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Dana, BASF, Ford Recognized for All-New Thermoplastic Oil Pan

Durable product earns Society of Plastics Engineers Innovation Award

 

MAUMEE, Ohio and FLORHAM PARK, N.J., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dana Holding Corporation (NYSE: DAN), BASF, and Ford Motor Company have earned the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Innovation Award. The companies were recognized in the powertrain category for the development of a state-of-the-art thermoplastic oil pan for the all-new Ford F-Series Super Duty truck's 6.7-liter Powerstroke® diesel engine.

 

The oil pan's unique design delivers improved impact performance, as well as significant cost and weight savings.

 

The SPE Innovation Awards recognize the most innovative use of plastics in the automotive industry. Winners are selected by a panel of blue ribbon judges made up of retired industry leaders and members of the media. The awards were presented last Thursday evening in Livonia, Mich.

 

"Dana continuously seeks opportunities to add value for our customers," said Dana Chief Technical Officer George Constand. "This award for innovation is a great example of close collaboration among customers and suppliers."

 

The oil pan is the first North American commercial application to utilize ULTRAMID® B3ZG7 OSI "Optimized for Stone Impact" thermoplastic material from BASF. The material combines a glass-filled polyamide 6 polymer with a proprietary impact modifier designed to achieve superior long-term impact performance and to withstand attack from road salts. The pan also incorporates a highly-engineered rib pattern designed to survive multiple impacts by absorbing and dissipating the energy in the pan structure.

 

"Our collaboration with BASF and Ford on the thermoplastic oil pan addresses Ford's need for lightweight products that meet or exceed the company's uncompromising performance standards on its flagship truck platform," said David Nash, director of research and development for the Dana Sealing Products Group. "By integrating the core capabilities of all organizations, we've developed an extremely durable, award-winning solution that delivers high customer value."

 

The oil pan was designed to withstand the most rugged conditions, including stone impacts and temperature extremes. It also provides reductions in noise, vibration, and harshness for increased customer satisfaction. Additionally, the lightweight resin material, combined with the oil pan's unique ribbed design, offers significant weight reduction of up to 40 percent - and cost savings of up to 30 percent - when compared with cast aluminum.

 

Further, the use of plastic easily allows for the incorporation of additional components such as oil sensors, baffles, etc., which is not possible using stamped steel.

 

Also unique to the oil pan is the use of an easy-access, patent-pending plastic drain plug - the first of its kind - which features a cam lock-fastening system that can be opened or resealed by hand or with a standard 3/8-inch socket. The drain plug was designed so that excessive torque, when applied to the plug, will not damage the pan.

 

"Designing and demonstrating long-term stone impact performance similar to or better than current metallic oil pans was the key requirement for us to penetrate the North American market," said Mark Minnichelli, BASF Engineering Plastics Technology director.

 

Dana will supply the oil pan as part of a complete module that includes the oil pan, gasket, fastening system, and drain plug assembly. Additionally, Dana will continue to supply Spicer® front axles and rear driveshafts for the truck.

 

Dana will manufacture the oil pan module at its Composite Sealing Center in Paris, Tenn., before shipping to Ford's engine assembly facility in Chihuahua, Mexico.

 

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You posting through one eye, or too early for Uncle Keith?

 

You put this in the 6.4 section! Posted Image

 

 

Just razzin ya.

 

I had a lengthy discussion with a guy from Essex Engine here in Windsor about his disappointment that the new 6.7 is being built in Mexico.

 

However...the 5.0L is....ahem "Assembled in Canada using Global Components"

 

So nothin's made domestically anymore, I guess. At least the 6.4 and 6.0's were built and remanned here.

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Quote:
Also unique to the oil pan is the use of an easy-access, patent-pending plastic drain plug - the first of its kind - which features a cam lock-fastening system that can be opened or resealed by hand


Yet another thing that is of great concern to me on this engine!
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Definitely. Ford makes the best truck, so why wouldn't they be jealous.

 

Dodge's puppy program is in full effect. You buy a new Dodge truck and you get a puppy with it, so you'll never have to walk home alone again.

 

Odds are, the lifespan of the dog is longer than the truck.

 

Sorry, I have a deep rooted hatred for Chrysler products.

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It is real easy to open, i cracked it open on our training truck, but when the oil cooler goes bad the pan is easy to get off to gain access to nut on the inside of the upper pan for oil cooler removal

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Side note....Detroit Series 60 has used plastic pans for years...Real bitch though, the original was replaced and the only way to tell if it is original or new style is the color/colour of the gasket, grey or black. I hope this is a real good design and a new version not needed otherwise it will be a bitch.

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It is real easy to open, i cracked it open on our training truck, but when the oil cooler goes bad the pan is easy to get off to gain access to nut on the inside of the upper pan for oil cooler removal

 

 

Are you serious? It's ridiculous to have to remove the oil pan to remove the oil cooler.

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Are you serious? It's ridiculous to have to remove the oil pan to remove the oil cooler.

This is where Dwayne and I have been going back and forth... on "traditional" engines you removed the oblect of your desires...

 

Times changed and, while the Windsor block engines were still basically "traditional", some non-traditional changes were beginning to take place (remember, there was a day that I looked under a hood and said "Holy shit... an aluminum intake!!")... and now we had to remove the upper intake to remove the right side valve cover... and then we started removing upper intakes to change plugs of some V6 engines...

 

As engine design and technology changes, I expect we'll be seeing subassemblies that are extremely demanding in an R&I situation.... more-so that removing a pan to get at cooler fasteners. Looking at current designs, we can see changes that have been made not to make something more serviceable - but to make something easier to assemble in the factory.

 

With the Eco-boost already here and the 6.7 well on its way, I'm sure we will see many things that will both amaze and astound us.

 

Incidentally.... the Borgward Isabella (late 50s/early 60s) had a 1.5 liter pushrod engine that used a 2 barrel downdraft carb... The carb was bolted to the middle of the cast valve cover which also served as the inlet manifold...

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Originally Posted By: jw33
It is real easy to open, i cracked it open on our training truck, but when the oil cooler goes bad the pan is easy to get off to gain access to nut on the inside of the upper pan for oil cooler removal

 

Are you serious? It's ridiculous to have to remove the oil pan to remove the oil cooler.

 

 

Well......I think I would rather remove an oil pan that is said to be easy to remove (so long as this is true) than remove a cab on a freakin 6.4L. Man they suck ass! And Big Time!

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Well......I think I would rather remove an oil pan that is said to be easy to remove (so long as this is true) than remove a cab on a freakin 6.4L. Man they suck ass! And Big Time!

 

6.4L cab bolts are a pain in the ass!!! But with a little practice which I got alot of last month the cab isn't that bad to remove. I think that it is ridiculous to have to remove the cab for an oil cooler as well especially when they get charged back! I got used to removing cabs on 6.4's. I have removed more 6.4 cabs than 6.0 but only been working on diesels for two years now.

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I should have been a little more clear. I was implying that working on 6.4L's sucks ass. Like I've said before, if it's something simple then great. But it seems that they just blow the hell up when something goes wrong with the injection system.

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Back in the mid-80s, what was the AMC (American Motors Corporation) proposed a car with a "sealed" engine compartment. Everything (for my part) on the subject was purely anecdotal, though the source pretty much impeccable... What I heard was access to fluid levels but any repairs would require the removal of the front clip....

 

Far fetched? Perhaps... today it is a reality.

 

We can be unhappy that we need to remove the cab for some 6.4 repairs and be blissfully unaware that things probably wont change for the 6.7.

 

What are other manufacturers doing for these mundane tasks? Are other techs finding it easier to remove cabs at the behest of their manuals? Or are they removing cabs in spite of their manuals? can't tell because I'm spending my time trying to stay abreast of "OUR" product line... adaptive headlamps and adaptive cruise control included...

 

A very wise man (no, not me) once said that "if you can imagine doing something with the internal combustion engine, chances are that somneone has already tried it...".. At this stage of the game, that is more of a paraphrase than a quote...

 

In 1957, Chevrolet sold fuel injected cars..... In the early 70s, VW and Porsche sold cars with electronic fuel injection that offered rudimentary feedback (mixture control in response to exhaust indication). I recall an article on a Chrysler fuel injection system that featured an electronic control system using vacuum tubes... this was from the late 50s... CAUTION, memory thing happening and I will try to rediscover the article.

 

In the late 1960s, Jack Brabham was experimenting with center dump exhaust system in his F1 cars. Admittedly, these were spark ignition engines without turbos but worthy of comment all the same... Posted Image is one example....

 

Posted Image

 

A better pic can be seen at http://media.photobucket.com/image/1968%...Classic-070.jpg

 

Many early innovations were too "energetic" for the technology available at the time... we may see some of these go through a rebirth as technology (and memories) allow...

 

Many of these ideas were just a bit far fetched.... but who am I to judge? I recall the "drisk" brake... yes... "drisk"... yes, that is an 'r'...

 

Be amazed... but never be astounded....

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Look at it this way boys. As a Ford technician you now will have five diesel engines to be knowledgeable about. I know the IDI engines are rare now but there are still plenty out there. I think we are currently at a point where these engines are quite complex and servicing them is ridiculously laborious. I don't see things getting much more difficult, just new stuff to go wrong and complain about. Suck it up Buttercups, this is the path we chose! Posted Image

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From what I seen the 6.7 should be cake to work on compared to the 6.4 except for the primary water pump and oil pump, both made into front cover as an assembly. Diag will be a little harder with a shitload of new pids to learn.

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Or maybe we will long for the day when we were looking for the easy way to replace the rusted out oil pan on a 6.0 E-box.

Yes, be careful what you wish for. I made a lot of money replacing rusted oil pans back in the day. Especially on E-Series.

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I have a 6.9 or 7.3 IDI i can't remember which, for a misfire. I'm gonna give it to the other diesel certified guy and watch him go bananas when he can't find the DLC Posted Image

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I have a 6.9 or 7.3 IDI i can't remember which, for a misfire. I'm gonna give it to the other diesel certified guy and watch him go bananas when he can't find the DLC Posted Image

I think a reprogram will take care of that. Posted Image

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