The new truck diesels...

[Nethead]

Low-emissions from truck diesels has always been a complex process--especially on the standard grade of vehicular diesel fuel used for a century or more in the US (and maybe in Canada & Mexico, too).  The Nethead here did not realize what serious engineering complexity was necessary to meet current and upcoming diesel emissions standards until I read this article about Ford's new built-by-Ford-itself-and-not-built-by-a-supplier 6.7L diesel V8.  

With all the name-changes associated with the DOHC 5.0L gasoline V8 that's only twelve months away in F-150s and Mustangs, it is surprising that this engine will still be named "Powerstroke" instead of something like "Ecostroke" or some other green moniker...

The exhaust system alone (which does contain a trick turbocharger, of course) probably costs as much as the entire "Coyote/Boss/EcoBoost/Hurricane/Whatever V8", and that's only a minor percentage of the tech in this engine.  And it was smart to move the design, development, testing, and production in-house--in this day and age you can get screwed royally if the supplier for a vital component(s) goes belly-up!

See for yourself:

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 31, 2009 ? A new era in Ford diesel technology arrives with the Ford-engineered, Ford-tested and Ford-manufactured 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel engine.

Debuting in the next-generation F-Series Super Duty truck, the new diesel engine will deliver significant improvements in torque, horsepower and fuel economy while adding more fueling flexibility and easily meeting stringent new emissions requirements.

The new diesel 6.7-liter engine also shares the Super Duty?s legendary reliability and durability while delivering best-in-class towing and payload.

?This all-new diesel engine has been so extensively tested both in the lab and in the real world that we?re confident we?re giving our customers the most reliable and productive powertrain available today,? said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president of Global Product Development. ?Our Super Duty customers demand reliability and durability in their trucks so they can deliver the best results for their business and their customers. That?s exactly what this engine delivers.?

The diesel engine team made improvements and changes throughout the engine architecture to deliver on aggressive horsepower, torque, emissions and fuel economy targets. The 6.7-liter Power Stroke uses an ?inboard exhaust? architecture, an automotive-industry first for a modern production diesel engine. It combines the best of proven technology with new, patented approaches backed by an extensive laboratory and real-world testing regimen to assure customer satisfaction.

Benefits of the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel engine include:

First use of a compacted graphite iron (CGI) engine block in a Super Duty-class vehicle in North America; stronger than cast iron, Ford has successfully used CGI in engine blocks in products around the world. The block structure was optimized for reduced weight and maximum strength to meet the demands of higher torque and horsepower
Unique inboard exhaust and outboard intake architecture, an automotive-industry first for a modern production diesel engine, reduces overall exhaust system volume, which leads to better throttle response for the customer; additionally, reduced exhaust system surface area minimizes heat transfer to the engine compartment and improves NVH (noise, vibration, harshness)
The new engine architecture enables easier service work for all major engine components, potentially reducing down time. On turbocharger service, for example, the body/cab no longer has to be removed from the frame to access the turbo; also, the high-pressure fuel pump, EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) components and thermostats are directly accessible from the front of the vehicle
Honeywell?s single-sequential turbocharger features an industry-first double-sided compressor wheel mounted on a single shaft. The unit is uniquely center-mounted on a pedestal low in the back of the valley for improved NVH. This turbocharger design allows the single unit to deliver the benefits of a twin-turbocharger system in a smaller, more efficient package, combining the benefits of a small turbocharger (faster response) and a large turbocharger (ability to compress and force more air into the engine for more power) in one unit
The high-pressure Bosch fuel system injects fuel at more than 29,000 psi. The system delivers up to five injection events per cylinder per cycle using eight-hole piezo injectors to spray fuel into the piston bowl. The direct-injection system is calibrated and phased for optimum power, fuel efficiency and NVH
Aluminum cylinder heads for reduced weight; the mid-deck construction with dual water jackets provides increased strength and optimal cooling; also, six head bolts, instead of four as found on other engines, help improve sealing and maintain cylinder integrity even with the higher firing pressures; overall the engine is about 160 pounds lighter
Compatible up to B20 fuel, allowing greener fueling options of up to 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel
?Our Super Duty customers are no-nonsense, no-compromise individuals,? said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Global Powertrain Engineering. ?Those are the attributes our team took to heart when engineering this all-new diesel engine so we can deliver ?Built Ford Tough? capability, reliability and enhanced productivity.?

Rugged block and proven components

The capability and reliability found in the new 6.7-liter diesel engine starts with the engine block. The new Power Stroke?s block is made from compacted graphite iron (CGI), which is about twice as strong as cast iron. While this is the first use of a CGI block in North America in this class of vehicle, Ford has successfully used the material in engine blocks in other products around the world.

?Using a CGI block is the perfect solution for the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke,? said Adam Gryglak, lead 6.7-liter diesel engineering manager. ?It provides the strength necessary for the increased torque and horsepower produced by our new engine, and it also offers significant weight savings.?

The diesel engine?s deep-skirted block and main bearing caps are cross-bolted for additional stiffness and to aid NVH. The cylinder heads mirror the engine?s attributes as a whole, with lighter weight combined with increased robustness: The cylinder heads are made of aluminum to save weight and, for improved sealing, feature six head bolts per cylinder versus the four head bolts found on other engines.

The cylinder heads, which feature dual water jackets, are capable of firing pressures approaching 2,600 psi. The tall water jacket works as a manifold, flowing high-velocity water for cooling and adding to the structural robustness in the head to handle the higher firing pressures. Crankshaft durability is improved through Ford?s unique undercut and fillet roll treatment to relieve stress.

The valvetrain features patented dual hydraulic lash adjustors, which improves the performance and reliability of the valvetrain by using two pushrods per cylinder instead of the conventional single pushrod, with individual rocker arms. Other proven components round out the engine hardware, including fractured-split connecting rods and a fuel system capable of generating 29,000 psi to feed the common-rail direct-injection fuel system.

The oil pan, which bolts to the transmission, also acts as a structural member for improved powertrain stiffness and adds to Ford?s legacy of virtually bulletproof lower-engine architecture.

?Built Ford Tough? testing protocol to ensure durability

The testing protocol developed for the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel incorporates the most rigorous engine tests found in Ford globally to ensure 250,000-mile durability. Extensive CAD (computer-aided design) and CAE (computer-aided engineering) work was completed to identify any potential challenges before hardware was created, which not only is time efficient but also helps ensure quality at the outset. Further, a comprehensive examination of warranty and quality tools was used to determine the expected failure modes for every component and system.

Customer data, including driving styles, road types and vehicle usage (towing and payload), also played a key role in developing the testing program that best replicated Super Duty use.

Components were torture-tested in the laboratory with a regimen designed to exceed what even the harshest user might dish out. Engines literally ran continuously for hundreds of hours. Finally, a battery of in-vehicle, real-world tests validated the work done in the laboratories. The strict testing work also ensured the new engine is B20 compatible, which allows customers an environmentally responsible fueling option of using blends up to 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. Durability cycles were run on multiple blends of diesel fuel to ensure the robustness of the system.

?These cross-functional tests give us the full spectrum of Super Duty customers ? from those who run their trucks at maximum power with a maximum load for long periods to those who use them more in a start-stop mode,? said Ed Waszczenko, lead engine durability engineer.

All-new design for all-new engine

One of the obvious visual differences in the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel engine is the layout of the pipes. The exhaust manifolds, for example, reside in the valley of the engine instead of outboard, while the intake is outboard of the engine. The cylinder heads are essentially flipped around in comparison with previous V-8 engine architectures.  We used this method in our DOHC turbo engines forty years ago and found it provided a splendid architecture for turbocharging V-configuration engines--powerful, light, and compact.

This unique layout ? an automotive-industry first for a modern production diesel engine ? has several advantages. First, the overall exhaust system volume is reduced, meaning air can be fed to the single turbocharger quicker for faster spool up and reduced lag, resulting in improved throttle response for the customer. The improved packaging also places components that need to be in cooler air away from hot exhaust pipes, resulting in better thermal management and, by extension, better fuel economy.

?The physical size of the system is smaller, but more importantly, the air-handling part of the system is considerably smaller and that translates directly into the responsiveness of the engine,? said Gryglak, noting that the volume of the exhaust system feeding the turbocharger is smaller by about 50 percent because of the inboard architecture.

Combining two turbochargers in one package

The single-sequential turbocharger ? an industry first ? is key to the new diesel engine?s performance. The unit has two compressor wheels driven off one turbine impeller. This approach combines the benefits of a single inertia wheel ? faster response without lag ? with the thrust of a larger turbocharger, with the ability to force more compressed air into the engine for more power. The engine?s smaller exhaust volume combined with a corresponding smaller intake volume and smaller turbocharger creates a system that is quicker to boost, more responsive and better able to deliver horsepower and torque, especially at the low end, when the customer demands it.

The turbocharger includes an advanced variable nozzle turbine, which enables variable vane pitch angles, driving optimal turbine power to achieve optimal boosting levels for all operating conditions. The single shaft ensures the transition is seamless. The unit ? compact in dimensions ? is uniquely center-mounted on a patented pedestal low in the back of the valley instead of hung off the block, which helps balance the system and aids NVH characteristics.

Combustion system clean and powerful

The combustion system is the heart of the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel engine and in many ways encapsulates the careful balancing act the Ford team achieved in terms of power, fuel economy and reduced emissions. The key factor in the next round of federal emissions standards, which begin in 2010, is the reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). To help reduce NOx, the new Power Stroke burns cleaner, thanks to an innovative way Ford developed to cool the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to efficiently recycle the combustion gases in the system.

Ford?s system runs the engine with the least amount of oxygen possible in order to reduce NOx without degrading performance and fuel economy. Ford?s solution runs the EGR through a two-step process utilizing separate cooling sources, something not typically seen. The end result is the EGR is brought into the intake at a lower temperature, which means more of it can be utilized, creating greater efficiency throughout the system.

A unique piston bowl design and the high-pressure fuel-injection equipment are huge enablers in achieving the balance of power and lower emissions. The system can deliver up to five injection events per cylinder per cycle, while eight holes in the injector spray fuel into the bowl. The compressed-air ignition unique to diesels is aided by pilot fuel injections before the piston reaches the top, allowing the charge to heat up even hotter than what you get under normal compression.

?Then when the main injection occurs, we can mitigate NVH because we have a slower ignition process,? said Gryglak. ?When the fuel burns, it doesn?t burn with a traditional pop or bang. The direct-injection system is calibrated and phased for optimum power, fuel efficiency and NVH.?

The new diesel engine features instant-start glow plugs, allowing quick start even in extremely cold temperatures.

How the new Power Stroke meets new emissions standards

The new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel will employ an aftertreatment system to help comply with 2010 federal regulations to reduce nitrogen-oxide levels in diesel emissions by more than 80 percent compared with the previous standard. The Ford aftertreatment system is a three-stage process; a key component is the use of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF).

Injection of DEF to reduce NOx is a proven technology that?s been used throughout the automotive industry. Unlike other solutions used to control NOx, the DEF system allows the diesel engine to run at its optimum range in terms of fuel mixture. Some systems require the engine to run richer ? which can be harmful to diesel engines ? in order to control the NOx.

Step One: Cleaning and Heating ? The first step in cleaning the diesel exhaust occurs when the exhaust stream enters the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC). The role of the DOC is twofold. First, it converts and oxidizes hydrocarbons into water and carbon dioxide. This conversion happens at about 250 degrees Celsius.

Second, the DOC is used to provide and promote heat, using specific engine management strategies, into the exhaust system. Through appropriate thermal management, this heat increases the conversion efficiency of the downstream subsystem(s) in reducing emissions.

Step Two: Knocking Out the NOx ? The next step in the process is what?s known as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). In this process, the NOx in the exhaust stream is converted into water and inert nitrogen, which is present in the atmosphere and harmless. Before the exhaust gas enters the SCR chamber, it is dosed with DEF, an aqueous solution that is approximately 67.5 percent water and 32.5 percent pure urea.

When heated, the DEF splits into ammonia and carbon dioxide. These molecules are atomized, and vaporized, then enter a mixer that resembles a corkscrew. This twist mixer evenly distributes the ammonia within the exhaust flow. The ammonia enters the SCR module, which contains a catalyzed substrate, and through chemical reactions combines and converts the NOx and ammonia into the harmless inert nitrogen and water. Dosing occurs between 200 and 500 degrees Celsius.

Step Three: Scrubbing Away the Soot ? The final part of the cleansing system for the diesel exhaust gas involves the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). The DPF traps any remaining soot, which is then periodically burned away, known as regenerating, when sensors detect the trap is full. The regeneration process sees temperatures in excess of 600 degrees Celsius to burn away soot.

Quieter, more refined diesel sound for improved NVH

Customers of the 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbocharged diesel engine will notice a quieter, more refined sound. Improvements to the combustion system, structural integrity of the compacted graphite iron block and the single turbocharger mounted to the engine block account for many of the NVH improvements.

Specific design upgrades were made to both the piston and the piston bowl to optimize the combustion process, which features a two-stage combustion event instead of a single-injection event, causing harsh, sudden and loud combustion. Instead, a starter or pilot injection of fuel begins the compression process before the main injection.

The result is smoother combustion and a more refined sound for the customer. When at idle, two pilot injection events are used to make the firing process even smoother and aid in quietness. The ?ticking? of the high-speed injectors also is masked by specially designed covers on the engine.

Mounting the turbocharger from the center housing directly to the block provided several advantages as well in terms of NVH.

?When turbochargers vibrate, it can lead to other parts of the vehicle vibrating,? said Scott DeRaad, engine NVH engineer. ?The exhaust system, for example, is directly attached to the turbocharger. So when the turbocharger vibrates a lot, the exhaust system vibrates too and that?s disturbing to the customer. Bolting the turbocharger directly to the block eliminates that concern.?

Using one turbocharger, instead of two operating in series or sequentially, helped solve some NVH challenges as well.

?Having one turbocharger eliminates the air-handling noises ? the whooshes ? as the engine switches from one turbo to the next turbo,? DeRaad said. ?Our turbocharger also has ball bearings that pilot the shaft in the turbo, which helps eliminate the potential for the shaft of the turbocharger to gyrate in its housing, which can create noise.?

Other improvements include the addition of two resonators in the intake system as well as a third resonator near the air cleaner.

?We?ve been able to tune the diesel intake system to give us the sound we wanted,? DeRaad said. ?It?s now a nice complement to the engine.?

The new diesel engine, which will be built at Chihuahua Engine Plant, is the perfect complement to the 2011 Ford Super Duty, delivering both capability and reliability.

?Developing the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel engine was an awesome endeavor,? Gryglak said. ?After all the engineering and testing, we?re confident this engine will ensure the new Super Duty continues its leadership in capability, reliability and productivity.?

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[Autobahn]

So all this marketing ballyhoo for saying:

Ford built his first light truck Diesel engine with BlueTec and DPF.

Nice effort though, lets see how it competes against the established players.

I like the small Ford TDCI engines in Europe, they are not class-leading but still...

[Nethead]

So all this marketing ballyhoo for saying:

Ford built his first light truck Diesel engine with BlueTec and DPF.

Nice effort though, lets see how it competes against the established players.

I like the small Ford TDCI engines in Europe, they are not class-leading but still...

Autobahn:  Yeah, never judge a vehicle or its parts until tested by disinterested parties.  There are a lotta diesels out there, and some of them are very, very good!  Some underperform for what they are, too.  The reason I opened the topic is to give a forum (heh heh) for posting specs of the next generation of truck diesels.  The Nethead here was amazed at how much technical sophistication it takes to build an "A" team, street-legal, emissions compliant truck diesel.  $$$.  

This topic is not intended to be a car diesel thread--that's why it's in "The Big Guys" instead of one of the car topics.  Separating the topics by vehicle type hopefully will prevent mixing car & truck diesels so that you don't havta scroll thru lots that applies to car diesels to find a truck diesel posting that you really are interested in.  Whether that will happen remains to be seen...

But I digress...truck diesel tech makes fascinatin' readin'.  I'd love to see a really detailed cutaway of the internal physical layout of this engine.  'Surely stuff to be learned there!

[S204STi]

The turbocharger design is very cool, also the reverse flow head design is something that GM developed as well for its new 4.5 Duramax which never went to production, unfortunately.  Other than that and the urea injection there is nothing really ground breaking about the motor.  That said, it should be a significant improvement over the International motors.  I'm interested in seeing how it does in the real world, and I am especially hoping that they have their injector issues sorted out.

[Nethead]

The turbocharger design is very cool, also the reverse flow head design is something that GM developed as well for its new 4.5 Duramax which never went to production, unfortunately.  Other than that and the urea injection there is nothing really ground breaking about the motor.  That said, it should be a significant improvement over the International motors.  I'm interested in seeing how it does in the real world, and I am especially hoping that they have their injector issues sorted out.

R-inge:  Good, informative posting!  The Nethead here has not a clue who first offered a reverse-flow head--I was unaware such things existed until Ford introduced it's first DOHC Indy engine in 1964 using reverse-flow heads exclusively.  It was done that way at the time to "slim down" the 256-cube V8 and to get the velocity stacks out into the airstream (interestingly, the intake passages ran between the two camshafts on each head for the most direct drop into the combustion chamber).  After dominating Indy and the USAC circuit for several years with these reverse-flow heads, it became necessary to turbocharge this engine to regain the competitive edge over the turborcharged Offenhauser engines, but that made this excellent design seem absolutely brilliant since the exhaust exhaust headers collected at the back of the "V" and dumped directly into twin turbos mounted there--whose boosted air had only very short passages into the double intake valves between the camshafts--maybe the neatest intake plumbing of a turbo engine ever devised.  The odds are that even in 1964 this reverse-flow design had been tried before--likely in a piston-engined aircraft environment circa World War II.  About everything that could be thought of regarding piston engines was tried by one or both sides in World War II--the only exception I can immediately think of is the unusual "cam-within-a-cam" that Chrysler demonstrated a year or two ago, but I have a severe head cold today and ain't hittin' on all eight...

Yeah, Ford was smart to go with Bosch injection--these guys have been exploring the limits of direct-injection technology for years now, and there ain't much likely to have missed their attention.  And just about every technical possibility has probably been patented by somebody somewhere already...

[GoCougs]

Reverse-flow heads for a turbo app sounds like a mega heat handling headache.

But I agree, it won't be hard to do better than the Int'l motors.

[S204STi]

I don't know if Bosch is any better man, D-maxes use those injectors and they've been our primary long-term issue with that motor.  Our warranty on injectors is ridiculously long in fact because of it.

That said, the newer Bosch injectors may be an improved design.

Thanks for the info on the Ford Indy heads, I had no idea they have developed that concept so long ago.

[MX793]

You know that meeting diesel emissions is tough when CAT decided that it would rather just step away from building and selling over-the-road motors altogether.

[Nethead]

I don't know if Bosch is any better man, D-maxes use those injectors and they've been our primary long-term issue with that motor.  Our warranty on injectors is ridiculously long in fact because of it.

That said, the newer Bosch injectors may be an improved design.

Thanks for the info on the Ford Indy heads, I had no idea they have developed that concept so long ago.

R-inge:  The Nethead here prefers to say that Ford "used" reverse-flow heads on their mid-'Sixties DOHC Indy engine--someone else may have hit upon this configuration long before Ford made use of the design over forty years ago.  It ain't impossible that Ford invented the reverse-flow heads, but so much of what has been used on sophisticated automobile engines had its origins in aero engines of World War II (fuel-injection for sure) that it just seems likely that the design dates back to then.  

If you're not familiar with Ford's DOHC Indy engine (turbocharged or naturally-aspirated), google up some pics of it.  It is a jewel of a design (all four cams were driven entirely by gears from the crankshaft) that was a make-no-compromises/take-no-prisoners design (nothing was driven by chains or belts).  You gotta see that "bundle of snakes" stainless exhaust lay-out (some web pics show a prototype with eight straight exhaust pipes, but that was never used in the racing engines TMK).  It was gorgeous naturally-aspirated--the exhaust pipes collected into long cones.  It was ungodly gorgeous turbocharged--those exhaust pipes collected into twin turbos at the back of the heads, and forced the boost through fat, straight manifolds back to the intakes.  Only some motorcycles have engines this mechanically sublime...

It was originally planned to use these engines in the '64 Ford GT LeMans effort, but since the 289 could crank out something over 350 HP with four two-barreled Webers, it was felt that this was powerful enough (sorta true--stroked a quarter-inch to 302 CID, the engines powered the same Ford GT40 (chassis P1075 I think it was, which went on to win seven international endurance events) to two outright overall wins at LeMans in '68 and '69).

Here's a link to the earliest Ford Indy 'Cammers:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightning72/sets/72157621893072801/

This link shows the prototype with the eight single pipes, and an early single-turbo version:
http://www.geocities.com/infieldg/v8indy4cam.html

[Jus2shy]

I know that in world war II, there was a V-12 used on some sort of tank that had reverse flow heads. I think Jay Leno's car (The Blastolene) uses a reverse flow engine. In fact, here's the wiki on the engine, you can see the carb sitting on the outside of the engine where the exhaust flow would traditionally be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_AV1790

[Nethead]

This diesel tech does work, as the following article (there's a video on the link--all this pulling was NOT done on dry pavement but done on a mud & water covered dirt road) testifies:

Video: 2011 Ford Super Duty Surprises At Diesel Truck Pull
Posted by Mike Levine | October 19, 2009

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2009/10/video-2011-ford-super-duty-surprises-at-diesel-truck-pull.html

It was just last month that we covered the debut of the new 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty at the State Fair of Texas. Ford is still mum about final power figures for its all-new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbodiesel that's under its hood -- we expect them to be more than 390 horsepower and 720 lbs.-ft. of torque -- but that's not stopping the company from showing off how strong its new rig is. A bright red F-450 showed up for an exhibition pull at the Battle of the Bluegrass( ) diesel truck series in LaGrange, Ky., just outside Louisville.

"The Ford pulled a sled that weighed about 30,000 pounds," said Wayne Kincaid, promoter for the Battle of the Bluegrass. "The distance was about 300 feet."

Events like Battle of the Bluegrass usually showcase high-performance custom diesel pickups upgraded with aftermarket components that often allow them to get 800-plus hp and over 1,000 lbs.-ft. of torque.

What's unique about the F-450 captured on video is that it's said to be an early production test truck from Ford's nearby Kentucky Truck Plant that pulled the super-heavy sled with a conventional hitch.

The max trailering rating for the F-450 is 24,500 pounds (we pulled 20,000 pounds up a 25% grade during our 2007 Heavy Duty Shootout) with a fifth-wheel hitch.

What's also notable is how little the truck appears to smoke pulling the load. Most trucks that compete in pulling contests like this belch black smoke out their tailpipes or exhaust stacks. It's visual evidence how clean the latest diesel engines are and, in Ford's case, how powerful they can be.

[Nethead]

For the most comprehensive & detailed graphics and text about Ford's new Scorpion diesel, check out this link.  Have your "Unabridged Engineering Terminology Dictionary" by your PC beforehand:

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2009/08/first-look-fords-new-6-7-liter-v-8-scorpion-power-stroke-diesel-engine.html

Note the "diamond" pattern of the four valves in the combustion chamber.  There's some serious twisting of the pushrod lay-out evident here in the name of efficiently directing the  exhaust into the turbo's hot section!  Also neat how two turbos are combined into one housing--something that should have gasoline applications as well.

[Submariner]

I know that in world war II, there was a V-12 used on some sort of tank that had reverse flow heads. I think Jay Leno's car (The Blastolene) uses a reverse flow engine. In fact, here's the wiki on the engine, you can see the carb sitting on the outside of the engine where the exhaust flow would traditionally be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_AV1790

If I am not mistaken, many radial engines use the same setup.

[Nethead]

If I am not mistaken, many radial engines use the same setup.

Submariner:  'Coulda been--except for Chrysler's weird camshaft-within-a-camshaft, just about everything in use on today's internal combustions engines was tried by one or both sides of World War Two.  

There's still shitloads of WWII tech applicable to internal combustion engines that hasn't been "resurrected" yet--but of course just being different is not the same horse as being good.  Some WWII tech has no doubt been found lacking, but that which was found to be good was often very, very good!