- All-new 7.3-liter gasoline V-8 for Ford Super Duty pickups
- Best-in-class output of 430 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque
- Paired with an all-new TorqShift heavy-duty 10-speed transmission
- Optional on Super Duty trucks, standard on medium duty units
- Available in late 2019, pricing announced later
Anyone thinking of buying or leasing a 2020 Ford F-Series Super-Duty pickup or heavy-duty commercial truck will soon have an all-new 7.3-liter V-8 gasoline engine option to consider. Available on heavy duty pickups, it’s good for 430 hp at 5,500 rpm and 475 ft-lb of torque at 4,000 rpm, both ratings best-in-class for a gasoline HD truck V8, according to Ford, and a version of it will be standard on medium-duty working trucks.
“The 7.3-liter is designed for maximum durability in the harshest environments, given that our customers live and work in these conditions every day,” said Ford gas V8 engine manager Joel Beltramo at its recent media introduction. “This engine has the largest displacement in its class and is designed to provide benefits in key areas like power, durability, ease of maintenance and total operating costs.”
Pushrod design
It is built on a pushrod-operated overhead-valve architecture (not overhead-cam like Ford’s light-duty engines), one truck-important advantage of which is strong torque low in its rev range to help get heavy loads moving away from stops and up hills. It also features higher-flow, high-volume lubrication from an efficiency enhancing variable-displacement oil pump plus extra-large main bearings, a forged steel crankshaft and piston cooling jets to help keep temperatures under control during heavy duty operation.
The 430-hp version will be offered first as an option on Super Duty F-250 and F-350 pickups, offering a step up in output from the standard 6.2-liter gas V-8 without having to go to the more expensive (upgraded third-generation) 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8. A slightly lower-output (350 hp at 3,900 rpm and 468 lb-ft at 3,900 rpm) version will be standard on F-450 chassis cab, F-550, F-600, F-650 and F-750 Medium-Duty trucks, upgraded E-Series and F-53 and F-59 stripped chassis models, and Ford says that a more fuel-efficient calibration of that version (details announced later) will be optionally available.
Class of 2020: The New and Redesigned Cars, Trucks and SUVs
New 10-speed automatic transmission
This new 7.3-liter V-8 will deliver that power and torque through an all-new, Ford-designed and -built heavy-duty TorqShift 10-speed automatic transmission on all models except F-650 and F-750, which will retain the current heavy-duty 6-speed automatic. This new HD 10-speed has little in common with the light-duty 10-speed automatic that Ford co-developed with General Motors, and GM was not involved in its design or development. Much beefier than the light-duty 10-speed and (like the new engine with which it will partner) designed to be highly durable through many miles and years of heavy work, it’s surprisingly the same length as the heavy duty 6-speed and just 3.5 pounds heavier.
Also new for 2020 will be a standard Power Takeoff (PTO) on Class 3-5 Super Duty chassis cabs with the Power Stroke turbodiesel. In combination with that engine and the new 10-speed heavy duty automatic, it’s good for a best-in-class 300 lb-ft of stationary torque, and it will be optional on 2020 Super Duty Pickups and 7.3-liter gas V8 Chassis Cab models. And if PTO power is needed while on the move (for example, on snowplows and dump trucks) the new heavy-duty automatic features Live-Drive Power Takeoff that allows accessory operation when the engine is running whether the truck is in motion or not.
Pricing of the new engine will be announced later closer to its late 2019 on sale date.
