RickG

http://www.jems.com/emsinsider/25-3/280853/ . Maybe Ford decided flame throwers wouldn't be too cool at accident scenes or ER unloading areas . There will be no more diesels in E-Series vans or motor home chassis . We have enough forest fires already . Smokey will probably hit you in the head with his shovel if you bring a Powerstroke flamer in his park .

glasseater

aw that's no fun, bring back the 7.3!!!

96_12V

What about the Sprinter...?

They just updated it, and it would be a great package to build around, since the industry has to shift anyway...

Ford just gave up a ton of loyal customers...

SoTexRattler

You know, these zero-tolerance EPA emissions laws that don't make exceptions for anything on wheels, should give public safety emergency vehicles a free ride emissions-wise regardless of GVWR. Ambulances, Firetrucks, even police vehicles (few diesels). Even the off-highway earthmoving stuff is going to get EPA's kiss of death in 2010!
Everyone knows the later 7.3 was a fairly decent performer and was sufficiently reliable compared to what it was replaced by. The 5.9 Cummins in its many different versions has amply proven itself many times over. (ok, so they'd need to keep a spare lift pump for the VP-44 on hand, but a FASS or equiv would work)
What I'm a little doubtful about is: ALL brands of diesels have now been saddled with ultra complex, expensive, and less than steel-trap reliable EGR and aftertreatment systems. I would rather be riding to a hospital on a smokin', mechanically injected 7.3 or an old turned up 5.9 than a newer 6.0,6.4 or even a Cummins 6.7 whose ECMs decides its got a badly plugged up DPF from idling too long.
Just like engines used on emergency fire pumps, they should built to be ultra reliable, ultra simple with virtually nothing extra than what is absolutely necessary to make sure they reliably run, and to heck with the emissions! (Cummins 5.9 powered firepumps use VE pumps)
Can you imagine how reliable an ambulance engine would be if they were available new yet configured (emissions wise)..
like they were in the late '90's?
A Cummins 5.9 or 6.7 with NO aftertreatment? A 7.3 or (dare I say it) a 6.4 with NO aftertreatment? Also, have the ECU tuned for performance and reliability, not emissions?
OK, [dream on]... A Cummins powered ambulance with big sticks, and twins and straight piped exhaust stacks! [/dream off]

Yes, it'll be nice to see some Cummins powered ambulances, but they're not going to be immune from problems either.
But whether it is an Isuzu, International, CAT, MB or Cummins powered ambulance, they shouldn't be saddled with restrictive, problematic and dangerous aftertreatment hardware in Public Safety emergency vehicles...
There's just not that many of them to really make a difference environment-wise... Give 'em a break EPA!

K.

Raspy

SoTexRattler,

Well said. Absolutely.

How'd ya like to be riding to the hospital in a new 6.0 ambulance, wondering if you were going to survive, and in big pain, when it decides to quit running. I wonder what my opinion of Ford would sink to if that happened, and I survived! It's one thing to make the consumer pay for repairs on an inferior design, but now we're talking about lives possibly being lost. Thank you Ford.

Wetspirit

TonyB

Kalifornia did that for YEARS, probably up to ~80's. Then the EPA caught on...Then they were no longer exempt.

Keep in mind the epa and evironmentalists operate under the assumption that human beings are evil...if there were no humans there would be no polluters!

Not to metion the fact that their view are EXTREME....there is no negotiation no middle road...

Tony