While investigating the Patent Office files for applications which may impact on their clients, US patent law firm Stamoulis & Weinblatt has stumbled upon a patent application for a turbocharged pushrod V8, lodged by none other than Ford.

To break it down, the patent application describes a longitudinal multi-cylinder engine with intake manifolds mounted outboard of the heads and exhaust manifolds, one or more turbochargers, and the fuel pump mounted inboard of the heads in a ‘V’ configuration.

The idea of mounting the exhaust manifolds and turbos in the bank between cylinders isn’t exactly new. BMW uses a similar set-up on its 4.4 litre turbo V8 and GM had intended to do the same on its recently-cancelled 4.5 litre diesel.

Both of those engines featured overhead cams. The major difference with the Ford engine is its four-valve per cylinder push-rod set up with each valve  (two inlet and two exhaust) actuated by its own pushrod.

Mounting the turbo - or turbos as the case may be – inside the cylinder heads means greater operating efficiency. The engine can also be more compact and insulate other components from heat radiated by the turbocharger.

Long warm-up times for the catalytic converter are also eradicated with the inboard exhaust manifold design.

The pushrod V8 described in the patent application will most likely be the 6.7 litre diesel ‘Scorpion’ V8 arriving for duty in the F-series Super Duty range of pick-up trucks in the US.