Catmando

I know there's lots of Ford guys on here(hey I was one for years) so here's a great inside look at the new Scorpion V8 diesel. This one might be a competitor to the mighty Cummins. It makes more hp and torque(420/750) than the Cummins(350/650), but only time will tell how reliable it is. Long article, very in-depth so here's the link;

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2009/08...el-engine.html

Interesting comments below too...

bustedbrick

Nice to see evidence of out-of-box thinking going into a clean sheet engine. Beating the snot out of it in accelerated testing is about as good as anyone can do, but its not perfect. Those durability tests have been used by everyone for the last 30 years and we all know what has often come out of them. The devil is in the real world and I wish them the best of luck on this. It's great to see Ford taking a real risk and pouring development $ into it, money which they don't really have.

boatntrkr

time will tell

Catmando

Ford had to bring out the Scorp a full year early because of Dodge's 2010 truck and they could have used the extra time for more testing for sure. I have the might Cummins common rail(2006) and for heavy towing I'll put it up against the Dmax and Powerstroke any time. My engine is rated for 350,000 miles before rebuild but I know guys have gone over 500,000 and they tow heavy. Ford doesn't give a mileage rating but 250,000 seems reasonable.

There are a lot of new ideas in this motor but the one that stands out for me is the single-sequential twin-compressor variable-vane variable-gate twin ball-bearing turbo(whew!). Garrett is on the cutting edge of turbo design.

This motor will go in the Class 4, 5 and 6 trucks also so Ford is staking it all on the Scorpion. What I don't understand is why Ford didn't go with the tried-and-true inline 6 configuration but Ford must have had its reasons. I wish Ford all the best as the company moves forward with what is hoped to be the answer after the great 7.3 engine.

Apexwarrior

Catmando or anyone else,

I'm thinking about getting away from my big block chevy and want a heavier duty truck. Is an inline 6 diesel inherently better than a v8 diesel, either Ford or GM? This Scorpion engine looks awesome to me. Why might one go inline 6 even though this motor will have more power? Are all semi trucks in line 6's or do some have v8? What do they use?

Is it simply that Dodge make a better product or is there an inherent advantage to the in line 6 design? Thanks in advance.

Matt

LapseofReason

I have been a Ford truck guy my whole life and have stuck with the 7.3 the whole time but may have to get one of the 2011 Superdutys. I also have gone and drove all the others when new trucks came out to see if they are better. The Chevy always rode good but felt under powered to me ( I have a lot of work done to my 7.3's and they run ) the inside of the Chevy's looked cheap too but are better now. The Dodge didn't have a real Crew cab until the mega cab and then only with a short bed, I dont know if they changed that now. The Dodge rode the worst and drove most just like you would think a truck would drive, if you tow around town all the time the Dodge has the best low end but they wont pull a 42 Sonic 85 mph for very long in comfort like my 7.3 did. If youn are the 55 mph tower then you will be fine. The ergonomics of the Dodge dosnt suit me either. The new body style Ford turn the best and dont feel as big as they are the only reasons I didnt get a new 6.4 was I dont have anything heavy to tow now and under 10 mpg. I get 20+ out of my Excursion and it tows everything I have now fine.

Catmando

An inline 6 puts more torque through the rear wheels at lower rpms than the V8s. It gets better fuel mileage too. The Cummins' parts are stronger than the V8s so the motors tow heavier loads and last longer.

If you're going to tow heavy you want to stay away from the GM IFS suspension. The live axles on the Dodges and Fords are much better for towing.

Pretty much all the Class 8 big rig motors are inline 6s.

Catmando

The first Dodge Megacabs still had the short rear doors. Now they are true crew cabs and the quad cabs are gone.

I think towing over 70mph is crazy but that's just me.

The 6.4 does get very poor fuel mileage, especially in the F450 but it's a better motor now than it was at first.

The new Dodge Ram HDs are much better trucks now than they were last year.

boatntrkr

ahh, the old ford vs chevy vs dodge question...how many times is it going to be asked?

heres how you buy a truck now days, go to the dealers, drive all of them, buy the one YOU like best and fix the problems as they come up (or get rid of the problematic parts before they break). They all have problems, they all get crappy fuel milage thanks to DPFs, they will all run longer then you want to own them if you keep up the maintanance. Most people never see 200k on their diesels. They all tow what you want them to. If they dont go to a medium duty truck and repeat above process.

and yes, all heavy duty class 8 trucks since the 80s i believe are inline 6.

Catmando

Pretty much says it all right there. The key here is make sure your tow vehicle is rated to tow your boat topped off with fuel and other fluids, and the trailer. To cut corners here is to invite disaster with inadequate braking, and insurance and legal issues as well.

If you(Apexwarrior) read the top thread in this forum by Sydwayz, you will find excellent information.