Ford F250 7.3L Godzilla Engine **Heavy Mechanic Review** | Lifter FAILURES Explained
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ย. 2024
- I review this 2023 F250 superduty with the 7.3L Godzilla gas V8 Engine and discuss the lifter FAILURE issues seen with this Engine as a Heavy Duty Diesel mechanic. I explain what a Lifter is what it does, I explain what is causing the lifter failure and how to potential avoid the lifter failure.
FORD BOSS VIDEO - • ANOTHER FORD 7.3L Godz...
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I hope everyone is having a good thanks giving. Today I wanted to revisit the old f250 7.3L godzilla engine and the potential lifter failures. This issues seems to keep on growing and I thought I would take a deep dive into what seems to be going on.
It seems like the vast majority if not all failures are on commercial use 7.3L Godzilla engines. And it turns out there is a different engine rating and tuning for those commercial use box trucks that seem to keep having lifter failures.
The lifter are losing their hardening surface for whatever reason and it falls down to either bad metal or hardening on those lifter roller surfaces or camshaft surfaces or a lubrication issues.
I tend to lean toward a lubrication issues. I think these lifters are getting starved for oil and this is what is causing the issue. I look to the variable displacement oil pump which could be underperforming when it comes to the commercial economy tune in these 7.3L engines. I could be wrong but that's my theory.
good news is that the pick up truck engines seem to be avoiding this issues which I like to see.
let me know what you guys think!
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I’m a tech a dealer. Entire shop has seen one lifter failure since 2020. Very high idle time on a commercial truck also.
Thank You
The 2020-2022 front ends are the best Ford has ever done. I wish they would go back.
Hello, nice video. I have a 2020 F-250 with the 7.3L engine on the Platinum trim level. I use this truck for towing our 7,700 pound travel trailer. Around 50,000 miles I started getting a #3 CYL misfire. I changed all the plug wires to the latest "dash D" variants and all the plugs, not change. I changed the coil pack and it seemed to help a little. Under loads, towing, it would fire often and de-rate the truck until the light went out. At 59, 200 miles (800 miles inside the warranty!) we were towing and I heard the distinct tapping (loud) of a lifter failure. We got to a Ford dealer and managed to rent a truck to tow us to our destination. Ford found the lifter on #3 CYL stuck in the block and authorized a "short block" change. All new lifters, a new cam, new plugs, etc. The process took 21 days and we were provided with a rental once we got the truck home and turned it in. So far, another 10k down the road, the truck is doing fine and has more power and gets better fuel economy than ever before. My truck was one of the first 100 made and Ford told me that certain "batches" of lifters provided TO the Canadian engine factory were bad and I happened to get at least one. They extended my PT warranty out another 36k miles and paid for an overnight hotel along with truck and car rentals. We will keep our fingers crossed and keep the oil changed for sure! Otherwise, I love this truck.
People kept their fingers crossed with the 6.0 and 6.4😅
What kinda MPG you get towing that trailer?
@@RenGarage I get around 11.5 when towing flat but when we get into the hills, esp out west, I have seen it as low as 7 but doesn't skip a beat going up those long hills. Running strong since the repairs have been made.
Bro that is favor. 800 inside the warranty.
My truck failed 7k outside the warranty
I bought a used '23 F350, 7.3, from Ford dealer W/7600 miles, now, 11,000 miles. Bought this to tow our Grand Design Reflections 337rls. Weighs empty at 10,800. Tows perfectly! Has the Lariat ult pkg & Tremor. The latter, helps with the extra 1" height. Power wise, just got to Yellowstone from Boise. All the hills we encountered, this engine pulls up hills with ease. Gas mileage, 7.2-7.6 but that's at 75-88. Again, this pulls as fast as my '70 Vette w/350/350 eng., which gets 8-9mpg. So glad I didn't get the diesel! Cruise at 78, floor to pass or manual it, gets up & boogies on past! Also came w/ gold wty, so have 2 yrs, 3 mos left factory everything, then the 7/100k everything, kicks in!
I absolutely agree the 23 front end is ok at best. The 20-22 were MUCH better looking.
Yes,the 23 front looks like a 17 rounded off.
The round elements look good on a Ranger, not a Super Duty.😂
I work at a huge huge ford dealership in the southern United States. Although I’m not a mechanic at the dealership, I can confirm these lifter failures always happen on the E series vans and Chassis cab Superduty trucks.
Yep I drive one for work and mine just went down for the second time in the past 5 months.
That is incorrect. My personal F350 failed this spring at 37K miles. Lifter/Cam.
10,000 mile oil changes, no way I'd wait that long.
In 2010 5.4 3v I run 5w-30 full synthetic oil and change it between 3300 and 4000 miles, almost 154,000 miles and runs great.
Same. 3 - 4 k miles for an interval on my6.2.
I don’t understand, what is it that you know and what the engineers don’t know when it comes to the recommended oil for the engine?
One needs to keep in mind it's the accountants who want you to buy your next vehicle sooner rather than later combined with the desire to reduce emissions which oil changes count against.
Take a average engine apart that has 3-4000 mile oil changes vs one that got changed at 10-15000 there's a huge difference in wear and tear. Go watch some "I do car" engine disassembles...
I mean it's probably fine to run it out to 10k miles. The problem is you have these clowns owning these trucks not changing it at or before that interval and running it an extra 2-4k miles over that because in my experience idiots don't follow the intervals.
@vhateverlie It is possible but that depends on how it's being used, exclusively highway miles in warmer climates you may be able to push it out but most vehicles are used in various driving conditions which includes cooler weather.
Most people in North America actually should be changing oil based on the extreme conditions requirements as noted in the owners manuals.
It is estimated that 80% of vehicles operated in Canada are considered to be operating under extreme driving conditions per the manufacturers service requirements.
I worked for a city as a mechanic, we saw issues with hi-tec engines with high idle times, Ecoboost.
Working with Melling ,, they have an oil pump upgrade for the Ecoboost that uses a higher volume oil pump that also has a high psi out.
Each one I did this to stopped having issues.
With brand X I started using heavier oils to stop all the ticking, knocking noise.
10 or 15 on the bottom end, 30 to 40 on high side of oil weight.
The noises went away and the drivers are happy.
You occupy a niche in the world of truck reviews, and I am very grateful for your rational and only slightly biased (toward Dodge haha!) perspective on specifically the HD gassers. And as a fellow Canadian (left coast), proud to have you on our side of the TH-cam border.
Do you think that the addition of the 10spd Allison to the GM change anything for you in your presented hierarchy? I, and I'm sure many others, would love to see a follow-up review when you get your hands on a 1-ton with the 10 spd. I am at a crucial stage in life: selling older (1990s) 7.3 diesel and looking to skip a few eras and get a new/newer gasser. But holy cow is it big money!
Thanks again for your great reviews. Cheers.
You touched on the potential of excessive idle time having an impact on these engines. I think the low oil pressure at idle could cause problems especially in places like California where the engine is humming along at freeway speed and then traffic comes to a creep/standstill for an hour or so. All engines these days should account for the messy idle-inducing traffic. Might this be the problem with the other manufacturers lifter issues as well?
This seems to be a leading theory for the lifter issues on the 5.7L Hemi. Since these pumps send a fixed amount every rotation Melling came out with a High Volume pump to push more oil at idle. Interested to see if it makes a difference.
If you look in the owners manual it even labels “Frequent or extended idling such as over 10 minutes per hour of normal driving” as Severe Operating conditions….so could be onto something
So what are the people like me supposed to do in the winter? I idle my vehicles 10-15 every morning to warm. That is when it's really cold. At -20 I'm not getting in my truck unless it's warm inside lol
@@rhet7959yes melling pump is excellent. Funny the crate motors come with the high volume pump but trucks being assembled got the shitty oil pump.
don't idle is what the company says. My friends Ram 2021 just had the hemi die at 98,000km lifter failure. Thankfully it died under warranty. Idling a Hemi is a death sentence.
Love this guy!!! Support him . Will save you thousands
I have a friend whovos a machanic at a Ford Dealer in Calgary, Alberta Canada, i spoke to him 2 days ago and he said a bunch of 7.3 City of Calgary trucks have come through for lifer failures, he said they all had excessive idling time, he also did say that Ford was also paying for a long block in all of them.
Sounds about right. I work for a fedex ground contractor, and we have a few trucks with this engine. Was talking with the mechanic about a misfire in one of the trucks with this engine and he said that the lifter issues are pretty common. Out of our 3-4, one is already misfiring, we are anticipating another to start soon, and the other 1-2 haven't really gotten that many miles on them right. Seems like 100-150k is the sweet spot for a lifter failure in them. The mechanic also mentioned that another contractor at our station has a truck with less than 20k sitting at the dealer waiting on an engine. I will say though, we are finding them to still be more reliable than whatever trash GM is putting out nowdays and trying to pass as work vehicles.
Seems at low Rpm like idle the oil pump is not producing enough pressure to keep the cam oiled causing this to start.
No long idle times are the best all the time.
I have a 2020 F250 with the 7.3. It's a daily driver with 90k plus. I also haul a 40ft fifth wheel. No problems at all. Awesome truck!
I'm a licensed 310S mechanic, and after giving this situation some thought, I believe it has more to do with how much more the engine has to work now with less power. Commercial trucks have to tow/carry the same weight as an F250 for longer periods, but with less power. This means they will always be revving high, running hotter, and speeding up the delamination problem. That's why you are seeing these issues at such low miles. If you ask me, the F250 trucks will eventually face this problem, but since they aren't working as hard, delamination may not occur until 150,000-250,000 miles. Unfortunately, it's out of warranty.
Unless it’s starving for oil, higher speeds generally mean better hydrodynamic lubrication.
Imagine driving through a puddle at low speed versus high speed where it hydroplanes. Same thing happens with the lubricant and that’s hydrodynamic lubrication. The cam and lifters should actually float over one another with virtually no wear at higher RPM.
@@greiner7414 What you are not taking into account is that an engine that is always revving high ages faster because it goes through more cycles. Commercial trucks used for work run all day, covering long distances or just idling. Regardless of the circumstances, an engine that runs for extended periods will always operate at higher temperatures than one that isn't running as long. As long as there is oil on the cam and lifters, they will float; that is the whole point of oil, to ensure metal parts aren't touching. However, if it's always at high RPM, generating more heat, and the oil is constantly moving fast throughout the engine to cool down and lubricate, then the molecular structure will break down extremely quickly in the oil. That is why high RPMs aren't good for your engine
is it just the peak power that is lower is the whole powerband lower? Like is 2500rpm produce the same power as the detuned trucks or is that lower as well?
I rented a large box truck with the 7.3 gas. Extremely impressed with the power and relative fuel efficiency to a diesel version. Biggest difference is uphill the diesel would not go over 55 mph and In the same area the gas truck would stay at the speed limit of 70mph
your crazy, a diesel will go up a hill like its not there, a gas engine screams the whole way and slows down while it's trying
This makes no sense
@@Mistro07that depends on the load
@@chanoleyva8584All things being equal as far as load, the diesel wins uphill all day! Torque vs HP and it's Near immediate availability in the rpm band vs the gasser.
Geog hasn't driven a diesel.. and probably not even a 7.3
There is another youtube channel called Automotive Inquiries that had a 2022 superduty pickup with the 7.3 gas engine. He changed the oil at 5k and found a massive amount of metal flake in the oil and Ford wouldn't do anything about it because the engine hadn't failed yet. He traded the truck off.
Yeah, thats just that dude being picky. Its not unusual for there to be metal present in the engine for the first several thousand miles while the engine is finishing breaking in. Even after that, some metal is expected in small quantities due to the fact that and engine is metal parts rubbing together several thousand times a minute. Ford has been good so far with warranty claims for the 7.3 gasser, they simply aren't going to pay to replace an engine thats still running fine just because the dude found some metal flakes in the oil while the engine was hardly out of its break in time.
Any plans for a deep dive into the Ford 6.8L V8? I hear that’s essentially a de-stroked 7.3L but would still make an interesting video. Keep up the good work. Thank you.
I agree, it would be interesting to hear about that engine, no one really talks about it.
Same block as the 7.3, same bore, slightly less stroke. Weighs marginally less and allows them to sit at 6,000 lbs in a 2wd dually truck for payload bragging rights and probably fits in a mustang since the 7.3 only barely doesn’t fit by the stock intake design. Some have worked around by having a custom intake layout to lower it a bit and it will close the hood on a stang. Also if memory serves it has a few small internal downgrades for cost savings, I do not believe the crank is forged on the 6.8. The 7.3 is seriously overbuilt internally and the 6.8 doesn’t quite get the same love as it’s not the long term commercial truck engine. Should be plenty stout for most users still, but there is a difference.
@@alexmills1329 I think the 7.3 and 6.8 are the exact same engine except for the 6.8 being de-stroked so it would have a different crankshaft and tuning. As for it being forged or cast I’m not 100% sure but I did find a photo on a Ford truck forum that says it’s forged. I purchased a 23 F250 XL w/STX package November 1st and have a little over a 1,000 miles so far. I bought it to tow our 8,000lbs TT.
@@alexmills1329pretty sure they revised the intake and it should fit the Mustang.
@@alexmills1329 There is no weight difference between the 7.3 and 6.8
That’s been my theory since the beginning. The key clue for me was the higher idle time being a common denominator.
Thanks for the content.
I always enjoy your videos.
I own the 7.3l Godzilla in my e450 and the Chevy l8t in my 3500hd. My 6.6 has been phenomenal
I have a 2022 F350 with the 7.3 engine and almost 13,000 miles. I’ve changed the oil every 5000 miles and so far I am very pleased with the performance of the engine. The truck has the 4.30 rear gears And it is a lariat variation crew cab. Toe 18,000 pound fifth wheel and have no problems with the engine. I do wish the 10 speed automatic was a whole lot smoother as it can be at times somewhat jerky especially when you have cruise control on and you’re going up and down hills.
My 2020 F250 Tremor with 7.3 just flipped 40k (it’s my towing vehicle, I don’t drive it more than 10k/year). Only issue I’ve had was the crappy spark plug wires throwing codes. Changed to the “C” wires and all good. Also purchased the extended warranty 8 years/100k so hopefully if the motor dies I can get a new one.
Thank you for the deep dive and your analysis. I think your spot on with your judgement. Keep up the great content!
Thank you sir!
I have a 2021 E350 cutaway van with the 7.3 Godzilla.
17,000 miles with no issues yet. I took it to 5star tuning. It's turned up above the truck tune. I never let it long idle. I change the oil every 5,000 miles with mobile one synthetic and a quality filter.
The 4.56 gear keeps the rpm turning. The 5star tuning also gave me 1mpg increase in mpg. I just wish it had the 10 speed transmission.
I'd wished that at first, too, but my transmission shop buddy told me out of warranty 6 speeds (descended from the C6) never come in their shop but scads of high mile 10s do!
I have a 22 super duty with the 7.3 engine and now have over 35000 miles and have no problems with it. I do change oil every 5000 miles with high quality pensoil A commercial vehicle may not get the maintenance as good.
I've had a 7.3 for a while within a F250, and a buddy has a '21 F250 w/ Zilla who idles 6-9hrs a day with it. He currently has 79K on the clock w/ zero issues. of course, this is only one example. I have also read about a few pick-up truck 7.3s eating lifters, but they were made in late '21 and early '22. I should say that both my buddy and I change oil at 5k or earlier. Ford does have a tendency to fix issues w/out fanfare at times, so perhaps this might be a supply issue? If not, I'm thinking that we would be seeing a great deal of failures by now. Also, if one were so inclined, there is a company making aftermarket parts for the Zilla, I believe it is 'Indy Motorsports' which makes a kit to change out the factory oil pump assembly for those who want to place a Zilla into other vehicles.
He must fill his gas tank daily lol. I have a 250 7.3L and it drinks fuel at idle like I've never seen before. I've had 6.7L's and the 5.0 gas and I've never seen a vehicle use that much fuel at idle. Kind of makes you wonder what in the heck would it do if it didn't have the claimed 6-7 psi oil pressure at idle... it may have been necessary to add that just to get from the gas pump to your house...
Love my truck, I didn't buy it for the fuel economy but DANG! Anyone else notice this?
@@Birdguy183 I have a late 2020 F350 pickup that sees 6-10hrs a day of idle time when I;m working. Fuel burn rate at idle is just over 2L/hour normally and around 3L/hour when at high idle, not bad really, about 6 gallons for 10hr of idle in my testing.
Mine is just over 60k miles with 3727 hours, 2163 of those are idle hours.
This lifter/cam issue reminds me of a Honda motorcycle that came out in the early 80's. The V65 Magna. They apparently had a metallurgy problem with a large portion of the camshafts. It would delaminate and you'd wipe out a lobe at about 5k-10k miles. If your bike made it to 25k miles and didn't have a problem, then you knew that your cams were made correctly.
The 7.3 Zilla only has 6-7PSI oil pressure at idle? That seems really low. I know that flow is more important than pressure, as pressure is just a measure of resistance to flow. But what happens when the engine has some wear and tear and 250k miles on it and its down to 2 or 3 PSI at hot idle?
We have had several at our dealer in the past 2 years,guessing at least 7. All have been commercial box trucks with the latest and first i have personally worked on being an F750 propane truck. Just removed lifters today at quitting time. Initial inspection, i feel like the lifter retainers are awfully weak and possibly causing the lifters to twist in the bore slightly allowing the roller to not be parallel with the camshaft. Ill make measurements tomorrow with a surface plate, both cold and warmed. Like i said, first “knee jerk “ feeling during disassembly. Not much heat noted from lack of oiling. Still possible. Keep in mind Propane doesn’t leave near as many contaminants in the oil as gasoline or diesel, close to new looking. 110k on engine. Haven’t looked at hours.
Very interesting!! I have a 2021 F250 with 3.55 gears and it's my favorite highway cruiser. Super comfy even with FX4 package and pulls my 12k 5th wheel very, very well. Doesn't pull as hard as my 2017 6.7 PSD but the godzilla under load sounds amazing. Great channel!!
My nephew is a service manager at a major ford dealer an he's has only seen a few since the engine came out
My 2.0 turbo Wrangler had a variable displacement oil pump and it still made 15-20 psi at idle and under low loads like highway cruising and the likes. Genuinely surprised that Ford would have it so low on an engine that is supposed to be a HD engine. Does feel like a recipe for issues.
Agreed, I don't know why it is under such little pressure.
It's seems to be a trend in the name of efficiency, don't know why the would do that on something this HD
I've been a mechanic for over 40 years, and it never ceases to amaze me how automakers continue to make such serious engineering/production issues. Although, this sounds like it could be a supplier issue combined with excess idling in commercial vehicles.
Great video, I'm thinking of buying a 7.3L truck in the next six months. Doing my research now.
I have one with upgraded btr cam and johnson lifters ford also programmed the pcm to have higher oil pressure. 2021 4x4 100k miles crew cab swb
Thanks again for your videos. They really help to make an educated decision on what type of problems and how serious or not some may be.
Thanks for the continued coverage of the 7.3L. I have a '22 F250 with about 15k miles. I'll be honest, I'm a little worried about the lifter failure. It seems like if you get past 60k you're in the clear. I've seen one post where there was a failure at around 100k, but all others were 30k-50k miles (within factory warranty). If I have a failure I'll probably get the engine swapped under warranty and go back to the 6.7. It'd be a tough choice because it's still cheaper to replace an engine in the 7.3 then deal with the diesel repairs..
Buy an extended warranty from Lombard Ford , it’s worth looking into . I got mine there
Does your F250 idle for long periods?
More than likely an oiling issue just like the new Hemi suffers from, lifter failure is exacerbated by idle time so you will see commercial vehicles failing first due to higher idle times.
Ford should have revised the 6.2 SOHC with Godzilla bore size and larger valves. The 6.2 was virtually bulletproof and has far more performance potential than the lame 7.3 Godzilla
@@geog5523 I bought a bumper to bumper to 75k. Also my dealer has a lifetime powertrain warranty. I know.. those things can be sketchy but I read the fine print of the warranty and it appears legit. It's only valid for the first owner, doesn't require service at their dealer but obviously requires proper maintenance. I put together a binder and I'm saving every receipt. I have always had Ford dealers do oil changes and I change every 4k miles. So, I'll see if that lifetime warranty is honored. I think it'd be neat if I show up in 20 years with 300k miles and ask for an engine replacement and slap down a binder containing 300 receipts...
@@kylebutler7142 not particularly. It's my daily driver. I live in a medium sized town where traffic is terrible so around town I sit and idle at stop lights and drive-thrus. In the winter I'll let her warm up in the morning before work for 5-10 mins which should be fine. Other than that I try not to sit and idle at all. it's bad for every vehicle.
Not to disagree; but my 21 F250 Lariat w/ 7.3L @ 31K miles is currently at the dealership for this very problem. I have owned it since new; I have used full synthetic oil and changed every 5-6k miles. I live in the country so every drive is essentially 5-10 miles minimum with very little idle time. The towing I do is a ski boat that goes to the lake every other weekend (or so). Ford is also not replacing the engine, they are just replacing the cam and all the lifters. I believe there is an inherent design/metallurgy problem with the cam and lifters. I do love the truck and the engine; and it does suck to be part of the 2% failure; hopefully this is a one-time problem. I agree that it is probably a low failure rate that most users don't have to be overly concerned with; but I don't agree that it is related to oil changes, box trucks or commercial use, or idling -- as mine has none of that. Say what you will; but my personal experience is very different than most of the comments below.
Me too. Made it to 37K. But got a whole new engine.
Ah. I have a ram 1500 and had lifter failure after 7k miles of owning it, bought it with 84k on it. I paid for the parts which was $1,600 and then $1,200 for labor. Really considering buying the 7.3 and any lifter issues scare me.
Great review i hope that u get a chance to do a review on the ford 6.8 gasser
Agree I would love his input along with any reliability concerns with the 6.8
I wish manufacturers would leave well enough alone. No brand seems to be immune to lifter issues. The new RAM Cummins is even seeing some lifter issues after they changed them to hydraulic, seemingly to make them more quiet. There are solid lifter conversion kits already on the market.
Man…. I couldn’t agree with you more….. your dead right about the looks of the earlier super duty front end.
I have owned Fords all my life I have had everything from a 4 cylinder to the 460 big block and in my opinion Ford has always been a high reving engine,I never let them idle anymore than absolutely necessary bad.i just purchased a 2023 F350 with the 7.3 and I love it .
From experience and watching some of the TH-cam video the issue is the Ford MotorCraft oil. I'm not a of the Ford oil, my opinion it's more for fuel economy than engine longevity. Thanks for the research and video! I do have skin in the game on this with a 2022 motorhome with a 7.3L. I'm running Mobile One in it as I have for years in my EccoBoost F150's and SBF endurance race cars.
This issue is not just in the commercial trucks. It is more common on the commercial trucks but it is a problem in the pickup trucks also. There is another youtube channel, and he was a big supporter of the 7.3 but ended up having this issue on his 2022 7.3 pickup.
It’s on trucks with high idle times no matter the platform.
I did alot of research before i bought my new 2023 7.3. I seen a couple videos on social media asked around a good bit at dealerships and even fleet service trucks and nobody i talked to actually seen one in real life only the internet. I figure in 2023 they should have it worked out by now its in ford doesn't make money by replacing engines for free so im assuming if it was a real issue they identified it and fixed it by now. I rolled the dice and bought one so far im happy but its still in the back of my mind. Then again if i have a sore muscle and google it next thing google has me wondering am i dying of a tumor.
Lol agreed. Google will have you panicking. It seems like these lifter failure are rare and even less often on pick up trucks
@@TheGettyAdventures I do wonder if idle rpm is slightly to low in gear at 500 rpm reducing oil pressure. 500 seams kind of low to me I wonder if you could turn it up with forscan?
@@rockie307 Good idea
My 21 f250 7.3 idle at 500 rpm Is that normal? Truck has 35k miles
Same as mine probably so but not sure. I've seen some other trucks idle at 6 or 700
Keyword “abused” not idled around medium/heavy duty mechanic here almost exclusively deal with fords 350’s 650’s 6.7s and gasser 350’s the smaller shuttle busses ie the “economy” tuned 7.3’s see excessive idle times I mean 10+ hrs a day they hold up but they burn oil same with the older gas engines in the fords. I’ve seen state departments purchase the 7.3 super duty’s to save a buck but they’ve almost all been to the shop for engine replacements due to excessive idle times 10+ hrs a day 4 days a week get a diesel people if you anticipate hi idle hrs I’ve yet to see one fail due to extreme idling. Crazy that ford would detune the oil pumps in an effort to save mpg’s the low pressures arnt worth the maybe half mpg you’ll save compared to the extra reliability.
I've done some basic service work on some FedEx trucks with 7.3s. All have mid 150k. No mechanical issues. They love them.
Please do a video on the 6.8L Ford gasser
The 7.3 is a solid engine.
It will be solid once Ford works these issues out.
😂
I know this is "apples & oranges", but when I bought my '19 lease teturn Ranger in early '22 it had horrible ticking. I changed out what I assume was Motorcraft oil, and its as quiet and smooth as butter now.
Mhmm very interesting! Some oil have different properties which could of effected what you were hearing. odd either way.
Just replaced 2 7.3 gas in F-550 cab and chassis made into rollbacks. Twin trucks bought together. 128,000 and 132,000. Cams delaminated and lifters flat spotted. our biggest issue is the fact that since the trucks are so quite inside, Also the drivers where previously in diesel trucks so it was a while before they noticed the lifter noise. The first truck was noticed when the drivers A/C quit working and he was driving with the windows down. At idle the tick wasn't noticeable at first, but under load it was. These trucks run everyday.
Best option is to replace the engine, Long block from Ford best option.
I have a neighbor who works for Union Pacific Railroad here in the US. They have a lot of the 6.4 hemi engines. He says they see a lot of lifter failures around 150,000 miles. I asked him how much do the truck sit around idling. He figured probably 3/4 of the time is spent idling vs. driving. In my mind that engine probably has more like 300,000 miles so it is really not that bad. What do you think?
Idling on those Hemi engines is horrible for them. I think it leads no a number of things that contribute to lifter failures
I have a 3500 Ram with a 6.4 and I’ve put 2 engines in it. One at 50,000miles the other at 140,000miles. 6.4 hemi is junk.
I can attest that they idle them a ton at the Railroad. I had an 08 F250 with a 5.4 that was ex Union Pacific. 140,000 on the odometer and 17,XXX on the hour meter when I originally picked it up.
A Cal Fire friend of mine said the Ram 2500 ether the 6.4 or the transmission will probably fail at 100000
A Cal Fire friend of mine said the Ram 2500 that the 6.4 or the transmission will probably fail at 100000
You know what other industry uses the E-Series 7.3L Chassis? EMS...ambulances. The company I worked for has needed new engines in all of their 7.3L powered ambulances.
Worked for? Yeah ok 😂
Yes sir! there is something going on with those E-series "economy tuned" engines.
I know nothing about the new Ford engine lines. But back in the pre fuel injected days, the internals between commercial gas engines and everyday customer engines was significant. Little to nothing was interchangable. The heads were different having smaller valves, the cranks were forged vs cast, etc etc. And those commercial engine back then were anemic when compares to the normal engine. Just wouldn't be surprised if Ford still does something different in commercial engines
Since the last software update in my new 2023 F250 pickup, the vehicle will only allow 2 remote starts before it disables the remote start until you drive the vehicle again. This goes for both the factory key fob and the Ford app which states this in plain language. Presumably, this is Ford's answer to prevent owners from excessive idle time from excessive remote starts. Additionally, I no longer drive in eco mode, avoid low quality off-brand fuels where possible, change the oil every ~5,000kms at my Ford dealer (Ford oil and filter), and keep an oil analysis history with Blackstone tests every oil change. Overkill? Maybe. Piece of mind knowing the truck is very well maintained and a comprehensive history is logged; Priceless.
All the TH-cam’s use lifter failure as click bate like you just did. Otherwise folks wouldn’t watch it if it were just yet another 7.3 video. I think one channel made it up to get views said they traded in the truck after 12000 miles hearing a noise. I have a 7.3 no issues. Talked to a major ford dealer here in Denver. My neighbor is the mechanic. They have not seen one case yet. Thanks for your detail.
I mean click bait is rich. I came to the same conclusion as you. They are rare and fair between and basicly don't exit on pick up trucks.
I dont think this is a made up issue. While it may be relatively rare, even if it were affecting 1% of trucks, that's still a pretty large number and suggestive that there is an inherent design or component issue.
@@ALMX5DP thanks.
@@ALMX5DPIt’s not affecting anywhere near 1% of these trucks. If 1 in every 100 7.3’s had lifter failure that would be a huge problem that the internet would jump all over in a heartbeat, and every other 7.3 TH-cam video would be showing us an examples, not just a few vague word of mouth examples less than I can count on 1 hand.
If anyone is wondering why ford detunes the engine in commercial chassis cab vehicles, the main reason is emissions regulations. The government regulates commercial non full body vehicles differently than vehicles with a full factory body. And what I mean by body is that it does not have a factory bed or “aerodynamic” design behind the cab of the vehicle. Hope that makes sense. Another reason could possibly be reliability, choke the shit out of an engine that large and capable, and you can rev it to the 4k limit all day long day after day for several hundred thousands of miles.
Hope this helps a little, in case anyone was wondering.
That makes a lot of sense. Go figure it's a government regulation lol I should of known
I have to wonder if the commercial vehicles having the issue more often may stem from most commercial vehicles being strictly maintained to factory recommendations specifically the 10K mile oil change interval. Having put a lot of miles on RVs with the old 6.8 V10, I got use to the 7500 mile synthetic oil change and the engines remained clean inside and I had no issues during the time we owned them. That has made me feel pretty comfortable with a 7500 mile change and that is when I change oil in our 2021 E450 RV. I think modern full synthetic oil technology has made that a safe duration before changing oil. 10K seems like any oil may be getting pretty tired by then.
The defined E350 version has a different cam and lifters. They are pushrod so it isn't variable valve timing which would allow that kind of a tune. In otherwords different cam and lifters for each horsepower setting. It's more than a fuel tune to attain the horsepower ratings
It is too variable valve timing. So is the Hemi, and so are the LS engines. Why do people think pushrod engines can't be variable valve timing?
And I doubt the cams are different. Do you have part numbers to prove that?
70,000k. Was a replacement engine in 2021 for our original 2020 engine. And one of the lifters failed which caused issues with the lobe on the cam so entire cam, and left her replacement. Bought it in Ontario in 2019 and the replacement was done in Alberta as we live here now in 2023. So it’s happening. Although I was told from Ford lifters and cam have been beefed up and upgraded so hoping it’s not an issue going forward. And this is only one of the many angel problems that we’ve had. Full synthetic at 8000 km oil changes.
How is it with all the “advancements” in technology no truck manufacturer can make a solid worry free engine/transmission combo?? They damn sure can refresh/restyle some bumpers and taillights every other year… perhaps a little less budget on frilly crap and more focus on what actually matters in a work truck!!!
Thanks for sharing your story and your experience it’s really interesting that the commercial has different types of tuning for 7.3l it also seems like that Ford needs to Detune the torque to not have the issue of lifter failures or just get the 6.8l as the standard motor
I think the 6.8L will be a very interesting option!
i believe the cab and chassis trucks are detuned
Shouldn’t make a difference.
6.8 only available in XL trim
You're right on point. As a truck driver, i noticed that they are programming the computer weak to " save the planet ." Engines are meant to work. My theory is that they are under power, and then it creates more issues because the engine is not working as it should. All auto/truck makers are doing this on purpose on the commercial side. When we have weight, it needs that consistent power. Instead, they are programming the computer to run at 1k rpms instead of 1400 rpms or higher on a hill, pulling 80k . Rpm needs to be higher when you are pulling or carrying weight.
Please do a deep dive in 6.8l v8
Another great video! You should look at doing a review on the Ford 6.8 gas engine.
I have a 23 with 7.3 and I lost the lifters at 9000 miles. 5 months to get it fixed.
I'm sorry your fix took so long. They did mine in 3 days.
I have a Pressure Cleaning business and pull a trailer every day for the last 20years and always had a F150. Last year decided to change and get F250 with 25000 miles used with a factory warranty and at 31000 I just had a problem with cam shaft. Has been in the shop for almost 2 months and is not ready.
I have a 2022 Ford RV with this engine in it. It is at the Ford dealer now with a cylinder 7 misfire check engine light. The check engine light blinks when going up hills. I didn't necessarily notice a ticking sound. If it is an issue with the lifters, hopefully they'll replace the engine.
I've seen several content providers on TH-cam that bought the Zilla's to use on their channels. At least 2 of them had issue and low mileage numbers.
I Am a red seal heavy duty I work up north in alberta , I asked the Ford dealer mechanics here and they all said stay away from them, they stated lifter failers and bad coils are the main issues, granted theses trucks really get abused, never get shut off, sketchy oil change intervals.
Cummings up here uses the 6.4 gas in there service trucks ( all are dodge) they have issues with the same thing , ( lifter failure the hemi tick)
It's so hard to find quality today
Just happened to my brother with his box truck 5000 miles out of warranty. Hope to God they take care of him. That truck is his home and livelihood.
nope...got em!!!! ford tough!
Alex, great video. Love the info.
I hate the word “economy” its the word used to describe the opposite of performance.
Do the lifters have dogbones to tie 2 lifters together so they don't spin in the lifter bore? Used to be a big problem on the international DT466. The dogbones were stamped steel and would break allowing the lifter to rotate shredding the roller and cam lobes.
Not sure how many of you guys out there, but i received a letter from Ford for $100 credit for 15 hp less and 150 rpm less than rated. I have 22 F250 lariat that bulit in Jan-22.
We are replacing them lifters on the 7.3 Godzilla on a daily basis in our shop.
Bad news for me. I work for a company that has a fleet of the economy line package. And we have 4 in the shop with this problem right now. and your theory makes sense because my fleet have a lot of idle time
Another you tuber had a 7.3 Godzilla pickup truck and he had the lifter delaminate issue. I believe it was automotive inquires, he is a professional truck driver.
Ill have to check him out!
His was never confirmed after multiple dealerships looking at it, and even the oil analysis he originally promised never happened. Seemed a little off to me…
He SAID yeah. No proof and only one video about it…. Show me the proof.
We have 4 new 2023 f350s at work and one of them made it to right around 1k miles before the lifters crapped out. The other 3 are okay as of right now.
Lies
@@philliphols 🤣🤣🤣 Definitely no lies here. I own ford trucks. I’m just stating facts. All the dealer did was slap new lifters in it.
Really? I heard that under warranty they were replacing the whole engine. I'd want a new engine after a failure like this.
@@TheGettyAdventures The county I work for was under the impression the truck was getting a new engine. A few days later and the dealer called saying “all done come get it”. That’s when they were told they just replaced all the lifters. Dealer said the cam looked fine and changed the oil. Time will tell if that repair was sufficient enough or not.
Hypothetically do you think putting some Lucas oil additive could prevent this bc of the way it sticks the internal components
My nephew just experienced the same thing, only the cam/lifter shed so much metal debris that it locked up the oil pump and subsequently the motor failed catastrophically, 41,000 miles on it
I was in the market for a new full-size. I was certain it would be a Ford. I opened the door on a new platinum model and it might sound cheesy but was immediately disappointed with the interior. The plastic around the base of seats was right out of the 80s I quickly reconsidered my lifestyle choices and chose to go with an OBS in the near future.
My guess is it’s the high idle time combined with the newer thinner oils. They recommend longer oil change intervals under normal usage but if you are idling a lot they need to be changed much more frequently with the lighter weight oil.
My 21 with the 7.3.51000miles last June 2023 went into the dealer for a oil pump gear failure 6months later Dec went back to dealer cylinder 5 and 7 failure They replaced engine . Engine #2 ran for less than 5 minutes in the bay Blew up . Cylinder 8 piston broke ! So engine 3 seems to be ok ! 12000 miles so far . Lost truck for 10 weeks . Ford get your act together
Great video. Thanks for some very enlightening information, as usual. Keep the videos coming!
Appreciate it sir!
Super long oil change intervals, too low oil pressure at idling (which trucks do a lot of at job sites do) and on a side note exhaust manifolds that crack and rust out rather quickly.
Ya I think all of those things are probably a contributing factora
Thanks for this video. To be honest I have a 7.3L p/u. I was wondering if I needed an extended warranty or not. I can relax now. Thanks
Ford just released customer satisfaction program 24B27. They are updating the software in the Trucks and Econoline series. I had always heard the problem relates to low oil pressure at idle. 5 Star tune has a program that increases the rpm at idle to increase oil flow pressure.
I work as a fleet tech for a large u.s. city.... a lot of our ambulances have had lifter failures.... some have had 2 trips to the dealership for this issue. Lots of idle time on our fleet and we cant schedule PM's as often as we need to.
so far this engine is not as reliable as our ambulances with the 6.8 v10s 2v engine
thank you so much for this video. Its so common for am exception to catch fire in the community. Dispelling that is key.
Is there anyway you can do a review to the 6.8 v8 gas mini zilla? Will it have the same problems as the 7.3 Godzilla? Are they actually reliable?
I was at my local Ford super duty service shop today and asked them about this issue. They said they haven't seen one come through the door.
Doing all the research i can and i cant make up my mind or im scared to pick my new truck. Need some advise I'm going to be hauling with a gooseneck almost daily and I want a damn good truck any advice on what to get?
Hydraulic flat tapet cam were almost bullet proof for this kind of problem. The roller that is direct contacting the cam on a roller lift get stuck because of the shaft that holding it is not pressure lube. With time they normaly wear and they will wear of faster depending on the spring pressure,rpm use,maintenance,lever effect...
Are there no aftermarket parts to solve/prevent these problems? Im looking at buying a tremor, but as a toyota guy I am extremely hesitant
Buy the 6.6L L8T if you are towing lots. Or even the VK56 in the Titan XD. Both of those are much better than the Godzilla.
I don't tow alot, and the titan has its own problems.@@ramaswamynarayanaswamy4806
Guy on uncleTony’s garage claimed and showed how the more lifter angle on new hemi was why lifter not loading up on oil . Especially idling .
He was wrong because he said the engine relies on oil sling to get oil on the lifters...It doesnt rely on oil slinging around...Furthermore this is a FORD does not have a Hemi..
@@mypronouniswtf5559 the hemi lifters we’re mentioned . The angle of hemi lifters were more on new hemi . Bad lifters ??? 🤔 could be -
Was told it was the original variable pressure oil pump, and my 2022 oil pressure runs mid way on the gauge.
We have a 2020 f250 with a 7.3 and we had to replace the engine at 60k miles due to lifter failure
Easily the best reviews. Appreciate your content.
Odd how long lifters have been around yet they still seem to screw it up.
Also torque moves machines HP is just how fast you get there. Commercial vehicles typically carry more weight on the regular
Has Ford fixed this issue? Damn shame that the pushrod v8 was sorted out 60+yrs ago, and here we are in 2024,and somehow they've forgotten how to make a damn lifter.
Exactly. What a total failure.
Not sure, but it is still a new enough design that they are finishing working out the initial bugs and we're just getting the brunt of those bugs as the vehicles start to accrue milage. It also sounds like its significantly more common in the vans than it is in the pickups; im pretty sure its 2 separate assembly locations between the vans and pickups, so there may be some differences in the supply chains and quality of work that are causing problems.
Not sure, but it is still a new enough design that they are finishing working out the initial bugs and we're just getting the brunt of those bugs as the vehicles start to accrue milage. It also sounds like its significantly more common in the vans than it is in the pickups; im pretty sure its 2 separate assembly locations between the vans and pickups, so there may be some differences in the supply chains and quality of work that are causing problems.
🙄....just because it's an older engine theory doesn't mean it's at all the same. The MPG vs HP and Torque they are now getting from these engines is something 70s and 80s engines couldn't touch. Every last part of the engine is squeezed for that balance.
I had 22 7.3 which had the lifter failure at 7000 miles. I was towing a 12k 5th wheel from Fl to WA. Died in Red Buff CA. Had to trade it cause I didn’t want to be stranded in Red Buff Ca for a month waiting on a new engine. Although I replaced it with another 7.3 (cost reasons) I never allow it to rev as high as the original 7.3. That engine/transmission will easily let the engine rev past 5500 rpm on the downhill passes. Lost 22 k in having to replace the 7 month old 2022
Ouch, not sure I would have willingly lost $22k just to get back in the same truck to finish a trip, but being 2000 miles from home with a fifth wheel probably had some influence so cant blame you for just wanting to get back on the road.
Yup - it was an emotional decision, not a prudent economic one
@@stevepiubeni1154 yeah sorry you had that experience, that would for sure put a sour taste in my mouth regarding the vehicle or even brand. Hopefully this new truck is issue free though and simply works and works for however long you have it. Maybe then it can redeem itself a little bit with the reputation it (should) have.
That's a tough pill to swallow. perhaps an overspeed incident?
Never got close to red line - I will say it seemed to idle rough from The day I bought it - I thought it was normal for the big engine. Second truck idles much smoother. Never even towed over 65 mph
My brother has a 22 f350. Motor blew at 100,000 miles. He bought the truck new and always kept up on maintenance. I suspect it started at a lifter and all the metal caused a spun bearing.
Great Video I’m torn between 7.3 gas or the diesel. Tow a camper. My F150 5.0 does a decent job but I’m looking for a super duty for a more comfortable tow and better power up hills
Buy the 6.2L BOSS instead. More proven and more reliable. Or you can look at a GM 6.0 or an L8T truck (the 6.0 is easy to work on as well and just as reliable ).
Get the 7.3 and extended warranty.
Seems like idle time is the main issue on both 7.3 and 6.4.
Idle time could certainly play a large roll.
Which indicates an inherent design flaw in the lubrication system. Just like the 5.7/6.4 Hemi
So it’s not a commercial duty / fleet engine …. It’s a grocery getter
Is there a way to get a digital read out of the actual oil pressure?