"F-Series Super Duty is the toughest of the tough trucks. We have combined brute capability with performance. This truck is going to do the job for the customer, no matter how big or small the job is." – Steve Lyons, Ford Division president

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 7, 2002 – 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. In addition, the lineup offers expanded option availability for wider capability.

The new 32-valve 6.0-liter Power Stroke® V-8 diesel engine is more powerful and cleaner, achieving approximately eight 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 the oxides of nitrogen (NO _x ) emissions by 20 percent. It also provides customers the power they want with improved noise and vibration refinement.

The diesel 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.

"This vehicle is extremely versatile and was designed to meet customer needs," said Bill Ickes, F-Series Super Duty assistant chief program engineer. "Whether our customers use their Super Duty trucks for business, pleasure or as a family carrier, they will be impressed by the new powertrain, package offerings and available configurations."

F-Series Super Duty customers asked for more power, but they also wanted more options.

Ford obliged by adding the King Ranch edition, the new XLT Sport Crew Cab and FX4 Off-Road packages, and a segment-exclusive power moonroof on Crew Cab models, to enable customers to more easily suit their trucks to their lifestyles.

F-Series Super Duty pickups and chassis cabs equipped with the new optional engine and transmission will begin production this fall at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Ky. They will begin arriving in dealer showrooms in early 2003.

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. 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," says 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, was first shown in concept form in January at the North American International Auto Show held in Detroit. It employs an Electronic Variable Response Turbocharger (EVRT™) for 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. Had we chosen a wastegated turbo, it would have wasted exhaust energy at higher loads, compromising performance and fuel economy. This would have been a tradeoff that we were not willing to accept for our customers."

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 NO _x 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," says 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."