Ford’s new 6.8L V8

Highlander

The Strong, Silent Type
The last couple years reading about how the 7.3 was gonna solve the problems of the 6.2 as far as reliability and complexity seems weird as the 6.2 is probably one of the most reliable engines ever made.

I think the reason Ford has gone with a new architecture of engine is that it is a very old architecture and very well proven. It is also simple.
I looked into a hood of an F250 with 7.3. There was a tons of room. It was quite a surprise as the engine is a big V8.
Service will be easy and access will be a none issue.
Also, something tells me that Ford might put a turbo in it someday. It is good to have a volumetrically small engine.
 

1000arms

Well-known member
The following information might be of interest.

"Though it displaces the same 7.3 liters as the existing Godzilla, the Ford Megazilla powerplant has been fortified with upgrades including Mahle pistons, forged Callies H-Beam connecting rods, CNC-machined heads, a low-profile Ford Performance intake manifold, and the same 92-millimeter throttle body utilized in the current-gen Mustang Shelby GT500. Total output comes in at a cool 615 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque, which is impressive by any measure."

The crate engine info above is from:




You may already be aware, but the Ford "Godzilla" 7.3L gas engine has pretty good low-end torque.

"Designed for use in the Super Duty F-250 and F-350 trucks and other applications, the 7.3-liter engine pounds the ground with over 400 lb-ft of torque from 1,500 to 5,500 rpm, with the 475 lb-ft peak. Horsepower tops out at 430 at 5,500 rpm. With the right mods its personality could get a lot more powerful." is from:


"Godzilla, as it’s being called, was developed as an option for F-250-and-up Super Duty models as a severe-duty engine that’s powerful, durable, and affordable to build and maintain. Interestingly enough, the very features that make it a strong truck engine get us hot rodders fired up, too. We’ve already seen one make over 700 horsepower naturally aspirated and 1,450 horsepower with a supercharger!"

"The 445 cubic inch "Godzilla" is fairly compact for a big-cube block, with dimensions that are just a little bit bigger than a 351W small-block."

The above quotes are from:

 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
I’m starting to see some good incentives for Chrysler products. This dealer is offering up to 8% below invoice (including PW).


I haven’t seen anything from Ford. But I’d imagine they’d follow suit soon. Maybe not as cheap as Ram’s but hopefully something.

I have wondered if Jeep/Dodge has more say in dealer pricing via their dealer contracts than the old legacy companies like Ford that likely have loop holes in their old dealer contracts that Ford has limited influence
 

Ninelitetrip

Well-known member
I’m starting to see some good incentives for Chrysler products. This dealer is offering up to 8% below invoice (including PW).


I haven’t seen anything from Ford. But I’d imagine they’d follow suit soon. Maybe not as cheap as Ram’s but hopefully something.


There is certainly trouble in both new and used sales for dealers and some brands more than others but I see no movement by Ford dealers to come down on pricing for either used or new Super Duty yet. Dealers are still listing used 2019+ SD at original MRSP or more for used trucks despite the truck being on their lot for 60+ days.
 

Explorerinil

Observer
There is certainly trouble in both new and used sales for dealers and some brands more than others but I see no movement by Ford dealers to come down on pricing for either used or new Super Duty yet. Dealers are still listing used 2019+ SD at original MRSP or more for used trucks despite the truck being on their lot for 60+ days.
According to a friend of mine that works at a large high volume ford dealer. Ford is not sending them as many trucks now but not other certain ford vehicles such as explorer etc. He said, for example, they used to keep 250 plus f150 trucks in stock, now they are lucky to have 100. He said these trucks arent sitting for long periods of time like they did in the past so there isn’t pricing incentives to move them. At a sister dealer which sells Chrysler, ram, Jeep, they never had the shortage issues on most vehicles like ford and gm did as they use less and different chips in certain vehicles. So therefore they had more available stock and have some incentives now.
 

skrypj

Well-known member
I’m starting to see some good incentives for Chrysler products. This dealer is offering up to 8% below invoice (including PW).


I haven’t seen anything from Ford. But I’d imagine they’d follow suit soon. Maybe not as cheap as Ram’s but hopefully something.

Ford is still really struggling to make trucks, or if you are a conspiracy theorist, they are continuing to produce trucks slowly to keep prices high. Their 2022 sales were heavily down for FS trucks(-10%), SUV's(-25%), and mid-sized trucks(-40%) from 2021 even.

I dont think we will see discounts from them for a little while

GM absolutely clobbered Ford in 2022.
 

phsycle

Adventurer
Whatever Ford’s strategy is, it won’t hold out for long. Bronco buyers are bailing to get a Wrangler cheaper and sooner. I’m thinking of doing the same with the PW (vs F250).
Ford’s always had a premium compared to Ram’s. But not by this margin. They’ll lose market share and will have to compete.

Loyalists will be loyalists. But the only thing that runs thicker than the blue oval is the green rectangle.
 

TexasSixSeven

Observer
Whatever Ford’s strategy is, it won’t hold out for long. Bronco buyers are bailing to get a Wrangler cheaper and sooner. I’m thinking of doing the same with the PW (vs F250).
Ford’s always had a premium compared to Ram’s. But not by this margin. They’ll lose market share and will have to compete.

Loyalists will be loyalists. But the only thing that runs thicker than the blue oval is the green rectangle.

You’re not wrong about the green triangle having the most power, and while I don’t consider myself a Ford loyalist I absolutely will walk before ever spending my own money on a goat ? 4 experiences too many out of 4 experiences taught my that a bicycle would suit my needs better ?

In all seriousness a solid axle fits my needs best, but I’d be driving a new AT4 2500 Duramax if a 7.3 Ford wasn’t an option. The 3 Cummins and 1 Hemi 2500s I’ve had as work trucks concluded in me calling our Regional Manager and telling him to send me a new f’n truck and it better not be a Ram. The last 1 tried to kill me after the first 3 just left me stranded. I was a bit heated as my 14’ (in 14’) Ram caught fire after the brakes went out and blew me through a red light. Had a 15’ LML Duramax about a week later.
 

Explorerinil

Observer
Whatever Ford’s strategy is, it won’t hold out for long. Bronco buyers are bailing to get a Wrangler cheaper and sooner. I’m thinking of doing the same with the PW (vs F250).
Ford’s always had a premium compared to Ram’s. But not by this margin. They’ll lose market share and will have to compete.

Loyalists will be loyalists. But the only thing that runs thicker than the blue oval is the green rectangle.
My friend at the ford dealer told me they can’t get bronco’s and it’s along time before you can get one and it will be a super long time before it’s delivered if you can order one. I asked him why they have 10 full size broncos, 3 of which are Sasquatch and they also have 2 Everglades in stock And they are asking msrp. He gave me some bs that they were ordered along time ago and are selling fast yet they have been on the lot for weeks. I’m calling bs, I think people just aren’t buying these vehicles. We test drove one with the Sasquatch package, it looked cool but was really cheaply assembled and had so much road noise you couldn’t hold a conversation at highway speed. We got 15 mpg on the highway, same as my super duty. We gave up the idea of owning a bronco.
 

badm0t0rfinger

Raptor Apologist.
We test drove one with the Sasquatch package, it looked cool but was really cheaply assembled and had so much road noise you couldn’t hold a conversation at highway speed. We got 15 mpg on the highway, same as my super duty. We gave up the idea of owning a bronco.

I'm asking this as a good faith question; How did it feel cheaply assembled? Was it the soft top or hard top?

15 mpg is kind of awful for either engine offered, but still curious as to what engine you had on your test drive.
 

Explorerinil

Observer
I'm asking this as a good faith question; How did it feel cheaply assembled? Was it the soft top or hard top?

15 mpg is kind of awful for either engine offered, but still curious as to what engine you had on your test drive.
It was a soft top initially and then we drove one with a hard top. The hard top had a tad less road noise but not by much. The hard top didn’t appear to fit well, it rattled and had allot of wind noise, as in air leaks. Besides that, the fit and finish left allot to be desired, the doors felt cheap and didn’t fit and shut well. We drove one with the 2.7 and the other with the v6. 15 mpg was the 2.7 Sasquatch, on the highway it down shifted allot. The salesman has one with the v6, he confirmed 15-17 mpg on the highway, which is the same as my 7.3 f250. We were dead set on ordering one or buying the Sasquatch we drove. When we pulled into the dealer, my wife shifted it into park, I asked her what she thought, her response was simply “hell no”. I got to say, we were set on a new full size bronco, ready to buy one on the lot or order… I’m very glad we drove it for awhile.
 

badm0t0rfinger

Raptor Apologist.
It was a soft top initially and then we drove one with a hard top. The hard top had a tad less road noise but not by much. The hard top didn’t appear to fit well, it rattled and had allot of wind noise, as in air leaks. Besides that, the fit and finish left allot to be desired, the doors felt cheap and didn’t fit and shut well. We drove one with the 2.7 and the other with the v6. 15 mpg was the 2.7 Sasquatch, on the highway it down shifted allot. The salesman has one with the v6, he confirmed 15-17 mpg on the highway, which is the same as my 7.3 f250. We were dead set on ordering one or buying the Sasquatch we drove. When we pulled into the dealer, my wife shifted it into park, I asked her what she thought, her response was simply “hell no”. I got to say, we were set on a new full size bronco, ready to buy one on the lot or order… I’m very glad we drove it for awhile.

So your experiences echo with mine, however I kind of came out of it wanting still really wanting one. It reminded me of a far more refined version of my old TJ, and I LOVED that thing. Road noise in the soft top Bronco was atrocious, but thats kind of what you get with a soft top. Now its been ages since I've sat in a JK or JL soft top on the highway, but I remember they were a bit better. I completely agree with the hard top, it shouldn't be that bad, the fit isn't good enough for a production vehicle, and with that being the only factory option for the 2 Door (the model I was looking at) its a turn off. The MPG I saw was in just about the same as your experience, felt it should be better but its not awful comparing it to any of the vehicles I've owned (all had between 12 and 18 observed MPG).

I don't blame your wife one bit, especially if it was intended to be her daily driver.
 

Explorerinil

Observer
So your experiences echo with mine, however I kind of came out of it wanting still really wanting one. It reminded me of a far more refined version of my old TJ, and I LOVED that thing. Road noise in the soft top Bronco was atrocious, but thats kind of what you get with a soft top. Now its been ages since I've sat in a JK or JL soft top on the highway, but I remember they were a bit better. I completely agree with the hard top, it shouldn't be that bad, the fit isn't good enough for a production vehicle, and with that being the only factory option for the 2 Door (the model I was looking at) its a turn off. The MPG I saw was in just about the same as your experience, felt it should be better but its not awful comparing it to any of the vehicles I've owned (all had between 12 and 18 observed MPG).

I don't blame your wife one bit, especially if it was intended to be her daily driver.
The best vehicle we have ever owned, and I regret selling every time I think about it is our 04 tj rubicon. My wife and I were dating back in 2003, she ordered a brand new yellow rubicon exactly how she wanted it. It was very expensive for the time, 27k. She put an OME lift and some 33 inch super swampers on it and drove it for 100k. We sold it in 07 for 25k. We got rid of it because someone slashed her soft top and stole her nursing school books. We both forgot how loud and uncomfortable a soft top is, espically now that we are in our 40’s. I got to say I like the idea of a bronco, I just don’t think she could daly drive one now. I also have hearing issues from my job, the sound of the wind on the soft top sounded to me like someone beating on a drum, I couldn’t hear my wife and son talking. I agree with you the mpg should be allot better.
 

Grassland

Well-known member
Man if I could actually get 15 mpg US out of a 6.8 or 7.3 Super Duty SCAB Short box 4x4 with a cab heigh commercial topper and 1500#+ of gear, I'd really question driving my Transit 250 3.7.

That's some decent mileage for a heavy, large square shaped vehicle.

What are you guys seeing stop and go with the 7.3 in the city?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,534
Messages
2,875,622
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top