What Do You Know About Ford Truck Engines?

AUTO

By: Ian Fortey

7 Min Quiz

Image: Wiki Commons by Cristianv14

About This Quiz

No auto manufacturer in history is more synonymous with hard-working trucks than Ford. They've been cranking these things out for literally more than a century at this point and in that time they've innovated every single aspect of what a truck means from the tires to the interior dome lighting to the layout of lights on the dash. And make no mistake, the engine has always been at the forefront of Ford truck design. From their classic and beloved V8 that's still in demand today for vintage roadsters to the newer fuel-efficient models like the EcoBoost engines, Ford is all about performance and efficiency. There's a lot going on under the hood of a Ford, and there always has been.

Whether you're driving your Ford for pleasure or you're hauling massive machinery and material at work, there's a truck model for you out there with an engine to match. In fact, there's a good chance Ford has more engine designs and features than you realize. But if you have the feeling that you have what it takes to break down some of the essentials in a Ford engine, then why not take the quiz and show us what you've got.

Which of these engines is giving you the most horsepower?

If it's horsepower you want, then you need the H.O. EcoBoost Twin-Turbocharged V6. It pulls about 450 horsepower and is an available option for any new Ford F-150 if you're willing to pay the price for it. The use of this fuel-efficent engine has made the new F-150 the most powerful quarter-ton pickup on the market.

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Why do we call it a "V" engine anyway?

The "V" in any engine name, sometimes written out as "vee engine," is a reference to how the engine looks from the side. The piston cylinders are at an angle to each other, creating the shape of the letter "V."

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For how long did Ford continuously produce its straight-6 engines?

In 1906, Ford had a brief rendevous with the use of the straight-6 configuration, but it was short-lived. The size to power ratio wasn't to Henry Ford's liking, and the idea was scrapped, not to be reimagined again until 1941. That version was able to produce a whopping 90 horsepower, a paltry amount in comparison to the more than double the power the very last straight-6 created.

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In what year did Ford introduce the Super Duty engine?

Super Duty engines came on the scene in 1958. They were replacements for the Lincoln Y-Block V8, which was Ford's earliest pushrod V8 engine and had been introduced back in 1952. The Super Duty engine should not be confused, however, with the Super Duty platform seen on pickups today. Super Duty badging adorns trucks as a reference to upgraded components, not the specific engine.

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When Ford developed its V8 engine crankshaft, what innovation did they come up with?

Prior to the Ford flathead V8, the standard practice was for the crank to be made from forged steel. Ford improved on that practice and found a way to produce the crank from cast steel, making it just as strong but markedly cheaper overall.

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What's the name of the V6 engine introduced by Ford in 2006?

When the straight-6 was discontinued, Ford needed another bulletproof engine to stuff under the hoods of their medium-duty vehicles. They also go by the name Duratec, which is an older name Ford used for engines. This copycat naming is confusing to engine purists because there are very few similarities between the two.

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Do you know what fuel a 6.8L Triton V10 gasoline engine can be modified to run on?

The 6.8L Triton V10 engine is a bit of a beast, and you can find it in something like a Ford F-750 truck. They can be converted to run on either propane or compressed natural gas to save fuel costs. The ease of maintenance and inexpensive nature of these running on compressed gasses make these modified engines appealing for use in fleet vehicles. Examples include garbage trucks, taxicabs, and even police cars.

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What did Ford call their large-displacement V8 engine meant to compete with the Chrysler Hemi?

The 1969 pavement chewing Boss Mustang was the first Ford to be powered by the innovative 302 small-block V-8. The Boss engine itself was purpose-built for road racing but eventually found its way into passenger vehicles as well. The block itself was made of cast aluminum and offered a significant weight reduction to the front wheels while burning the rubber off of the rear.

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The 2008 Ford Ranger was the last production vehicle available with what engine?

The Ford Vulcan V6 engined was last available in the 2008 Ford Ranger, which was the only truck model that actually made use of the Vulcan V6. Ford also placed the Vulcan V6 under the hood of passenger-hauling vehicles like the Aerostar and Taurus. Many engine aficionados herald the Vulcan V6 as one of the most bulletproof engines ever seen on American roadways.

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Do you remember what kind of engine the 1993 Ford SVT Lightning was equipped with?

Developed as part of the 10th generation of the Ford F-series, the SVT Lightning had a 5.8L Windsor V8 engine and was first produced from 1993 to 1995. It was brought back in 1999 until 2004 but now the Raptor mostly covers the same ground. The SVT lighting is so cool, in fact, that Lady Gaga herself drives one.

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If you haul a lot with your truck, should you get a diesel engine or a Ford EcoBoost engine?

Diesel is a more energy-dense fuel than gasoline overall and the result is more power produced by less fuel. While an EcoBoost engine is designed to amp up the output of regular gasoline, if you're doing a lot of serious hauling then a diesel engine likely has the torque-heavy attributes you want.

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What size gasoline engine does the 2020 Ford Super Duty offer?

With the largest V8 gasoline engine in its class, the 2020 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty are decked out with a beastly 7.3L V8. Ford had been phasing out V8 engines years ago in favor of fuel-efficient V6's, so, this new model is something of a surprise. In a truck market that has slowly separated into either turbo V6 engines or diesel, this brave introduction demonstrated that Ford is devoted to developing the very best truck possible.

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What did the twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 replace in SVT Raptors?

The first Ford SVT Raptors came with a torque loaded 6.2L V8 engine that transformed a lumber hauling pickup to a sporty setup. That engine was swapped out in the truck's second generation in favor of 450-horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 in an effort to improve overall fuel economy.

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Do you know in what year Ford first introduced its Flathead V8 engine?

Although Ford didn't invent the V8 engine, they did make it much more popular after they introduced their version in 1932. The Ford V8 was arguably the first V8 available for the consumer that made it a reasonable thing for someone to own in a personal vehicle.

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What other car manufacturer helped Ford develop the EcoBoost engine?

FPV Engineering, a German company, and Mazda, a Japanese company, originally co-developed the EcoBoost engine. It's no surprise that Ford looked to Mazda for a little help getting into the eco-sector, they had operated jointly in the past. It's a beautiful thing when two companies can work together, even after a separation, and develop a truly exceptional vehicle.

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Ford called these engines Triton, but the luxury line Lincoln called them something fancier. What was it?

The Ford Modular engine was used under the name Triton from 1997 until the year 2010. This was also used in some Lincoln vehicles. For example, in the Crown Victoria, it was just a boring old Triton engine but when placed in the opulent Towncar, it became InTech.

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What was the last year and model that the flathead engine was used in the US?

The 1954 F-100 marked the end of the flathead engine in America, though it was still used in other countries, including Canada. The second-generation F-series trucks moved on up to the Power King engine, a 239 CID overhead valve Y-block V8.

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What intimidating name does the 7.3-liter gas engine Ford designed for Super Duty trucks go by?

In December of 2018, word started going around about a brand new engine expected to be ready for 2020 models. It would be used in F-150 Raptors and was expected to also be able to fit in a Mustang as well. The name they were using? Godzilla.

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What engine were you going to find in a 1948 F-1 pickup truck?

Before the F-series, Ford pickup trucks were just modified versions of different platforms. Essentially, taking something like a Model A and slapping a truck bed on the back. The flathead used was an instant success and continued being used in the F1 through F6 models.

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What was the last truck Ford truck to be equipped with the 4.2-liter V6?

The final model year that the Ford F-150 was available with the V6 Essex engine was 2008. In the following year, all 2009 models came with a V8 until 2011 when the 3.7L Duratec was introduced. With the introduction of turbo technology, a V6 of today is just as powerful as the V8 of yesterday.

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What company mostly used Ford 300 cu in (4.9L) I6 engines in their vehicles?

UPS trucks were generally outfitted with 300 I6 engines, and though the company has converted a lot of their fleet to diesel, many of their trucks still do use these engines though they stopped being manufactured in 1996.

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Which of these is a variant of Ford's Coyote V8?

If there's one thing Ford likes to do it's come up with clever engine names. The 5.0L Coyote V8 had several variations including the 5.2L Voodoo, Aluminator and Predator, all of which are being designed for Mustangs as opposed to the Coyote itself which is in the F-150.

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How much better is the fuel efficiency with an EcoBoost engine supposed to be?

Ford developed the EcoBoost engine to compete with larger displacement engines without being a larger displacement engine itself. It's supposed to deliver about 30% greater fuel-efficiency as a result and produces 15% fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

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What did the Y-block get replaced with in Ford vehicles?

Ford's FE engine replaced the Y-block which, in the grand scheme of things, didn't last long at all. FE stood for "Ford Edsel" and was used in trucks and buses from 1964 to 1978.

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In what year did Ford drop its M-series engine completely?

Ford put its 5.8L 351M and 6.6L 400 cu in V8 engines to bed in 1982. They were replaced with a 4.2 liter 255 cu in and a 5.8L 351 cu in Windsor V8. The change was meant to be a marked improvement in fuel efficiency.

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When did Ford introduce the Y-block engine?

The Y-Block engine was introduced in 1954 and was a replacement for the Ford Flathead V8 that, at that point in time, was essentially outdated technology. It stayed in use in Ford trucks for the next decade though it was replaced earlier in cars

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Ford's Power Stroke engine, which is a diesel engine, can be found in all of these vehicles except which one?

Ford's Power Stroke engine is used in its Econoline vans, its Excursion SUVs and its Super Duty trucks. The Power Stroke engine has also been used in diesel Rangers for the South American market.

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The H.O. EcoBoost Twin-Turbocharged V6 outshines a V8 in almost every way. How is it lacking?

Despite having superior horsepower and superior torque, the one field the H.O. EcoBoost Twin-Turbocharged V6 is lacking compared to the V8 options available for a Ford F-150 is towing capacity. The V8 can haul 11,600 lbs while he EcoBoost is limited to 8,000 lbs.

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What kind of torque was the 2015 Ford Powerstroke producing?

The 2015 Powerstroke had a 6.6-liter Power Stroke V8 engine that produced 860 lb.-ft. and 440 horsepower. That was nearly double the torque output of what trucks had been doing perhaps a decade earlier.

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What was the engine output of the three-valve 6.8L V10 in the Ford Super Duty truck?

Produced from 2005 to 2010, if you had one of these Super Duty trucks, the engine was kicking out 362 horsepower and was, in fact, the same engine that they had installed in Blue Bird Vision school buses. Whether the engine was hauling mulch or kids, it did a fantastic job!

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Which of these engines is giving you the lowest MPG in the city?

Despite sounding pretty impressive on the screen, the H.O. EcoBoost Twin-Turbocharged V6 will give you the lowest MPG of any engine in a 2019 Ford truck model, at about 15 MPG city and 18 MPG highway. The 3.0L Power Stroke Turbo Diesel V6 offers 23 MPG city and 30 MPG highway.

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What did Ford develop to replace its Duratorq engine?

The diesel EcoBlue engine began development in 2016 under the codename "Panther" and is being rolled out as a replacement for Duratorq engines. The 2018 Ford Ranger Raptor featured an EcoBlue engine and it is expected to be rolled out for a number of vehicles in the future. The engine has fewer emissions and an incredibly good fuel economy.

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In what year did F-series engine output surpass 200 hp for the first time ever?

It was the fourth generation of the F-series that first experienced engine output of over 200 hp in 1965-1966. The 352 cu in (5.8L) FE V8 engine and its 208 hp engine that made it possible.

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Do you know the tow-rating for the Power Stroke turbo-diesel 6.7-liter V8 engine in the F-450?

According to Ford, the 2019 Ford F-450 Super Duty towing capacity is a mind-boggling 21,000 lbs. Compare that to the 2019 Toyota Tacoma which has about 6,500 lbs of towing capacity.

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What manufacturer was used before the 2011 6.7-Liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engine was released?

The introduction of the Powerstroke diesel was in response to the controversy happening around Navistar. Navistar provided the United States Marine Corp with various military vehicles at a ridiculously inflated price. After a whistleblower pointed the finger of fraud at Navistar, Ford decided to sever ties and develop their own engine.

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