The
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
produced straight-six engines from 1906 until 1908 and from 1941 until 2016. In 1906, the first Ford straight-six was introduced in the
Model K. The next was introduced in the
1941 Ford. Ford continued producing
straight-six engine
The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine bala ...
s for use in its North American vehicles until 1996, when they were discontinued in favor of more compact
V6 designs.
Ford Australia
Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia) is the Australian subsidiary of United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Comp ...
also manufactured straight-six engines in Australia for the
Falcon
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Adult falcons ...
and
Territory
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
models until 2016, when both vehicle lines were discontinued. Following the closure of the Australian engine plant, Ford no longer produces a straight-six gasoline engine.
First generation
The first-generation Ford six-cylinder engines were all
flatheads. They were the G- and H-series engines of used in cars and trucks and the M-series of used in larger Ford trucks and for industrial applications.
226
Introduced for the
1941
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...
model year, the first Ford L-6 (designated G-series) displaced and produced , the same as the
Flathead V-8
Flathead may refer to:
Peoples
* Flathead people, one of three tribes of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation in Montana.
* The Flathead, or Flathead Indian (or Amerindian) tribe more formally known as the Confe ...
that year. Like the V-8, it was also a flathead or L-head engine. In 1948, Ford raised the compression of the flathead six or L-6 (designated H-series or Rouge 226) so that it generated and of torque. The G- and H-series engines were used in the full-sized Ford cars and trucks to replace the smaller
Flathead V8 that was used in the
1937 Ford. Ford discontinued production of the H-series engine for the 1951 model year.
254
A version of the L-6 (designated the M-series or Rouge 254) was used from 1950 to 1953 in
F6-series Ford trucks (
COE, dump, truck-tractor, etc.), and small Ford school buses. The M-series engine produced and . of torque. They were also used in miscellaneous industrial applications, e.g., to power water pumps for irrigation purposes and within wine-producing farms to manage risk by powering giant frost-control propellers on stands in the middle of rows of grapes.
Second generation
The second generation was a newly designed inline-six, produced from 1952 through 1964; it shared many parts with
Ford Y-blocks such as the entire valve train and the problems associated with the Y-block's lubrication system. These engines have the exhaust and intake on the driver's side and the distributor on the passenger side. It is referred to as Mileage Maker or I-Block Mileage Maker (with the "I" referring to "inline") in the passenger cars and Cost Clipper in the trucks.
215
A completely new
OHV
An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located bel ...
I-6 was offered for the 1952–53 F-Series. It displaced and produced . It was also used in the
1952–53 Ford full-sized cars.
223
The 215 grew to for the 1954 F-Series. Output was now in the trucks and in the
1954 Ford cars. Power was up to in the 1956 trucks. While not the popular engine option, the was the only inline-six offered in the
Fairlane (until 1961),
Galaxie
Stingray Music is a Canada-based international multi-platform audio service that broadcasts continuous Streaming media, streaming music and other forms of audio on multiple channel feeds. The service is owned by Stingray Digital.
While a song i ...
, and
F-Series trucks between 1955 and 1964, causing it to be not quite a rarity, but not easy to come across. The 223 I-6 was also used in 1963–1964 Ford trucks, which also used the Autolite 1100 carburetor with stamping C4TF-E and produced with 206 ft-lb of torque, and Mercury Meteor-Monterey in 1961. The 223 was also used in Onan 30EC generator sets and possibly others.
262
A I-6 version was also produced. The 262 I-6 was built from 1961 to 1964 for use in medium- and heavy-duty Ford trucks. This engine was also used for industrial applications.
Third generation
The third generation was produced at the
Lima Engine
Lima Engine is a Ford Motor Company automobile engine plant located in Lima, Ohio, United States. The factory was opened in 1957 as the site of production of Ford's '' MEL'' V8 for the Edsel car. It subsequently produced six-cylinder engines (the ...
plant in
Lima, Ohio
Lima ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwest Ohio along Interstate 75 in Ohio, Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, southwest of Toledo, Ohio, T ...
, from 1960 through 1984. Officially dubbed the Thriftpower Six, this engine line is sometimes referred to as the Falcon Six. Note that car companies, including Ford, switched from gross ratings to net horsepower and torque ratings in 1972 (mainly because of the emissions laws being enacted nationwide at the time), so changes in engine compression and emissions controls make comparing engines from various production years (especially pre-1972) difficult.
144
The inline-six engine was first introduced in the 1960
Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate applied to several vehicles worldwide.
* Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970.
* Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford Argentina from 1962 until 1991.
* Fo ...
. The 144 was made from 1960 through 1964 and averaged during the production run. While not known for being powerful or a stout engine, it proved to be economical and could get fairly good gas mileage for the time, up to . This small six was the basis for all the Ford "Falcon" straight-six engines. The intake manifold on this series was cast integrally with the cylinder head (this design was also used by Chevrolet with some of their later third-generation inline-sixes, the older engines had separate manifolds); as a result, they could not be easily modified for greater power. This engine had four main bearings and can be identified by the three
core plug
Core plugs, also called freeze plugs or Welch plugs, are used to fill the sand casting core holes found on water-cooled internal combustion engines.
Purpose
Sand cores are used to form the internal cavities when the engine block or cylinder he ...
s on the side of the block.
This engine was used in:
* 1960 - 1964
Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate applied to several vehicles worldwide.
* Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970.
* Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford Argentina from 1962 until 1991.
* Fo ...
* 1960 - 1964
Ford Ranchero
The Ford Ranchero is a coupe utility that was produced by Ford between 1957 and 1979. Unlike a standard pickup truck, the Ranchero was adapted from a two-door station wagon platform that integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. A total o ...
* 1960 - 1964
Mercury Comet
The Mercury Comet is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from 1960–1969 and 1971–1977 — variously as either a compact or an intermediate car. In its first two years, it was marketed as the "Comet" and from 1962 as the "Mercury Comet ...
* 1961 - 1964
Ford E-Series
The Ford E-Series (also known as the Ford Econoline or Ford Club Wagon) is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for model year 1961 as the replacement for the Ford F-Series panel van, the E-S ...
(Econoline)
170
In 1961, the became an option for the Falcon and Comet lines. The 170 Special Six was a stroked version of the 144, increasing the stroke from to . The original
1965 Ford Mustang used a version from March (production start) through July 1964. The
Econoline van and
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco is a model line of sport utility vehicles manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the mo ...
received a heavier-duty version with mechanical
valve lifter
A tappet is most commonly a component in an internal combustion engine which converts the rotating motion of the camshaft into linear motion of the valves, either directly or indirectly.
An earlier use of the term was for part of the valve gear ...
s. This engine had four main bearings and can be identified by the three freeze (core) plugs on the side of the block. The 170 Special was dropped from production in 1972.
187
From 1965 to 1969, Ford Argentina produced a specific block similar to the earlier (four main bearings, stroke) but with a
bore. It was replaced by the from 1969. Power was rated at .
200
The inline-six model was introduced in the middle of 1963 with bore and stroke, and shared the four main bearing design of the 170. Early 200s can be identified by three freeze plugs. Beginning in 1965, the 200s were upgraded to seven main bearings to reduce harmonic vibrations and increase durability. The 1965 and later engines can be identified by four
freeze plugs and the casting code C5DE-H. The 1965 Mustang (August 1964 onward) used this engine as standard, rated at . The Mustang continued to use the 200 as its base engine until it was dropped in 1971. Starting in 1966, a six-bolt
bellhousing
Bell housing or bellhousing is a colloquial/slang term for the portion of the transmission that covers the flywheel and the clutch or torque converter of the transmission on vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. This housing is bolte ...
flange block was introduced. Beginning in 1980, one version of the 200 block was redesigned with a bell housing flange and a low-mount starter very similar to the low-mount starter 250 inline-six. This version is easily identified by starter location down by the oil pan rail and is referred to as the Big Bell 200. The big bell design is uncommon, but sought after by I-6 performance enthusiasts because it can be modified to accept a Ford small block V8 six bolt bell housing. There were concurrent high-mount starter 200 blocks made till 1983 model year, and they are more common than low-mount starter 200s.
When Ford launched the third-generation
Fox body Mustang in 1979, the original engine lineup included the
Cologne V6. The same engine was also offered in the hugely successful Ford of Europe Capri Mk II. The 2.8L V6 engine was a popular option for the US Mustang and the European Capri Mk II, and as a result, the Cologne engine plant could not meet the demand for engines for both continents. As a result, the Cologne 2.8L V6 was dropped from the Mustang's engine lineup in the middle of the 1979 production year and replaced with the 200 Falcon inline-six, which was then referred to as the 3.3L engine. The engine and front suspension K-member were transferred from the
Fairmont, which helped reduce costs instead of having to redesign the Mustang for a different engine.
The 200 was used in the
Ford Maverick Ford has marketed the following automobiles models using the Ford Maverick nameplate:
* The Ford Maverick (1970–1977), a compact car sold in North America and Brazil during the 1970s
* The rebadged Nissan Patrol Y60 sold by Ford Australia under ...
and
Mercury Comet
The Mercury Comet is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from 1960–1969 and 1971–1977 — variously as either a compact or an intermediate car. In its first two years, it was marketed as the "Comet" and from 1962 as the "Mercury Comet ...
and continued in the Fairmont (and essentially identical Mercury Zephyr) until these were replaced at the end of the 1983 model year. The
Ford Granada and
Mercury Monarch
The Mercury Monarch is a compact automobile that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from the 1975 to 1980 model years. Designed as the original successor for the Mercury Comet, the Monarch was marketed as a luxury compact vehicle; al ...
offered the 250 inline-six (1975–1980) and then the 200 inline-six (1981–1982) as part of their engine lineup. The
Ford LTD and
Mercury Marquis
The Mercury Marquis is a model line of automobiles that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from the 1967 to 1986 model years. Deriving its name from a French nobility title, the Marquis was introduced as a rebadged coun ...
, introduced in 1983 as the successors to the Granada and Monarch, carried over the 200 engine until it was replaced by the 3.8L
Essex V6 in 1985.
Ford was also having problems meeting demand for its
2.3L OHC engine, which was used in a multitude of models worldwide. In anticipation of another engine shortage, the Ford engine plant in Lima, Ohio, which was already producing the 2.3L OHC engine, decided they could modify the Falcon inline six block casting molds to remove cylinders 4 and 5 to create a four-cylinder engine. A cast-iron high-swirl cylinder head was developed, and the motor was designated the
2.3L HSC to help differentiate it from the same displacement 2.3L OHC design. This motor shared many common parts with the 200, and it is common for persons rebuilding their 200 engines to use the 2.3L HSC pistons as a cheap replacement.
Applications:
*1963–1967
Ford Ranchero
The Ford Ranchero is a coupe utility that was produced by Ford between 1957 and 1979. Unlike a standard pickup truck, the Ranchero was adapted from a two-door station wagon platform that integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. A total o ...
*1963–1969
Ford Fairlane (Americas)
The Ford Fairlane is an automobile model that was sold between the 1955 and 1970 model years by Ford in North America. Taking its name from the Dearborn, Michigan estate of Henry Ford, the Fairlane nameplate was used for seven different gener ...
*1964–1970
Ford Falcon (North America)
*1965–1971 and 1979–1982
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
*1968–1969
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company, Ford for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was a competitor in the mid-size car, intermediate market segment. The car was named after the city of Turin ( ...
*1970–1977
Ford Maverick (Americas) Ford has marketed the following automobiles models using the Ford Maverick nameplate:
* The Ford Maverick (1970–1977), a compact car sold in North America and Brazil during the 1970s
* The rebadged Nissan Patrol Y60 sold by Ford Australia unde ...
*1975–1980
Ford Granada (North America)
The North American version of the Ford Granada is a range of sedans that was manufactured and marketed by Ford over two generations (1975–1982). Developed as the original successor for the Ford Maverick, the Granada shares its name with Ford ...
*1978–1980
Ford Fairmont
The Ford Fairmont is a model line of compact cars that was manufactured by Ford from the 1978 to 1983 model years. The successor of the Ford Maverick, the Fairmont marked the third generation of compact sedans sold by Ford in North America and ...
*1973–1977
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco is a model line of sport utility vehicles manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the mo ...
*1980–1982
Ford Thunderbird (eighth generation)
The eighth generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury coupe that was manufactured and marketed by Ford from the 1980 to 1982 model years. Introduced to commemorate the 25th year of the Thunderbird, the eighth generation was substan ...
*1983–1984
Ford LTD (Americas)
The Ford LTD (pronounced ) is a range of automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company for the 1965 to 1986 model years. Introduced as the highest trim level of the full-size Ford model range, then the Galaxie, the LTD offered options and featu ...
*1964–1967 and 1971–1977
Mercury Comet
The Mercury Comet is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from 1960–1969 and 1971–1977 — variously as either a compact or an intermediate car. In its first two years, it was marketed as the "Comet" and from 1962 as the "Mercury Comet ...
*1975–1980
Mercury Monarch
The Mercury Monarch is a compact automobile that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from the 1975 to 1980 model years. Designed as the original successor for the Mercury Comet, the Monarch was marketed as a luxury compact vehicle; al ...
*1978–1983
Mercury Zephyr
The Ford Fairmont is a model line of compact cars that was manufactured by Ford from the 1978 to 1983 model years. The successor of the Ford Maverick, the Fairmont marked the third generation of compact sedans sold by Ford in North America and ...
*1979–1982
Mercury Capri
Capri (later Mercury Capri) is a nameplate marketed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company on three distinct series of automobiles between 1970 and 1994.
From 1970 to 1978, the Capri was a sport compact marketed in North America ...
*1983–1984
Mercury Marquis
The Mercury Marquis is a model line of automobiles that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from the 1967 to 1986 model years. Deriving its name from a French nobility title, the Marquis was introduced as a rebadged coun ...
250
The inline-six engine was offered in 1969 in the Mustang, and 1970 in compact Ford cars (Maverick). The 250 was a stroked 200, made by increasing the stroke from to . Output was in the Mustang, and the 250 became the base engine in 1971. The Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch offered the 250 inline-six for the 1975–1980 model years, when it was replaced by the 200 inline-six.
Power was re-evaluated at for 1972 (because of power rating changes) and the next year. This engine had seven main bearings, and can be identified by the five
freeze (core) plugs on the side of the block. The block uses a low-mount starter and six bellhousing bolts, sharing its
bellhousing pattern with the 302 and 351
Windsor V8s, late (1965–68) 289, early
4.6L V8, and the 240 and 300 inline-six. Production of the 250 ended in 1980.
Applications:
*1968–1976
Ford Ranchero
The Ford Ranchero is a coupe utility that was produced by Ford between 1957 and 1979. Unlike a standard pickup truck, the Ranchero was adapted from a two-door station wagon platform that integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. A total o ...
*1968–1973
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company, Ford for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was a competitor in the mid-size car, intermediate market segment. The car was named after the city of Turin ( ...
*1969–1973
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
*1970–1977
Ford Maverick (Americas) Ford has marketed the following automobiles models using the Ford Maverick nameplate:
* The Ford Maverick (1970–1977), a compact car sold in North America and Brazil during the 1970s
* The rebadged Nissan Patrol Y60 sold by Ford Australia unde ...
*1975–1980
Ford Granada (North America)
The North American version of the Ford Granada is a range of sedans that was manufactured and marketed by Ford over two generations (1975–1982). Developed as the original successor for the Ford Maverick, the Granada shares its name with Ford ...
*1972–1982
Ford Cortina
The Ford Cortina is a medium-sized family car that was built initially by Ford of Britain, and then Ford of Europe in various guises from 1962 to 1982, and was the United Kingdom's best-selling car of the 1970s.
The Cortina was produced in fiv ...
*1968–1969
Mercury Comet
The Mercury Comet is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from 1960–1969 and 1971–1977 — variously as either a compact or an intermediate car. In its first two years, it was marketed as the "Comet" and from 1962 as the "Mercury Comet ...
*1972–1976
Mercury Montego
The Mercury Montego is a nameplate that was applied to three separate generations of vehicles marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Taking its name from Montego Bay, Jamaica, the nameplate made its first appearance for 1967 ...
*1975–1980
Mercury Monarch
The Mercury Monarch is a compact automobile that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from the 1975 to 1980 model years. Designed as the original successor for the Mercury Comet, the Monarch was marketed as a luxury compact vehicle; al ...
Fourth generation
![Ford 240-6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Ford_240-6.jpg)
Produced at the
Cleveland Engine
Cleveland Engine is a Ford Motor Company engine manufacturing facility in Brook Park, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. It consisted of two distinct plants until one was closed in 2012.
Plant 1
Opened in 1951, Cleveland Engine Plant n ...
plant in
Brook Park, Ohio
Brook Park is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States and a suburb of Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city population was 18,595 .
Geography
Brook Park is located at (41.399550, −81.818423).
According to the United States Census ...
, from 1964 through 1996, the 240 and 300 inline-six engines are well known for their durability. Their simple design and rugged construction continue to endear these engines to a number of Ford enthusiasts to this day. The engine has earned the monikers "bulletproof" and "indestructible" by many. Popular legend holds that are numerous claims by owners who have purposely sought to destroy a Ford straight-six through intentionally abusive use, but who were unsuccessful in doing so.
One example of the engine's sturdy design is the fact that no timing chain or timing belt (both of which can break, causing unwanted downtime or even engine damage, although this is extremely unlikely in the case of a chain) is used. This generation of Ford Six was designed with long-wearing gears for that purpose instead. These engines also employed seven main bearings.
Both the 240 and the 300, no matter the application, used a single-barrel Autolite 1100/1101 (or Carter YF/A)
carburetor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...
until the introduction of
electronic fuel injection
Manifold injection is a mixture formation system for internal combustion engines with external mixture formation. It is commonly used in engines with spark ignition that use petrol as fuel, such as the Otto engine, and the Wankel engine. In a mani ...
in 1987. With proper gearing, many F-Series trucks and Broncos achieve . This fact was heavily used by Ford's advertising campaign (some television advertisements and written literature even claimed ), since the V8 engines in these trucks rarely achieved over .
The fuel economy of the 300 makes the engine a popular choice among truck enthusiasts that want both power and economy. The addition of performance parts (such as
intake
An intake (also inlet) is an opening, structure or system through which a fluid is admitted to a space or machine as a consequence of a pressure differential between the outside and the inside. The pressure difference may be generated on the ins ...
and
exhaust manifold
In automotive engineering, an exhaust manifold collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe. The word ''manifold'' comes from the Old English word ''manigfeald'' (from the Anglo-Saxon ''manig'' anyand ''feald'' old and refe ...
s with a
four-barrel carburetor) place the engine power output near the same levels as the stock "HO" (High Output) version of the optional 351 V8, with little or no change in economy.
240
The inline-six for 1965–1972 full-sized cars (continued to 1974 in fleet models) and 1965–1974 trucks and vans produced (gross). In stationary service (generators and pumps) fueled by LPG or natural gas, this is known as the CSG-639. The 240 had a bore of and a stroke of .
300
![Ford300pump2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Ford300pump2.jpg)
The six was first offered in the F-Series for 1965. It is essentially a with a longer stroke of . The two engines are nearly identical; the differences are in the rotating assembly and combustion chamber sizes in the head (the heads are interchangeable). It produced (gross). The 300 became the base F-Series engine in 1978 at (horsepower number changes due to Ford switching to net power ratings in 1971). Power outputs were increased to roughly during the early 1980s, before fuel injection was introduced. This became the primary engine of the line, eclipsing the 240. Unlike the Falcon engine, it featured separate intake and exhaust manifolds, which could be easily replaced with aftermarket manifolds offering the promise of even more power, through the installation of larger carburetors and a higher flowing exhaust system.
Also during the late 1960s and early 1970s, the 300 was used in larger vehicles such as dump trucks, many weighing into the to range. These engines were equipped with a higher flow HD (Heavy Duty) exhaust manifold and forged crankshafts and rods since the engines were going to be constantly working in the 3,000–4,000 rpm range. These rare yet effective manifolds had a much higher exhaust flow rate because many of these engines would spend hours at 3,000 rpm or more. Due to their straightforward and high flowing design, enthusiasts often seek these manifolds out because they allow
turbochargers
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
to be easily retrofitted to the engine.
Beginning in 1978, the engine displacement was advertised in metric, becoming "4.9 L." Fuel injection and other changes in 1987 pushed output up to horsepower with an 8.8:1 compression ratio. Even though this engine was renowned for its durability, low-end torque, and ease of service, it was gradually phased out. Production ended in 1996, making it the last inline-six gasoline engine offered in a Ford car or light truck in North America. It was replaced by the
4.2L Essex V6 for 1997 in the radically redesigned F-150 and the E-150 and E-250. The 300 was mated to the Ford C6, E4OD, AOD, ZF S5-42 and S5-47 transmissions, as well as the Mazda built M5OD 5-speed manual transmission, and the Borg-Warner T18, Tremec RTS, and New Process NP435 4-speed manual transmissions.
Race car driver Scott Donohue raced a rally truck with a Ford 300 inline-six in it and won the Baja 1000 three times. This engine is also used by
Stewart & Stevenson in the MA Baggage Tow Tractor, and Harlan in their standard tow tractors, as well as a multitude of other pieces of equipment, such as ski lifts, power generators, wood chippers, tractors, and, until they converted to diesel engines, most
UPS
UPS or ups may refer to:
Companies and organizations
* United Parcel Service, an American shipping company
** The UPS Store, UPS subsidiary
** UPS Airlines, UPS subsidiary
* Underground Press Syndicate, later ''Alternative Press Syndicate'' or ...
trucks. In stationary service (generators and pumps) fueled with LPG or natural gas, this engine is known as the CSG-649.
Applications:
*1965–1996
Ford F-Series
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford Motor Company, Ford since the 1948 model year. Slotted above the Ford Ranger (Americas), Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range, the F-Series is market ...
(F-100, F-150, F-250, F-350, and F-600)
*1968–1996
Ford E-Series
The Ford E-Series (also known as the Ford Econoline or Ford Club Wagon) is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for model year 1961 as the replacement for the Ford F-Series panel van, the E-S ...
(E-100, E-150, E-250, and E-350)
*1980–1992
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco is a model line of sport utility vehicles manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the mo ...
Ford Australia
Starting in 1960,
Ford Australia
Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia) is the Australian subsidiary of United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Comp ...
used the same inline-six engines as offered in North America, featuring the 144 and 170 cu in pursuit models. The 144 was discontinued in late 1966. As in North America, a 200 cu in 'Super Pursuit' motor was added in February 1964. In 1968, the deck height of the design was increased to make room for increased crankshaft stroke, resulting in displacements of 188 and 221 cu in (badged 3.1 and 3.6 litres). They superseded the 170 and 200 engines in the lineup. The 188 and 221 also powered the
Ford Falcon (Argentina)
The Argentine Ford Falcon is a car built by Ford Argentina from 1962 to 1991. Mechanically, it was based on the parent company's first generation Falcon. The Falcon retained the same body style throughout its production, with several substantial ...
from 1970 to 1991.
In , Ford Australia enlarged the motors to 200 and 250 cu in. The head was of the same design as previous models, with an integral intake catering for a single-barrel Bendix-Stromberg carburettor. In the configuration, the Falcon 250 I-6 was rated at . Also in 1970, the Falcon Inline 6, on both 200 and 250 cu in variants, became available on locally manufactured
Ford Cortina
The Ford Cortina is a medium-sized family car that was built initially by Ford of Britain, and then Ford of Europe in various guises from 1962 to 1982, and was the United Kingdom's best-selling car of the 1970s.
The Cortina was produced in fiv ...
s, Around this time, the company also developed the '2V' ('two venturi', or '2 barrel' in Ford terminology, reflecting a new 2-barrel carburettor as opposed to the previous single-barrel) cylinder head, which in all respects was similar to the previous integral "log head" intake, with the exception of a removable aluminium intake which mounted a Bendix-Stromberg WW two-barrel carburettor. To take advantage of the much improved breathing ability that the removable intake brought to the new head, the 250-2V also featured a much better breathing exhaust manifold. The result was the engine being rated at .
For years, the 250-2V cylinder head was very popular for racing and many have been imported to North America, where owners of cars with the Falcon inline six have upgraded their engines with the better cylinder head.
In , Ford Australia updated the engines with a new cast-iron crossflow head design. Engine displacements remained 200 and 250 cu in, but were now badged 3.3 and 4.1 litres, respectively. These engines were offered in the Ford Falcon XC in Australia. Whereas the previous integral "log head" I-6 motor borrowed from the Ford FE engine family design, the new crossflow motor borrowed from the
Ford Cleveland engine family. A common upgrade for a crossflow head engine is to use 351 Cleveland roller tip rocker arms.
Ford Australia
Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited (known by its trading name Ford Australia) is the Australian subsidiary of United States-based automaker Ford Motor Company. It was founded in Geelong, Victoria, in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Comp ...
updated the crossflow design in mid-1980 with a new aluminium head casting. The alloy head was used to improve warmup time and reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Until 1982, the engines were fitted with a single-barrel Bendix-Stromberg carburettor, but from March 1982 were fitted with a Weber two-barrel carburettor, which had improved fuel consumption over the single-barrel carburettor. The Weber carburettor engines were badged Alloy-Head II.
Later, a fuel-injected version with direct-port fuel injection was offered in the XE Falcon, and was only available as an aluminium-head 4.1 L. The XF Falcon's 4.1 then received Ford's EEC-IV engine management system with Multi Point
Electronic Fuel Injection
Manifold injection is a mixture formation system for internal combustion engines with external mixture formation. It is commonly used in engines with spark ignition that use petrol as fuel, such as the Otto engine, and the Wankel engine. In a mani ...
(MP-EFI). The carburettor engine was still fitted standard, and EFI was optional. Changes to the carburettor-based engine were made to accommodate the EFI system. The compression ratio on the 4.1 L was 8.89:1. The cylinder head intake ports had been modified to provide clearance for the injectors, and a new intake manifold was designed and many other changes were made in the engine bay to accommodate the new fuel system.
*Power at specified rpm (DIN) before '86 running on leaded fuel
**3.3 L @ 4100
rpm
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
**4.1 L carburetor @ 3750 rpm
**4.1 L EFI engine @ 4000 rpm
*Torque at specified rpm (DIN) Pre '86 running on leaded fuel
**3.3 L @ 2500 rpm
**4.1 L carburetor @ 2400 rpm
**4.1 L EFI engine @ 3000 rpm
*Power at specified rpm (DIN) ADR 37 compliant engine running on unleaded fuel
**3.3 L @ 4000 rpm
**4.1 L carburetor @ 3600 rpm
**4.1 L EFI engine @ 4000 rpm
*Torque at specified rpm (DIN) ADR 37 compliant engine running on unleaded fuel
**3.3 L @ 2200 rpm
**4.1 L carburetor @ 2000 rpm
**4.1 L EFI engine @ 3000 rpm
In , the inline six engines underwent a major redesign for the EA
Falcon
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Adult falcons ...
and now featured a new
single overhead cam
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...
(SOHC)
crossflow aluminum head. The camshaft and auxiliary shaft are driven by a 'duplex' chain. The duplex chain drives the distributor and the oil pump shafts. The camshaft is supported on the cylinder head by using 'topless' bearings. Bearing liners are not used. The camshaft is held in position using valve spring pressure. Hydraulic lash adjusters mounted on the rocker arms are used to provide zero valve lash. As with all previous and current models, the block is cast iron, but with a reduction in the cylinder bore to try to reduce emissions.
The SOHC engines were offered as the 3.2 L (with throttle body injection) and the 3.9 L (with throttle body or multipoint fuel injection). In 1989, the 3.2 L TBI version was discontinued, and in 1991, the 3.9 L's displacement was enlarged to 4.0 L (now only with MPI) and was rated at . In 1995, a dual resonance intake manifold for the EF series was introduced. Also for the EF series Falcon, the standard engine employed a high-energy coil-pack
ignition system
An ignition system generates a spark or heats an electrode to a high temperature to ignite a fuel-air mixture in spark ignition internal combustion engines, oil-fired and gas-fired boilers, rocket engines, etc. The widest application for spark i ...
. However, the subsequent EL Falcon reverted to a distributor/coil ignition setup.
Ford Australia redesigned the I-6 again in 1998 alongside the introduction of the
Ford Falcon (AU)
The Ford Falcon (AU) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1998 to 2002. It was the sixth generation Ford Falcon and also included the Ford Fairmont (AU)—the luxury-oriented model range. The AU series replaced the EL Fal ...
, and increased the main bearing size and added a ladder style main stud girdle integral with the oil pan to increase low end rigidity. The engine also received
variable camshaft timing technology in some of the XR6 models, which can advance or retard camshaft timing depending on engine speed, which gives a much broader power band.
The Falcon Forte (base model) engine had a power rating of 157 kW, the sports XR6 model variants had either 164 kW (HO - High Output) or 172 kW (VCT) and the luxury-focused Fairmont had 168 kW (VCT).
Barra
In , the engine underwent a significant upgrade receiving
dual overhead cams
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
(DOHC) with variable cam timing and coil-on-plug ignition. The engine gained the nickname "Barra", named after the "
Barramundi
The barramundi (''Lates calcarifer'') or Asian sea bass, is a species of catadromous fish in the family Latidae of the order Perciformes. The species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, spanning the waters of the Middle East, South ...
" code name used during the development of the
Ford Falcon (BA)
The Ford Falcon (BA) is a full-size car, full-sized car produced by Ford Australia from 2002 to 2005. It was the second significantly re-engineered iteration of the sixth generation of the Ford Falcon (Australia), Falcon, and also included the F ...
. Producing 182 kW (244 hp) and , it debuted in the
Ford Falcon (BA)
The Ford Falcon (BA) is a full-size car, full-sized car produced by Ford Australia from 2002 to 2005. It was the second significantly re-engineered iteration of the sixth generation of the Ford Falcon (Australia), Falcon, and also included the F ...
of 2002 and also powered the
Ford Territory introduced in 2004. In October 2005, alongside the introduction of the
Ford Falcon (BF)
The Ford Falcon (BF) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 2005 to 2008. It was the third and final iteration of the sixth generation of the Falcon. The station wagon body design continued until 2010, alongside the new se ...
and
Ford Territory (SY), these outputs rose to 190 kW (255 hp) and . In 2008 the Barra was upgraded a final time, debuting in the
Ford Falcon (FG)
The Ford Falcon (FG) is a full-sized car that was produced by Ford Australia from 2008 to 2014. It was the first iteration of the seventh and last generation of the Falcon. Its range no longer featured the Fairmont luxury badge, replaced inste ...
with power outputs of 195 kW (261 hp) and .
Turbocharged versions were also manufactured. The initial version, known as Barra 240T with and of torque was offered between 2002 and 2005 in the BA Falcon XR6 Turbo, as well as the Territory Turbo. This was followed in the BF and BF Mk II XR6 Turbo (between 2005 and 2008) by the Barra 245T producing of power and of torque, which in turn was followed by the Barra 270T from 2008-2016 in the FG and FG X XR6 Turbo and G6E Turbo models producing of power and of torque.
Ford Australia's high-performance division,
Ford Performance Vehicles
Ford Performance Vehicles was the Melbourne-based, premium performance arm of automobile manufacturer Ford Australia. The company produced a range of Ford-based models from 2002 to 2014 under the FPV marque name.
History
The roots of FPV can be ...
(FPV), created even more powerful turbocharged variants. The first turbocharged straight-6-engined car from FPV was the BA Mk II F6 Typhoon (2004), which produced of power and of torque. The first power and torque upgrade came with the FG range of 2008, which saw outputs rise to of power @ 5500 rpm and of torque. This engine, the Barra 310T, was the first Australian-built engine to achieve over 100 hp per litre.
The ultimate iteration of the Barra engine was installed in the limited-production
FG X XR6 Sprint (limited to 500 units) of 2016. This engine produced @ 6000rpm and @ 2750 rpm. The engine features an overboost function that can increase output to and for up to ten seconds.
Ford Australia had intended to discontinue production of the I-6 engine at their engine plant in
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
in 2010 and replace it in the Falcon and Territory models with an imported
V6 engine, although later reversed this decision in favour of upgrading the Barra to meet then-upcoming
Euro IV emissions standards. This would prove to be only a temporary stay of execution as the Geelong factory eventually closed on 26 September 2016, following Ford's decision in May 2013 to discontinue the Falcon and Territory and cease manufacture of vehicles in Australia.
Ford Falcon (Australia) straight-six engines
References
External links
{{Ford v8 engines
Straight-6
The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine bal ...
Straight-six engines
Gasoline engines by model