Ford Motor Co. hit a milestone Tuesday when it installed the 500,000th turbo-diesel 6.7-liter Power Stroke engine into a Super Duty chassis at its Kentucky Truck Plant. The engine construction was moved in-house several years ago after a rough breakup with the previous supplier, International.
The V-8 diesel engine has many industry-first design features, not the least of which was the first application (for anyone in the auto industry) of the inboard exhaust and outboard intake runners that made the engine much more efficient. This allowed the turbocharger to be mounted in the valley of the engine where heat and vibration could be better controlled. Other features include high-pressure piezo injectors, six head bolts, B20 biodiesel fuel capability, aluminum heads and a compacted graphite iron engine block along with many more.
The 6.7-liter Power Stroke currently produces the most horsepower of any Big Three heavy-duty truck makers with a rating of 400 hp at 2,800 rpm. However, it is bested by Ram’s current 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six-cylinder in the torque department: The Power Stroke produces 800 pounds-feet at 1,600 rpm, and the Cummins produces 850 pounds-feet at 1,700 rpm. We should note that Ford is the only manufacturer that designs and builds its own diesel and transmission combination; both GM and Ram Truck use outside suppliers.
Updates for the 6.7-liter Power Stroke will be announced at the 2013 State Fair of Texas this week.
