Camless Diesel in Jeopardy? ... Navistar Mulls Common Rail Injection for V-6 Engines, Stark's Reports

CHICAGO, July 1 -- Navistar International Corp., a major maker of diesel engines that is contracted to supply a new line of V-8 and V-6, low emission-type powerplants to Ford Motor Co. for use in the assembly of Ford trucks and sport utility-type vehicles, assigned a second team of designers to create V-6 engine prototypes that possess common rail fuel injection systems, according to today's issue of Stark's Component Ledger.

The respected business publication reported that Navistar has been planning for the past three years to develop fuel systems for the new V-6 and V-8 diesel engines for itself and Ford that possess common unit injectors.

Stark's said commonization is a critical design standard that Navistar had been counting on to reduce assembly complexity and sharply lower manufacturing costs.

The business news journal reported today that the alternate design team was assigned by Navistar to the product development program at the urging of Ford.

Stark's said Navistar, in the request from Ford to adopt a common rail injection system for the lighter weight V-6 engines currently in development, "appears to be at a crossroads with the powerplant project" -- referred to as the 'camless diesel engine program.'

For complete details, access www.starks-online.com on the web.