New engines are a hard sell. They are usually accompanied with limited to no aftermarket support, unobtainable engine management software, and worst of all, a lack of information. Ford’s 7.3L “Godzilla” engine has been in this purgatory stage awhile now, as automotive enthusiasts eagerly await aftermarket support and aftermarket companies wait to see product demand. However, the engine is slowly starting to gain traction with the help from a handful of wise and wild minded individuals.
The 7.3L can originally be found in the Ford F250 and F350 Super Duty trucks along with a variety of oversized F550 and F650 trucks. These trucks are still in their work life prime and are not as easily found without a large commercial business tax applied to it. That being said, there have been some outlandish horsepower figures presented with built 7.3L engines that utilize large turbos or superchargers. While these power builds are prevalent and garner our attention, there are a few engine builders heading in a different direction. Some have chosen to push the 10,000 RPM barrier and others have created something completely different, like this independent throttle body-equipped 7.3L engine in the video!
Making a truck engine perform well has been the struggle for engine builders since the dawn of the hot rod era. Truck engines are built for low end torque and durability over high horsepower and a well breathing intake. The intake on the 7.3L was no different, as part of the engine packaging required a banana-shaped bend that became a restrictor in the intake air’s path. To remove any restriction on the intake side Roger Higgins of InnoV8 Race Engines built a set of individual throttle bodies and valve covers for his Godzilla engine before throwing it on the dyno.
We will be fitting headers and a cam, what we have done is remove any possible restriction from the intake. Now we will see the full benefit of a camshaft and headers. The aim was never to just add an inlet, we are creating a package. Roger Higgins
Higgins’ aim netted him a 30 horsepower gain over the stock manifold and will only get better with the addition of a camshaft and headers. So, grab some headphones, press play, and turn up the volume as the 7.3L sings its pure potential. If there is only one complaint, it’s the video length. These trumpet intakes paired to the massive V8 could be played daily in my household or garage. Hot rodders and engine swappers take notice, Godzilla is here to stay.