With production of the new 2011 Ford F-Series Super-Duty trucks ramping up, the company has released the long awaited horsepower and torque ratings of its all new in-house designed V8 turbo diesel engine.
Debuting in the 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty truck, the new diesel engine delivers best-in-class 735 ft.-lb. of torque (at 1,600 rpm), 390 horsepower (at 2,800 rpm) and class-leading fuel economy while adding more fueling flexibility and easily meeting stringent new emissions requirements. With that power plant, the new truck will have best-in-class towing capability of 24,400 pounds. That is staggering.
Ford’s new 6.7-liter diesel uses an inboard exhaust architecture, an automotive-industry first for a modern production diesel engine. The design reduces overall exhaust system volume, which leads to better throttle response for the customer; additionally, reduced exhaust system surface area minimizes heat transfer to the engine compartment and improves NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) performance.
Providing boost is another gem. Honeywell’s VNT™ (variable nozzle turbine) DualBoost turbocharger features an industry-first dual-sided compressor wheel that works in a single housing. This turbocharger design allows the single unit to deliver the benefits of a twin-turbocharger system in a smaller, more efficient package, combining the advantages of a small turbocharger (faster response) and a large turbocharger (ability to compress and force more air into the engine for more power) in one unit.
A high-pressure Bosch fuel system injects fuel at more than 29,000 psi. The system delivers up to five injection events per cylinder per cycle using eight-hole piezo injectors to spray fuel into the piston bowl. The direct-injection system is calibrated and phased for optimum power, fuel efficiency and NVH performance.
Aluminum cylinder heads for reduced weight; the mid-deck construction with dual water jackets provides increased strength and optimal cooling; also, six head bolts, instead of four as found on other engines, help improve sealing and maintain cylinder integrity even with the higher firing pressures; overall the engine is about 160 pounds lighter. The cylinder heads, which feature dual water jackets, are capable of firing pressures approaching 2,600 psi. The tall water jacket works as a manifold, flowing high-velocity water for cooling and adding to the structural robustness in the head to handle the higher firing pressures. Crankshaft durability is improved through Ford’s unique undercut and fillet roll treatment to relieve stress.
The valvetrain features patented dual hydraulic lash adjusters, which improves the performance and reliability of the valvetrain by using two pushrods per cylinder instead of the conventional single pushrod, with individual rocker arms. Other proven components round out the engine hardware, including fractured-split connecting rods and a fuel system capable of generating 29,000 psi to feed the common-rail direct-injection fuel system. Like GM’s newly released competitor, the new Ford diesel is compatible up to B20 fuel.
