When it comes to the science of diesel power production, there are few contemporaries to Gale Banks of Banks Power. He recently put together a video essay, under the Banks Speed School banner, discussing the horsepower war between Ford and Chevrolet’s diesel engines back in 2011.
While dyno figure battles between the Blue Oval and Bowtie are nothing new, Banks explains that this particular conflict went largely unnoticed in the mainstream. “In February of 2010, Chevrolet announced their new 2011 Silverado, but with no power figures,” explains Banks. “Then, in March of 2010, Ford announces a best-in-class power figure of 390 horsepower and 735 pound-feet of torque. Chevrolet waited a few months before announcing their power figures in June at 397 horsepower and 765 pound-feet of torque.”
Seems fairly straightforward, right? Well, this is where things get interesting. “Ford had certified two separate power ratings with the EPA and CARB,” says Banks. “They had an emissions-legal hole card, as it were. So, in August, Ford announced the new power figures of 400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque.” That little 3D chess move put the crown squarely on the Blue Oval for 2011.
On the left, you can see the initial 390-horsepower/735 pound-feet dyno graph that Ford released. On the right was the version they were keeping up their sleeve for when GM inevitably countered with their numbers, after playing them close to the vest upon the initial announcement. Ford definitely won that bout of gamesmanship.
Now you might be asking, what does this have to do with anything? Why are we talking about something that happened 13 years ago? Well, that’s the fun part. Banks has (and has had, since 2010) a brand-new, unrun, 2011 Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke “Scorpion” engine sitting on an engine stand. And, he’s decided that now is as good a time as ever to tear the engine down and take a deep look inside.
“This is the OG Scorpion engine that really started it all between Power Stroke and Duramax,” says Banks. “There are a number of things that intrigue me about this engine. The first being the Hot-V design.” As part of the teardown, Banks not only walks you through the components and designs that excite him (he really likes the super-complex intake manifold casting), but also explains the what and why of most of the Ford engineer’s design decisions — like the valve cover that is also part of the intake manifold…
The 2011 Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke is an incredible piece of engineering, and even as someone who has only a passing interest in diesel powerplants, Banks’ journey through the engine is well worth the watch. We’ve never hidden the fact that we’re fans of Gale Banks’ and this kind of video only further cements our position on the matter.
One of the more interesting parts of a 2011 Power Stroke is that the valve cover has part of the intake manifold built into it.
