Engine Labs’ Bosszilla Build Grows Godzilla Power With 460 Cubes

Ford enthusiasts know the historical weight behind the number 460. Those thumping big-blocks brought big performance in factory form and stratospheric potential when they were modded. In the modern world, the same could be said about the Godzilla 7.3-liter pushrod V-8 in modern Super Duty trucks. Engine builders immediately saw the massive potential for swaps in classic muscle cars. The cam-in-block design is far more compact than the wide dual-overhead-cam Coyote, making it absolutely perfect for vintage engine bays without chopping up the shock towers.

What would happen if you expanded the displacement of Ford’s latest pushrod engine to that iconic cubic-inch denomination? To prove exactly what Godzilla can do in naturally aspirated form, the crew at Late Model Engines created a heavily modified 460-cubic-inch stroker build affectionately known as our sister site Engine Labs’ Bosszilla. This incredible powerplant combines modern combustion efficiency with old-school displacement to create a true street brawler.

Stout Internals

Taking a heavy-duty truck block and turning it into a high-rpm track monster requires careful geometry and precision machining. The builders kept the cylinder walls thick and reliable by only increasing the bore a negligible five-thousandths of an inch. The real magic happens entirely with the stroke. Taking advantage of the naturally tall deck height, the team installed a premium Callies Magnum forged crankshaft featuring a 4.125-inch stroke. This setup avoids geometry nightmares and severe rod angles while pushing the displacement right up to that legendary 460 number that classic Ford fans love.

Handling big rpm means relying on proven aftermarket hardware that can take a beating. The center of this build features Callies Ultra H-beam rods forged from high-quality Timken steel and fastened tightly with ARP2000 bolts. Custom JE forged pistons hang on the end with a minimal 1.212-inch compression height. This specific piston design allows the builder to use a longer 6.350-inch connecting rod, keeping the entire rotating assembly incredibly stable at high engine speeds. A 16cc piston dish maintains a street-friendly 11:1 compression ratio, meaning this beast runs perfectly on standard pump gas without detonation issues.

Oiling System Reset

Factory truck engines use a variable-speed oil pump driven by a jackshaft, which creates massive clearance headaches for custom chassis swaps. The LME team engineered a VVT Delete Front Cover Swap Kit that deletes the factory jackshaft entirely to simplify the package. It utilizes a Coyote-style front-driven oil pump and gives builders the flexibility to run front or rear sump oil pans. This front cover even allows old-school hot rodders to run a traditional distributor and carburetor setup for ultimate simplicity.

Delivering The Goods

Combining that bulletproof bottom end with a healthy hydraulic-roller camshaft drastically shifts the powerband into the upper rpm range. The custom camshaft features 254/264 degrees of duration, completely abandoning any low-end towing characteristics for pure track performance. Even with the factory cylinder heads acting as a slight airflow bottleneck, the final dyno results are absolutely staggering. This naturally aspirated V8 laid down 646.2 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm and an incredible 764.4 horsepower at 7,100 rpm.

Watching a pushrod Godzilla hit those massive horsepower numbers in naturally aspirated form shows the aftermarket is only beginning to unlock the true potential of Ford’s latest pushrod platform. For a complete breakdown of the bearing clearances, piston-ring gaps, and specific porting details that went into creating the bigger Bosszilla engine, head directly to the original story for the full technical walkthrough as only Engine Labs can do it.