Ok. I have a tiny little 5 liter V8 in my 76 F100, the famed 302 and all of its screaming (compensating) 165 buff horses. Now I know with a cam and a carb and a few other things I can knock on the door of 200 hp at the fly. But why try to build old school tech when you can just put an engine in that will make twice the power with no modifications?

So I would like to know this. How on God's good green earth do I swap a godzilla V8 into an F100?

I want to do a frame off restoration. Wire wheel the frame and every suspension bit, new shocks, springs (2" drop front 2" drop springs rear with 2" drop shackles), bushings, new hoses and lines, etc. I also want to have the truck repainted in ultra orange and do a little body work like take the small point on the hood off and make it flat and i want to flare the fenders out just a bit. I also want to repaint the whole underside. Prime it and spray it all flat black, spray the underside of the cab and bed with rubberized coating, just clean it up and protect it.

I would also like to do some motor work at this time. That includes a Godzilla V8 and whatever manual I can manage to adapt to it. Would be cool if I could get a bellhousing and adapt the 3 speed column tranny.

I would also make a custom intake with a carb and I would make an ignition box to fire the spark plugs, as well as do some exhaust work and mill the heads down, and maybe a new bigger cam too.

Overall I face about $10,000 in motor work alone. But if I can manage to get a junkyard motor I can shave a really big bit off that.

So my question is this: do I follow through with the world's first 76 F100 godzilla swap, orbis that just a despicable idea?

 

You're gonna get an butt load of opinions with your request and I'll be the first to say........Absolutely do it. Just this week Ford has offered this as a crate engine for $8150 less 10% off with shipping included. You won't be adapting that 3 speed but why would you want to anyways? The manual tranny can be had from a tremec 3650 (spendy). There are a few wrecked 2020 F250's on insurance auctions at this very moment. You can most likely get the entire truck for much less than 10K and sell what you don't need. You'll undoubtedly have one troll chime in and say the new stuff is junk compared to the old but he does that every time a thread like this shows up. Be warned. This swap won't be cheap and in no way will you re-coup the cost. You will have reliability, better gas mileage (assuming you use some type of overdrive tranny and not a 3speed) and 3-4 times the power of that anemic 1970's 302. And................wait for it.............................one of the first to have done it! The replies are coming!

 

I think if you are going to go to all this trouble you should be upgrading the suspension and brakes. This sounds like a good candidate for a crown vic swap and some type of irs. I'd leave the body alone as far as modifications. Post lots of pics as you go.

 

Here is a Hagerty article about Ford's recent announcement that the Godzilla will be available as a new in the crate engine. At 8150, this appears to be a super good buy. Of course the devil is in the details. What transmissions are available and at what cost, how much will the electronics come to and so on. Let's get that data and then compare it to the other options.

 

It's been on my mind as a "someday" project as well.

Find a wrecked 2020 super duty for a donor.

Itd be easier to use the 10spd auto and leave it fuel injected.

 

I wrote to Ford Performance re a transmission, control pack and other necessary accompanyments and here is the reply I got:

So it looks as if finding a wreck might be best right now. Go ahead and pioneer this for us please. I suspect that the electronics will be the "gotcha" in this scenario.

 

Godzilla is 445 cubes but is physically very close to the same size as a 351 Windsor.

 

Once Ford has a control pack the rest is cake. It will control the engine and if you can be talked into an automatic the10sp tranny which is what I am pondering once I find a 78'79' Bronco. For my current Coyote swap it was literally 5 wires and its running. I would get set up for the engine/tranny swap and work on the suspension last. Any of the three 10sp's Ford makes will bolt to it. The Mustang version has the smallest diameter housing then the F150 and finally the superduty, this because of the larger shaft for increased capacity. You may reach out to Ford and ask if the control pack will control all three. The ratios are all the same.
This swap will be easy with no cutting. You'll probably have to make your own frame side motor mounts but contact "Welder Series" in Canada and see if they have plans to build them. Also call the guys at Fat Fender.

 

Wow that's alot of input! I did consider a suspension and brake upgrade. The ole I beams are pretty reliable but you're right, wont hold up well to the heavier engine. A suspension swap is held in the future

Also a 10 speed would be nice.

 

The 7.3L is far lighter than the FE's are. The twin I beams will be more than capable of taking the weight of the 7.3 and the 10 speed.

 

Double post

 

Nothing wrong with a suspension upgrade, but...

BULLS***!!!

The TIB suspension in these trucks was designed to support the FE and 385 (aka 460) series engines, and was also used in the F-250 and F-350 which were rated at higher capacities. The FE is a good 100 lbs heavier and the 385 is close to 200 lbs heavier than the 7.3 Godzilla. Lug pattern and brakes ignored, he biggest change between the different engine options and weight ratings was the spring rates. Heavier engines would use heavier spring rates as would the F-250 and F-350. At most you need to swap your front springs with those for a truck with heavier engine option.

If you go through with the 7.3 swap I'm interested to see the outcome. I'm kinda eyeing this engine for a potential future swap in my 68 F-100 4x4. In a few years it'll either be rebuild the FE or do a swap. I'd like to keep the FE just because, but that 7.3 sure is enticing.

 

Yup agree

The 7.3L is 538LBS according to Ford The FE's average about 650lbs and the 429/460 720lbs just as a comparison the 351W's are about 525lbs with a cast intake.

 

What? Are smoking something? Twin I Beam is probably the strongest suspension there is, right behind a solid axle.

Guys swap 1,000lb cummins engines into these trucks all the time with IBeams.

A Godzilla is a 500lb small block....


Are you ok in the head? Lol

 

Yes, I am. Lol!

I will use the I beams. It's original and it's there.

I would like a manual, just for the aesthetic. An auto ruins the feel of 'base model'

I found a wrecked super duty for cheap at a local boneyard gonna look at it tomorrow. Less than 15,000 miles.

What bellhousing pattern does it use?

i think I will run some headers and an x pipe on the godzilla and a cold air intake, maybe a tune too.

I will make sure to post pics as I go. Will be very helpful to future swaps. But remember my truck is 2WD, a 4WD may be a bit different as far as clearancing and stuff. And I have the low profile tranny tunnel, let's see how that goes.