- Joined
- March 29, 2015
- Messages
- 566
- Reaction score
- 292
- City, State
- Orangevale, California
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2015 Ford Explorer Sport
Lot's of talk recently about the PTU.
It is definitely a frequently referenced component and has been known to be the cause of many failures. Wanted to provide some insight to the history of the PTU and some info on the various iterations of the years.
Essentially there are really only 2 PTUs we should be talking about when taking about 2010-2019 model years.
- The one with the cooler (found on towing package Explorers, Performance Pack SHO, Explorer Sports, PIU/PIS, etc). The latest Ford PN is DG1Z-7251-F.
- The one without the cooler (found on all others not mentioned above). The latest Ford PN is DT4Z-7251-G.
The latest iteration of the PTU (whether you have the cooler or not) IS backwards compatible if you have an older model vehicle. (i.e., you have a 2013 PP SHO, a PTU from a 2019 PP SHO will fit).
NOTE: There is a 3rd PN (AT4Z-7251-G) listed for the older models (pre-2013). It is a non-cooler PTU. However, when cross referencing fitment between all the models this PN fits, you will find that the newer non-cooler PTU fits many of the same years. From the research I've done and seen on this older model PN, it simply has a slightly different designed case with some raised heat sink fins, but bolt up locations are identical to newer ones. My intuition says the newer one will fit as well, but always make this decision on your own, as there may be something I haven't foreseen. Take this theory with a grain of salt.
If you are feeling very adventurous, it IS possible to convert to a PTU with a cooler, if you're vehicle does not have it from the factory. It will simply need some additional coolant lines that "T" into the existing coolant system. Maybe someone can provide Ford PNs needed for this if they've done it.
As for the history of the iterations, the latest version was introduced in late-2016. Below is the evolution of the PTU during recent years:
- January 2014, a Full Face Thrust Washer, FFTW, was introduced. This new washer was designed to prevent the idler bearing from walking into the aluminum case.
- October 2015, a second change was made, in this case a loose-fit idler bearing. In dyno tests, this bearing design change showed a twice life improvement over the FFTW design.
- June 2016, a third change was made. In this case, a new bearing design, one without drawn cups, was installed. This eliminated the walk mode of damage. Dyno testing shows a three to four times improvement over the FFTW design.
Basing/modeling any design of aftermarket PTU components should really be done using the latest iteration as a start point.
This information was gathered from:
Police Fleet Manager July/August 2016 Page 34
It is definitely a frequently referenced component and has been known to be the cause of many failures. Wanted to provide some insight to the history of the PTU and some info on the various iterations of the years.
Essentially there are really only 2 PTUs we should be talking about when taking about 2010-2019 model years.
- The one with the cooler (found on towing package Explorers, Performance Pack SHO, Explorer Sports, PIU/PIS, etc). The latest Ford PN is DG1Z-7251-F.
- The one without the cooler (found on all others not mentioned above). The latest Ford PN is DT4Z-7251-G.
The latest iteration of the PTU (whether you have the cooler or not) IS backwards compatible if you have an older model vehicle. (i.e., you have a 2013 PP SHO, a PTU from a 2019 PP SHO will fit).
NOTE: There is a 3rd PN (AT4Z-7251-G) listed for the older models (pre-2013). It is a non-cooler PTU. However, when cross referencing fitment between all the models this PN fits, you will find that the newer non-cooler PTU fits many of the same years. From the research I've done and seen on this older model PN, it simply has a slightly different designed case with some raised heat sink fins, but bolt up locations are identical to newer ones. My intuition says the newer one will fit as well, but always make this decision on your own, as there may be something I haven't foreseen. Take this theory with a grain of salt.
If you are feeling very adventurous, it IS possible to convert to a PTU with a cooler, if you're vehicle does not have it from the factory. It will simply need some additional coolant lines that "T" into the existing coolant system. Maybe someone can provide Ford PNs needed for this if they've done it.
As for the history of the iterations, the latest version was introduced in late-2016. Below is the evolution of the PTU during recent years:
- January 2014, a Full Face Thrust Washer, FFTW, was introduced. This new washer was designed to prevent the idler bearing from walking into the aluminum case.
- October 2015, a second change was made, in this case a loose-fit idler bearing. In dyno tests, this bearing design change showed a twice life improvement over the FFTW design.
- June 2016, a third change was made. In this case, a new bearing design, one without drawn cups, was installed. This eliminated the walk mode of damage. Dyno testing shows a three to four times improvement over the FFTW design.
Basing/modeling any design of aftermarket PTU components should really be done using the latest iteration as a start point.
This information was gathered from:
Police Fleet Manager July/August 2016 Page 34
