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.
 
I just wonder how many dealers will go with the 4.30 or 3.55 when ordering trucks for the lot. Or how many 7.3L will they order in general.



I would have went with the 4.30s and a 4R100 back in the day.

It is a stout combo on the excursion.
 
Dealers dont like 7.3L. Diesel makes shop much more $$$. Even w regular service. And I expect stock trucks will be 3.55. Same as they have been 3.73 historically (6.2L). Tow rating w 3.55s 300lbs under 6.2 with 4.30s. 14,700 vs 15,000. They will say if u need to tow more get the 1,050 ft lbs of twist.
 
Anyone seen/shared this video already? @SID297 ? If its legit a 7.3 I think it runs pretty decent.



Considering the weight of the truck. That bastard moved out pretty well. It’s certainly faster than a 6.2 for sure. I haven’t seen any on the lots yet, but when I do well its test drive time
 
I just wonder how many dealers will go with the 4.30 or 3.55 when ordering trucks for the lot. Or how many 7.3L will they order in general.





It is a stout combo on the excursion.
Agree on Excursion. I just put on some take off 35" BFG KOs. I had plenty of gear to play with because of the 4.30s. If I had 3.73s, it would probably feel sluggish with the 35s
 
A little birdie told me with Dodge building their Ram Rebel TRX Ford may do a 1 year only Raptor with this 7.3 V8 with either a Supercharger or Turbo and a late 2020 model

Some more performance oriented n/a hardware (not to mention when they go DI) should easily bump this thing to ~500 mark and would be every raptor owners wet dream with tq on tap and sound to match. But i supposed if you are going to do an uber limited run of something throw a blower on it.
 
A little birdie told me with Dodge building their Ram Rebel TRX Ford may do a 1 year only Raptor with this 7.3 V8 with either a Supercharger or Turbo and a late 2020 model
Thats the thing that gets me about Ford. Dodge is going to sell a metric shit ton of the Rebel TRX's when they hit the market. Its not a "maybe", its a guarantee and nothing Ive seen indicates its limited produciton. Ford meanwhile has the guts of a MONSTER off-road engine for the Raptor and the best they do is say "maybe".

I can see a lot of Raptor guys trading their trucks in for TRX's simply because Ram gave them the CHOICE of a 6.2 S/C engine in a very offroad capable truck. At this price point its not a matter of money. Its the matter of availability.

Plus, FCA keeps making more and more profit off the production of the Hellcat engine now going into ANOTHER FCA vehicle. Of course, this version is tuned for more usable off-road torque.
 
Well until the Ram is on lots I dont think Ford has lost any sales. We dont know what they (Ford) have up their sleeve.
We dont, but we do have their recent product line to go by. Its also that very mentality of "Its not out yet so we dont have to worry" that screwed Ford when the Hellcat/Demon/Redeye launched. It was only a 6 model year hiatus from the last GT500 to the new GT500... not like they wasted years bringing out a competitive product while FCA absolutely wrecked the game with their product lineup. How many people bought a new Hellcat/Demon/Redeye or ZL1/Z06/ZR1 because there was no new GT500? Sure, there were no lost GT500 sales, but not having anything to compete sure doesnt justify it either.

And they have said numerous times through media outlets that the 7.3L Godzilla was never intended or planned for use in the F-150 or any of its variants. Well, we see now that it took a real product development from FCA to force Ford to consider the 7.3L in the F-150 Raptor.

I HOPE Ford drops this 7.3 into a Raptor, I really do. I just have no FAITH that they will in a manner that will truly compete with the Rebel TRX. Releasing a limited production truck against a truck that anyone can order or walk onto a lot is going to be a hard proposition.

We will see how it plays out, but I hope Ford wises up to the current market.
 

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