Ford 7.3 V8 experience so far

Anyone have a truck with the year 2020 introduced Ford 7.3L V8 ?

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/...ies-super-duty/7.3_Engine_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Have there been any magazine tests of trailer towing fuel economy against Stellantis and GM pickups?

Has Ford issued a considerable number of TSB’s ?

(Chuckle)
Do you have to remove the entire pickup cab to replace a blown fuse?

Ford has tweaked it some as a crate engine:

https://www.topspeed.com/heres-what-fords-v-8-engine-lineup-currently-looks-like/

sample quote

The most significant changes come under the skin, with H-beam connecting rods, forged pistons, and a forged crankshaft. The cylinder heads are CNC polished, while the low-profile intake manifold houses a 92-millimeter throttle body from the Mustang GT500. Ford says the design is compact enough to fit in cars and trucks, so we could see this engine make an appearance in several models down the line. For now, though, it will go on sale as a crate engine, which should be available starting in the spring of 2023. Pricing is as yet unknown, but the base Godzilla crate engine costs $9,175, so expect Megazilla to cost considerably more, perhaps in the $15,000 region.
end quote

I am curious whether modern diesels ULSD price, DEF cost, and particulate matter filter re-gen headaches
make gasoline trailer towing less per mile

They have reduced its power rating in the cab/chassis applications to almost pointless levels for it being such a large engine.

You are right.

2019 original rating

430 HP / 475 Torque

2022 Rating

335 HP / 438 Torque from 455 cubic inches in an engine with Variable Valve Timing.

Ford must have limited the higher RPM power with the engine controller and VVT to keep something from breaking or overheating?

F.O.R.D - fix /or /rerate /downward

https://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/chassis-cab/features/power/

Pickups still rated higher

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/...y/2023%20Super%20Duty%20Tech%20Specs.pdf

The F250 trucks are still 400+ from what I can tell but it was the motor homes I was watching. It was already low at 350hp and 468lbft but they dropped it AGAIN to 325hp and 450lbft. Thats 1978 440 levels all considering

My company has a bunch of 550's with the V8. They seem to be a lot more reliable then the diesels they replaced. They seem to have good enough power. Terrible fuel economy though. 7-8 mpg. The guys have to fuel them every day. They have a GVR around 16k For comparison I drive a M2 Freightliner with a 6.7 Cummins and it gets around 10mpg. 26k GVR.

This summer the local electric co-op was trimming/clearing their line along our western property line. I was talking to their forestry/procurement manager while we were looking at their chopper. It was BIG, could handle up to 18" stuff.

He said that they were all gas now after decades of diesel models. The gas simply do a better job now, are less expensive to buy, and have less maintenance and repair costs. Took them all by surprise, but they have had the gas ones for several years now and are not going back to the diesels. Surprised me too.

I know that last couple of years when the price of diesel was crazy I did the math and my 5.7 Hemi Ram was cheaper to trailer with than my 6.7 Cummins diesel. It all depended on the wind direction, weight I was towing, and distance...

From what I read, even IF diesel fuel was the same price as gasoline or cheaper- the modern diesel engine is so expensive, complex- repair and maint heavy ( unreliable) that many see- despite the bad fuel mileage of gasoline- running gas engine trucks is cheaper and less liability than keeping the modern diesel engine running.

we have a 2021 class c motorhome witht he 7.3. tows our jeep like it isn't there. MPG isn't so great but it does run nice moving this huge vehicle.

Have you had any emissions issues with the Cummins?

"Have you had any emissions issues with the Cummins?"
Not really. The only problem I have had with it is a clogged egr tube. It threw a code and slightly de-rated. My truck is a 2010, (I got it new fall 2009) so no def, just regen. I run the truck very hard going back and forth over Donner Summit. It gets good and hot for mile after mile. About the only time it regens is when I run the pto for long amounts of time.

I still believe that EGR tubing runs should be entirely straight Cunifer brake tubing with elbows held on with quick release fittings.
Quick “rodding out” maintenance would be worth the slightly higher initial cost.

How many national park lands or nation sea preserves
could have already been bought with the cost of all this DEF fluid, shop repair visits, 18 wheeler tow in costs, etc ?

In the mean time farmers can over apply nitrogen fertilizer which quickly releases NOx into both air and runoff water.

EV fires are in the news, with warnings like:
Li battery fires are super hot, generate their own oxygen, and the vast fumes are mixes of super-toxic gases.

Do EV fires emit NOx ?

How much?

The 7.3 "Godzilla" gas V8 from Ford was supposed to be the next big/great thing. Forged knife edged crankshaft, deep skirt block bullet proof from top to bottom, strong rods- pistons and heads that flowed a ton of air with a fantastic combustion chamber. The engine builders- even those not into Fords were all raving about this engine 4 years ago. The cam in block design guaranteed none of that DOHC complexity and nonsense. It's a shame this design has had to have a power reduction.

They always reduce the power in the fleet vehicles rated over 1 ton. F350 has 400 something horsepower and an F750 with the same engine will have 275 or around there or maybe less. I am sure the reasoning it longevity at 100% load.

Some of it is emissions now- CARB used to have NTE emissions regulations for dyno certified stuff, but they moved to a moving average window calculation for the 2024 model year, and it applies to both gas and diesel. All of the big incomplete vehicles fall under that requirement.

Dodge did the same thing with the 6.4 hemi

Do you ever stop there for "lunch"?

I can put another entire 6.4 hemi in my 3/4 ton for just the price of injectors in a modern diesel and we do turbos and other ginormous repair bills on diesels all the time also. With my simple formula for a 6.4 build they tow awesome and get great MPG for a big gas engine. They get heat working faster in the winter, start easier, less fuel filters, much cheaper oil changes, less fumes, less weight makes ball joints and other stuff last longer... I can't even come close to justifying the much greater expense of a diesel. I got no EGR to clog up or delete and no DEF to fart around with.

I don't have any useful experience with the 7.3 yet but I find it odd that ford finally realized emissions and MPG could be done with this combo but suddenly dodge can't? The hemi has better low lift flow but basically everything ferd did with this engine is exactly what dodge has been doing with the hemi.

Based on how the factory 1994-1995 catalytic converter core ceramic broke up,
I wonder if these commercial application engines are being derated
to keep the catalytic converters from overheating
on long hill climbs with heavy loads.

just got this a couple days ago. they say they over rated the HP by 25 and TQ by 18.. offering 300 bucks to say sorry or some crap..

quote

430 HP...... but the base Godzilla crate engine costs $9,175,

end quote

$9175 divided by 430 HP = $21 per hp

You were shorted on your factory version of the 7.3 V8 by 25 HP

25 multiplied by $21= $525

Write Ford and counter-offer for
a free one month lease on a Ford Lightning pickup EV
since the news says dealerships are sending them back to Ford

Sounds like they're trying to avoid a class action lawsuit

But on the other hand at least they're offering something unlike some other Mfr's

I have a 2020 super duty with the 7.3.. Previous trucks were a 99 super duty with the v-10, bought new in march 98. Also a 2011 with the 6.2 bought used in 2014, All three crew cab long box. The 7.3 seems to be an awesome engine, although I have heard some grumbling of failed camshaft and lifters due to delaminating.. Gas mileage for all three about the same towing. The 7.3 is much better empty then the other two They had 3.73 rear axles, the 20 a 3.55) Being almost 60, I also have an everyday car, so this most likely will be my last new truck purchase as it is in the garage with only 18,000 on it.

They have to by lying, it was never "over rated" at 350hp, it was already de-tuned. Issue is they put this engine in fleet vehicles, fleet vehicles get driven by guys that dont care so they'd never unleash the full 430hp to those guys and apparently 350 was too much as well. If I had a motor home with the 7.3L I'd be looking for a tune to unlock as much as possible seeing as its not a fleet truck being beaten on by 47 different employees.

Thanks for posting.

After watching this video I would guess the root cause is improper camshaft lobe hardening
rather than lifter roller metallurgy
{edit: wrong guess}
but I bet Ford already knows and is so far being silent.
I suspect date of change on part numbers would give owners a clue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdODNCV1dis

More likely to be a peak RPM related failure
than peak Horsepower.

Chrysler had problems with its first roller lifters
and Deiter Zetsche had to delay the first year of the 5.7 Hemi due to camshaft bearings.

Retired Ford Engineer and racing motor guru Brian Wolfe relates what he suspects is happening with the hydraulic roller lifter in the Ford 7.3 V8 in the 1 hour 38 minute to 1 hour 44 minute segment of this long video interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC7gNupejLg

Wolfe believes the roller wheel is “Brinelling” and the failure is not a camshaft problem, although the camshafts are ruined by the lifter.

He states that on a boosted racing 7.3 V8
he replaced the stock roller lifters with Johnson 2126 roller lifters

sample quote

Ever since Ford announced its 7.3L “Godzilla” engine, the automotive aftermarket has been figuring out new ways to utilize the platform and improve upon its performance characteristics. Few engine shops have been more successful at that than Willis Performance Enterprises in Willis, MI, which specializes in small block Ford drag racing engines, and more recently, performance parts for the 7.3L Ford Godzilla engine.

That success is in huge part thanks to
Brian Wolfe, who operates Willis Performance Enterprises (WPE), and is the former director of global engine engineering at Ford Motor Company.
Brian’s background has allowed him to experiment with a variety of 7.3L Godzilla combinations from mildly modified to fully built and boosted.

end quote

from

https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2022/02/eotw-procharged-7-3l-ford-godzilla-engine/