of pickup buyers where I live, that engine would be plenty.

What might scare me off initially is how complex that engine is. It just smells like expensive breakdowns down the road. I'm sure it outperforms the 5.3 in my old Suburban. Of course, the Suburban is paid for..

falconbrother wrote:What might scare me off initially is how complex that engine is. They are all complex now. Most new technology is slowly added and no one notices.

Campfire Time wrote:falconbrother wrote:What might scare me off initially is how complex that engine is. They are all complex now. Most new technology is slowly added and no one notices.Yep, with things such as high pressure direct injection, variable valve timing, variable injections, variable displacement(MDS), and a whole host of other tech, engines these days aren't as simple as one might think. What I don't get is that as soon as you say turbo, most people start to talk about complexity even though a turbo is way more simple than the things mentioned above.Another thing people should factor in is that the metal used today in the engine internals and blocks are not the same used decades ago. They can handle a lot more than what those engines could with the right design, and most of what applied to those engines does not to modern engines.

Chevy 2.7 turbo 1500 truck. | Good Sam Community

Groover
Explorer II
May 16, 2019
falconbrother wrote:
Out of sheer curiosity I watched a video of the 2.7 turbo 4 cylinder Chevy 1500 truck being tested towing a trailer. I was surprised to hear them say that they thought it towed as god as the 6.2 liter..although it got under 4 miles per gallon doing so (3.7 MPG). Check it out..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=351&v=cSxBKR___Sg

If you are thinking of getting one and are open to Ford products you might find it informative to look at the Ford 2.7 turbo. There is a reason Chevy likes to compare their 2.7 turbo to Ford's 3.3 naturally aspirated engine.
Groover
Explorer II
May 16, 2019
twodownzero wrote:
We'll See wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
There is a reason you are seeing the turbo engines in the 1/2ton trucks and not the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks.

The bigger trucks are designed to run at a higher percentage of peak HP. In the short term when all is going great, yes, it can keep up but at 100-150k miles of hard towing, lack of oil changes, etc...do you really think it will hold up as well as a big block?

They are great engines for 1/2 ton trucks that tow 5-10% of their miles with modest loads...but take claims like this with a big grain of salt.

Umm, all the current diesels in light duty trucks have turbos and have for years...

I am amazed at how many people believe that turbos are a godsend in diesels but poison to a gas engine. It is not the turbo or the fuel, it is whether the engine was designed and built to handle extended boost. Judging from the number of State Trooper Explorers on the road and that the number is growing I think it is a pretty good guess that the 3.5 EcoBoost is holding up quite well.

The rotating assembly in any diesel engine is way tougher than anything in this truck. The operating RPM is also half what this engine will operate at. That is not a meaningful consideration at all.

I would be surprised if this engine lasts even 75k miles with heavy use. Applying a greater load across a smaller area is a recipe for wear. 75k of life in this application would be exceptional. If one were to stay out of the boost, it'd probably last much longer, but with a trailer back there, that engine is going to be working hard 100% of the time.
mich800
Explorer
May 15, 2019
Unfortunately, by the time the number of cylinders dictates longevity and usable power people die out we will be driving alternative fuel source vehicles. Heck, how many here cannot wrap their heads around a half ton truck can actually do work, tow, and haul stuff.
Dadoffourgirls
Explorer
May 15, 2019
Lessmore wrote:
... Nope, I don't want the remaining GM sedan the Malibu.
Have you driven the Malibu with the 2.0 Turbo?

Is there a reason you prefer the sedan? Have you evaluated the Acadia, Blazer, Enclave?

You could look for one of the last sedans. The LaCrosse is available in AWD? There are still Impala's available.
twodownzero
Explorer
May 15, 2019
Lessmore wrote:

I wouldn't bet on it. I think the new GM engine with the turbo will last just fine. When the Ford EcoBoost turbo 3.5 liter truck engine first came out, I thought good luck on this turbo or engine having any durability. It's been a number of years and I haven't heard of any durability issues with the Ford EcoBoost 3.5 and I'm sure it will be the same with the 2.7 liter GM turbo 4.

Is it really a durability issue if the engine just wears out? I never said it was going to break. The concern is that it is going to wear out on a faster timeline than we normally expect from new vehicles, which should go 200k+ before they need valve jobs or piston rings.

If you're aware of getting naturally aspirated type longevity from an Ecoboost pulling a load that'd normally be reserved for a small V8, I'm all ears.

My hypothesis as to why this isn't more prevalent is that those who are deliberately buying a new truck as a tow vehicle aren't choosing the Ecoboost engine. That's not the market it's aimed at. It's aimed at the occasional/casual trailering person who mostly uses the truck as a daily driver.
Lessmore
Explorer II
May 15, 2019
twodownzero wrote:
We'll See wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
There is a reason you are seeing the turbo engines in the 1/2ton trucks and not the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks.

The bigger trucks are designed to run at a higher percentage of peak HP. In the short term when all is going great, yes, it can keep up but at 100-150k miles of hard towing, lack of oil changes, etc...do you really think it will hold up as well as a big block?

They are great engines for 1/2 ton trucks that tow 5-10% of their miles with modest loads...but take claims like this with a big grain of salt.

Umm, all the current diesels in light duty trucks have turbos and have for years...

The rotating assembly in any diesel engine is way tougher than anything in this truck. The operating RPM is also half what this engine will operate at. That is not a meaningful consideration at all.

I would be surprised if this engine lasts even 75k miles with heavy use. Applying a greater load across a smaller area is a recipe for wear. 75k of life in this application would be exceptional. If one were to stay out of the boost, it'd probably last much longer, but with a trailer back there, that engine is going to be working hard 100% of the time.

I wouldn't bet on it. I think the new GM engine with the turbo will last just fine. When the Ford EcoBoost turbo 3.5 liter truck engine first came out, I thought good luck on this turbo or engine having any durability. It's been a number of years and I haven't heard of any durability issues with the Ford EcoBoost 3.5 and I'm sure it will be the same with the 2.7 liter GM turbo 4.
Campfire_Time
Explorer
May 15, 2019
twodownzero wrote:

I would be surprised if this engine lasts even 75k miles with heavy use. Applying a greater load across a smaller area is a recipe for wear. 75k of life in this application would be exceptional. If one were to stay out of the boost, it'd probably last much longer, but with a trailer back there, that engine is going to be working hard 100% of the time.

I'd say you're going to disappointed. Not too many years ago it was hard to get more than 100k out of any 4 cyl engine. But now they are going 200k, even 300k without major issues. I have 160k on my 2.4 in my HHR, and it's as good as it's ever been.

For all of GM's fault, they know how to build a truck engine, and one that lasts.

But don't compare this to a diesel. Apples to oranges.
twodownzero
Explorer
May 15, 2019
We'll See wrote:
valhalla360 wrote:
There is a reason you are seeing the turbo engines in the 1/2ton trucks and not the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks.

The bigger trucks are designed to run at a higher percentage of peak HP. In the short term when all is going great, yes, it can keep up but at 100-150k miles of hard towing, lack of oil changes, etc...do you really think it will hold up as well as a big block?

They are great engines for 1/2 ton trucks that tow 5-10% of their miles with modest loads...but take claims like this with a big grain of salt.

Umm, all the current diesels in light duty trucks have turbos and have for years...

The rotating assembly in any diesel engine is way tougher than anything in this truck. The operating RPM is also half what this engine will operate at. That is not a meaningful consideration at all.

I would be surprised if this engine lasts even 75k miles with heavy use. Applying a greater load across a smaller area is a recipe for wear. 75k of life in this application would be exceptional. If one were to stay out of the boost, it'd probably last much longer, but with a trailer back there, that engine is going to be working hard 100% of the time.
We_ll_See
Explorer
May 15, 2019
valhalla360 wrote:
There is a reason you are seeing the turbo engines in the 1/2ton trucks and not the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks.

The bigger trucks are designed to run at a higher percentage of peak HP. In the short term when all is going great, yes, it can keep up but at 100-150k miles of hard towing, lack of oil changes, etc...do you really think it will hold up as well as a big block?

They are great engines for 1/2 ton trucks that tow 5-10% of their miles with modest loads...but take claims like this with a big grain of salt.

Umm, all the current diesels in light duty trucks have turbos and have for years...
kw_00
Explorer
May 15, 2019
Looking forward in seeing how the new diesel option will do.

Forum Discussion

Chevy 2.7 turbo 1500 truck.

About Travel Trailer Group

Related Content

Chevy 4cyl Turbo

Chevy 1500 4 cyl TURBO

Turbo backfire

turbo/exbrake

5.3l chevy to 6.0l chevy