Ford's 450HP 7.3L 'Godzilla' V8 | Inside Info & Spy Pics | Where's the Direct Injection?

Ford's 450HP 7.3L 'Godzilla' V8 | Inside Info & Spy Pics | Where's the Direct Injection?
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It's safe to say that there's some excitement around the release of Ford's New 7.3L Godzilla V8 Engine. Let's face it, no one really expected to see a brand new pushrod V8 engine design from Ford Motor Company in 2019. We here at SVTP did our best to bring you the insider info we uncovered during the 7.X's development, and now that it is here we can share with you some of the "behind-the-scenes" materials we were able to dig up and some HP numbers we keep hearing batted around.

Here are our previous articles on the 7.3L if you want to review the story's development:

So to not bury the lead, we've heard from several sources that the internal goal for the 7.3L Godzilla engine is 450HP. It may come in a little higher or lower, but that seems to be the figure Ford engineers were initially shooting for. No word yet on a torque figure, but my guess is somewhere around 500lbft. One thing is for certain, big power is going to be made on the low-end of the RPM range. For the current applications the 7.3L is slated for, stump-pulling grunt always on tap is a standing order.


Another good bit of information is that the lead on this engine program was Brian Wolfe. If that name sounds familiar it's probably because Wolfe is an avid drag racer, and was the Director of Ford Racing during its glory days. His name still carries a lot of weight with those who are working hard to unleash maximum performance from all things Blue Oval related. He was known to be extremely accessible, so much so that he happily took a phone call from me in 2004 to discuss the Terminator and SVTP. I was only about 21 then, but he took the time out of his day to talk cars with someone he had never met that just happened to get his number from a mutual friend. That's just the kind of guy he is. I can't disclose all the features of the 7.3 over which he personally bludgeoned the bean counters to make sure they stayed in the program, but in a future installment we'll cover them. You're going to see a lot of the knowledge and experience Wolfe gained from Pro-Stock Drag Racing transferred into the DNA of the 7.3L.


Speaking of DNA, we have healthy looking iron block, some ridiculously gorgeous aluminum heads, and a forged crank. I can see this engine becoming a more popular swap option than the 5.0 Coyote V8 in the next few years (if FPRP cranks out a control pack for it). You may be asking yourself, "What happened to SVTP's predictions of Direct Injection." All I can say is that the engine was developed with the addition of direct injection in mind. It could be that it's being held back for a future program or a mid-cycle power increase. With dual-fuel systems and 12:1 compression you're easily looking at a 500+ Horsepower engine. We'll get into that more bellow as we review some spy pics for which many Bothans died to bring us.


Ford, especially the performance side, listens to their customers. If you want to see this engine design in more than just trucks you really need to make your voice heard. If I can point them to a 50+ page thread of current Ford owners saying they want this engine in a Mustang there's a chance we can make that happen. I'll take mine with an aluminum block, a destroked crank, in Grabber Blue, with the name Boss 429 emblazoned on the side. What about you? For now, let's do a deep dive into the details and pics:

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Let's start off with this little crop of the head. As you can see here, the port for a Direct Fuel Injector has been machined above the intake port.


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Here's a little bigger view in which you can see the intake port, spring pockets, guides, and pushrod through-holes. Also take notice of the extensive ribbing cast in for extra strength and the pedestal mounts for the roller rockers.


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Here you can see the wide based mounting surface, spark plug holes with a generous number of threads, and the exhaust port.


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Speaking of ports, check out these intake ports.


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They are a wide-mouthed design that are undoubtedly capable of massive flow right out of the box.

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I mean just look at this port. Imagine what these will flow with a little port work from @Livernois Motorsports.

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Remember us saying the combustion chamber held massive valves and had a similar shape to a Dart Pro1 head? Well here it is. Notice the pocket cast into the top for a DI injector. It doesn't look like coolant flow or oil drain-back will be an issue either.


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It all adds up to a new Ford Engine that performance enthusiasts can really get excited about. I want to see Godzilla swaps in everything.
 
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More proof of the 7.3L's Heavy Duty roots; check the that massive, and easily accessible, oil cooler.

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We also get an 8-Bolt Crank, just like the Good Lord intended.

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I'm always happy to see a massive aluminum oil pan (with a proper metal drain plug) and easily accessible oil filter (looks like an old reliable FL-820S). This engine screams "easy service."

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From the beefy long-runner intake to the large round throttle body this engine just looks like it's ready to do some work.

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This cutaway piston shows the oil cooling galleries cast into it.

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The water pump looks to have an up-sized shaft and bearing combo. I really like seeing 4 bolts for the pulley too.

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Any guesses on how much oil this thing is going to hold?

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Speaking of oil, notice when Ford intends for engine to do serious work they don't spec 5w20 oil. That should tell you something.

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Look at the height of those valve springs. That cast stainless steel manifold is really nice too.

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Speaking of the valve springs, they appear to be very high quality beehive style units. That roller rocker is so nice it looks like an aftermarket piece.
 
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Unlike the pushrod offerings from GM and Mopar, the Godzilla V8 has a rather deep valley. Imagine the intercooler core VMP or Whipple could stuff in there.

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20 Years ago this is where Ford would have put a distributor.

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As is now common with Ford engines, the fuel rails look massive.

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This really shows just how much free real estate is under the intake manifold.

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The timing set does not look particular complicated, and the oil pump appears to be chain driven. I'm hoping for an aftermarket gear-drive setup.

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The cylinder walls look pretty stout, and if you look closely you can see ribs cast into them for extra strength.

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Look at that hydraulic roller camshaft. Bet you thought you'd never see a new engine like this released by Ford. It's a great time to be part of the Ford Performance Network.
 
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I want the biggest stroked and poked version with Klasse ported heads and AEM electronically supported version, NOW. I would give up my 3V for that.
 
Holy shit.... you know @SID297, there are quite a few V10 powered Super Duty's and Excursions that could stand to use a... repower pack.I think the Modular V10 is a fantastic engine.

But its got nothing on this beast. If this has a modular bellhousing pattern and comes with a control pack, Ill make it work. :D :D :D

Seriously, they should offer repower kits for older trucks and Excursions. Let your Ford contacts know!
 
Holy shit.... you know @SID297, there are quite a few V10 powered Super Duty's and Excursions that could stand to use a... repower pack.I think the Modular V10 is a fantastic engine.

But its got nothing on this beast. If this has a modular bellhousing pattern and comes with a control pack, Ill make it work. :D :D :D

Seriously, they should offer repower kits for older trucks and Excursions. Let your Ford contacts know!

It's hard to tell from these pics, but it looks like the Modular pattern to me.

Think of all the old 2V V10s with 4R100s in Class-A Motorhomes. An engine and trans swap would be a new lease on life for many of them.

I'm really hoping for some marine applications. If someone at Ford isn't developing a non-VCT version of this thing to sell to Crusader there's something wrong with them. Hell, FPRP should be tooling up to sell cams and VCT deletes right now.
 
The "Godzilla" looks very impressive as I knew it would be with the inside info previously provided by @SID297, I am wondering how it compares to previous pushrod V8s from Ford as far as size ie height, width and length to have a better idea as to what shock towers this baby may fit in!!!
 
If you want to see this engine design in more than just trucks you really need to make your voice heard. If I can point them to a 50+ page thread of current Ford owners saying they want this engine in a Mustang there's a chance we can make that happen. I'll take mine with an aluminum block, a destroked crank, in Grabber Blue, with the name Boss 429 emblazoned on the side. What about you?
Yes. Gimme this in a Mustang with the 96,97 JS paint code ("Deep Violet" M6761 5101)

Pretty please... with a shaker on top, or a blower :)
 

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