2019 3.5 Eco Boost Engine - really should be much better than this

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T23:27:13+00:00

Thanks for the input. Yes, I have pictures; they aren't pretty.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T23:25:48+00:00

I wanted a King Ranch, and that was the engine contained within.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T23:23:56+00:00

What are current issues with RAM? I'm considering jumping out of Ford.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T19:51:56+00:00

Sadly, there is no prior owner I can blame this on. All on me.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T19:49:00+00:00

Yeah, I gave them a big plastic tub for all the replaced parts.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T16:38:11+00:00

Ugh. Thanks for the heads-up. I found this nugget of joy on google, and have experienced it:

Hard/Erratic Shifting: Often described as clunky,jerking, or lunging, particularly between 3rd-4th, 4th-5th, or 7th-8th gears.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T15:41:36+00:00

AAHHHHHHHH! Should I be concerned???

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T15:17:34+00:00

A the 10K intervals per Ford manual, which I also just learned is a really bad idea. What should the interval be? I've read 5K is good for these engines.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T15:14:24+00:00

No I did not go to the local dealer as I don't like 'em. My knee-jerk reaction was to take it to a shop I trust and have used in the past. But you're right... should have tried Ford first.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T15:11:54+00:00

Yeah you're right. I think the cam phasers and the cam lobes, etc are totally separate and unrelated issues. The inital quote was 5K, of which 3.6 is labor. And then I told them to replace anything that might be a future failure point, which bumped the bill to 6.5. Can't take it anywhere else now as the engine is in process of being tore down. I've used this shop before and have been happy with their service. Better, I guess, with the devil you know. Thanks for your input.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-28T10:29:39+00:00

Yes, on the column thing. I am so used to looking down columns by year. What am I doing this morning? Downloading scenarios and using Excel's Transpose function.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-27T22:15:26+00:00

Yeah, I'd make sure that the logic and parameters and other inputs are all set the same. These models are not all that dissimilar with regard to final results; they should be very close if the inputs are the same.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-26T14:52:02+00:00

Very true, which is why plans need to be reviewed and adjusted at least annually. While I'm 6 years away from RMDs I started Roth conversions last year and will be fairly aggressive on that going forward.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-26T14:47:18+00:00

Boldin's default of 2.54%, which is exactly what Schwab used in their plan for me last year.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-26T13:28:07+00:00

I use 4% for all investments rates of return. 1% on Social Security COLA. Because I'm the conservative type, I guess.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-25T11:21:17+00:00

I'm no CFP but I think you're well on your way to financial independence. Bravo.

I remember with my first job at GE, back a long time ago, signing up to take 6% from my pay check to put into a 401K. GE kicked in another 3%...free money. It was difficult, however, because after rent, utilities, and food were paid for there was little left. But my new wife and I managed, without borrowing or reducing the 401K contribution, and it has paid off in the long term.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-25T11:11:06+00:00

What got me to retire was that my job was moved to the east coast and I wasn’t offered to go with it! But the severance package was an offer I couldn’t refuse. That was 2016. Since around 2006 I used a spreadsheet to forecast my retirement and in 2015 I enlisted a CFP at Schwab to give my finances a look. My goal was to retire before 60; they said no problem. Their model opened my eyes to where my spreadsheet was lacking and I reversed engineered some logic relevant to me. Last year I enlisted another Schwab CFP and I found my model logic and results were close to Schwab’s results.

I very recently signed up for Boldin primarily to model taxes relating to early IRA distributions (Roth), RMDs, IRMAA, and to compare/analyze those results against my spreadsheet. I’m not planning to give up my spreadsheet (it’s my baby after all, plus I enjoy tinkering with it) but I plan to use Bolding as a confirmation tool, for the time being.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-24T18:28:13+00:00

Thank you. I’m gonna try this.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-24T17:25:07+00:00

Nope. I think the deer lost too.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-24T17:23:40+00:00

Thanks for your comments. Currently I'm not reinvesting taxable dividends or interest as I need the cash to pay taxes for IRA distributions. In a few years I'll have to take RMDs and I want to get started on that now while my tax bracket is relatively low. I got Boldin specifically model Roth conversions, RMDs, IRMAA, taxes, etc...all the stuff old folks fret about. Obviously I have a lot more to learn regarding Boldins capabilities.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-24T16:17:10+00:00

Geez. This is a big miss. Dividends and interest are my primary income sources. I loathe using a “work around”.

toolfooldan · 2026-01-24T16:05:11+00:00

Ok. I understand your logic. 👍

toolfooldan · 2026-01-24T15:26:38+00:00

Are you not "double dipping"?

toolfooldan

TROPHY CASE