TODD BREWER: FOR 5.0-LITER V-8 CYLINDER HEAD TECH GURU, IT'S ALL ABOUT BREATHING
- Todd Brewer is Ford’s top technical resource for cylinder head design
- A native of Leadwood, Mo., Brewer led the team that designed and developed the free-breathing cylinder heads for the 5.0-liter V-8 in the 2011 Ford Mustang GT
- A part-time mechanic in high school and fervent Mustang enthusiast, Brewer owns a cherished 1987 Mustang 5.0-liter
From Todd Brewer’s perspective, breathing is as important to a high-performance engine as it is to a marathon runner.
“An engine is really a great big air pump,” said Brewer, Ford’s technical expert on cylinder head design. “The better the engine breathes, the better it performs. Better airflow improves volumetric efficiency as well as fuel economy – just like breathing helps marathon runners go the distance.”
Designing and developing free-breathing cylinder heads for the new 5.0-liter V-8 presented a challenge and an opportunity for Brewer and the team.
“Breaking the 400 horsepower barrier, with uncompromised fuel economy, tractability, smoothness, and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristics was a tall order,” said Brewer. “Striking the optimal balance between all of these attributes required us to do all the things we know how to do, only better – like optimizing port flow while still enabling all the needed features of the engine system, such as Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT), to combine power and efficiency.”
The Mustang 5.0 team members like to describe their new 5.0-liter V-8 as a “have your cake and eat it, too” proposition. It produces 412 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque, yet is projected to deliver the same fuel economy – or better, depending on the transmission specified – as its predecessor.
“We are all very proud of the 5.0-liter V-8,” said Brewer. “It’s the opportunity for the team to deliver a world-class engine in terms of specific output – more than 80 horsepower per liter – and improved fuel economy, while employing implementation-ready approaches and technologies. It’s a high-volume, affordable engine that can compete with much more expensive and exotic engines.”
Brewer hails from Leadwood, Mo., a former lead-mining village of 1,200 inhabitants. Working as a mechanic in high school got him excited about engines, so he pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla.
During undergrad vacations Brewer worked two summer internships at Ford, which led to a permanent position with the company upon graduation. He later went on to earn a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
Like many of his teammates, Brewer is an enthusiastic Mustang fan.
“During my second Ford internship, I spent every extra penny I earned on a 1987 Mustang GT 5.0-liter,” he said proudly. “To this day, I still own it.”
For members of the team, the V-8 represents their best possible work from their heads, their hands and their hearts.
“I’ve never before seen such passion and dedication to a project,” Brewer said. “This engine represents the very best of our collective experience. It returns the Mustang GT to its rightful place, at its rightful displacement of 5.0 liters.”
Personal Insights and Fun Facts
- Todd is single and lives in Dearborn, Mich.
- He was a part-time mechanic in high school, which got him enthusiastic about engines
- Prior to joining the company, Brewer served as a Ford college intern for two summers
- Brewer has been with Ford for 15 years, working with cylinder heads for more than 10 of those years
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 200,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.
12/28/09