Few venues represent as good of an opportunity to show off the latest and greatest pickup trucks than the State Fair of Texas — and that’s exactly what Ford did by unveiling the updated 2015 F-Series Super Duty lineup today. The updated Super Dutys feature the second-generation 6.7 liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel engine, increasing towing capabilities, and a freshened King Ranch model.
Since releasing the 6.7 liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel in 2011, Ford engineers have been hard at work listening to customers’ feedback and scrutinizing each component of the in-house engineered and built engine — all in the name of improving performance.
The results of the hard work speak for themselves: more power, more capability, and improved noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels. This was accomplished by updates to the turbocharging and fuel systems, as well as other all-around improvements.
The Turbo
To understand the improvements to the Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel engine, one must be familiar with one key innovation behind the original (first-generation) oil burner. That innovation is the engine’s reverse-flow layout, which places the exhaust inside the engine’s V-shape while positioning the air intake on the outside of the V. The layout is exclusive to Ford in the segment and improves a wide array of attributes, including:
Shorter airflow from the exhaust system to the turbocharger sitting between the engine’s cylinder banks improves turbo responsiveness – key to providing torque quickly to truck customers when they need it most
Positioning the turbo inside the engine’s valley helps isolate the engine’s hottest temperatures, improving performance and efficiency, while also reducing noise, vibration and harshness
Ford the second generation of the Power Stroke V8, Ford engineers built upon the many benefits of the reverse-flow design by installing a larger GT37 turbocharger that replaces the previous GT32 model, enabling more airflow to the engine to produce more power beyond today’s 400 horsepower and 800 lb.-ft. of torque.
The GT37 features a single, larger 88-millimeter compressor wheel that replaces the GT32’s dual-sided compressor design. The compressor forces air into the engine’s cylinders to improve performance – especially at high altitude where the air is thinner than at sea level. The turbine size is increased to 72.5 millimeters from 64 millimeters, so exhaust gases have a larger surface area to spin the turbo, providing extra power. The wastegate and the wastegate controls are eliminated, because the turbo operates at lower peak pressures than the GT32.
“The original designers of the current Power Stroke V8 diesel forecasted needs for higher output”, said Power Stroke technical specialist David Ives. “This facilitated the larger turbocharger, increasing airflow and creating more power.” We’ve dramatically improved performance while reducing overall engine complexity by focusing on the turbo system.”
Another benefit of the larger turbo is improved engine exhaust braking, which is manually controlled by a push-button switch on the dashboard. Extra braking power helps reduce wear and tear on wheel brakes and requires less manual brake application from the driver, especially on downhill grades.
The Fuel Delivery System
The updates to the turbo system drove improvements to the fuel delivery system with a new high-pressure fuel pump and fuel injectors. The pump’s cam stroke is increased to deliver more fuel when desired for increased power, and all-new injector tips better atomize the fuel, resulting in improved combustion that enables lower noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).. Other benefits include cleaner emissions and a reduction in the buildup of fuel deposits on the valves over time.
In addition, a new exhaust temperature sensor enables more accurate fuel control, which improves both durability and driveability — especially when towing, thereby helping drivers use the Power Stroke diesel to its maximum capability.
Even though the fuel system delivers extra fuel as needed to provide more power, other efficiency improvements ensure 2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty pickup customers see similar performance to today’s best-in-class fuel economy.
The Other Bits
Further enhancements to Ford Power Stroke diesel include:
- Ford-designed and Ford-engineered 6R140 TorqShift six-speed transmission uses a new torque converter to manage increased horsepower and torque
- New polymer coating on main bearings for improved wear-and-tear durability and lower friction
- Improved crankshaft fillet design – the transition point between the crankshaft’s journals – to increase crankshaft power carrying capability
- Increased crankshaft damper weight to reduce rotating forces on the crankshaft when the engine is performing at peak power levels
- New five-layer head gasket to handle wider range of engine firing pressures resulting from more powerful engine performance
- Added material to the engine’s cylinder heads, exhaust manifold and valvetrain to handle increased power levels
- Redesigned turbo oil and cooling lines to improve sealing
- Piston assembly upgrades to increase load-bearing capability
- New four-layer exhaust manifold gasket for improved durability
The Importance Of Truck Leadership For Ford
Notably, Ford is the only maker of heavy duty pickup trucks that designs and builds its own diesel engine and transmission combination, allowing The Blue Oval to ensure that the powertrain will work seamlessly with all chassis components and vehicle calibrations – from concept to execution. This approach also enables Ford engineers to optimize the vehicle’s performance across the entire lineup.
The Blue Oval is proud of its efforts, which enable it to remain a leader in the pickup truck segment.
“Truck leadership means never resting, and the Super Duty team has been tireless in finding ways to improve the industry’s most popular heavy-duty pickups,” said executive vice president and president of The Americas, Ford Motor Company, Joe Hinrichs. “Super Duty diesel customers will benefit from improved performance and features backed by outstanding Built Ford Tough durability.”
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