7.3 gas engine vs Powerboost

[Warlock58]

Any gasser engine whether it's the 3.5 or the 7.3 is going to get crappy gas mileage towing. If you're set on sticking with gas, I would always recommend going up to the super duty chassis. The SDs handle and brake so much better, they're literally in a different league.

If money is no object, definitely go with a diesel for anything towing. Any modern Diesel with tow your 6,000 lb trailer with ease, you won't even realize it's back there.

I came from a 22 Ram 2500 with the Cummins and it would tow anything you asked it to with ease. While my EcoBoost has the power to tow anything, the truck simply just doesn't handle it nearly as good as a HD truck. For me, the half ton made more sense because I do a lot of short trips around town and I don't tow often.

It all depends on how you're going to use the truck. My recommendation would change based on if it's going to be a daily driver in the city or if it's just going to be used for towing.

Currently I only pull the camper 5-7 times a year mainly boondocking. I really do like the ProPower options! So, the PB gives me nearly 20 mpg in town. I will continue to weigh the pros and cons until next year deadline. In addition to the towing mpg issue, my extended warranty that Ford gave me, along with a new engine (a whole nother story), expires late next year. Even the Ford service manager told me to 'get rid of it before the warranty expires', when I picked it up from the shop (again) after replacing the intermediate under the seat battery for the second time and a new modem which was a $2800 repair without the warranty. Perhaps we'll have a non-DEF Super Duty by then!

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[JExpedition07]

I ordered a CCSB 6.7 PS in standard output with appearance package, the 7.3 felt good but slower than my 5.0 half tonner and I didn’t want the “what if” factor. DEF doesn’t scare me.

It is hard to compare XX to XX and say it “pumps this much air and is this size engine at XX boost”. The 5.0 ingests the same air as a 6.2 Liter at wide open throttle flowing the same CFM as the GM 6.2L on stock heads at wide open. They share the same 87 mm throttle body sizing because they suck in damn near the same volume of air. Even in naturally aspirated CFM varies WILDLY based on design. The GM 5.3 V8 can’t huff down near the air that the Ford 5.0 can. It’s best to not base comparisons on shear displacement these days.

Intake ports, valve surface area, camshaft lift have much more effect on pumping capacity than raw displacement.

 

[Ranger621]

They do not offer the 7.3 ltre engine in a F150.

 

[Snakebitten]

No sir, they don't.
But I don't think anyone posting, so far, has thought that.

Unless I completely missed it.

 

[Samson16]

Perhaps we'll have a non-DEF Super Duty by then!

The 7.3l Godzilla is a non-DEF Super Duty sir ?

 

[Xman]

.... to avoid the EPA mis-management of the diesel trucks and how awful that has become.

..... Perhaps we'll have a non-DEF Super Duty by then!

I recently was helping a friend look for a new 3/4-ton truck to tow with. Both my Ford and RAM salesman recommended going with gas engines and avoiding the diesel. They said that the EPA has constrained diesel engines so much you would be in the regen cycle too often unless you would be towing a heavy load the majority of time that the truck was being driven. I have no experience with this but was surprised that both dealers made this recommendation.

 

[JCsTruck]

No sir, they don't.
But I don't think anyone posting, so far, has thought that.

Unless I completely missed it.

I did but I remained silent. ? ?

 

[Snakebitten]

I did but I remained silent. ? ?

Ford could certainly fit that 7.3 in a lot of vehicles. It's incredibly compact.

 

[Goldeneye36]

Ford could certainly fit that 7.3 in a lot of vehicles. It's incredibly compact.

Pushrod engines are just smaller than OHC setups. The Coyote is massive compared to the old 302 I have in my Mustang. I saw a video recently where a guy had swapped a Godzilla from a wrecked Amazon van into an S550 Mustang. It was pretty cool and unique compared to a typical Mustang build.

 

[JCsTruck]

Ford could certainly fit that 7.3 in a lot of vehicles. It's incredibly compact.

True and it’s also underrated in terms of power by Ford. It was designed to be a heavy duty truck engine made for doing heavy duty tasks reliably. The 3.5 Ecoboost is a great engine too and the much lighter F-150 with that 3.5 will out accelerate a much heavier F-250 with the 7.3, but the F-250 will handle more weight, tow much more safely, and do it for years reliably and comfortably because everything about the F-250 and up is very heavy duty. In my opinion they are not an apples to apples comparison when you are towing big stuff regularly over long distances, or hauling large loads.

I think they are both great engines but one is tiny and asked to do a lot with its small displacement by forcing more air into it with turbochargers, and the other is an old school huge naturally aspirated engine built like a brick shit house with heavy duty parts that probably don't come even come close to their engineered limits while pulling heavy loads. Besides, who wouldn't love an engine that is named “Godzilla” ?. Ford is awesome!

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

They do not offer the 7.3 ltre engine in a F150.

you need to do some reading, don’t just look at the headline title post and go from there. It’s not a good look for you.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

If I owned a travel trailer versus motorhome, I would own a super duty, hands-down. Much better truck to tow with than any half ton.

 

[Samson16]

True and it’s also underrated in terms of power by Ford. It was designed to be a heavy duty truck engine made for doing heavy duty tasks reliably. The 3.5 Ecoboost is a great engine too and the much lighter F-150 with that 3.5 will out accelerate a much heavier F-250 with the 7.3, but the F-250 will handle more weight, tow much more safely, and do it for years reliably and comfortably because everything about the F-250 and up is very heavy duty. In my opinion they are not an apples to apples comparison when you are towing big stuff regularly over long distances, or hauling large loads.

I think they are both great engines but one is tiny and asked to do a lot with its small displacement by forcing more air into it with turbochargers, and the other is an old school huge naturally aspirated engine built like a brick shit house with heavy duty parts that probably don't come even come close to their engineered limits while pulling heavy loads. Besides, who wouldn't love an engine that is named “Godzilla” ?. Ford is awesome!

The class C RV community certainly has fallen in love with Godzilla. It’s a thorough improvement over the V10 in every way apparently. It’s stronger, more efficient, remains cool under load in harsh conditions, and runs quieter. E-450 with a 14,500 GVWR and a 55gallon fuel tank paired with a 4.5 kW onboard inverter/generator sipping unleaded out of the same tank as the 7.3l is PB-ish camping version ?

 

[Snakebitten]

If I owned a travel trailer versus motorhome, I would own a super duty, hands-down. Much better truck to tow with than any half ton.

Absolutely depends on the travel trailer.

I have 3 "travel trailers" that the F150 tows BETTER than my F350/7.3 tows the heavier 4th travel trailer.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying that the F350 is much burdened with a 30' ~8500-9000# bumper pull, but the mighty Powerboost can yank the little 17' toy hauler and leave the F350 in its dust. ? (~5000 loaded. Often less)

My point really being that "travel trailer" is a very generic term to use for a deciding factor.

Full disclosure: I don't actually yet own an RV that requires me to use the F350. But I purchased it because I am planning on owning a ~13000# bumper pull that hopefully will be built early 2026. (earliest slot I could get) I think that's an almost bullseye use for the SuperDuty/Godzilla platform.

 

[Samson16]

Absolutely depends on the travel trailer.

I have 3 "travel trailers" that the F150 tows BETTER than my F350/7.3 tows the heavier 4th travel trailer.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying that the F350 is much burdened with a 30' ~8500-9000# bumper pull, but the mighty Powerboost can yank the little 17' toy hauler and leave the F350 in its dust. ? (~5000 loaded. Often less)

My point really being that "travel trailer" is a very generic term to use for a deciding factor.

Full disclosure: I don't actually yet own an RV that requires me to use the F350. But I purchased it because I am planning on owning a ~13000# bumper pull that hopefully will be built early 2026. (earliest slot I could get) I think that's an almost bullseye use for the SuperDuty/Godzilla platform.

The horses are going to let you inside their clubhouse? ??

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