7.3 Godzilla, Is the Diesel dead?

[Flyin6]

I'd like to start a discussion about this Ford 7.3 Godzilla motor.

From what I can see it is one outstanding motor.

In stock form it makes a lot of power. I have seen gains of over 50 HP under the curve where we live just by tuning. I have seen the addition of headers add 40-50 HP. There are supercharged versions making in excess of 1,000HP and a thousand pound/feet of torque!

It looks like reports on fuel economy from owners place the day to day unladen mileage of a 7.3 gasser vs a 6.7 Power stroke to be similar. When towing the gasser suffers with numbers less that 10, but so does the diesel, but with slightly better numbers.

So, gas costs less than diesel fuel, so dollar for dollar, one could simply buy more gas for the same cost as a tank of diesel. Next up is the initial investment. I just looked and to buy a Super Duty with a 6.7, you are going to have to anty up $10,600 for that motor. The gasser Godzilla motor only costs $1,700 over the cost of the base 6.2 gas motor. So there's that, almost $9,000 in savings to order the gasser.

Then if you just look at the sheer complexity of that 6.7 Power Stroke, you have to be kidding. Under that hood it is ridiculous! There are multiple EGR coolers, a bunch, I mean, A BUNCH of ducting and piping. You have a big water/air intercooler and you can't see the turbo. I hear that now the motor pulses the injectors as many as five times per combustion event. Doesn't that mean that those $1000 apiece injectors are now completing five times the number of cycles as they used to? And don't injectors wear out? I was looking at the intercooler hoses. If you wanted to tighten up the lower hose clamp, I'd like to know how any normal human could hope to do that. I tell you that motor is just too complicated

Then I hear the motor still has the crappy CP4 Bosh pump. The same pump that has been grenading regularly also taking out the fuel injection system. I checked and found that repair is likely over $10,000!

Now let's look at the 7.3 gasser. The thing is a simple cam in block, pushrod V8. I hear you can pull the intake off in 10 minutes! It has 6 bolts per main journal, an iron block, monster head bolts and lots of them and huge BOSS 302 looking ports. I read that installing headers is an easy two hour job. There is just nothing complicated about it.

Finally is the handling. The much lighter gasser truck handles briskly and feels light, whereas the nose heavy Power Stroke does not. It feels, well, heavy.

So you buy the gasser Super Duty for $9,000 less, then bolt on headers, get a tune and a supercharger for maybe $8,000. You now have a truck which does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and will pull anything the diesel will. For the cost of the injector repair on the power-joke you can buy a whole new crate 7.3 and start all over.

No brainer to me, that 7.3 is going to really leave a mark. And GM's anemic 6.6 and the gas thirsty Mopar 6.4 are not even in the same arena as this new Ford big block.

I may be a Chevy fan, but I am really liking that Ford Godzilla Super Duty.

[Flyin6]

This is interesting

I went to the Ford Dealership over lunch to discuss the particulars of the Tremor 7.3 with them.

Their senior truck guy, the man who ordered all their trucks showed me the numbers. Unfortunately the 7.3 single wheel F350 cannot pull the weight I need it to. It was capped at 15,000 max. I calculate I will need 11,600 (Kubota) + 2300 (Weight of the cutter head) +3300 (weight of the trailer) = 17,200

The diesel will tow 20,000 so it would be the engine I would need for my particular need.

However

He said he can't get any trucks. He said he had almost 50 orders from this past week, all the way back to October for trucks that the factory will not accept. His contacts in Louisville, where these trucks are built are telling him they are reentering a time of severe chip shortages. He suggested telling everyone to come back in 2023!

So I suppose any discussion will be purely academic at this point.

As for my towing situation, I think I'll toss Farm plates on my Duramax and just pull illegally.

[Bigdave_185]

I really feel like this is a road we have been down, same exact plan charger and headers and still lacking all the power.   

But hey I’ll read it if you wanna post photos. 

The 7.3 I had as a delivery guy was sluggish for sure.
They had a few 6.6 motor trucks but had the massive flat bed so it was hard to compare really.  The 5500 reg cab cummins moved out pretty well under load


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[KensAuto]

I really feel like this is a road we have been down, same exact plan charger and headers and still lacking all the power.   

But hey I’ll read it if you wanna post photos. 

The 7.3 I had as a delivery guy was sluggish for sure.
They had a few 6.6 motor trucks but had the massive flat bed so it was hard to compare really.  The 5500 reg cab cummins moved out pretty well under load


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You drove a 7.3 gas truck?

[Bigdave_185]

The plumbing supply house I worked for a few months at last March I believe had one,   Am I off on my motors? I honelsty can’t say I poooped the hood


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[Mrwoody]

My Company has ordered me a new truck in Sept.  I worked with our fleet guy and was able to get them to order the 7.3 with a 400 amp alt and dual batteries.    The key word being it was ordered in Sept.    Last word was a confirmation that it was ordered.   Still have no delivery date.
   I am  kinda stoked to see how it will do with the seafood box on the back. The current truck with the 6.7 gets 11-13 mpg.

[stlaser]

Don, as you know I like the 7.3 gasser. Personally, if I needed to tow that weight I would and I’d skirt the requirements. But that’s me and I never cared for rules. I’ve also in a past life always overloaded trucks and trailers with steel, always fords with no issue. Trailers, we’ll they were improved to handle the capacity.

With all of that said why not buy a bigger gvw truck, maybe a 26k gvw unit with a flat deck and short side boards. Probably what I’d look at, you could even make it a ramp truck and forget the trailer…..

[JR]

Honestly for what you want it for, just get a used duramax dually? People are selling and trading them in like crazy with the fuel prices.

Fair priced, you KNOW what you are getting and something with under 100k should last you forever.

You already have 2 DD, right?

[TexasRedNeck]

Perhaps a bed swap and dually axle and spring would get you where you need to go cheaply?


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[stlaser]

Perhaps a bed swap and dually axle and spring would get you where you need to go cheaply?


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As someone who sources and rebuilds axles there isnt anything cheap about it. It will need gone thru to be reliable. Parts are climbing when available, Tate and I discuss these issues weekly.....

Don, if you choose that route and I can help let me know.

[Flyin6]

I really feel like this is a road we have been down, same exact plan charger and headers and still lacking all the power.   

But hey I’ll read it if you wanna post photos. 

The 7.3 I had as a delivery guy was sluggish for sure.
They had a few 6.6 motor trucks but had the massive flat bed so it was hard to compare really.  The 5500 reg cab cummins moved out pretty well under load


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You drove a 7.3 gas truck?

I have not even seen one!

[Flyin6]

I was just looking and wanting a new truck some as well. But I doubt I would have sold the Duramax truck in any event.

Given the situation, I WILL be stuck with my current truck. I was at a Fire Department board meeting last night (I am a member) discussing purchasing a new ambulance. The chief reported to us that the manufacturer told him the flash to bang time is now 600+ days. We order the truck and we don't see it for nearly two years. He told our Chief that Ford is preparing to almost shut down operations fearing they may not be really to build trucks in any numbers until 2024!

Currently I have a line on a 26,000 dump truck. That could pull the 17K trailer that I take delivery on in March or early April with no issue and get me in business with the land shredding operation. JR also makes a good point of picking up a used dually, then flat-bedding it and go from there either bumper or GN.

I was just fascinated about that 7.3, and the Tremor truck. I think Ford is really on to something. I hear that truck is in the low 6,000 lb. range being made from aluminum. The look is good, that motor is great, and the price although high is way less than the competition. I thought about picking up a new F350 SRW Tremor with a factory winch and use that as a new driver/camper puller.

[JR]

For that towing weight and use, GN is the way to go. Better on you, the truck and can turn way better. Plus its a right off!

[wilsonphil]

Here you go Don, the spooks at Youtubes added this to my feed

Real world report https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnxSGeYULmA

[Flyin6]

Here you go Don, the spooks at Youtubes added this to my feed

Real world report https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnxSGeYULmA

Thanks Phil!

Sounds like that 7.3 is a winner for the fifth wheel crowd

[Bigdave_185]

Out of ignorance I hadn’t noticed our excavation company has three four door long bed 7.3’s. Talkin to the formen driving them they seem to be pleased for a truck they don’t pay for, but that said they can’t tow anything with them.

Fuel mileage is not as advertised


Further follow up a buddy just purchased a new one in az and drove home with 13 mpg avg so… I wouldn’t waste my $$ on it personally

Buy a darn diesel and be done with it


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[Bigdave_185]

https://youtube.com/shorts/GJsMmhrCHvs?feature=share


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[Bigdave_185]

Sure is hard to beat a throaty sound like that, cat get that out of a new diesel


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[JR]

sounds like a v8 rice burner.

[Bigdave_185]

That borla exhaust on that motor sure sounds nice I think


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[JR]

I put a Magnaflow on my 350, loved it over the flowmasters.

[Bigdave_185]

Flowmaster 40 series is all I used to run a a young kid. Loved that sound


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[JR]

I did too, still have it on my Elky. Tried the MF on the sub I sold, way better!

[Sammconn]

The Magnaflow system I put on mine is far louder than I like.
I had whatever Kennedy Diesel sold way back in 2007 on until current.
Was not as much drone on the highway.

The Magnaflow sure does sound good though.