Ford UK Launches New 3.6-Liter Diesel Engine
07 April 2006
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| The first 3.6-liter diesel comes off the line. |
Ford’s Dagenham Diesel Centre in the UK has developed and begun manufacturing of a new high-end twin-turbo 3.6-liter V8 diesel engine. Ford will announced vehicle applications for the new engine later this year along with further technical details.
The company invested more than £12.2 million (US$21.3 million) in the development and manufacture of the V8, bringing the total spent at Dagenham to £644.2 million (US$1.123 billion) since it became Ford’s diesel center of excellence.
Dagenham is the source for half of Ford Motor Company’s diesel engine requirements globally. Around one in four engines in Ford Motor Company vehicles worldwide were built in Britain—either at Dagenham or the Bridgend engine plant, in Wales.
Ford will build the V8 on the same production line which has turned out 110,000 units of the 2.7-liter V6 engines for Jaguar, Land Rover and PSA Peugeot Citroën. Both V6 and V8 engine blocks are loaded onto cradles prior to assembly, which enable operators and the line itself to switch between the different units seamlessly.
The new V8 boasts a power output of more than 266 hp (196 kW) and develops up to 640Nm of torque. Dagenham Diesel Centre is gearing up to production volumes of up to 25,000 units a year. The cylinder heads for the V8 will be machined in Dagenham’s adjacent original engine plant, where V6 machining already takes place. Both engines are made from lightweight compacted graphite iron, offering strength, durability and quietness.
This would be a great engine for SUV's and the F150 trucks.
Posted by: James | 08 April 2006 at 04:11 AM
From an engineering point of view, it would be interesting if they chose a flat (racing-style) or the regular non-flat crankshaft for this V8. The former delivers equally spaced ignition sequences for each bank and hence, equal power on all cylinders. The latter gives you the blubbering sound Americans reportedly love so much as well as reduced free mass forces. However, it is inherently poorly suited to turbocharging.
Wrt low-end torque and durability as well as fuel economy, modern turbodiesels make more sense than this engine. Unfortunately, there are five states in the US whose emissions regs effectively prohibit this solution for the moment.
I suspect Ford will use the turbocharged gasoline engine discussed here in full-size sedans, police cars, sports cars etc.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 08 April 2006 at 09:57 AM
Undo! I didn't see that this was, in fact, a diesel engine so James is right, this probably is intended for LDTs.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 08 April 2006 at 09:59 AM
Ford produces another stinky diesel V8? Since when is this news (sorry Mike)? I see the car connection, but not the green connection.
Posted by: James White | 08 April 2006 at 08:00 PM
Of course its news for the green community. It could run on biodiesel and it gets better mpg then a gas engine.
Posted by: hampden wireless | 08 April 2006 at 08:28 PM
But it's not Japanese. It can't be green.
Posted by: James | 09 April 2006 at 09:59 AM
A diesel engine powered race car won at Indianapolis in 1956 and the officials immediatly changed the rules so that a diesel would be illegal. A diesel engine can run on waste vegetable oil and even if it does smoke the smoke is green and none polluting. A diesel gets 23% better fuel mileage and it also gets that much better horsepower. If everyone switched to diesel the farmer could provide all of the fuel necessary to run all of the diesels. I would rather support farmers than a bunch of Arab Oil barons who support people like the PLO and Al-Quida.
Posted by: Ted | 22 April 2006 at 10:13 PM
For those who still have reservations about diesels, Audi Racing has dominated long distance racing for the past 10 years. This year they developed a diesel powered car and introduced it at this years 12 Hours of Sebring, one of the most difficult endurance races in the world. The car was the fastest qualifier. It did not win, a differnt, gas powered, Audi did, but Sebring was a shake down for their big effort, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Even if you're not a race fan, it will be very interesting to see how a diesel does against the highest tech endurance racers in the world.
While we may like the gee whiz factor in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells, the big guns of the auto technology world, BMW,Ford,MB,VW, are pursuing clean burn high performance diesel technology. Unlike hybrid or hydrogen systems, these applications can be put in place on a massive scale on a very short time line, and have the advantage of using renewable fuel systems and over 100 years of research behind them.
Rudolph Diesel intended his invention to run on vegetable oil, not fossil fuel.
If you're in Europe you can buy a Jeep Cherokee or Ford Ranger Pickup powered by diesels but not in the USA. The excuse is they don't meet emissions standards. Mercedes has stated their diesels meet all US standards when powered by low-sulpher diesel fuel. So, why don't we produce low-sulpher fuel....hmmm... might have something to do with selling us fuel at $3.00 per gallon for SUVs that get only 15 mpg...rather than 3.15 per gallon and 30 mpg...profit motive...naww.
There will some wonderful systems down the road to power our transportation. Until then, the diesel systems being developed appear to be the best solution.
Posted by: Allan | 29 April 2006 at 07:44 AM