When the last Power Stroke engine came out in 2003, it boasted very impressive numbers. The 6.0L V8 boasted over 300 HP and all the torque most of us could ever need and more. The powerplant, however, was plagued with problems out of the gate, and it took a couple years to get everything up to the Super Duty standard. New for the 2008 Super Duty is a twin-turbo 6.4L Power Stroke with 350 HP and 650 foot-pounds of torque. The engine was designed to meet or exceed tough new emissions standards, and the extra power keeps Ford competitive with its neighbors.
With a lot riding on this new money-making beast of an engine, quality had to be absolutely top-notch. To achieve the perfection Ford engineers sought, they racked up 10 million miles on the test tracks, on the dyno, and on the streets in real-world circumstances. Since a lot of people own trucks in places like Alaska, the Diesel Super Duty was tested climbing steep inclines with a heavy load at -40 degree temperatures. For the past 18 months or so, Super Duty pickups were all over the city of Dearborn and beyond. The new 6.4 Diesel has to be better than the outgoing 6.0L in every way, and with almost four years of testing and 10 million miles of testing, it's obvious Ford is taking the new Power Stroke very seriously.
[Source: AutoWeek]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Adam @ Feb 2nd 2007 6:14PM
Considering this is a Ford (found on road dead or full of retarded dummies) I will wait 2 full years to have all the bugs worked out.
In the meantime I will continue to drive my current 2005 F350 with the 6.0 diesel since it has been reliable (62,430 mile)
George1980 @ Feb 2nd 2007 6:17PM
This truck is an absolute waste. We do not need engines that are 6.4 liters to put out 650 torque. They could have achieved all those numbers using maybe a 5.0 liter diesel. Save gas and Save costs.
But oh no! We have hicks in this country that are not very smart. These people are impressed by size only. Therefore we get an engine thats 6.4 liters so these guys dont feel inferior to 6.6 Chevy or 5.9 Dodge.
Herbert @ Feb 2nd 2007 6:20PM
Why is it Ford with revenue of 176 billion last year cannot make their own diesel? Its just a freaking engine. It make cost 100 million at most to develope. Imagine 100 million. Thats 1000 engineers maiking 100,000 a year to develop this.
Why do they buy it from International? Then they sell it to us for 6500 dollar option? Pathetic.
D Man @ Feb 2nd 2007 6:22PM
HD Trucks, the only market the Japanese have not conquered.
mkbruin @ Feb 2nd 2007 6:41PM
George, you are a moron of the worst kind. You are so sure of your superior intellect and infallability your arrogance gets in the way of rational thought. I could tell you were a costal elitist long before you ever threw out the word 'hick'. Since, obviously, only those less educated than you drive HD diesel trucks.
ps. Dodge is offering both the 5.9 and also the 6.7
RamSport47 @ Feb 2nd 2007 6:42PM
. HD Trucks, the only market the Japanese have not conquered.
Posted at 6:22PM on Feb 2nd 2007 by D Man
They haven't conquered the light duties either (and won't with what's available right now or in the future) or minivans...Chrysler still dominates those, although the japs are gaining
FordMatt21 @ Feb 2nd 2007 6:44PM
#2 you have no idea what you are talking about! this truck is made for people who need power to get their jobs done, you know like building your house or towing your import back to the dealership? there are people that use this truck for its true purpose of super duties hence the name. as for those hicks you mentioned they probably wouldn't buy a top of the line F-450 with the 6.4 just because its big. as #3 mentioned its a very pricey option. on the other hand this is one the most fuel efficient diesels on the market so that gas you're talking about saving is being saved by this engine. nice try but next time you try to rip ford do some research.
GhostDoggy @ Feb 2nd 2007 6:53PM
We know from the 2006 reports that Ford sold a lot of trucks, and that their operating loss was about $2 Billion. I wonder how much of a loss they will take for 2007 and how much of a deal on this baby we can get. Mod this puppy with Banks and you will be sucking gasoline faster than most commercial airlines.
Bryan @ Feb 2nd 2007 7:09PM
2. This truck is an absolute waste. We do not need engines that are 6.4 liters to put out 650 torque. They could have achieved all those numbers using maybe a 5.0 liter diesel. Save gas and Save costs.
But oh no! We have hicks in this country that are not very smart. These people are impressed by size only. Therefore we get an engine thats 6.4 liters so these guys dont feel inferior to 6.6 Chevy or 5.9 Dodge.
These so called "hicks" are the people that made this country, and made that house, apartment, condo, etc that you are living in. This is why America sucks today. We have worthless, lazy, stuck up, corporate arrogant jerks who make pathetic and ignorant comments only because they couldn't do the job themselves. Manual labor scares them. Do you really think your little Honda accord or Toyota Camry is going to get the job done? NO! HD trucks are a great investment because not only can they do anything and everything (where as an SUV, minivan, or car can't), their diesels last a lifetime. I have seen upwards of 800,000 miles on one myself. So why don't you go crawl in your tiny little Accord, go down to starbucks(which was built using trucks), sip on some coffee and continue to destroy America with your ignorance. Thanks.
George1980 @ Feb 2nd 2007 7:16PM
Well am back to respond to you people. I live in Baltimore. I am not elitist either. What I know is this:
A big ass heavy duty truck with 3 axels (5ton) that has a gross weight rating of 26,000 lbs does its job day and out with a 3.6 liter 4 cylinder making 225hp. If you dont belive me check HINO or GMC Heavy duty. A huge 150,000 lb big semi uses a cat or cummins diesel typically 10-12 liters putting out 300hp to about 450. again check freightliner or Peterbilt.
So whyt do we need this engine in this truck? As far as I remember 5 years ago and to the past we were completely fine with 200hp RAM diesels. They got the job done. My house was built. The boat was towed. You guys are missing the point. in two years we will have 7.5 liter Diesel from the big 3 making 425hp and 800 torque. Now it seems huge but in 3 years you will treat it as adequate.
These big engines are not needed. And no they are not efficient. Their are 3.2 liter engines making 400 torque and returning 30mpg. This engine returns 14mpg.
Pedro @ Feb 2nd 2007 7:19PM
I agree with number 2
We here in brazil have the little toyota tacomas. They have 1.8 liter diesels making 100hp. We use and abuse them all the time. sometimes we have 25 guys in the bed on a long journey. It even tows and goes up a hill and everything fine. Never dies. Of course we shift gears.
You in America have fat asses. Also your assess are constantly getting fatter. You wanna sit in your truck with your bitch in the middle seat next to you and one hand on her shoulders in an auto tranny truck and you just want to step on it.
This is a waste. You may like it, but by definition its a waste. So good for you.
fizzandpop @ Feb 2nd 2007 7:33PM
Although all the comments backing up the dude who used the "H" word (Hicks, there I said it) have been pretty aggressive, I have to agree. The rest of the world "gets the job done" with puny little vans and pickups. Compared globally, the American working man does seem to be overcompensating a bit.
dakota @ Feb 2nd 2007 7:51PM
The increase in displacement off set the power loss that came from the increased emissions requirements. Reason why Cummins had to switch from the 5.9L to the 6.7L which runs cleaner than the old 5.9.
dakota @ Feb 2nd 2007 7:58PM
"Mod this puppy with Banks and you will be sucking gasoline faster than most commercial airlines."
It's diesel you fool.
"We here in brazil have the little toyota tacomas. They have 1.8 liter diesels making 100hp."
Well good for you. Too bad the damn thing can't get out of it's own way, pollutes more than 3 F-450's combined, and can't tow squat.
Jim @ Feb 2nd 2007 8:08PM
As usual on truck posts, all the pansies who think a truck would make their you-know-what bigger are coming out of the woodwork.
Robert @ Feb 2nd 2007 8:17PM
I think you're all stupid sometimes.
To address the anthropological question of size. I would argue that pickup buyers, in the absence of price pressures from gasoline, would continue their futile power wars until we all drove 1000 hp F-series. That said, there are people who use the power currently supplied by the engine and people who would not buy a vehicle like the Super Duty because its numbers, on paper, were not competitive. I would note that your 1.8L diesel Tacomas cannot perform the same tasks here in the U.S. as they do in Brazil. Twenty-five guys sittig in the back, other than being unsafe, is not the same as having 5,000-6,000 pounds of payload and then towing a 10,000 pound piece of equipment through a muddy construction site.
Now, to size. The 6.4L is 6.4Ls because the engine was designed to breathe with larger heads and, consequently, more volume in the block. This breathing will help reduce particulate and NOx emissions from the engine that it evolved from - the 6.0L - to levels currently only achieved by gasoline engines. The fuel economy of this engine will be at or better than the 6.0L it replaces as well. That was the rational.
I would argue that in the nearer future we will see a readjustment of truck engine sizes down again. Your myopic view and ignorant comments suggest that you forget the year 1997 when Ford dropped its 4.9, 5.0, 5.8 ad 7.5 in favor of a 4.2, 4.6, 5.4 and 6.8. Engine size decreased but power increased. Efficiency was positively or nuetrally affected.
As for Ford's future product, your ignorance and lack of research have led that this 6.4 is the only diesel in development. The truth is that Ford is working on a 4.4L that will be offered in their entire lineup of pickups. This 4.4 will produce, based on early estimates, 300 hp and 450 ft-lb of torque. It is also unclear what Ford's 2009 powertrain line-up will look like, but it is likely that a new gasoline engine that has 6.2 liters or displacement will replace the 6.8 and possible that a 3.7 or 3.8 based on the 3.5 will replace the 4.2 (although, I've only heard one rumor about that one, so am less inclined to believe it).
As for why Ford would buy their engines from International, you insinuate that Ford calls up International and asks what types of engines they have and then drops them in the pickup. The relationship is far more complicated. International supplies a basic mold, and Ford engineers the heads, injectors and emissions systems, from what I understand. International produces the engines for Ford so that Ford doesn't have to invest in capital for production. The relationship (until Ford sued Navistar) was mutually beneficial. Ford received manufacturing support, protecting it a little from ebbs and flows, and Navistar filled 75% of its current orders with Ford diesels.
It is also believed that the next generation diesels (the upcoming 4.4 and maybe even the 6.4 replacement in five to seven years) will be manufactured in-house at Ford. Even if the 6.4 isn't moved in-house initially, it is likely the 4.4 will eat away at its sales and slowly put pressure on Navistar until Ford has no option but to bring its replacement production in-house.
Robert @ Feb 2nd 2007 8:23PM
My terrible grammar and wording notwithstanding, I hope I am relatively clear about the strategic mission of the 6.4L, and why the attacks on it are woefully unsupported.
stg @ Feb 2nd 2007 8:26PM
so, that toyota from brazil will tow 24,000lbs without a problem? it will get guys to and from work with all their equipment and some extra stuff on a trailer witout a struggle? so, that toyota truck will tow a horse trailer(and i aint talking bout no 1 horse trailer) from the ranch to the track? yall guys are funny. ford used to have a 7.3L diesel before the 6.0 so the new engine still has lower displacement than that one. also, the reason that we dont have the diesels that are in the big internationals would have to be because of the emissions.
Driver X @ Feb 2nd 2007 8:30PM
The Japaneese have conquered the Diesel market. The DuraMax Diesel is made by Isuzu. International had to use twin turbos to get the same torque as a DuraMax with a single turbo. Rumor has it, the DuraMax will be getting twin turbos and the torque will be in 750 plus range and again Ford and Dodge will be left behind. At least, the DuraMax has a good American Allison Transmission behind it and shifts like a Lexus. It is smooth.
That One Person @ Feb 2nd 2007 8:35PM
George and Pedro just dont get it. I would love to see that little 1.8L diesel tow 24,500lbs. And yes, I am sure they could get this power from a 5L diesel. But you know how much more engineering would have to go into that engine to get this level of power? There is also a thing called reliability. It's like someone saying "Honda can easily get 800hp out of a Civic's four cylinder"...but how long would that engine last? With a smaller truck, you know how many more trips you would have to make to get a job done? Sit down and calculate how much more time it would take to get a job done with a little diesel pickup. Just because you two dont get the point of these trucks, doesnt mean there isnt a use for them. And I would love to see a fully loaded Toyota truck with that 1.8L diesel get 30mpg.
If trucks like this shouldnt exist, then ban all sports cars.