Amazing advances in automotive engineering

[Clipper]

editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost-tru.aspx?post=ad5a9145-86cb-4f02-b312-6f89b3d890da&icid=autos_4543

It simply amazes me that Ford has developed a truck engine in a 3.5 liter Eco Boost 6 cylinder that has 30 fewer horses, but 10 more pound feet of torque than Dodge's 5.7 liter Hemi V-8.

I bought my 2010 Dodge with the 5.7 in order to get the 410 pound feet of torque and 395 horsepower to pull our fifth wheel RV a little more efficiently than my 2005. I get 20 mpg on a trip without the trailer if I use cruise and keep it around 70 mph. WITH the trailer, I get about 10-12 mpg.

It simply amazes me that Ford has found a way to get 420 pound feet of torque from a six cylinder with less displacement and 30 fewer horses.

The Dodge 5.7 liter saves fuel in eco mode by dropping to six cylinders when in cruise for a specified period of time. ( I think it is something like 2 minutes.) I have to research the mileage data on the eco boost 6.

The engineering simply amazes me. I had a Ford truck prior to my two Dodges. It would not pull a sick chicken off a nest. I thoroughly researched the towing specifications on all available trucks in 2005, and came up with my first 5.7 Hemi. Ford and Chevy only had the option of buying a diesel in order to get the torque and power. Even the Toyota 5.7 at that time did not have the pulling power I wanted. ( I think they have improved their specs also)

My mechanical aptitude is mainly in the area of hydraulics. Clarence, you are an engineer. Possibly you could explain how it is possible to get so much more power and torque from an engine that is so much smaller. An engine that develops less horsepower, and yet manages more torque.

[clarencebunsen]

It's a bit out of my field as well, I'm mostly an interested amateur as far as engine design, but I have a couple thoughts. Turbo charging, direct fuel injection and electronic spark control all allow for a more complete combustion and extract more energy from each bit of fuel used. If one can control the flame front as it advances, it should be possible to get more "push" and less "bang" on each power stroke. (Does that make sense? I can "see" what should happen but it's not easy for me to explain.) That's done with computer modeling of the geometry of the piston, cylinder and valve cams.

I hope that as more energy is extracted from each cylinder on the power stroke the rest of the drive train is designed for the additional loads.

Clipper, you just did something nice for me. As I was writing the above I was thinking about the professional magazines I received before I retired. One was Machine Design which always had a great Indy car issue. I no longer qualify for a free subscription and I never thought to check for an on line edition. It's there & I can now happily read about Navy lasers and oil film bearing failures.

[Clipper]

LOL. Glad to be of assistance Clarence. I don't know if I would get anything but a headache reading about oil film bearing failures, not knowing a whole lot about the subject, LOL. Sounds like pretty dry reading to the average redneck, blue collar, hahaha. Thank goodness for minds like yours that keep the world moving forward.

I used to kid my dad. I would ask him something and he would go off into this technical explanation. He has spent many years of night school to complete his degree as an electronics engineer. I would tell him to translate that MIT into MVCC so I could understand it, ROFL. He didn't finish his degree until after he had been here for a few years completing his courses at Eastern Tennessee State University in Johnson City Tn.

[clarencebunsen]

My dad with an EE degree from an Agricultural College and a background in farming had a real talent for putting technical concepts in plain English. I remember one year when I was in high school his company used him as a spokesperson in some state legislative hearings. He had an instant credibility and people warmed to him in a way I could never hope to match.

After he retired he formed a consulting company (I think he & my mom were the only employees) to help people (mostly dairy farmers) with stray voltage problems. Much of his work ended up being an expert witness at trial. His testimony was normally incontrovertible. "This is what I observed. This is what I measured. This is what it means. This is what it caused." He became a bit discouraged because what he wanted to do was fix problems not affix blame.