3/31/14

Featuring The 3-Piece Harbor Raised Cargo Bed Enclosure








The Raised Cargo Bed Enclosure is an excellent addition to make a service body even more useful. It provides protection for all your tools, equipment and parts inside the bed. If you add a Bedslide, then everything is protected and accessible. The Bedslide makes access to your part or a tool a "piece of cake".

This installation includes the 3-piece Harbor Cargo Bed Enclosure which opens up two thirds of the bed when you roll it ahead. It includes Teflon-R pads reduce rolling resistance. The Teflon Pads make it slide easy and quiet and it operates in virtually any weather conditions. The 3-piece enclosure  allows for direct access to the bed contents by pushing the top ahead. This would allow heavy objects to be loaded by crane and allows positioning objects without crouching or bending over!

Notice the Harbor Master Lock System and the Harbor pop-out locks! When the lock is unlocked the button is out so you can see that it is unlocked. When locked the button is in. Easy to see from a distance of 50' or more.

Also, this unit has the nice Harbor forklift loadable rack and the rack-straps attached! This  9' model is extremely functional for a wide range of business applications.

Visit the Harbor Truck Bodies website at www.htbi.net.


3/29/14

With Power and Efficiency, Ford F-150 Leads Light-Duty Pickup Trucks in V6 Sales



  •     57 percent of Ford F-150 buyers in January and February choose V6 engine option
  •     Since 2010, Ford accounts for 91 percent of industry’s growth in V6 truck sales
  •     Ford F-150 V6 sales represented 78 percent of all light-duty truck V6 sales in 2013
    The Ford 3.5-liter EcoBoost™ engine represents 46 percent of F-150 pickup truck sales in February and the 3.7-liter V6 represents 11 percent.


More than 57 percent of Ford Motor Company’s F-150  retail sales so far this year are powered by V6 engines – the highest six-cylinder engine mix in the industry since 1967 – and the company expects that trend to continue for the rest of the year.

V8 engines led truck sales for decades until recently.  Over the last three years, retail registrations of light duty pickups powered by V6 engines grew more than 600 percent and F-150 was directly responsible for 91 percent of that growth, based on Ford analysis of Polk retail registration data.  In 2013, Ford accounted for 78 percent of all V6-powered half-ton pickups, according to data from Polk, recently acquired by IHS.


February’s engine mix numbers come on the heels of a very strong demand for Ford’s V6 truck engines in 2013.  Of all the trucks Ford sold in the calendar year, more than 48 percent of them were powered by a V6 engine.


“We expect those numbers to hold for the rest of the year,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck marketing manager.  “It really is amazing when you consider we are doing that with just two V6 engine choices – the 3.5-liter V6 Ecoboost and the 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine.  When we come out with the new 2015 F-150, we will offer three different V6 engines, so the potential is there to go even higher.”


The new 2015 Ford F-150 will offer a new 2.7-liter Ecoboost engine, to be made in Lima, Ohio, in addition to the 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V6 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost engines.


In the last three years, no competitor has ever eclipsed a 20 percent take rate for V6 engines in half-ton trucks.  It’s been a predominantly V8 crowd, until the introduction of Ford’s EcoBoost engine.


“There is a new truck buyer out there who doesn’t hold to the old notion that a truck must be powered by a V8 engine,” Scott said.  “Just five years ago, you would have had a hard time making a case for V6 truck engines. Not today. It’s all about fuel effectiveness.  It’s the combination of city and highway mileage, horsepower, torque, towing capacity, payload and value.  What is the most efficient package for the work I’m trying to do?  That’s the key question.”


And it’s one F-150 truck buyers are answering in record numbers for V6 engines.

About Ford Motor Company


Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 181,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.

3/25/14

Ford, GE WattStation Chargers Support Employee Electric Vehicle Charging Network

    Ford to install its first employee electric vehicle charging station network in Dearborn, Mich.; facilities across the United States and Canada to follow

    Ford will work with GE as its network provider and supplier of electric vehicle charging stations; networked stations will help Ford understand charging usage and plan for future installations

    Ford electrified vehicles have logged an estimated 65 million electric miles over the last 18 months. Ford now offers six electrified vehicles, including Focus Electric, C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrids, and C-MAX and Fusion hybrid vehicles

Ford Motor Company in conjunction with GE, will supply vehicle charging stations at Ford facilities nationwide, beginning with facilities in and around its headquarters.

The announcement continues the innovative cooperation begun more than 100 years ago between Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, co-founder of GE.

This month, Ford will begin installing GE WattStation™ charging stations across its North American campuses, developing a workplace charging network at nearly every Ford facility in the United States and Canada.

“Ford’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond our fuel-efficient vehicles to include our daily workplace,” said Mike Tinskey, Ford director of vehicle electrification and infrastructure. “We know that a growing electrified vehicle infrastructure is key to making plug-in vehicles a viable option for more consumers. Ford is committed to doing its part to help develop that infrastructure.”

With the new charging network, Ford employees commuting to their jobs from up to 21 miles away in plug-in hybrid vehicles – Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi – may be able to drive entirely on electric power to and from work. Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi have an EPA-estimated MPG ratings 44 city, 41 highway and 43 combined and have an EPA-estimated range of 21 miles electric. Drivers of the electric-only Focus Electric, which has an EPA-estimated range of 76 miles on a full charge, will have even more gas-free commuting potential*.

Ford plans to install electric vehicle charging stations at more than 60 of its offices, product development campuses and manufacturing facilities. Installation will begin at Ford’s southeast Michigan facilities and roll out across other facilities throughout 2014.

Throughout North America, the number of charging stations – both public and residential – is growing rapidly. In 2009, there were 3,000 known public charge stations. Today, there are more than 20,000.

The Ford charging service will be free to employees for the first four hours of charging each day. By offering free charging, Ford is trying to encourage charging station sharing, enabling twice as many employees to charge at work for free.

Ford is also asking employees to use the MyFord® Mobile smartphone app to collect driving and charging information to help the company understand driving patterns and potentially influence future product design. Ford estimates it will cost about 50 cents to fully charge each vehicle**.

Ford’s WattStation charging station installation differs from other workplace charging installations in that the units will be networked together. As a result, the company will be able to gather comprehensive information on electrified vehicle use, such as the number of hours vehicles are charging and the amount of carbon dioxide reduced. It can then use actual station data to plan for additional station installations.

GE was the first major company to add C-MAX Energi vehicles to its fleet. Ford and GE are working with researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology to study GE fleet driving and charging habits, with the goal of improving all-electric driving and charging performance. Ford’s MyFord Mobile app provides drivers with real-time battery charge status and a value charging option that automatically schedules charging at lower-cost, off-peak electricity rates (based on your local utility’s participation).

65 million electric miles
Ford offers six electrified vehicles, including Focus Electric, C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrids, and C-MAX and Fusion hybrid vehicles.

Ford Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi drivers typically make three of their four daily trips in all-electric mode, based on data from Ford’s MyFord Mobile app. It is estimated Ford customers now have logged 65 million all-electric miles, increasing at a rate of 290,000 electric miles per day, by driving the full range of plug-in vehicles, saving more than 4 million kilograms of CO2.

By adding another charge opportunity during the day at the workplace, it might be possible for employees to be able to accomplish all of their workweek trips without using gasoline.

Early work between Henry Ford and Thomas Edison
Henry Ford’s history of working with Thomas Edison dates back to the late 1800s, when Ford worked for the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. In 1892, Edison co-founded General Electric. In 1896, Ford attended a lecture given by Edison, which inspired him to discuss his ideas with the renowned scientist, thus beginning a strong friendship that endured for the rest of their lives.



 Thomas Edison and Henry Ford





Henry Ford had a strong interest in electric vehicles. He bought two for his wife, Clara, in 1908 and 1914, and installed a charging station in their garage. Several years after Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903, Ford and Edison began experimenting with their own electric vehicles using Edison batteries. The vehicles never went to market, but it marked the beginning of a relationship between the two men’s companies that stands strong today. Last fall, GE purchased 2,000 Ford C-MAX Energi vehicles, supporting its goal of converting half of its fleet to alternative energy vehicles. Today’s charging station announcement further proves the companies’ commitment to the growth of the electrified vehicle market.

Join a Google Hangout with Ford and GE
Triple Pundit will host a Google Hangout with Mike Tinskey from Ford, Debora Frodl, global executive director of Ecomagination at GE, and Hauker Asgeirsson, manager of power systems technologies at Detroit Edison, to discuss what’s happening in global energy innovation, as well as the challenges and changes envisioned for the future – whether they be in transportation, in the home or on the grid. The event will be presented live on March 20, 2014 at noon EDT. To join, please visit http://www.triplepundit.com/2014/03/live-chat-ford-motor-co/. You can also submit questions for the panelists via the comment section at the same site.

* Electric driving ranges vary with conditions such as external elements, driving behaviors, vehicle maintenance and lithium-ion battery age.

** MyFord Mobile is complimentary for five years from the vehicle sale date as recorded by the dealer. Subscriptions fees apply after five years. MyFord Mobile requires a compatible 2G independent cellular network. Evolving technology and cellular networks may affect future availability and functionality.
About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 181,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.

3/17/14

Green

       "...the fundamental purpose of a corporation is to make people’s lives better, and we can do that by creating outstanding products, by investing in the communities where our employees live and work, and by using our position as a technology leader to tackle global sustainability challenges." - William Clay Ford, Jr.


Ford's sustainability strategy is embedded in its business plan and consistent with the company's aim to deliver Great Products, a Strong Business and a Better World.

Key components of our sustainability strategy:

Greening Our Products: Ford’s global vehicles showcase our commitment to fuel efficiency. Technologies like EcoBoost®, direct injection of gasoline or diesel fuel, six-speed transmissions, and hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains deliver true “power of choice” to drivers everywhere.

Greening Our Operations: Ford has adopted a rigorous and holistic approach to reducing the overall environmental impacts of our manufacturing facilities. We have established global facility environmental targets that address the range of our environmental impacts, including energy use, emissions, water use and waste generation.

Confronting Climate Change: Ford is committed to doing our share to prevent or reduce the potential for environmental, economic and social harm due to climate change.
  •     Each new or significantly refreshed vehicle will be best in class, or among the best in class, for fuel economy
  •     From our global portfolio of products, we will reduce GHG emissions consistent with doing our part for climate stabilization – even taking into account sales growth
  •     We will reduce our facility CO2 emissions by 30 percent from 2010 to 2025 on a per-vehicle basis and average energy consumed per vehicle by 25 percent from 2011 to 2016 globally
Reducing Water Use: We believe Ford can play a role in developing and implementing solutions to the global water challenge. We are committed to conserving water and using it responsibly. Our water strategy actions includes:
  •     Minimizing water use and consumption at Ford facilities
  •     Finding ways to use alternative, lower-quality water sources
  •     Prioritizing our water technology investments based on local water scarcity and cost effectiveness
  •     Meeting either local quality standards or Ford global standards for wastewater discharge – whichever is more stringent
  •     Ensuring a stable water supply for our manufacturing facilities while working with local communities to minimize our impact
Protecting Human Rights: Ford was the first automaker to recognize that protecting human rights in our operations and our supply chain is an important sustainability issue. Our human rights strategy includes adherence to our Code of Human Rights, Basic Working Conditions and Corporate Responsibility

3/13/14

Ford Increases Virtual Crash Computing Power, Helping to Ensure Customer Safety

  •     Ford is increasing its investment in computing power by 50 percent to maximize the number and speed of virtual vehicle crashes, allowing safety engineering and vehicle evaluation teams to get more data, more quickly
  •     More than 2 million crash test simulations processed in past 10 years
  •     Actual crash testing is also vital to ensuring the safety of Ford vehicles; Dearborn, Mich., facility has performed more than 20,000 crash tests since 1954, with more than 31,000 crash tests executed globally
Ford Crash Barrier Building Fact Sheet

To facilitate growing demands for virtual crash test data, Ford is increasing its investment in computing power an additional 50 percent this year.

The technology investment will allow Ford to more quickly conduct virtual crash tests – some of which can take up to a full day to run – while also collecting more data. More than 2 million crash test simulations have been run over the past 10 years. The use of advanced computer crash test models also allows Ford safety teams to more quickly evaluate and verify a variety of designs.

Ford recently performed its 20,000th full-vehicle crash test at the Dearborn, Mich., development center. Physical crash tests, combined with virtual crash testing, allow Ford to gather more safety data faster than ever before. The work helps to ensure Ford vehicles meet or exceed industry safety standards in the global markets in which they are sold.

20,000th Crash Test

“Today’s vehicles come in a greater variety of body styles, and have more technology and driver-assist features – and many countries have unique regulations,” said Steve Kenner, global director, Ford automotive safety office. “We are able to manage this workload efficiently thanks to our significant investment in technology and the hard work of our teams.”

More than 500 engineers around the world are dedicated to safety at Ford. These teams run thousands of computer simulations before the physical tests are conducted, including frontal impact, side impact, rear impact, roof strength and safety systems checks.

“Ford is committed to designing vehicles that are safe for our customers,” said Nand Kochhar, Ford global safety chief engineer. “In the early stages of vehicle design, we use computer simulations; later we use crash test verification to ensure our vehicles perform as expected.”

The company’s investment in computing power has led to a tenfold increase in the number of virtual crash tests Ford can conduct during vehicle development. The level of detail on the models has increased as well. Safety teams can now run full-vehicle crash simulations with up to 2 million elements, up from half a million just five years ago.

Ford Computing Center


Full-vehicle crash tests
Ford performed its first crash test in 1954. In the 60 years Ford has been conducting crash tests, technology has advanced to allow an increased number of vehicles to be tested. The company’s crash barrier facility can be adapted to perform a wide variety of vehicle crash tests, including frontal, side and rear impact tests where restraints and airbag systems are evaluated. Tests are performed at speeds ranging from less than 20 mph to more than 55 mph.

Vehicle preparation for these physical tests can take from a few days to a few weeks, depending on test complexity. Vehicles are fitted with special mounts, cameras and sensors. On-board systems capture up to 300 channels of information, including crash forces, displacement and pressure.

1960 Crash Test Dummy


After the full-vehicle crash test, the team at the crash facility can provide safety engineers a wide range of crash data in under 30 minutes.

History of crash testing at Ford
Ford’s first crash test was performed in 1954. It took 40 years to do the first 10,000 full-body crash tests and only 20 years for the second 10,000 at the facility in Michigan. Globally, Ford has completed more than 31,000 physical crash tests at labs located in Dearborn, Mich., Merkenich, Germany; Geelong, Australia; and Tatui, Brazil.
About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 181,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.

3/11/14

The Harbor Hauler Body - Configured for Trailering and with Plenty of Cabinet Space!







People always seem to need stuff and then they need someplace to put the stuff and here is the solution. There is plenty of room for stuff in this body and it is specifically designed to make trailering with 5th wheel or gooseneck very easy and efficient.

The Hauler Body is designed with a 5th wheel hitch in mind and has a lower height than our standard low profile body. This body is 30" compared to 33" for the low profile body. This allows the connection of the trailer and to be able to turn without affecting the compartments. Yet, this body still
holds a good deal of cargo. The front compartment opening is 24.5" x 30" and the rear is 22.5" tall by 16" wide. This allows for good sized items. The horizontal compartment opening is 38" long by 7.25"
tall. The compartments are actually slightly larger than this, but these are the opening dimensions on the 8' body. Available for single rear and dual rear applications.


A nice looking body that is so much more functional than the standard pickup for this configuration. Order a hauler body to improve your trailering life!

Give us a call at 800-433-9452 and let us build one for you in your color on your favorite truck. See our website at http://www.htbi.net/.

3/09/14

Ford to Move Production of All-New 2016 F-650/F-750 Medium-Duty Trucks from Mexico to Ohio Assembly Plant in Early 2015





Ford investing $168 million to shift production of all-new 2016 Ford F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks from Mexico to Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake, near Cleveland

    F-650/F-750 trucks anchor Ford’s commercial truck range – America’s best-selling line of commercial trucks for 29 years. Every vehicle in Ford’s commercial truck lineup will be all-new or significantly refreshed in the next 18 months

    All-new 2016 Ford F-650/F-750 medium-duty trucks, available in spring 2015, will deliver impressive commercial-grade quality, capability and convenience with segment-exclusive Ford gasoline and diesel engines; outstanding performance at an affordable price; comfortable, modern interiors

Ford today announced production of its all-new 2016 F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks will shift from Mexico to Ohio Assembly Plant starting early next year, with the trucks on sale in spring 2015.

As part of the production shift, Ford is investing $168 million to retool the Cleveland-area plant for the new medium-duty trucks. Ohio Assembly Plant, which opened in 1974, currently produces the Ford E-Series lineup of vans and other commercial vehicles.



Ford E-Series cargo and passenger van production will end later this year, while E-Series cutaway vans and stripped chassis will continue to be built in Ohio through most of the decade. Replacing E-Series vans is the all-new 2015 Ford Transit that starts production this spring at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo.

“Shifting production of the 2016 Ford F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks to Ohio Assembly Plant helps secure a solid future for the dedicated workers at this facility,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas. “Building these trucks in-house will utilize our expertise from our other tough truck and commercial vehicle lines to give our customers a better product at a competitive price.”

The production shift from Mexico is part of the collective bargaining agreement Ford and the United Auto Workers negotiated in 2011. Ford’s announcement today confirms the company is moving forward with the plan for Ohio Assembly Plant.

“We are extremely pleased that the dedicated, highly skilled and highly motivated UAW members of Ohio Assembly Plant have been selected to build the next-generation Ford F-650 and F-750,” said Jimmy Settles, UAW vice president and director of the National Ford Department.

“We’re confident our outstanding work force will build these Ford medium-duty trucks to the highest levels of quality, reliability, dependability and craftsmanship – the factors that matter most to the demanding, hard-working owners of these vehicles.”

The 2016 Ford F-650 and F-750 will set a new standard for commercial work as the toughest, most work-ready, best value Ford medium-duty trucks ever.

Anchoring Ford’s commercial truck range – America’s best-selling, broadest lineup of commercial trucks for 29 years – the new F-650 and F-750 will deliver an impressive combination of commercial-grade quality, capability and convenience. This now includes segment-exclusive Ford gasoline and diesel engines, outstanding performance at an affordable price, and comfortable, modern interiors.

Several upgrades to the F-650 and F-750 were announced this week at the National Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, including:

Upgraded, versatile engine choices
Newly available is the second-generation Ford-built and proven 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel. The engine is paired with a commercial-grade six-speed 6R140 automatic transmission with available power takeoff provision to run accessories in the field, a dump body, crane and other vocational equipment.

Ford remains the only automaker to offer a gasoline engine for medium-duty trucks. The 6.8-liter V10 is available for both F-650 and F-750 models with the 6R140 six-speed automatic transmission. This engine can be factory-prepped for converting to compressed natural gas or liquid propane gas as cost-effective alternatives to unleaded gasoline.

Built Ford Tough testing to ensure durability
Grueling Built Ford Tough testing simulates the demands Ford customers will subject the truck to throughout its lifetime.

Testing for F-650 and F-750 includes the industry’s first robotic test driving program. The robotically driven trucks are expected to repeatedly perform tests on torturous surfaces that can compress 10 years of daily driving abuse into courses just a few hundred yards long. Surfaces include broken concrete, cobblestones, metal grates, rough gravel, mud pits and oversized speed bumps.

Great value
By controlling every aspect of development in-house – from design to manufacturing to service – Ford can offer F-650 and F-750 customers exceptional value, convenience and cost of ownership.

To keep work trucks on the road and in the field longer, a network of more than 3,000 Ford commercial truck and retail service dealers is ready to tackle any service need with minimized travel time and extended service hours.

Work-ready
The 2016 F-650 and F-750 make prepping for medium-duty jobs easier than ever. Auxiliary components such as the diesel exhaust fluid tank and standard fuel tank are now located under the cab instead of behind it on the frame. This cleaner, cab-to-axle design satisfies more truck body applications, and makes customizing easier, which helps reduce the customer’s final costs and time to delivery.

More information regarding the all-new 2016 Ford F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks can be found here.
About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 181,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.

3/07/14

New 2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty Will Deliver Best-in-Class Horsepower, Torque and Towing Capacity


  •     Second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel boosts horsepower to a class-leading 440 horsepower; torque to class-leading 860 lb.-ft. for all models
  •     F-450 chassis upgrades raise maximum gooseneck trailer towing capacity to class-leading 31,200 pounds, fifth wheel towing capacity to class-leading 26,500 pounds, and gross combined weight rating to a class-leading 40,000 pounds
  •     F-350 available with maximum towing package that increases fifth-wheel/gooseneck trailer towing capacity to 26,500 pounds, and raises the gross combined weight rating to 35,000 pounds
Ford F-Series Super Duty reinforces its leadership in the heavy-duty pickup truck market with engine and chassis upgrades for 2015 that together deliver best-in-class horsepower, torque and towing capacity.

Ford’s second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel now boasts 440 horsepower, up from 400 horsepower, and 860 lb.-ft. of torque, up from 800 lb.-ft, across all Super Duty models from F-250 to F-450.

The 2015 F-450 tops the F-Series Super Duty pickup truck lineup with maximum towing capacity increasing to a class-leading 31,200 pounds, a gain of 6,500 pounds. The truck’s gross combined weight rating increases to a class-leading 40,000 pounds, a gain of 7,000 pounds.

F-350 increases maximum towing capacity as well, to 26,500 pounds, from 23,200 pounds, and the gross combined weight rating goes up 4,500 pounds to 35,000 pounds.

The improved ratings are a result of designing and engineering the truck as an integrated system. The approach enabled Ford engineers to optimize performance across the full Super Duty lineup.

“Our chassis people work in unison with our powertrain people to develop more than a great truck, it’s a machine engineered for work,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck group marketing manager. “We’re the only manufacturer that develops and builds our own powertrains in this class and when you combine that with a chassis that’s purpose-built for best-in-class power and torque, you can feel the result in the way it drives, especially when towing big loads.”

“Our chassis people have worked in unison with our powertrain people to develop more than a great truck – it’s a machine engineered for work,” he adds.

Power Stroke Engine Improvements
The 2015 Super Duty achieves best-in-class towing performance with a second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel engine that was further developed to provide more power, torque and efficiency.

“The 6.7-liter Power Stroke was already a stout engine,” said Robert Fascetti, Ford vice president powertrain engineering. “The improvements we’ve made essentially give Super Duty customers an engine designed for our larger F-650 and F-750 trucks. They may not realize how tough this engine really is.”

Key innovations on the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel are its compacted graphite iron engine block and reverse-flow layout. This segment-exclusive design places the exhaust inside the engine’s V-shape, with while the air intake positioned on the outside resulting in a variety of advancements:

    Shorter airflow from the exhaust system to the new, larger turbocharger sitting between the engine’s cylinder banks improves turbo responsiveness – key to providing torque quickly to truck customers when they need it most
    Positioning the turbo inside the engine’s valley helps isolate the engine’s hottest temperatures, improving performance and efficiency, while also reducing noise, vibration and harshness to improve driver comfort

Enhancements include a larger turbocharger for faster air displacement resulting in more power. The engine block is made of compacted graphite iron, which is stronger yet lighter than cast iron, is more wear-resistant and has enhanced sealing properties.

“The designers of the original 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel predicted that it would eventually need to be upgraded for higher output,” said David Ives, Ford Power Stroke technical specialist. “They designed it in a way that made it easier to add a larger turbocharger, increasing airflow and creating more power for dramatically improved performance, yet we haven’t lost any efficiency.”

New injector tips spray a finer mist of fuel into the cylinders which provides a more complete burn and helps reduce noise, vibration and harshness. Other benefits include lower emissions and less fuel deposit buildup on the intake valves over time.

The engine enhancements give the Power Stroke engine a class-leading maximum output of 440 horsepower and 860 lb.-ft. of torque.

Chassis improvements
The F-350 is available with a high-capacity towing package that includes new front springs and a wide track axle, increasing the gross combined weight rating with the 6.7-liter Power Stroke engine from 31,900 pounds to 35,000 pounds.

Improvements to the F-450 that allow it to handle the increased tow rating include commercial- grade 19.5-inch wheels and tires; upgraded rear U-joints and suspension components, including new rear leaf springs; front and rear stabilizer bars; and shocks. The steering system has stronger gears and linkages and the fifth-wheel/gooseneck has an increased towing capacity. The brakes are larger brakes and feature new antilock brake calibration for enhanced braking performance.
Ford F-Series Super Duty: A Decade of Growth

3/05/14

Ford F-650 and F750 Turn to Power Stroke Diesel Engine


The biggest power pullers in the Ford Commercial truck lineup — the new-for-2016 F-650 and F-750 pickups — will drop the Cummins/Allison engine and transmission option in favor of the newly upgraded gen-two 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel and Ford six-speed TorqShift automatic transmission.

The new medium-duty trucks debuted in Indianapolis at the National Truck Equipment Association's Work Truck Show, which runs today through Friday, where Ford is showing off the F-650's and F-750's new interior and exterior design. In fact, some are saying the new trucks look a touch like the old GMC TopKick and Chevrolet Kodiak medium-duty trucks, which were essentially chased out of the market by Ford product domination.

The new F-650 and F-750 will come in three cab designs — regular, SuperCab and crew — and include several segment-exclusive features such as power telescoping and folding tow mirrors, as well as interior reconfigurability. Additionally, the new engine will offer a more aggressive Tow/Haul mode and a new dedicated switch for activating engine braking.

Ford has not released the horsepower and torque numbers for the big trucks, but we'd guess its likely to offer the new engine in various power outputs to accommodate different industries.




From PickupTrucks.com


3/03/14

Aluminum + Steel = Efficiency + Strength



Decades of research and development are about to pay off. Combining high-strength, military grade, aluminum with high-strength steel has created a lean machine that's heavy on capability.

3/01/14

Ford at the Chicago Auto Show



Ford introduces the 2015 F-150 and 2015 Mustang to Chicago. Ford announced a new pinball game from Stern Pinball featuring the all-new Mustang and celebrating 50 years of the original pony car, and also announced that the all-new F-150 is the only light-duty pick-up to offer snow plow prep package across all cab configurations when equipped with 5.0-liter V8 and 4WD.