08 6.4L Super duty information - Montana Owners Club

richfaa · 02-03-2007, 01:48 PM

AutoWeek Interview with Super Duty engineer Peter Reyes

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Quote:
Originally Posted by AutoWeek
Since late 2003, Ford engineers have been abusing the new 6.4-liter twin-turbo diesel engine in the redesigned 2008 Super Duty pickup. They've been using every trick in the book trying to make it break. They've pulled heavy loads up steep hills in minus-40-degree weather. They've punished it by hauling trailers in broiling desert heat. And they've run test engines nonstop for thousands of hours on a dynamometer.

The man cracking the whip on the new Super Duty is chief engineer Pete Reyes. Reyes, 43, is under immense pressure to deliver a flawless truck. Ford needs perfection to atone for the previous Super Duty's troublesome diesel engine as well as to fend off fresh challenges from General Motors, Dodge and Toyota. Reyes spoke with Automotive News staff reporter Richard Truett.

I've heard that your engineers have put 10 million test miles on the new Super Duty. Tell us about that.

It's 6 million dyno miles and 4 million real vehicle miles. We've had fleets and fleets of trucks, hundreds of trucks, with this engine. And we've had fleets of trucks we've run internationally, piling on big miles. Some of our known customers have had trucks in extreme conditions, up in Alaska and down in Houston. So they are out piling on miles for us now.

We also went to existing customers, about 15 different fleets running the 6.0-liter, and we took black-box data from them. We needed to understand all of the operating and environmental conditions that people really see.

Going out and seeing how the trucks were being used in the real world was a bit eye-opening for us. We tailored the druability, length and heat of the tests to real world conditions.

In the 10 million miles, did anything break? How did you make the Super Duty better?

In the first million miles, we had a lot of things we wanted to fix. After that, the number of incidences of things you want to address decreases. You know you are in good shape if you have a pretty aggressive ramp-down of things you've got to fix. We've been in good shape. You can monitor whether you've got issues replaced by other issues. But this one came down as we expected it to.

The new engine has technology we've not seen before on a Ford diesel engine, such as piezo fuel injectors and twin turbochargers. Was that the reason for the strenuous testing?

Absolutely. The new technology probably dominated the testing. When you get the engine right, then the next tests are to ensure that the cooling system and everything else on the vehicle works right.

Is this the new standard of testing for Ford trucks?

As we develop diesel engines in the environment of extreme measures for emissions, I would expect the 10 million miles to be a standard for Ford.

Did you have a chance to crawl under the new Toyota Tundra at the Detroit auto show?

I looked at the Tundra. I would say there's a no-excuse lineup out of Toytoa now. How well it sells is going to be up to the marketplace. I can't predict that.

From the FTE Forum.

Montana Sky · 02-03-2007, 02:19 PM

I think the entire truck world is watching Ford to see what happens... This new diesel will either make or break the Super Duty...

hazmic · 02-03-2007, 02:21 PM

Was wondering about the turbos. Dose each one feed a bank or dose one turbo feed the next one which would really boost up the pressure?

William H. Collier · 02-03-2007, 02:50 PM

Here is a turbo picture.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/2...y/insidestory/
Bill

wileecoyote985 · 02-03-2007, 02:51 PM

Edit; My post was too negative and I deleted it. My apologies if you read it before deletion and were offended.

wileecoyote985 · 02-03-2007, 03:15 PM

Hey - The new lower headlamps should definitely make the folks in those little low slung sedans happier when you pull up behind them at night. My lights shine right on the back of their heads and that's on low beams and not towing. LOL

Montana Sky · 02-03-2007, 03:51 PM

I sure get my fair share of folks flashing me. I love it when I flash the brights back and you can see their eyes squint!! lol! Silly imports.........

c5racer · 02-03-2007, 04:04 PM

Ford could sure use a winner as their sales figures for January were disappointing. The sales ratings for January are,
1. GM
2. Toyota
3. Chrysler
4. Ford

Dean A Van Peursem · 02-03-2007, 05:48 PM

I don't know how Ford Corprorate could expect sales of their 2007 Super Duty P/U's to continue when they announced the 2008's several months early with significant improvements and no availability. Somebody at the home office had their head where the sun doesn't shine.

Wrenchtraveller · 02-04-2007, 01:15 AM

This article makes it painfully clear. Ford can not survive another 6.0 fiasco and Ford is depending on this new 6.4 diesel to bring back the large customer base they lost with the now infamous "sick-oh". Man, I hope the 6.4 is a fabulous engine with high reliability and long life.

Old GI · 02-04-2007, 04:51 AM

There will never be anything other than an American truck under the nose of my Montana. Ford, Chevy or Dodge but never a Toyota.....Pete

hazmic · 02-04-2007, 05:54 AM

With you PETE. No toyota or any off breed j%#k!!!!!!!!!

tom41 · 02-04-2007, 06:34 AM

DITTO!! Pete, same here!

Wrenchtraveller · 02-04-2007, 07:26 AM

Anybody who has ever owned a Toyota vehicle or had to operate their commercial vehicles will never call them junk. They are # 1.
I don't like working on cars any more so I bought both my kids used Corollas. When I drove older Ford cars I was working on them all the time. Most newer Toyotas sold in the USA and are made by American workers. I can hardly wait until Toyota markets a TV that is made to haul a big Fiver. Ford and GMC are the architects of their own demise. The Japanese simply started making quality vehicles before they did. It is hard to catch up and I believe a lot of Ford and GMC cars are as good as the Toyotas and Hondas but it takes a long time to restore consumer confidence. There is a reason that a 10 year old Corolla sells for more money than a 1 year old Chev Cavalier. The 10 year old Corolla is more reliable than a newer Cavalier.

Cat320 · 02-04-2007, 08:03 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Wrenchtraveller

Anybody who has ever owned a Toyota vehicle or had to operate their commercial vehicles will never call them junk. They are # 1.
I don't like working on cars any more so I bought both my kids used Corollas. When I drove older Ford cars I was working on them all the time. Most newer Toyotas sold in the USA and are made by American workers. I can hardly wait until Toyota markets a TV that is made to haul a big Fiver. Ford and GMC are the architects of their own demise. The Japanese simply started making quality vehicles before they did. It is hard to catch up and I believe a lot of Ford and GMC cars are as good as the Toyotas and Hondas but it takes a long time to restore consumer confidence. There is a reason that a 10 year old Corolla sells for more money than a 1 year old Chev Cavalier. The 10 year old Corolla is more reliable than a newer Cavalier.

Exactly!

Craig A · 02-04-2007, 08:06 AM

I agree with Pete. The American buyer doesn't realize the harm that foreign cars due to our economy. After working in the steel mills in the 80's I saw first hand how devastating foreign steel is to our economy. Same goes for foreign cars. The profit made on the cars does NOT support our economy, but is turning us into a service economy.

Cat320 · 02-04-2007, 08:08 AM

Rich's article is very interesting, but it reads like lots of similar literature I saw while in Uncle's Sam's Fine Army. The engineers and bean counters do all this exotic testing under very arduous and trying conditions, but the bottom line is how will the product work and hold up when it gets in the hands of the GI that's going to use it? Same thing with Ford...how's it going to work when we get it? For Ford's sake, I hope it does well, Ford (as well as GM and Chrysler) needs it.

wileecoyote985 · 02-04-2007, 10:34 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Old GI

There will never be anything other than an American truck under the nose of my Montana. Ford, Chevy or Dodge but never a Toyota.....Pete

I'd agree with you Pete, but have you looked at the country of assembly for some "American" trucks lately?? If you've got a Dodge there's a fair chance it was built in Mexico. I imagine that's probably true for the others (Ford, GM) also. At the very least they are outsourcing a ton of the parts that they use to build one of our "American" trucks.

I don't mean to pick on Dodge (I just happened to look at the window sticker of a number of Dodges when I was truck shopping a few years ago), but I would rather buy a Toyota that is assembled in the U.S. by U.S. workers (provided they build what I'm looking for) than a Dodge, Ford or Chevy assembled in Mexico.

Gary

capn chris · 02-04-2007, 10:40 AM

As posted earlier, I saw and heard the 6.4L in the '08 prototype at my dealer. Very quiet and impressive. As one happy 6.0L PSD owner, I was impressed. Like the rest of you, I hope that Ford has done their homework (sounds like it from Rich's post) and is successful. Aside from the new engine, the tailgate step is very cool, especially for us 4x4 owners!

kdeiss · 02-04-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Old GI

There will never be anything other than an American truck under the nose of my Montana. Ford, Chevy or Dodge but never a Toyota.....Pete

I second that!

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