Report: 2011 Ford Super Duty Will Debut at Texas State Fair

[Administrator]

After releasing some exciting technical info on an all-new Power Stroke engine for the 2011 F-Series Super Duty, Ford has now announced plans to officially unveil the new diesel pickup at the Texas State Fair, with sales starting in the Spring of next year.

Under the hood of the new F-Series Super Duty will be a revolutionary new 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel engine. The all-new engine promises a, "significant improvement in torque, horsepower and fuel economy," says Ford in a press release, stating that this new F-Series Super Duty would continue to be a class leader in both payload and towing. It will also be significantly quieter than past diesels.

Numerous high-tech innovations have been employed in building this new engine, starting with a compacted graphite iron (CGI) engine block that Ford says is twice as strong as standard iron blocks. This was deemed necessary due to the increases in power output.

The new engine makes use of a Honeywell single variable turbine turbo (similar to the one found on the Porsche 911 Turbo), but takes turbo technology a step further still. Instead of one, there are two compressor wheels driven off a single turbine impeller, working like a bi-turbo setup that gives the engine a fast response time with little lag as well as the power of a larger turbo.

Visually, the new engine looks remarkably different, due to the fact that the intake and exhaust systems are the reverse of a conventional engine. The exhaust manifolds sit in the valley of the big V8 engine, while the intake manifold is on the outside. This means the cylinder heads are essentially flipped around.

By significantly reducing the amount of exhaust piping, lag is reduced considerably. Additionally, this new packaging moves the hotter elements of the engine (like the turbocharger and exhaust pipes) away from the intake areas, ensuring a constant supply of cool air to the engine. And as for that turbo, it sits in the valley between the cylinder banks. Due to its location, spool up is considerably faster and the engine's overall balance is improved. Another major benefit of this setup is that that cab no longer has to be removed from the frame if work needs to be done on the turbo. The fuel-pump, EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) components and the thermostats are also easily accessible from the front of the vehicle.

Ford still hasn't released any info on how much power the new Super Duty makes, but we'll be sure to report on it as soon as they do.

More: Report: 2011 Ford Super Duty Will Debut at Texas State Fair on AutoGuide.com

[FTG-05]

I understand that the 2011 Ford SD's will not have a manual transmission, even as an option. Anyone else heard this?

[glsurratt]

Originally Posted by Albin

I understand that the 2011 Ford SD's will not have a manual transmission, even as an option. Anyone else heard this?

I've seen that statement in just about every article I've found about the new Ford. It's coming with a 6 speed slushbox.

So the next question is "Do they use all six speeds all the time, or will it be like the 5 speed, where they skip a gear?

[TexasTruck]

Judging by the CAD drawing, it appears the design retains the infamous "bed plate" that plaqued the 6.0L and 6.4L with oil leaks. Having owned three 6.0L with a bed plate oil leak, I'd like to see it addressed.

Scott

[B-rad]

The bedplate design is far better and stronger than normal rod caps, but I know what you are saying about the leaking. i have seen many 6.0's leaking from the bed plate, hopefully with the reverse manifold design this will help the issue. The bed plate is a very strong design for its purpose, but gives a place for leaks to form.

[frobozz]

I posted this in the thread in General Diesel too, but in case anyone hasn't seen it, here's a nice powerpoint slideshow with narration by some Ford engineers:

Diesel Forum Presentation

Duncan

[RonKZ650]

Originally Posted by glsurratt

I've seen that statement in just about every article I've found about the new Ford. It's coming with a 6 speed slushbox.

So the next question is "Do they use all six speeds all the time, or will it be like the 5 speed, where they skip a gear?

It works the exact same as all auto transmissions. It's variable from a one speed to a full 6 speed depending on how many parts are currently working. I thought my 4sp auto was junk, you can add 50% in the junk factor here. By the time the service life of the truck is over, $20,000 or more wasted all added up from maintenence, initial purchase price and fuel wasted however it *is* all worth it as a cell phone can be glued to a drivers ear instead of the dreaded shifting. Makes me sick.