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Ford Motor Company’s 100-millionth V-8 Engine

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#1 ·
With fewer than 50 days to its 100th birthday, Ford Motor Company’s 100-millionth V-8 engine rolled off the Essex Engine Plant's (EEP) manufacturing line here today, marking a milestone more than 70 years after Ford’s first mass-produced V-8 was built in 1932.

This week also marks the beginning of production of Ford’s new 5.4-liter, 3-valve Tritonä V-8 that will power the all-new 2004 Ford F-150 pickup when it starts production this summer. The milestone 100-millionth V-8 engine will be installed in the first Ford F-150 built this year at Ford’s Norfolk (Virginia) Assembly Plant.

“We have a century of experience delivering great engines to our customers,” said Dave Szczupak, vice president, Powertrain Operations, Ford Motor Company. “This is an historic milestone for Ford and the auto industry. It’s fitting for this milestone to fall in our centennial year and fewer than 50 days before our company’s birthday on June 16. It is also fitting that our new 3-valve Triton V-8 is the special engine that marks this occasion for us.”

Henry Ford revolutionized the auto industry with the moving assembly line in 1914 and again when he introduced the industry’s first affordable, mass-produced V-8 engine in 1932. The engine featured an innovative “flathead” configuration – a side-valve engine made possible by industry-first engine block casting techniques developed by Ford engineers.


The new overhead-cam 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton engine – now in production at Ford’s Essex Engine Plant in Windsor, Ontario – incorporates technologies that make it the company’s most advanced V-8 engine ever. In a striking similarity to its ancestor, the original Flathead V-8, Ford today uses an innovative new flexible manufacturing method to manufacture the all-new 3-valve cylinder head.

The new 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton V-8 will give the all-new 2004 Ford F-150 300-peak horsepower and 365-foot-pounds of peak torque – significant improvements over the previous award-winning 5.4-liter Triton.


Ford V-8 Plants

It is also fitting that the 100-millionth V-8 engine is produced in Windsor, which has a long history of Ford engine production. Since 1932, Ford of Canada has produced 22.4 million V-8 engines – most of them at the Windsor Engine Plant, sister of the Essex Engine Plant located a few miles away.

“Our Windsor operations continue to make a strong contribution to the success of the Ford Motor Company. Today, Windsor is the source of about half of Ford V-8s, as well as many V-6 and V-10 engines – all of which power some of the most popular Ford and Lincoln vehicles,” said Alain Batty, president & CEO, Ford of Canada.


In addition, Ford’s Romeo (Mich.) Engine plant currently builds more than 40 percent of Ford’s V-8 engines, nearly 7-million V-8 engines since the plant was converted to V-8 production in 1990, while Ford’s engine plant in Lima, Ohio, builds V-8 engines for the Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln LS.

Ford’s well-known Cleveland Engine plants No. 1 and No. 2 built more than 28 million V-8 engines between the late 1950s and 2000 – engines like the powerful Boss 302, the famed Cleveland 351 and the famous 5.0-liter Mustang engine, which ceased production in 2000.

Ford’s Dearborn (Mich.) Engine and Fuel Tank Plant, in the historic Rouge manufacturing complex, also produced millions of V-8 engines from the 1950s to the 1970s, including the legendary 427 cubic-inch motor.
 
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#2 ·
The industry’s first mass-produced V-8

Ford’s first V-8 engine left the assembly line March 9, 1932, changing the auto industry forever. Previously, V-8 power was reserved for luxury cars, because the engine blocks had to be constructed at great expense from complex pieces bolted together by hand. These early V-8s were fragile and able only to run at low-rpm. As a result of this cost and complexity, Ford’s direct competitors only offered six-cylinder engines.

Ford’s new flathead V-8 was sturdy, affordable and a hot rodder’s dream come true. It immediately caught the fancy of car buyers – nearly 6 million people visited Ford showrooms in 1932 to see the powerful new V-8 Fords that ranged in price from $460 to $650. Henry Ford took a personal role in the project and was gratified by the public response. Sixty-nine-years-old at the time, Ford said, “I’ve got back my old determination.”

Ford made V-8 synonymous with power. Ford V-8s of the 1960s and 1970s transcended the engine compartment to become part of popular culture and lexicon – with nicknames like Boss, Hi-Po, Cleveland, Cobra Jet and simply 427. Ford produced a record 3.17 million V-8 engines in 1977.

Ford dominated most forms of racing during the 1960s and ’70s, winning 87 percent of NASCAR races in 1965; twice taking the top four places in the Daytona 500; winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans four years running; and, led by Jackie Stewart, winning all 15 races in the 1973 Formula One season.

New 5.4-liter Triton V-8

Today, fewer than 50 days before Ford Motor Company celebrates its 100th anniversary on June 16, technology and innovation remain at the forefront of the company’s powertrain engineering. The 5.4-liter, 3-valve Triton V-8 is the newest member of Ford’s modular engine family. It is the first modular V-8 Ford engine to use variable-cam timing to optimize intake and exhaust valve operation across the rev range, generating both low-speed torque and high-speed horsepower while minimizing exhaust emissions.

The new Triton features three valves per cylinder – two intake and one exhaust – for better “breathing,” which enhances power and efficiency. The three-valve design also allows for a central sparkplug that allows complete, even combustion. New Charge-Motion Control Valves in the intake runners enhance air-fuel mixing at low rpm, improving low-end torque. A host of detail improvements contribute to quiet, refined operation.

“We make as much power at 1,500 rpm as the competition makes at their peaks,” Szczupak said. “We’re using technology, not size, to make the best even better.”

Technology isn’t limited to the engine, however. Just as a breakthrough by Henry Ford’s team of engineers made the 1932 V-8 possible, new manufacturing innovations contribute to current engine quality and production efficiency.

For example, the new cylinder head line at Windsor Engine Plant can be rapidly reconfigured for various engine sizes and valve configurations with little or no downtime. In addition, Ford’s revitalized Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 will incorporate flexible manufacturing techniques to build Duratec V-6 engines for the all-new 2005 Ford Freestyle “crossover” vehicle and all-new Ford Five Hundred sedan.
 
#3 ·
Famous Ford V-8s:

Flathead V-8 engine. Ford produced approximately 8 million Flathead V-8s between 1932 and 1953. These included the original 85 hp version, an economy 60 hp V-8 in 1936-37 and upgraded 90 hp, 95 hp and 100 hp engines.

302-cubic-inch and 5.0-liter OHV engines. Best known as the longtime Ford Mustang engine, the Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 built more than 16.9 million 302 and 5.0-liter V8s from 1967-2000, including the fabled Boss 302, and a total of 24.3 million V-8 engines at Plant No. 1 between 1961 and 2000. Windsor Engine Plant produced more than 2 million 5.0-liter engines from 1983-1990.

351-cubic-inch V-8. The “Cleveland,” or 351C, had a unique design that made it sought-after by enthusiasts. Cleveland Engine Plant No. 2 built more than 3.7 million 351 engines from 1969-1981. Windsor Engine Plant built nearly 8.5 million 351 engines.

427-cubic-inch V-8. This was a member of the FE big block family, with special performance features like high compression and strong cross-bolted main bearings. It was constructed at Dearborn Engine Plant. Only about 6,500 were built.

Modular V-8/V-10 family. Launched in 1991 with the 4.6-liter V-8, Ford’s modular engine design has lived up to expectations by forming the solid foundation for a host of engines tailored to Ford Motor Company products. Variations include 2-valve and 4-valve cylinder head designs, as well as the new 3-valve Triton. Engine blocks are cast from both iron and aluminum. Ford produces naturally aspirated and supercharged variants, including the 390-hp SVT Mustang Cobra. Romeo (Mich.) Engine Plant has built more than 6.8 million modular engines. Windsor has built more than 4.3 million. Essex Engine Plant began building 5.4-liter engines in August 2002 for the Australian Falcon.

AJ-V8 engine. Jaguar, which joined the Ford Motor Company family in 1996, has built more than 265,000 high-performance AJ-V-8 engines for cars like its XK8 and XKR sports cars at its plant in the United Kingdom.
 
#4 ·
CANADA MAKES BIG CONTRIBUTION TO FORD'S 100 MILLION V-8 ENGINES

WINDSOR, Ont., April 29, 2003 – Ford's 100-Millionth V-8 engine – a 3-valve Triton™ 5.4-litre V-8 – rolled off Essex Engine Plant's (EEP) line today. The milestone engine, and hundreds of thousands like it, will power the all-new 2004 F-Series pickup.
Nearly one quarter – or 22.4 million – of all the V-8 engines ever produced by the Ford Motor Company were made in Windsor.

“Our Windsor operations continue to make a strong contribution to the success of the Ford Motor Company. Today, Windsor is the source of about half of Ford V-8s, as well as many V-6 and V-10 engines – all of which power some of the most popular Ford and Lincoln vehicles,” said Alain Batty, president & CEO, Ford of Canada.

Ford of Canada's Windsor operations began as a base to produce uniquely Canadian Model C cars in 1904. In time, Windsor evolved from car production into a global powerhouse of Ford engine production. Since 1932, Ford of Canada has produced 22.4 million V-8 engines – most of them built at the Windsor Engine Plant.

The production of the 100-millionth V-8 at EEP also ushers in Ford's newest source of V-8 engines. (The 22-year-old EEP has, until recently, produced only V-6 engines). In collaboration with Windsor Engine Plant, EEP has become the exclusive source of 5.4-litre, 3-valve Triton V-8 engines for the 2004 F-Series pickup. The two-plant partnership began to take shape in 2000 when both Essex Engine and Windsor Engine plants broke ground on massive, $770 million (Cdn), ($485 million U.S.) capacity expansions. By late 2002, Essex Engine Plant received a 22,500 m2 (250,000 sq. ft.ft2) building that housed a new production line for the final assembly of the new engines, as well as a new crankshaft machining area. Across town, Windsor Engine Plant increased in size by some 25 percent, having received a 48,000m2 (530,000 sq ft ft2) expansion to produce three-valve cylinder heads that are shipped to EEP for final assembly of the 5.4-litre, 3-valve Triton V-8.

During the past seven decades, Ford of Canada's Windsor operations have produced a variety of V-8 engines. The "Flathead" debuted in 1932 as the first mass-produced V-8, and its derivatives continued until the 1960s. By 1969, Windsor was producing the 400 cubic inch V-8 truck engine, followed by a short-lived 255 cubic-inch version, and finally the fabled 5.0-litre made from 1983 to 1990. Also in 1969, the 351W ("W" for Windsor) V-8 made its debut. With 5.8 litres of displacement, 351W production continued for 30 years until it was retired in 1999.

Today, the Triton is the mainstay of Windsor V-8 production. A modular engine, the Triton V-8s feature 4.6- or 5.4-litre displacements in two-, three- and four-valve cylinder head configurations. The four-valve version is available on Lincoln Navigator and is the basis for the new Ford GT supercar's 500 horsepower engine.

Ford of Canada’s operations include a national headquarters, six regional offices, six vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, two parts distribution centres, and affiliates including Ford Credit, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover and Hertz. Ford employs more than 16,000 people, while an additional 21,000 are employed in 502 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across Canada. In 2002, revenues for Canadian operations were $23.3 billion, making Ford of Canada one of the country's largest privately-held companies. Since 1990, Ford has invested nearly $9.5 billion in its Canadian operations. For more information, please visit www.ford.ca.
 
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