WHY THE 6.7L POWER STROKE IS SO GREAT

…AND THE AFTERMARKET PARTS THAT MAKE IT EVEN BETTER

- MIKE MCGLOTHLIN

In bringing CGI block technology, reverse-flow cylinder heads, air-to-water intercooling, 400 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque to the diesel truck segment, Ford’s 6.7L Power Stroke was big news. Since its release in 2011, the 6.7L Power Stroke has all but been perfected by Ford, and hundreds of thousands of happy customers agree. Its reputation for reliability and high-mile durability is often compared to the venerable 7.3L—although the 6.7L racks up its miles with significantly more power on tap, cleaner emissions, and vastly-improved drivability. Its performance potential and dependability has even converted Duramax and Cummins fans to Ford owners.

So why is the 6.7L Power Stroke so great? After all of the issues associated with the 6.0L Power Stroke were followed by rampant emissions-related, fuel system, and hard-part failures on the 6.4L, the Dearborn automaker desperately needed a homerun engine for its Super Duty line. By taking its diesel engine program fully in-house and bringing outside experts onboard to help with its development, FoMoCo delivered. In the grand scheme of things, Ford’s 6.7L may have even saved the Power Stroke name. It might not be the greatest compression-ignition power plant ever created, but it is arguably the best Power Stroke ever assembled. In the following pages we’ll explain why.

Big low-rpm torque, insurance to facilitate future increases in cylinder pressure (i.e. torque), substantial weight reduction and improved noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) all pointed Ford in the direction of using compacted graphite iron (CGI) for the 6.7L’s block rather than conventional gray iron. Thanks to CGI’s superior strength (it can be as much as 75-percent stronger than gray iron), critical areas of the block that would normally require a lot of meat can be cast much thinner.