• Ford’s all-new 6.0-liter Power Stroke® V-8 Diesel engine, being introduced in the 2003 Ford Super Duty truck line, has the power to handle any job, boasting 325 horsepower and 560 foot-pounds of torque both best-in-class.
• The engine is cleaner and more efficient than the 7.3-liter Power Stroke Diesel engine, providing 20 percent less emissions and approximately 8 percent better fuel economy.
• The 2003 F-Series Super Duty has reduced noise levels, improving one measure of interior noise by more than 20 percent achieving levels comparable to some European luxury sedans.
• Ford sells more Power Stroke Diesel engines than Dodge and GM combined. Two of out every three F-Series Super Duty trucks sold are equipped with a Power Stroke Diesel engine. Of the more than 1.5 million Power Stroke Diesel engines sold during the past eight years, more than 98 percent are still on the road today.

Ford’s F-Series Super Duty, the proven leader in the over 8,500-pound truck segment, is setting new standards for 2003 with an all-new optional diesel engine and automatic transmission with class-leading power.

The new 32-valve, 6.0-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel engine is more powerful and cleaner, achieving approximately 8 percent better fuel economy while satisfying more stringent emissions standards than the well-respected 7.3-liter Power Stroke Diesel it replaces. The new 6.0-liter Power Stroke reduces emission of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by 20 percent. It also provides customers the power they want with improved noise and vibration refinement.

The new 6.0-liter Power Stroke will be matched with the new five-speed TorqShift® automatic transmission that sets a new benchmark in responsiveness and confidence. TorqShift features a newly designed five-speed gearbox and electronic control system to provide smoother shifts and higher low-gear ratios to help a loaded truck get off the mark smoothly. The transmission’s tow-haul mode helps improve shift control under demanding operating conditions.

Super Duty head of the class in power

The 32-valve 6.0-liter Power Stroke Diesel engine and TorqShift transmission will be available on F-250 through F-550 pickups and chassis cabs, as well as the Ford Excursion. Combined, they produce horsepower of 325 at 3,300 rpm and 560 foot-pounds of torque at 2,000 rpm the best in the over 8,500-pound gross vehicle weight segment.

This combination is very capable loaded or unloaded, with or without a trailer, said David Johnson, F-Series Super Duty vehicle engineering manager. Our testing went beyond how much it pulls to how well it pulls a load. That’s where our engine and transmission work together to surpass the competition.

The new engine, a direct injection, 32-valve diesel V-8 engine with all-new cast-iron block and cylinder heads, employs an Electronic Variable Response Turbocharger (EVRT) that provides optimum boost over the full range of engine operation.

This turbocharger provides a large frame size for better fuel economy, while providing electronically controlled turbine tuning for improved low end boost improvements, said Charlie Freese, chief engineer, diesel engines. This allows the vehicle to achieve launch and performance feel improvements without sacrificing efficiency.

The 6.0-liter Power Stroke introduces a new hydraulic rail fuel injection system to achieve higher injection pressures for clean, efficient combustion, while a cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system helps reduce NOx emissions. The engine also features a cartridge-style oil filter, positioned on top of the engine for easy maintenance. TorqShift transmission features include higher torque capability; a new electronic shift control system that monitors engine, transmission, vehicle speed and driver input to optimize shift performance; and a larger pump to help improve cooling and lubrication.

The powertrain system’s capability is coupled with Ford’s new tow-haul feature, in which a driver pushes a button to change the shift strategy of the transmission. While going uphill, tow-haul mode holds a gear longer before upshifting smoothly to maintain consistent travel without strain. On a downhill grade, a tap on the brake signals tow-haul, which downshifts as appropriate to slow the engine, giving the driver greater control and helping extend brake life.

The engine and transmission were developed together, rather than through a more common approach of adapting one to fit the other.

The engine and transmission have been treated as an integrated system since day one, said Gerard Kuchta, TorqShift manager. Throughout our series of tests, we utilized the most current 6.0-liter Power Stroke engine and TorqShift transmission available to us. The combination of these two approaches ensured that the best powertrain system performance level was achieved.

The 6.0-liter Power Stroke Diesel also is available with a six-speed manual transmission option. The new 2003 model offers a dual mass flywheel for F-250 and F-350 applications. The dual mass flywheel reduces gear noise for added powertrain refinement, said Freese.

Building a better engine