Ford's Lima engine plant to build new Duratec 35 V-6

Automotive Industries, August, 2003

Ford Motor Co. is investing $335 million in its Lima, Ohio, engine plant to build the 24-valve, 3.5L Duratec 35 V-6 engine, which will power a variety of future Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, including passenger cars and crossover vehicles. Annual production capacity is projected to be up to 325,000 engines a year. Production of the new engine will begin at the Lima plant by the end of 2005.

As part of the new cylinder-head machining area, Ford will install a series of "flexible" computer-numerically controlled (CNC) machines to manufacture the engine's cylinder head. Ford also will convert its existing flexible manufacturing equipment at Lima to build crankshafts for the new V-6 engine.