The Ford Pushrod Returns With The New
Godzilla 7.3L OHV Big-Block
It’s been rumored/leaked for a while now that Ford has been working on a
new large-displacement, overhead-valve, pushrod engine under the code name
“Godzilla.” Now, Ford has confirmed the new engine in the announcement of
the 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty line of pickup trucks. “An all-new
Ford-designed and Ford-built 7.3-liter V8 joins the standard 6.2-liter V8
in Super Duty’s gas engine stable,” the release says. The new 7.3-liter
will be considered an upgrade from the base 6.2-liter gas engine, but
won’t be the premium powerplant option, which is still the 6.7-liter
PowerStroke diesel engine.
This beauty shot from Ford gives us some key information not included in
the press release. Details such as the drive-by-wire throttle body, the
coil-near-plug ignition system, and the subtle hints at the badass OEM
valvetrain under the valve covers.
The release isn’t brimming with details on the “inbetween” powerplant, but
the salient points are that the 7.3-liter gasoline engine will feature a
cam-in-block design, which is a solid 180-degree change from the Blue
Oval’s noted embrace of the overhead cam V8 engine architecture. The iron
engine block will measure 445 cubic-inches and utilize four-bolt mains
with cross-bolts. A forged-steel crankshaft will be the standard fare,
along with piston-cooling oil jets to keep the internal temperatures down
(and presumably keep efficiency up) under heavy loads.
The Godzilla engine will also feature variable valve timing, and port fuel
injection – which bucks the widely believed pre-production rumors that it
would be direct injected. An interesting feature that doesn’t seem to have
drawn much attention is the variable-displacement oil pump, which will
reduce windage, as well as parasitic losses from the pump itself, under
light load.
The new engine design will also feature a drive-by-wire throttle body,
long-runner intake manifold, and a coil-near-plug ignition system. So
while the return of the pushrod engine architecture for Ford might seem
like a step backwards, the level of technology in the new 7.3-liter engine
is impressive. Also, it appears the rumor mill got some pretty critical
facts wrong, which leads us to wonder… Were they really wrong, or is there
another variant of the Godzilla 7X – possibly one a little more
performance oriented – sitting in an R&D lab at Ford, awaiting its reveal?
What is also worth
mentioning is that this engine drops into the Ford Mustang engine bay
quite nicely. Could there be plans to bring back a modern day Boss 429
Mustang? Time will tell. If not direct from Ford, maybe something in kit
form from the aftermarket.
Either way, we look forward to learning more details about this new
generation of big-block Ford and seeing what – if anything – the
aftermarket has in store for it.
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