Ford 7.3L Godzilla V8 Fails at 70K Miles, Teardown Reveals Troubling Flaws

This Ford 7.3L Godzilla V8 from an E-350 chassis cab failed at 70k miles, largely due to one big reason that owners will want to know about.

Having been around for just a few years now, we’re just beginning to see how the Ford 7.3-liter Godzilla V8 engine is holding up over the long haul. We obviously have high hopes for this particular engine, which has proven to be a potential powerhouse and is quite rare in today’s world as an old fashioned pushrod V8 of any kind. One may assume that the Godzilla V8 is inherently reliable as a result of its more simplistic construction, but in the case of this failed unit, there are some reasons to be less optimistic in that regard.

In this recent video from the YouTube channel I Do Cars, we get a nice, detailed look at the insides of a Godzilla V8 that was previously in a 2023 Ford E-350 chassis cab model. Two years and 70k miles later, this engine failed, however, requiring a replacement, which raises a few eyebrows, indeed. This E-350 was used by a rental company, however, and it spent a lot of time idling, which our host believes had a lot to do with its early demise.

Before he dives into tearing down this Godzilla V8, our host points out that this engine is missing a cylinder head gasket on one side, and the head bolts are a little loose, signaling that perhaps someone performed less than ideal repairs on it already. The crank sounds a bit gritty when he goes to turn it, and once the cylinder heads are off, the cause of death becomes quite clear. For starters, there’s heavy corrosion inside coupled with serious scoring, and one lifter had shed itself of a needle bearing, which in turn cut a groove in the cam.

Debris from the camshaft wound up scarring the cylinder walls and piston skirts, and even though everything else looks fine, this means that the block needs to be machined to save it, which would also require installing new pistons and related components. Our host is selling the assembly for a mere $1,000, but perhaps the most important takeaway here is that Godzilla V8 owners have a few things to keep in mind if they want to keep their engines alive for as long as possible.

Lower idle speeds and low viscosity oil tend to result in reduced lubrication when these pushrod V8s idle for long periods of time, and yet, exist because of emissions standards. This leads to early and excessive cam and lifter wear, so owners that do let their vehicles idle should tighten up their maintenance schedules a bit. More frequent oil changes can go a long way in extending the life of one’s Godzilla, though the best thing to do is avoid excessive idling altogether.

Join the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums now!

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.