When Ford introduced the 7.3-liter Godzilla engine to the truck market, it became a massive hit. The dated Boss 6.2-liter platform was on its way out, and not everyone desired the cost of owning a diesel. This new 445-cubic-inch pushrod platform produced 430 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 475 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. This represented a significant improvement over the 6.2 architecture, which only delivered 385 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. While these numbers may seem healthy to most muscle car and truck owners, the issue was that it was attached to a 6,000-pound-plus truck, and racing was not the intended purpose of these trucks.

Small-Block Ford 2.0

Gearheads and hot rodders haven’t changed their passion for seeking out stronger engine combinations, and the newly-fortified Ford engine was catching the eyes of many as the potential successor to the original small-block Ford. The simplicity of the pushrod setup, featuring a single cam-in-block, was in stark contrast to the complex Modular Coyote engine with its four cams located in the heads. This swayed many owners toward the Godzilla swap. Ford even made it easy with a crank flange that mirrored the Coyote, allowing you to use the same 6R80, 10R80, or even the MT82 transmission.

At this point, you might be gung-ho to find a wrecked F-250 or F-350 or rely on the Ford Performance website for a crated Godzilla engine. However, since the engine was designed for a truck, there are a few variables you have to overcome to fit the Godzilla into most vehicles, starting with that giant oil pan placed on the 7.3’s bottom side.

Godzilla-Sized Oil Sump

Why is the Godzilla oil pan so large, you might ask? Well, we spoke with some engineers at Ford who were part of the Godzilla engine program during its early stages, and they explained that it all comes down to oil flow requirements. They informed us that the 7.3-liter Godzilla engine is equipped with high-flow piston cooling jets, enabling a 10.5:1 compression ratio while using lower-octane 87 pump fuel. Even with the high compression ratio and 87 octane, the engine can operate at wide-open throttle continuously. For comparison, the Triton 6.8-liter V10 engine could only achieve a 9.2:1 compression ratio with these variables. 

While the 7.3-liter Godzilla engine boasts robustness and power-handling capabilities, its original design was tailored for the Super Doty engine bay. This is evident in features such as the large intake manifold and the deep sump, reminiscent of truck-sized proportions.

The 7.3-liter Godzilla engine, known for its robustness and versatility in handling boost, was specifically crafted to meet the requirements of truck owners. These priorities center around a demand for durability and reduced ownership costs. To achieve these goals while meeting the aforementioned oil flow requirements, Ford implemented a high-volume oil sump. Aligning with the needs of truck owners, the combination of a spacious package envelope in a Super Duty truck and the desire to extend oil change intervals made opting for a deep, high-volume oil sump an obvious choice. This newfound space beneath the engine facilitated the internal fitting of a variable displacement oil pump.

Oil Pan Options

While the engineering behind the 7.3-liter Godzilla is impressive, most people undertaking the swap have different needs than your average Super Duty owner. Before the plans of adding more power enter the equation, the oil pan has to be addressed. Indy Power Products has been at the forefront of this, offering multiple solutions that handle the hefty task of trimming down the oil sump size with their American-made products.

At this time, Indy Power Products offers two options to ease the challenges posed by the oversized oil sump, facilitating the smoother integration of the engine into your classic car or modern muscle. Their latest product upgrades the stock oil pump with a new backing. This new backing is equipped to mount a shallow pick-up tube, effectively relocating the OE pick-up location and eliminating the need for such a deep sump. However, for those aiming to completely eliminate the shaft-driven variable vane oil pump system from beneath their behemoth, the front-mounted oil conversion kit proves to be the most effective solution.

Oil Pump Conversion

Rather than attempting to piggyback off the original Ford oil pump, Indy Power Products’ engine oil pump conversion kit completely eliminates the deep sump pan, oil cooler, shaft-driven variable vane oil pump, and the oversized front original equipment timing cover from the truck. This approach reduces the overall size, but is offered in a versatile and customizable package.

The Billet Aluminum Front Timing Cover features FEA (a computational analysis to predict a body’s behavior under load & boundary conditions)-optimized stiffness, for secure oil pump mounting, O-ring sealing to the engine block, and compatibility with all Indy Power Products Front Drive Systems. The assembly includes a Stewart Components High Flow Water Pump

While the primary goal of this kit is to reduce oil pan depth, it achieves this by relocating the factory oil pump onto Indy Power Products’ billet front cover, which is O-ring sealed to the block. This billet cover not only accommodates the new gerotor oil pump, but also features a Stewart Components high-flow water pump and is compatible with any of Indy Power Products’ front accessory drives.

The new gerotor oil pump is no slouch either, boasting billet rotors and a billet aluminum housing construction. The pump features an 8mm pitch roller chain with an automatic tensioner and is completed with stainless steel mandrel-formed internal O-ring hardlines.

On the bottom side, there’s a billet aluminum pan rail that accommodates various oil pan options (sold separately), including front sump, rear sump, and even early Bronco-style sumps. The kit includes all necessary inlet and outlet fittings, and the pan rail features a bolt-in windage tray. Once again, mandrel-bent, stainless steel, internal hardlines are incorporated to ensure no leaks or pressure changes occur.

Products With Benefits

Like many others, when I invest in a product, I aim to maximize the benefits it provides. With Indy Power Products’ engine oil pump conversion kit, you can effectively create a comprehensive solution that trims the pan size by up to 3.6 inches, eliminates the bulky factory front cover, and replaces all these components with top-tier offerings.

In essence, Indy Power Products’ engine oil pump conversion kit not only streamlines the form factor of the Ford 7.3-liter Godzilla Truck Engine but also offers a versatile and customizable approach to engine configuration. With its state-of-the-art design and a range of pan options, this kit represents a significant leap forward in optimizing engine performance and reducing overall size for enhanced efficiency.

Perfected By Indy Power Products

While the factory Ford engine is not quite designed for the cramped quarters of a sports car’s engine bay, the die-hard small-block Ford fanbase are still large enough to desire it to be in their ride. Thankfully, Indy Power Products has come to the rescue with a range of solutions. Among them, the oil pump conversion kit stands out as an exceptional offering, surpassing most builder’s needs.