Ford has released details on the 6.7-liter Powerstroke diesel V8 for its 2011 F-Series Super Duty line, and this engine is definitely not short on complexity. It's also the first Ford diesel engineered in-house since the company parted ways with Navistar, the manufacturer of all recent Powerstrokes.
The first thing you'll notice is the inboard exhaust arrangement -- the exhaust manifolds are in the center (in the "vee") while the intake is on the outside. It's the same arrangment as on BMW's 4.4-liter, twin-turbo gasoline V8. But Ford touts the 6.7-liter as the first diesel "inside-out" V8 application and with GM postponing its next-gen diesel, this is true. The reversed design aids turbocharger response and helps with packaging, naturally, and says Ford, provides easier service access to major components.
The turbocharger housed in the vee of the new Powerstroke is not any old turbocharger. It's a single turbo with two compressor wheels driven by a single turbine. Though the two compressors actually operate in parallel and not sequentially, Ford calls this ball-bearing unit a "single-sequential" turbocharger -- needlessly confusing says our engineering editor, Jay Kavanagh. The benefit of this design is a broader compressor map, resulting in quicker boost response and improved low-end torque.
In addition, the turbine is capable of variable vane pitch angles, enabling varied boost response depending on driving conditions.
Instead of the usual cast iron, the engine block on the 6.7-liter diesel V8 is made of compacted graphite iron, which Ford says is twice as strong. This engine also weighs less than the 6.4-liter diesel V8 in the 2010 Ford F-Series. The block and main bearing caps are cross-bolted for added stiffness. Aluminum cylinder heads are also lighter, and dual water jackets enable firing pressures "approaching 2,600 psi." In addition, the engine's in-board exhaust arrangement has necessitated an unusual sideways valve layout with four very slender rocker arms per cylinder -- maybe that's why Ford is calling the engine "Scorpion."
The direct-injection fuel system is capable of injecting fuel at up to 30,000 psi, with up to five injections occurring per cycle. And for those interested, the new engine is certified to handle up to 20-percent blends of biodiesel (B20).
Emissions reduction measures include cooled EGR, an oxidation catalyst, an injection of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF, which is 67.5% water, 32.5% urea) to remove oxides of nitrogen from the exhaust stream, plus a particulate filter.
Today's announcement didn't include any huge torque and horsepower claims, but we'd guess there will be at least some improvement over the 350 hp and 650 pound-feet on the 6.4-liter Powerstroke's spec sheet. Ford is promising "significantly improved torque, horsepower and fuel economy."
Above photo from PickupTrucks.com
audidriver says:
03:02 PM, 08/31/09
So when will we see one offered on the Flex?
rick8365 says:
03:55 PM, 08/31/09
Sweet beast.
cwc1 says:
06:11 PM, 08/31/09
Major cool. If GM hadn't postponed final testing of theirs, they could have been first and beaten Ford. Now, if they ever do introduce theirs, it will make it seem like they copied Ford.
matt1320 says:
06:23 PM, 08/31/09
The turbodiesel V-8 that GubMint Motors axed was a small block(5.0L ??) for the 1500 series pick-ups. Allegedly was going to stronger and cleaner than 1st gen. Duramax in 2500/3500 pick-ups. What a shame.
blueguydotcom says:
09:03 PM, 08/31/09
Interested in the economy numbers.
zoomzoomn says:
05:00 AM, 09/ 1/09
"The reversed design aids turbocharger response and helps with packaging, naturally, and says Ford, provides easier service access to major components."
So, is this going to be another Powerstroke nightmare? Are these componants going to need to be so easily accessible? Don't get me wrong, it is a good engineering effort, but the proof will be in the preverbial pudding. I hope that Ford's singular efforts are more successful than when they used the modified Navistar units.
arumage says:
06:04 AM, 09/ 1/09
matt1320,
It was supposed to be 4.5L, with the same basic design as the Ford block, exhaust ports on the inside of the V and intake on the outside.
michael_s says:
06:37 AM, 09/ 1/09
audidriver, this engine would tear any transmission that could fit into the Flex into pieces.
brn says:
08:02 AM, 09/ 1/09
zoomzoom, this isn't the first time Ford has chosen to make a vehicle easily serviceable. It has nothing to do with expected problems, but instead with ease of maintenance.
As to the powerstroke nightmare, the whole reason Ford developed this engine was to get away from Navistar.
audidriver says:
10:00 AM, 09/ 1/09
I was being a litte sarcastic but I would like to know why Ford can't or won't build a smaller design of this engine to fit in their Flex, Edge, Taurus or even the Ranger or Explorer models. Why leave diesels only to the Super Duty trucks? I know that most americans still think of diesels and loud and smelly. However, this attitude is starting to change with some of the diesels from Volkswagen or Mercedes. My other vehicle is a Ford Expedition and I would love to see them offer something like this in there. Ford's current gas V8's are underpowered and gas hogs.
thejohnp says:
10:26 AM, 09/ 1/09
Wonder how long it would take that guy to make one of these out of Lego?
kriskepi08 says:
10:31 AM, 09/ 3/09
It's also going to be very quiet, clean and get better fuel economy due to its 6-speed automatic transmission. Win-win for anyone who uses these engines in their vehicles day in and day out.
desertheat says:
10:00 PM, 09/16/09
Hey guys ... Just a thought here for some of the people questioning Fords attempt of building its " own " diesel .... dont forget it owns a large portion of CUMMINS .... im sure they have plenty of background knowledge there to tap into , at least lets HOPE so lol . What do you think ?
..... Bob
bobcat67 says:
10:01 PM, 09/21/09
sorry bob you are sadly mistaken, once upon a time Ford bought approximately a 10% stock share in Cummins however Cummins purchased it back from Ford due to the fact that they had a contract with Chrysler for the pickup division and it would seem counter productive to have Ford owning part of cummins and using an International/Navistar engine in their pickups don't you think? Being as Cummins has the reputation for building the most reliable engine in light duty pickups and the Powerstroke has been the most unreliable engine out of the big three. In a nutshell if ford owned any percentage of Cummins it wouldn't make sense to keep using Navistar or even making their own engine when Cummins already has field proven and made reliable engines for years.