The newest line-up of Ford Super Duty F-250 and F-350 trucks offer three main engine choices. You have options for a 6.2L gas engine (now upgraded to the 6.8L gas), a 7.3L gas engine, or the 6.7L turbo diesel.
The 6.2L Boss engine is a traditional gas V8 that comes as the standard option in Super Duty trucks through 2022. The 7.3L Godzilla is the upgraded gas-engine option, providing more power, performance, and towing. And the 6.7 Powerstroke which is the diesel option. Additionally, 2023 brings a new engine, a 6.8L V8 built off of the Godzilla platform, which will replace the 6.2L Boss as the standard engine.
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In this article, we discuss the pros and cons of each engine when it comes to Ford 6.2 & 7.3 gas engines vs the 6.7 diesel.
Comparing Engine Specs
Exact specs may vary by year. Current specs are based off of 2023 models, with the 6.2 Boss from 2022 since the engine is no longer being produced. The new 6.8L engine is featured – we will have a separate comparison article for the newer engines options now that a High Output version has been added for the 6.7 PS too.
There’s no point in dancing around this one. Ford’s 6.7 Powerstroke turbodiesel is the ultimate engine for performance and towing. The 6.2 and 7.3 gas engines simply cannot compete with the torque the 6.7 diesel has to offer. That said, both the gas engines are capable performers and the Powerstroke is simply overkill for many F250 and F350 owners. We’ll circle back to this topic later on.
Otherwise, these are all strong engines. Cast iron engine blocks on the gas engines are very strong and durable. Power output for the 6.2 Boss and 7.3 Godzilla gas engines are pretty low for their size. However, this also helps with strength and longevity.
The specs speak for themselves with respect to performance. Diesel engines offer dominant performance, but even the weaker 6.2 gas engine has solid specs. The 7.3 Godzilla engines offer a nice middle ground. It offers a little more performance for those who need it without being as overkill as the 6.7 diesel.
6.2 Boss Engines
The 6.2L Boss is the standard option for F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks. The other options come at a premium price. As such, the is an excellent cost-effective engine. With 385hp and 430 lb-ft it offers plenty of performance and towing capability for most.
Additionally, the Ford 6.2 has been out since 2011. It’s prone to its fair share of common problems – as is any engine. However, they have proven to be durable, reliable workhorses. There are plenty cases of these engines holding up beyond 300,000 miles with few issues.
7.3 Godzilla Gas Engines
This is probably the engine that gets the most hype as of now. The 7.3 Godzilla gas engine is one of the newer additions to Ford Super Duty trucks. It’s about a $2,000 option, so there’s that to consider. However, it helps fill a gap between the 6.2 gas and the 6.7 Powerstroke. Not everyone needs the insane 1,050 lb-ft of torque – it’s simply overkill for some. It engines offer a 45hp and torque advantage over the standard 6.2 Boss.
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As a newer engine there isn’t as much known about reliability and longevity. However, the engine has a low power output relative to its size. That should help with overall durability of the engine as it’s not stressed. We suspect the Ford 7.3 Godzilla will offer similar longevity to the 6.2 Boss.
The engine can also produce some pretty crazy power with performance mods. It’s said to be able to reach 600hp with some basic mods, and a supercharger can easily take it over 1,000hp. With that being said, the cost of tossing a supercharger on it and all the other supporting mods is going to end up costing more than just getting the 6.7 Powerstroke.
6.7 Powerstroke Turbodiesel
Last but not least – the highly capable 6.7 Powerstroke diesel engine. We’re obviously a little biased towards diesel engines here. However, we understand diesel engines aren’t for everyone. Notably, diesels offer more performance than most will ever need. If you don’t need more than the gas engines it’s tough to stretch to the $10,000+ Powerstroke price point.
Diesel engines are well known for their exceptional longevity. It’s not uncommon for the 6.7 Powerstroke to push well beyond 300,000 miles. Unfortunately, newer diesel engines are subject to strict emissions equipment. A lot of this can be problematic and deleting emissions equipment is illegal. Nonetheless, the 6.7 Powerstroke is still a reliable engine that offers truly incredible specs.
6.2 Boss vs 7.3 Godzilla vs 6.7 Powerstroke
That’s really all there is to the 6.2 & 7.3 gas vs 6.7 Powerstroke comparison. If you need the ultimate performance and towing then the 6.7 Powerstroke is the clear choice. Those looking for less can then decide between the 6.2 Boss and 7.3 Godzilla V8 gas engines.
To cover more depth, we’ll do a reliability and towing comparison as well.
Reliability Comparison
We touched on reliability of each engine quickly above. Diesel engines are often known to provide better longevity compared to their gas counterparts. However, modern emissions equipment does work against diesel engines. The days of the legendary 7.3 Powerstroke and 5.9 Cummins are long gone. Modern diesel engines like the 6.7 Powerstroke often run into emissions equipment issues. They’re still reliable engines that provide excellent longevity, though.
When it comes to the Ford 6.2 gas vs 6.7 Powerstroke we suspect the diesel will outlast the gas engine on average. That said, the Ford 6.2 Boss is still a solid, reliable engine. The 7.3 Godzilla is still too new to say for sure, but it should follow in the footsteps of the 6.2 V8.
Assuming all engines are maintained the same the 6.7 Powerstroke has the reliability and longevity advantage. All of these options are still all reliable engines. Sometimes it simply comes down to luck of the draw. Below are links to a few articles about these Ford engines common problems.
6.2L Boss Problems
There are very few problems with the 6.2 Boss engine, the majority being relatively small in nature. The most noteworthy problem is broken valve springs. While this isn’t really a common problem there have been a number of incidents of this occurring over the 100k mile mark. It doesn’t lead to any catastrophic damage but does require the head to be pulled to replace the spring which can make it a bit expensive.
Outside of this problem, the 6.2 Boss suffers issues with oil leaks, rough idling, and excessive oil consumption. All of these problems are minor and don’t really have an impact on longevity. These engines frequently go 300k-400k miles with minimal issues.
7.3 Godzilla Problems
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The only problems we’ve been able to identify with the 7.3 gasser is with the spark plug wiring harness which is a cheap part. This has been fixed too, it was mostly an issue with first year engines. There have been various other uncommon problems but none too concerning. The transmissions have had some issues that have been fixed with re-calibrations, there is a recall on some of the Dana axles, but that’s really it.
These engines too are still newer so it’s hard to pinpoint common issues, but we haven’t heard of many catastrophic failures either. Overall, we imagine this engine is good for 300k+ miles too.
6.7 Powerstroke Problems
The 6.7 Powerstroke is the least reliable of the bunch. We detail 5 common problems in a separate article so we’ll keep it higher level here. The majority of the problems tend to be with the emissions equipment on these engines. And unfortunately, emissions equipment is expensive to replace.
The problems plaguing the 6.7 Powerstroke are EGR valve and cooler failure, fuel pump issues, turbocharger failure, DPF clogging, and radiator leaks. Generally all of these problems can be expensive repairs which probably results in this getting the lowest reliably grade out compared to the 6.2 Boss and 7.3 Godzilla.
Towing Comparison
There are a lot of factors that affect Ford F-250 and F-350 towing capacity. As such, the following numbers are a rough range for each engine:
- 6.2L Gas V8: 12,000 – 16,700 lbs
- 7.3L Gas V8: 13,000 – 21,200 lbs
- 6.7 Powerstroke: 14,000 – 22,800 lbs
What these numbers don’t show alone is that the 6.7 Powerstroke also has a big advantage in GCWR. This is going to be repetitive. However, the towing capacity and CGWR show the 6.7 Powerstroke is the ultimate engine for towing. Its massive torque advantage is also going to make towing that much easier.
That’s not to say the 6.2 and 7.3 gas engines aren’t formidable competitors. They still offer more towing capacity than most diesel trucks from 10 years ago. If you’re not planning to consistently tow 15,000+ lbs in harsh conditions then the 6.2 and 7.3 will get the job done.
Fuel Economy (MPG) Comparison
This somewhat ties into the above discussion with towing. MPG is going to depend on tons of different factors. The engines are all pretty close in fuel economy. When it comes to towing heavy loads you might see better economy with the 6.7 diesel, though.
The massive low-end torque from the diesel helps you get moving without needing a lot of RPM’s and stressing the engine. As such, the 6.7 Powerstroke likely gets the win from those who demand the most. Otherwise, all of these Ford engines in the F-250 and F-350 deliver similar MPG.
6.8L vs 7.3L Godzilla
In 2023 Ford finally replaced the aging 6.2 Boss engine. It was initially released in 2011 and had a good run, but was overshadowed by the release of the larger Godzilla platform. Ford essentially de-stroked the 7.3L engine to create a 6.8L “Godzilla” version that produces. Despite sharing the same 6.8L size, it doesn’t share much else in common with the old 6.8L Triton V10 having been built off of the newer Godzilla platform instead of the Modular engine family.
The new 6.8L engine offers 405hp and 445lb-ft. of torque, which is just shy of the 430hp and 485lb-ft. offered by the larger 7.3L engine. Overall it offers a decent power bump over the 6.2L Boss engine and narrows the gap between the 7.3 Godzilla engine, making it less of an upgrade over the previous options.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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