Rollin' in My 4.8: Ford's Coyote Engine Replacement Gains Dual Injection, Report Claims

Prepare to kiss a famous displacement goodbye.

Ford’s 5.0-liter “Coyote” V8 has dutifully powered variants of the automaker’s Mustang and F-150 since 2011, instilling the brand’s pony car with the kind of heritage that can only be squeezed from 302 cubic inches.

Well, time (and technology) marches on, and Ford’s lower-shelf V8 is due for a replacement. According to a recent report, the Blue Oval folks aren’t choosing sides when it comes to the best way to squirt gas into the new mill.

News of the upcoming engine arose during recent union negotiations between Ford and its Canadian autoworkers. When labor contract talks wrapped up in early November, part of the company’s $700 million (CAD) commitment included breathing new life into the Essex engine plant in Windsor, Ontario.

At the time, Reuters reported on sources who claimed the updated Essex-built engine would be a 4.8-liter V8. Unifor, which represents Canadian Detroit Three autoworkers, simply claimed that the plant would see a major new engine program.

Now, Ford Authority, citing unnamed sources, claims the 4.8-liter V8 will appear under the hoods of the both the F-150 and Mustang in naturally aspirated form, boasting both port and direct injection. The setup, while complex to engineer, should boost the engine’s fuel efficiency. It also allows Ford to offer a higher-compression engine — certainly, Dearborn isn’t about to offer a lower-displacement Coyote replacement will less horsepower and torque.

While there’s scant information about the new mill, it’s likely that Ford will dish some details at the North American International Auto Show next month. Rumor has it that the 4.8-liter will appear in 2018 F-150s and Mustangs.

The same labor deal that saw a new engine program for Essex will also bring a new V8 engine for larger Ford trucks. Again, details are scarce, but the new engine will likely replace the 6.2-liter in the Super Duty lineup.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]