A rod through the block can spell the end for both an engine and the vehicle it’s installed in. But this 2005 Ford F-250 Super Duty got a second chance at life after its Triton 5.4-liter V8 gave up the ghost. Instead of following the destroyed engine to the scrap yard, it was purchased by LOJ Conversions, a company that specializes in engine-swap parts, and received a Godzilla 7.3-liter V8 swap.
According to a video on the company’s YouTube channel, which was first spotted by Engine Swap Depot, LOJ had purchased the Godzilla engine for development purposes. It then sat unused in the company’s shop, but owner Stephen Dorrick wanted to use it in something. He settled on a Triton-powered Super Duty because the bolt pattern matched the Godzilla engine, and chose this 2005 model because a refresh that year replaced the front leaf springs with coil springs. He actually considered swapping F-250 running gear into a Ford Excursion, but rust-free examples of that SUV were hard to come by in LOJ’s New Jersey locale.
The swap involved custom engine mounts, a Coyote 5.0-liter V8 throttle body, Ford Performance Control Pack, a radiator from a Power Stroke 6.0-liter diesel V8 (with a custom shroud and two Spal fans), and a new exhaust system from Stainless Works. The four-wheel drive pickup’s stock manual transfer case, Dana 60 front axle, and Sterling 10.5-inch rear axle were retained. So was the stock ZF S6-650 six-speed manual transmission, but it’s joined to the engine via a clutch and flywheel from Ford’s Triton 6.8-liter V10.
Ford introduced the 7.3-liter Godzilla engine in the 2020 F-Series Super Duty, producing 430 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque in that application. It’s unclear what version is in Dorrick’s truck, but that would be a healthy upgrade over the Triton engine, which made approximately 255 hp and 350 lb-ft in stock form. Ford subsequently introduced a 6.8-liter Godzilla, plus supercharged Megazilla crate engines making upwards of 1,000 hp.
This 7.3 Godzilla-Swapped F250 is a Road & Tow Dream
This truck was intended for daily driving, not drag racing, so the focus was getting the Godzilla engine to work rather than making big power. In the video, Dorrick said the swap was so easy that it was almost as if Ford intended it to be done. He’s driven the Godzilla-swapped F-250 for a year, putting about 10,000 miles on it. While he admits the swapped truck’s 12 mpg isn’t great, he points out that it’s a cost-effective way to add capability to an older truck compared to going diesel.