7.3L gasser now official

[chilly460]

Saw a news clip that the 7.3L gas engine is now official for super duty trucks.  No hp/tq figures were given so not much value there.  I think it’s a good move, think plenty of guys want a 3/4 ton for towing but pause at the expense and complexity of the newer diesels.

Thinking out loud, one would think it’d have to be a decent step up from the Ecoboost to make it a differentiator, interesting to see what they come up with. 

[Katz427]

Interesting, it is a pushrod valve train. Ford does not release power numbers until they start producing actual production engines. This policy was instituted after the 1999 cobra, production engine intake manifold, and compression were off from spec. Interesting what bore/stroke ?

[TomP]

Looking at the video it appears the bore is maybe 4 1/8" or so and 445 cubes so stroke ought to be around 4"
Looks like a lot of potential for a race engine. Those valvesprings look 3" high.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FtNlfAbc2w

[BattlestarGalactic]

Wow, from all the "Hi tech" stuff.............back to the good old pushrod motor with fuel injectors.  Hmmmm.   He kept repeating about packaging size and how a pushrod motor is so much thinner and fits better in any engine compartment.  Well, duh.  Six bolt main caps?  Nice.  Roller lifter and roller rockers.  Nice.  Piston oil coolers?   Nice, it's like they have it set up for boost application??   Look how short that piston is! 

[FrozenMerc]

Interesting.  It is like we stepped back 25 yrs and updated the 460....  Old school engine tech with high end electronic controls.  Guessing it should be around 500 to 600 ft-lbs, hopefully with a nice flat torque curve.

[jayb]

Looks more like an updated FE to me, that's an inline valve setup.  Extended skirt block, cross-bolted mains, etc.  That exhaust port looks like the port on my new cylinder heads...

[chilly460]

Just doing a quick and dirty projection based on the 6.2L, this could be a 450hp/500lbft combo.  I saw a road test with a 2wd F250 that ran 14.6 with the 6.2L.  7.3 should scoot along pretty well

[cjshaker]

Of course chevy guys will be screaming LS..lol
That piston IS short! Guessing the super valve spring is for bigger lift without stressing them out, but there sure isn't much guide there. And not sure what that thing is on top of the lifter, maybe just something to take up space and keep the pushrod shorter? Oil squirters were used on the 5.0 when they started pushing them harder. Looks like chain drive oil pump.

Now, if they could just make the truck so you don't have to pull the damn cab to work on it. Not that it matters, it'll still be a $50k-$60k-$80k truck, so I won't be able to afford one.

[RustyCrankshaft]

Of course chevy guys will be screaming LS..lol
That piston IS short! Guessing the super valve spring is for bigger lift without stressing them out, but there sure isn't much guide there. And not sure what that thing is on top of the lifter, maybe just something to take up space and keep the pushrod shorter? Oil squirters were used on the 5.0 when they started pushing them harder. Looks like chain drive oil pump.

Now, if they could just make the truck so you don't have to pull the damn cab to work on it. Not that it matters, it'll still be a $50k-$60k-$80k truck, so I won't be able to afford one.

GM and Dodge both make their trucks so you don't pull the cab to work on them...much rather pull the cab on a Ford. By myself it takes about an hour and 20 minutes. With 2 of us about 45 minutes taking our time. Of course that is dealing with the diesel offerings from those 3. Ever try changing a VGT Duramax turbo? Can have the cab and heads off a 6.0 or 6.4 PowerStroke in about the same amount of time without the bruised ribs or hoodlatch stuck in your junk!

I do get the point, but as long as they keep the cabforward designs it'll never be real easy to work on something when half of it is under the dash. Probably why I decided to use a SuperDuty frame to put my 77 crewcab body on and a properly built diesel (the regular cabs all kept their FE's).

I thought Ford was misguided from going away from a pushrod V8 in the trucks in the first place. I would have liked to see them update the architecture and just make a modern version of what they were using. It worked for GM, and Fiatslyer.

[RustyCrankshaft]

OAnd not sure what that thing is on top of the lifter, maybe just something to take up space and keep the pushrod shorter?

Those appear to be the lifter retainers, similar to what LS/LT engines use and some smaller V block diesels.

[NIsaacs]

Just doing a quick and dirty projection based on the 6.2L, this could be a 450hp/500lbft combo.  I saw a road test with a 2wd F250 that ran 14.6 with the 6.2L.  7.3 should scoot along pretty well

Probably will be more than one rating. Pretty sure it will be de-tuned when it goes in the 650-750 trucks.

[GJCAT427]

I gotta agree with Jay, Looks like they took the best of the FE and incorped the newest diesel materials for reliabity.  The headers look some what like the FE cast shorty.

[GJCAT427]

Ah Jay, when are you going to make valve covers for this New Big block?!!!

[Barry_R]

I thought Ford was misguided from going away from a pushrod V8 in the trucks in the first place. I would have liked to see them update the architecture and just make a modern version of what they were using. It worked for GM, and Fiatslyer.

I think they have (finally) admitted that the OHC deal was overplayed for truck applications where high RPM under continuous load was not the right way to go.  The 6.2 was not a solid viable choice for a truck that needed to tow any kind of load with comfort and confidence.  And the 6.7 diesel - although easily capable - comes with a huge cost penalty - like 15% of the truck's overall price.  With gas being way cheaper than diesel these day, the payback on the over the top oil burner has stretched into infinity for fleet owners.  I'd wager the new gasser makes up 60% of SD truck sales volume within a year of its release.

[cjshaker]

GM and Dodge both make their trucks so you don't pull the cab to work on them...much rather pull the cab on a Ford. By myself it takes about an hour and 20 minutes. With 2 of us about 45 minutes taking our time. Of course that is dealing with the diesel offerings from those 3. Ever try changing a VGT Duramax turbo? Can have the cab and heads off a 6.0 or 6.4 PowerStroke in about the same amount of time without the bruised ribs or hoodlatch stuck in your junk!

Easy to say when you've got a lift sitting in your garage, and all the equipment required to lift a cab off of a frame. But I guess if you can afford the truck, you can afford a lift.