Continue reading VIDEO: Aural evidence new Ford 6.7L Scorpion diesel is quieter

VIDEO: Aural evidence new Ford 6.7L Scorpion diesel is quieter originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Spy Shots: Ford Super-Duty's new 6.7L Scorpion diesel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Spy Shots: Ford F-150's 4.4L diesel exposed originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

VIDEO: Ford Powertrain Director talks Diesel Engines originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 May 2008 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pickuptruck.com hosts Heavy Duty Truck Shootout to end all shootouts originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: 2008 Ford F-450 King Ranch

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford F-450 Lariat King Ranch

In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Ford F-450 Lariat King Ranch originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

[Source: Automotive News (sub. req'd) via AutoblogGreen]

Continue reading Navistar sues Ford (again) regarding upcoming F-150 diesel engine

Navistar sues Ford (again) regarding upcoming F-150 diesel engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading VIDEO: So that's what it looks like! -- Slo-Mo combustion closeup

VIDEO: So that's what it looks like! -- Slo-Mo combustion closeup originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford responds to flaming Super Duty video originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading VIDEO: Ford Super Duty diesel throwing flames

VIDEO: Ford Super Duty diesel throwing flames originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This whole mess started when Ford began debiting International's invoices to the tune of $125 million to help pay for expensive warranty costs incurred repairing the notoriously problematic last-gen 6.0L Power Stroke. As it turns out, Ford spent an estimated $1 billion on warranty costs due to a faulty fuel system on these engines supplied by International. For its part, International disputes the $1 billion figure and has refused to help foot the bill. Ford took action by filing a law suit and International retaliated by stopping production of the new 6.4L Power Stroke, which has resulted in the loss of 4,000 units of Ford's most profitable vehicle.

The temporary agreement calls for Ford to stop debiting International's invoices and actually pay the company. In return, the diesel engine supplier will resume shipments of the new 6.4L Power Stroke. The judge also ordered both sides to continue meeting in order to come up with a final solution, but that won't be easy since there's a lot bad blood between these two companies now. We don't know who's right in this case, but we do know this fire will likely flare up again.

Power Stroke production resumes, Ford and International reach temporary agreement originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If it weren't for bad luck, Ford would have no luck at all. The single largest profit-source for Ford Motor Company would be the F-Series Pickup and the Power Sroke diesel Super Duty is a huge chunk of that revenue. Navistar International Engines has powered the Super Duty since 1979, which makes them a large component of Ford's success in the market. The good Karma between Ford and International started to go sour with the quality issues surrounding the 6.0L Power Stroke diesel in the last generation of Super Duty trucks. Relations got worse when Ford recently sued International, saying it was not complying with warranty cost-sharing agreements. Ford also contended that International unjustifiably raised prices on its engines. Now International has decided to stop supplying the all-new 6.4L engine that powers the 2008 Super Duty, claiming that Ford is not honoring the contract terms under which the engines are built.

Navistar has given no indication how long this impasse could last, but every second a Super Duty isn't being assembled by Ford workers is money down the drain. With the cash problems Ford already has, this could get ugly quick. We're guessing Ford doesn't have much choice but to kiss and make up with International in order to keep these too-important Power Stroke Super Duty trucks rolling off the assembly line.

[Source: Yahoo]

Aw, Snap! Ford supplier stops production of Super Duty's Power Stroke diesel engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Feb 2007 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Those looking for a glimpse into the future of light-duty diesel reliability may be interested in a new study by J.D. Power on customer satisfaction with modern heavy truck powertrains. The 2006 Heavy Duty Truck Engine/Transmission Study ranked engines from the 2004 model year by quality, performance, cost of ownership, and warranty, and revealed what one would reasonably expect from new technology.

An average of 74 problems per 100 vehicles was reported, which represents a 60% increase in trouble over the prior year. This was attributed directly to the emission control systems that were phased in during 2003 and 2004. Fuel economy also declined from 6.04 MPG in the 2004 study to 5.72 MPG - a drop of over 5%. Ranked highest in the study was Caterpillar, and the company's ACERT technology allowed the C12 and C15 (pictured above) to lead the ratings of individual engines. Unfortunately, unless you hold a CDL, it's highly unlikely that either one of them will find their way into your personal fleet.

So, what does this mean for consumers of passenger vehicles? Just as we've experienced the evolution of emission controls on gasoline engines, problems can be expected as manufacturers roll out clean diesel technology. How long it will take to sort out these issues is not yet clear, but we're guessing that things get sorted out rather quickly, and indeed some of the problems that are currently affecting heavy trucks may very well be eliminated before it trickles down to smaller oilburners.

[Source: J.D. Power; the complete press release is posted below the jump]

Continue reading New standards for heavy-duty diesels means more problems

New standards for heavy-duty diesels means more problems originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Oct 2006 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading 2008 Ford Super Duty brings more and then some

2008 Ford Super Duty brings more and then some originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 01:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

General Motors' recent (and vague) announcement of a new V8 diesel has led to significant speculation, especially with regard to power output and packaging size of the engine. As a preemptive strike against doubters, the company recently allowed Diesel Forecast to take a spin in a Buick Rainer equipped with the mystery oil-burner.

For starters, the "light duty" (intended for vehicles with a GVWR of under 8,600 lbs) will produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 330 HP and 520 lb-ft of torque. All that torque comes online around 1800 RPM and extends to 4500 RPM. We feel that these numbers should keep the average driver quite happy (diesel power junkies will just have to wait until aftermarket PCM tuners become available). For this we can credit the wonders of variable-geometry turbocharging, although at this point GM is not saying how many hairdryers they are using (two would be our guess, given the direction in which others are moving).

We were skeptical that a DOHC turbocharged V8 would fit into the same space as GM's ultra-compact pushrod gasoline V8s, but this does indeed appear to be the case (see the above outline drawing from GM, where its outline is shown against the GenIV L92). The fact that it fits under the hood of a GMT360 - a surprisingly tight environment, given the vehicle's external dimensions - speaks to the compact packaging of this engine, and means that we could see it popping up in just about any RWD product from the General.

On the emissions front, GM sees the engine utilizing urea injection with selective catalyst reduction to meet the EPA's 2010 Bin 5 regulations.

[Source: Diesel Forecast]

GM grants first drive of its new diesel V8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Sep 2006 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Round-up: Detroit's big new diesels for next year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Sep 2006 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering a variety of rules that it might apply to urea injection for diesel engines, and is said to ready to issue rules for such emission-control devices in upcoming weeks. The regulations are expected to address potential issues arising with urea injection, such as the availability of the substance, making sure that the system and its low-fluid-level warning system are tamperproof, and dealing with urea's freezing point of 11F. One of the largest areas of contention between the EPA and automakers involves a proposed interlock between the urea level-monitoring system and the engine that would perhaps disable the starter or lock the vehicle's fuel cap if urea levels drop too low to ensure proper function.

Starting in 2010, all diesel vehicles sold in the US must meet or exceed "Bin 5" classification of the Tier II clean air standards, which would effectively make oilburners as clean as gasoline engines. Urea injection helps reduce the level of oxides of nitrogen when injected into the tailpipe, and does so at a cost perhaps 10% lower than the competing NOx trap technology. Bosch sees the combination of urea and selective catalyst reduction as the path toward diesel cleanliness, and GM has shown off the technology on a diesel light-truck prototype. VW's emission certification problems with the diesel Touareg last year elevated the profile of urea injection - and the problems surrounding it - here in the United States, and prompted the EPA to start moving.

[Source: Autoweek/Automotive News]

EPA mulls over urea-injection rules originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Aug 2006 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Texas site of 2008 Ford Super Duty and 6.4-liter Power Stroke unveiling

Texas site of 2008 Ford Super Duty and 6.4-liter Power Stroke unveiling originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Aug 2006 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Diesel Power magazine, a publication dedicated to compression-ignition pickup trucks and the people that love them, has released its list of the Top 10 Diesel Engines. Now, considering the difficulty of naming 10 diesel engines that have been sold here in the US - much less making a case for the inclusion of each on a top-10 list - the editors decided to have a bit of fun with this task. How much fun? Well, the massive Wartsila-Sulzer ship engine and its 1,556,002 cubic inches of displacement (that's no typo, and it works out to over 25,000 liters) slotted in at #9 on the list.

For those not willing to think outside the world of passenger vehicles, the relevant entries break down like so - the B-series Cummins squeaked in at #10, the GM/Isuzu Duramax slots in at #6, the Ford/International 7.3L Powerstroke slides in at #5, and the VW 5.3L V10 is a bit of a surprise at #3. Now, it remains to be seen how Diesel Power's readers accept this rankings, and we're guessing that it's going to be a busy month in its mailroom.

[Source: Diesel Power]

The 10 best diesel engines originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Aug 2006 15:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford employee chases spy photographer in 2008 F-250 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.