Technical Specs for the Ford Duratec 3.0 24V
by Chris Burrows
Ushering in Ford's new generation of dual overhead cam (DOHC) V-6s, the Duratec V-6 started production in 1996 as a four valves per cylinder, aluminum head and block, 60-degree V-6 that replaced an aging generation of pushrod V-6s.
History
Introduced as an optional engine upgrade in 1996 for Ford's line of Taurus/Sable sedans, the 3.0L Duratec engines reached their peak in 2001 when they became the base engine for both the Taurus/Sable line and the Escape/Tribute line of small SUVs. This engine also found applications in the Lincoln LS, the Mazda 6, Mazda MPV, Ford Freestyle, Mercury Montego and the Jaguar S and X models. It's still in production today.
Power
Producing a base 200 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 193 lb. ft. of torque at 4,850 rpm, the Duratec 3.0L V-6 was tuned to a beefier 232 horsepower for select models starting in 2000 using an upgraded valvetrain system.
Efficiency
Engineered for efficiency, the 3.0L Duratec V-6 has sequential multiport fuel injection (SFI), variable valve timing (VVT) (in later versions only) and intake manifold runner control (IMRC), all of which increase fuel efficiency and power. The lighter, all-aluminum (with cast-iron cylinder liners) construction decreases engine weight for even greater efficiency.
Technical Data
Holding 5.5 quarts of oil at 11 psi, the 3.0L (181-cubic-inch displacement) Duratec V-6 features an 89.0-mm bore, 79.5-mm stroke, a firing order of 1-4-2-5-3-6 and spark plug gaps of 1.3 to 1.4 mm. The valve stem diameter is 5.975 to 5.995 mm for the 35-mm intake valves and 5.950 to 5.970 mm for the 30-mm exhaust valves with 0.05 mm of valve face runout and a valve face angle of 45.5 degrees.
References
Writer Bio
A professional writer since 2006, Chris Burrows has covered news, sports and automotive topics as a blogger and Chicago-based journalist. Burrows holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Master of Arts in journalism from DePaul University.
