Ford Reveals New 6-Speed Automatic, More Power For Escape And Mariner

Ford has announced an all new front drive automatic 6 speed transmission with the elegant name "6F35." The new trans sports all kinds of innovative features designed to offer better fuel economy, quieter operation and reduced NVH. The 6F35 has also got a trick up its sleeve in that flat vehicle towing will no longer be a no-no due to a revised pump and baffle design which provides lube when the interior bits turn, regardless of energy source. As important is the announcement the transmission will be installed in the 2009 Ford Escape and 2009 Mercury Mariner, both of which will get a horsepower bump for their engines. The 2.5L four will see another 17 HP, and the 3.0L V6 will get a whopping 40 HP increase. So despite the 4 to 6% fuel economy improvement with the new trans, expect to see only a 1 MPG improvement in fuel economy. Full details in the press release below.

FORD'S NEW 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OFFERS 4-6 PERCENT FUEL ECONOMY IMPROVEMENT

* The new 6F35 front-wheel-drive transmission is the latest example of Ford's powertrain technology that increases fuel economy and lowers CO2 emissions.
* The new 6-speed debuts in the 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner sport-utility crossover vehicles.
* Advanced automatic transmissions represent one part of Ford's comprehensive strategy to improve fuel economy and deliver sustainable solutions for customers.

DEARBORN, May 7, 2008 - Ford Motor Company is fitting the 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner with the automaker's newest, advanced 6-speed automatic transmission, further demonstrating its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy for customers.

The new 6F35 front-wheel-drive transmission offers a 4 to 6 percent improvement in fuel economy versus conventional 4- and 5-speed automatics, in addition to improved acceleration.

"With a greater gear span, the 6F35 allows the engine to operate at more optimum combinations of speed and load to meet certain driving conditions," said Craig Renneker, chief engineer for new automatic transmissions, Ford Powertrain Operations. "The new transmission also enables the engine to run at lower speeds on the highway, which aids fuel economy."

The 6F35 will be mated to a new 2.5L I-4 engine and a power-improved 3.0L V-6 in the 2009 Escape and Mariner. The engine offers horsepower increases of 17hp for the I-4 and by 40hp for the V-6, while also boosting fuel economy by 1 mpg when mated to the new six-speed transmission. The 2009 Mazda Tribute also will feature the 6F35, as will two other vehicles early next year.

The new 6-speed offers numerous technologies and design features that increase durability, performance and quietness. Ford's patented one-way rocker clutches allow for smoother, quieter, more precise shifts. Working like a socket wrench, the rocker clutches spin freely one way, but securely lock in the other direction. As result, gears are engaged and disengaged more quickly.

Other notable features include:

* Chain-driven secondary gearset - Specifically designed with random-size links, the unique chain reduces noise, vibration and harshness when driving the transmission's secondary gearset.
* Unique pump-filter interface - Virtually eliminates pump whine, contributing to projected best-in-class noise, vibration and harshness characteristics.
* Flat-tow capability - Vehicles equipped with the 6F35 can be flat towed (all four wheels on the road) behind other vehicles without damaging the transmission. When flat towed, the transmission is in neutral, but internal parts rotate, causing heat. With the engine turned off during towing, the pump cannot create pressure to move oil around in the transmission and cool parts. To address this, internal baffling was added to the 6F35 to capture and direct oil to key areas.
* Fluid fill for life - A special blend of transmission fluid is maintenance free for the life of the gearbox.
* Transmission System Characterization - A process that utilizes software to ensure proper transmission operation before a vehicle leaves the assembly plant. During final testing, the functioning of several common shift cycles are matched against established parameters. Variability is then corrected by software in the Powertrain Control Module. The process helps deliver a high-quality, correctly operating transmission to customers from the very first day they drive their new vehicle.

Quality Tested for Durability
Ford automatic transmissions are subjected to hundreds of hours of durability, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) testing. A series of accelerated durability trials equate to 150,000 miles of the most abusive customer usage under extreme conditions.

"One test for the 2009 Escape was to run in fourth gear with maximum trailer load at 100 mph for 15 miles. And that was repeated about 500 times," explained Rich Rej, 6F35 systems engineer, Ford Powertrain Operations. "We determine what the most abusive driver would do to our transmissions and then we do more to it to make sure that we are delivering a high-quality, durable gearbox for our customers."

Ford also utilizes a state-of-the-art Transmission NVH Hemi Anechoic Chamber that allows engineers to develop hardware to meet noise and vibration targets that will result in a quiet, interior cabin, and yield higher customer satisfaction levels for transmission quietness.

The new 6F35 6-speed automatic transmission is assembled at Ford's Van Dyke Transmission Plant, which also produces the 6F50 6-speed automatic in 2008 models of the Ford Taurus, Taurus X, Edge, Mercury Sable, Lincoln MKX and 2009 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS.

Send an email to Ben, the author of this post, at ben@jalopnik.com.

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