2015-2019 F250-F450 PICKUP

In 2017 Ford decided to step away from its longtime diesel partner, International Navistar, to design, engineer and produce their own Powerstroke engine. Since then, the 6.7L Ford Powerstroke has exceeded expectations in performance, reliability and fuel economy. Early results show that it appears to be very durable as well. Over a half-million 6.7L Powerstroke diesel engines have been produced in the first 3 years of production.

From 2011 to 2014 the 6.7L Powerstroke had a unique single sequential turbocharger (SST) which features a dual compressor and a single turbine. In 2015 this was replaced by a Garrett GT37 variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) which increased horsepower and torque. In the 2017 version of the 6.7L Powerstroke, The SST returned in the Ford Super Duty. With that, torque reached an all-time high at 925 lb-ft. In 2018 the torque and horsepower peaked at 450 hp and 925 lb-ft of torque. Ford credits software adjustments, improvements to the cylinder heads and an increase in turbo boost for the increases.

Another unique feature in the 2018 6.7 Powerstroke was the diesel engine’s exhaust and manifold design. Previously they had a traditional V engine. Now the intake and exhaust flows are reversed. The reasoning for the switch? It’s said to increase the thermal efficiency of the turbocharger.

That brings us to 2020. For this year Ford introduced the 3rd generation 6.7L Powerstroke diesel. It raised the bar in performance with 1,050 lb-ft of torque and 475 horsepower. There are some other significant changes, notably the new piston design. For 2020, the Powerstroke uses a steel piston with a relatively short overall height. This change compensates for the increased weight of the steel which is much heavier than the previous aluminum design. This results in a piston that is similar in weight to the previous piston but is more durable and resilient. It also has lower friction due to its smaller size.

What else is new?

Two-piece lower intake manifold
Enhancements to the engine block
New cylinder head design
New 10R140 ten-speed automatic transmission (replaces the 6R140 TorqShift
Split stream piston cooling jets
Revised injection system with new fuel injectors
Updates to the connecting rods and main bearings
Revised variable geometry turbocharger (VGT)
Lower compression ration 16.2 : 1 to 15.8 : 1 (because of the new piston design)