Ford has been informing us about its new V-8 gasoline engine for 2020 over six months ago, but the automaker has announced the horsepower and torque ratings for the optional engine. It is designed for 430 hp at 5500 rpm and 475 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm, and Ford refers to the new gasoline engine V-8 as “Best in Class”.

This claim is for the time being 100 percent entitled. The most powerful engine of GM in the gasoline HD range is the 6.6-liter V-8 with 401 hp and 464 lb-ft. (The 6.2-liter V-8 from GM is only offered in trucks with half a ton of displacement, but is less powerful.) The 6.4-liter petrol engine Hemi V-8 from Ram makes 410 hp and 429 lb -ft. This is the highly competitive truck world. However, do not expect this ranking to stay static for too long.

The introduction of this new 7.3-liter V-8, internally referred to as the “Godzilla”, marks the end of the line for the modular V-10, an old but robust commercial vehicle lump – apart from the familiar teething problems the removal of the spark plug – whose calculation was long overdue. Ford was aware that due to its familiarity and proven reliability for class 2 through class 7, there is nothing out of the ordinary. He deliberately stuck to a pushrod design with a forged steel crankshaft with oversized main bearings, but added a variable displacement oil to pump and piston cooling nozzles for better temperature management under heavy load. Although all manufacturers offer superior and superior performance diesel engines, many contractors and independent companies require gasoline powered equipment for site, convenience, regulatory or fleet management purposes. Ford also notes that some occasional F-250 and F-350 under-the-hood owners may desire additional capabilities, but may not be willing to fully cover the cost of upgrading to a diesel.

The new engine is the first in the Super Duty F-250 and F-350 pickup models and complements the 6.2-liter V-8 gas engine and the 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel in the pallet. A slightly less powerful version of the new 7.3 with 350 hp at 3900 rpm and 468 lb-ft of torque at 3900 rpm is included as standard in the chassis of the F-450, the F-550 and the new F-600, F-650 and F-750 medium duty trucks and F-53 and F-59 models with stripped chassis. 

A new 10-speed automatic transmission, based on the current F-150 engine, will match, to some extent, the 7.3 in the F-250 and F-350 and higher vehicle ranges. Although fuel consumption figures for this class of vehicle are rarely stated, Ford indicates improvements for models equipped with the 10-speed engine. According to Ford, the transmission has been heavily revamped for use in high performance applications. You can still set the six-speed in the F-250 pickup and F-350 chassis. 
Ford is a class on its own