2011-2014 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke Valve Train Parts

Valve train on the 2011-2014 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke

Ford's first in-house Powerstroke diesel uses a pushrod, cam-in-block layout with four valves per cylinder, 32 valves in all. The heads are aluminum and reverse-flow: intake air comes in from the outboard side and exhaust leaves into the valley where the turbo sits, which puts a lot of heat into the heads. Six head bolts per cylinder hold them to a compacted graphite iron block. Compression is 16.2:1 and the firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8, worth having on hand when you track a problem down by cylinder.

What fails and why

The big one is early 2011 production. Engines built on or before March 29, 2011 had defective exhaust valves that could break off and take out the piston, cylinder and head. It shows up as sudden loud banging, an immediate loss of power and a stall. Those failures were first blamed on glow plug tips, but owners on Ford-Trucks report the root cause was the heads and exhaust valves. Ford issued a service bulletin and most trucks were repaired under warranty, so on a used early 2011, find out whether the work was done. When one of these events does happen, the usual outcome is a long block, not a valve job. Go by the engine's build date, not just the model year.

Stock replacement vs. upgrade

If you're rebuilding a head or freshening a tired engine, MAHLE's intake and exhaust valves, valve stem seals, piston ring sets and thrust washers are the replacement parts for a factory-spec rebuild. The ring sets come in standard, .020 and .040 oversize, so match them to how the cylinders were finished. If you're building for more than the stock 400 hp and 800 lb-ft, SPE Motorsport's chromoly pushrods, Stage-2 valve springs and titanium retainers, along with XDP's 3/8 in. street performance pushrods, are aimed at that kind of build. SPE's S Port heads are there for a full top-end job. Whatever heads you run, never bolt on a used head without a pressure test and a warpage check; the labor to swap one usually costs more than the casting.

What we carry

From MAHLE: 211-4523 intake valves, 211-4524 exhaust valves, the SS46062 valve stem seal set, S42168 piston ring sets in standard, .020 and .040, and the TW-711S thrust washer set. From SPE Motorsport: S100106 chromoly pushrods, S100108 Stage-2 valve springs, S100324 titanium valve spring retainers and S100323 S Port heads. From XDP: XD322 street performance pushrods.

Fitment notes

Most of these parts are listed well past 2014 because the core engine carries over: the MAHLE ring sets are listed 2011-2016, the valves 2011-2018, the SPE pushrods, springs and heads 2011-2019, and the stem seals 2011-2023. The XDP pushrods are 3/8 in. diameter, so check that they suit the rest of your valve train if you're mixing brands. Use the fitment checker on each product page or verify by VIN before you order, and if you're buying for a chassis cab F-350, F-450 or F-550, say so when you call.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my 2011 has the exhaust valve problem?

It applies to engines built on or before March 29, 2011. Check the build date and ask a Ford dealer whether the bulletin repair was done. A failure is sudden, with loud banging and a loss of power, so don't count on a slow warning.

Do I need oversize piston rings?

Only if the cylinders were bored. The MAHLE S42168 sets come in standard, .020 and .040, and the size has to match the finished bore. Have your machine shop tell you which one to order.

Are aftermarket valve springs and pushrods worth it on a stock truck?

For a straight repair on a stock truck, the MAHLE parts are what you need. The SPE and XDP springs, retainers and pushrods make sense on builds that add power, or when you're already into the heads and want to upgrade while it's apart.

Not sure what fits? Call the shop at the number in the header, or use the fitment checker on any product page. We install everything we sell.