Zac Quinn 
Despite having the same displacements as before, the engines of the 2024 Ford Mustang (S650) are either all-new or extensively updated. Take the 5.0L Coyote, for example. The 302-cubic-inch V8 now features twin throttle bodies and a completely reworked intake system, while the variant in the high-performance Mustang Dark Horse features internals from the 760 horsepower Shelby GT500. But it wasn’t just the top-end S650 Mustang that saw love. The base 2.3L EcoBoost engine is also next-generation, and we were able to ask the chief engineer of the new muscle car all about it. In particular, the decision to use an exhaust gas recovery (EGR) system – a technology that’s common with diesel engines.
S650 Ford Mustang EGR System: Details
“So, in terms of why (the EGR system) is there. It’s integral to the strategy of keeping ICE engines in the market and achieving the compliance.” S650 Mustang chief engineer Ed Krenz shared with MC&T. “It is an integrated EGR system. So some of the historical issues automakers have had with EGRs have to do with a lot of these external devices and leaks and valve issues. A lot of that has been integrated into the engine. Ours will be a more durable design. It is the same system that’s been rolled out on the 2.0L EcoBoost engines as well. So, we’re not test-driving this on the Mustang product by any stretch of the imagination.”
We will explain if you aren’t aware of what an EGR does. When nitrogen is exposed to the extremely high temperatures of the combustion chamber, the normally inert gas becomes reactive, creating harmful oxides of nitrogen, which are then passed through the exhaust and into the atmosphere. However, to help minimize this, the EGR allows a precise quantity of exhaust gas to re-enter the intake, effectively changing the chemical makeup of the air entering the engine. With less oxygen, the mixture burns slower, lowering engine temperatures and reducing the production of the harmful oxides of nitrogen, making a cleaner and more efficient exhaust.
The problem that automakers have encountered with an EGR results from the buildup of carbon particles from the exhaust gases along the EGR and intake system passages. Which eventually clogs the gas channels and causes the valve’s plunger mechanism to either stick open or close, reducing the lifespan of the engine, and is a likely culprit for why so many late-model diesel truck owners have taken to the illicit method of deleting them.
With Ford rolling out an integrated EGR system to the EcoBoost engine for the S650 Ford Mustang, the intent appears to be eliminating known issues from taking place.
