DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 7, 2002 – Ford’s new 32-valve 6.0-liter V-8 Power Stroke® diesel engine and new TorqShift® five-speed automatic transmission were made for each other – literally. The powertrain will provide F-Series Super Duty customers with increased power and improved capability for the 2003 model year.

Driven by customer demand for more power with less noise, and determined to improve emissions and fuel economy, Ford engineers went to work on a powertrain that would set new standards for power, capability and performance.

The result is a best-in-class diesel power package that produces 325 horsepower at 3,300 rpm and 560 foot-pounds of torque at 2,000 rpm. The diesel engine also improves fuel economy by approximately 8 percent, while satisfying the most stringent emissions standards. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are reduced by 20 percent when compared with the well-respected 7.3-liter it replaces. The new engine and transmission will be available on the F-Series Super Duty pickups and chassis cabs and Ford Excursion sport utility vehicles in early 2003. The new transmission’s tow-haul mode can be activated easily with a touch of a button or a touch of the brake, helping provide improved control when towing.

“The new diesel engine and automatic transmission are key elements in this vehicle,” said Bill Ickes, F-Series Super Duty assistant chief program engineer. “We have very loyal customers, so we listened to them and are giving them what they want and more. This 2003 Super Duty reinforces our capable, versatile, tough truck reputation.”

Building a better engine
The 6.0-liter Power Stroke® V-8 engine is a direct-injection, 32-valve diesel with an all-new cast-iron block and cylinder heads. It employs a single, block-mounted camshaft in a compact overhead valve design for low friction and durability.

Ford engineers knew they needed a strong engine to meet heavy towing needs – one that could do a big job with class-leading horsepower yet exhibit smooth, quiet, refined engine characteristics.

One key to achieving this was use of the Electronic Variable Response Turbocharger (EVRT™). “The strategy we used allowed us to size the turbocharger for fuel efficiency and altitude capability, while achieving better low end response for better launch characteristics,” said Charlie Freese, chief diesel engineer. “The EVRT™ avoids less efficient wastegate strategies, which are sometimes used to reduce turbocharger lag.”

The 32-valve 6.0-liter Power Stroke® V-8 diesel turbocharger is similar to a variable nozzle turbocharger used in some European vehicles. Applying electronic controls to the turbocharger optimizes turbocharger performance for different driving conditions. The turbocharger actuator also takes advantage of the hydraulic systems already on the engine to move the vanes for better efficiency. Tuned to exploit the transmission gear ratios and electronically controlled shift strategies, the vehicle achieves faster acceleration.

“When you drive this truck, it accelerates so quickly that you almost feel like you’re driving a car. That’s not typical for a vehicle this large and this capable,” says Freese. “It’s very enjoyable to drive, loaded or unloaded. Loaded to its maximum gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 20,000 (F-550 maximum GCWR is 30,000) pounds, the truck performs very well. The maximum engine speed was extended to 4,000 rpm, providing performance feel improvements that enhance the drive experience.”

The engine is able to meet federal emissions regulations ahead of schedule in part due to a cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system that helps to reduce NOx emissions by approximately 20 percent.

The EGR system redirects a portion of the exhaust gas through a cooler and reintroduces it into the engine combustion chamber. This recirculated gas helps control the combustion temperature to avoid conditions – high temperature and the presence of oxygen – that are favorable for formation of NOx. In older systems, measures to reduce NOx formation often relied entirely upon delayed injection timing, which could adversely affect fuel economy. The EGR system allows more flexibility to optimize both emissions and fuel economy.

The engine cooling system employs a larger fan coupled with an engine-mounted stator, a new fan clutch and an onboard computer that controls fan speed for improved cooling capacity and efficiency. When the onboard computer senses warm temperatures, it activates the cooling system, allowing the fan to pull cool air through the charge air cooler, transmission cooler and air-conditioner condenser. The fan is disengaged when it is not needed. In less efficient systems, the fan runs at a fixed ratio regardless of the need for cooling.

“This provides a robust cooling package for the truck, supporting operation under the most demanding conditions, while reducing powertrain noise and improving fuel economy,” says Freese.

The larger fan is capable of pushing air at 10,500 cubic feet per minute. It has a new stator that reduces the clearance between the fan tips and shroud and better guides the air motion through the heat exchangers and across the engine compartment to use airflow more efficiently.

Made for each other
“When you have a great new engine with industry-leading torque and power, you must have a transmission that can handle it,” says Gerard Kuchta, TorqShift® manager.

Enter TorqShift®, the new five-speed automatic transmission that features improved gear ratios, higher capacity pumps, robust components and simplified shift controls. These features contribute to fuel economy improvements, reliability, smooth shifts and quieter operation.

The TorqShift® cooling system more than doubled fluid pump size to move five gallons of cooling fluid per minute. Cooler lines have larger, half-inch passages to allow more fluid to pass through, and the system features new oil-to-air and in-tank coolers. The result is a transmission that runs approximately 50-70 degrees cooler than the previous transmission. Reliability improvements include the addition of an external, frame-mounted filter that constantly filters fluids and captures contaminants.

“This system has a very effective transmission cooler that allows us to deliver to the wheels as much engine power and torque as we want,” says Freese. “It was very helpful to have a new engine and transmission coming in at the same time, because we developed them together and had the flexibility to optimize both. The engine is better because of the transmission, and the transmission is better because of the engine.”