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Start with the vehicle and symptom, not the engine’s reputation. Ford’s latest located bulletin for the 7.3L Godzilla V8, TSB 25-2572 dated November 25, 2025, documents a possible camshaft and valve-tappet wear condition on certain North American vehicles. The reported pattern is an upper-engine tick or tap at idle, sometimes with rough running, a misfire, or diagnostic trouble codes P0301–P0308. Ford does not publish a failure rate in the bulletin, so a TSB is evidence of a documented diagnostic pattern—not proof that the problem is widespread or that every 7.3L noise has the same cause.
This guide explains which vehicles fit the bulletin, what an owner should record first, how a qualified technician is directed to test the condition, and what each finding means. The internal inspection requires Ford’s FDRS diagnostic system and engine disassembly; Ford expressly says the procedure is for trained technicians, not do-it-yourselfers.
What problem has Ford actually documented?
Ford Motor Company TSB 25-2572 describes a specific symptom cluster: ticking or tapping from the upper part of the engine while the engine is idling. A vehicle may also have rough performance, an engine misfire, or a malfunction indicator lamp with codes P0301 through P0308. Ford says the condition may result from excess wear of the camshaft and/or valve tappets in the engine assembly.
That wording matters. The bulletin identifies a possible cause for a particular combination of symptoms; it does not say that every tick, misfire, or code is caused by a tappet or camshaft. A noise heard only under acceleration, a lower-engine knock, or a misfire without the bulletin’s noise pattern still requires normal diagnostic procedures rather than an automatic diagnosis of camshaft wear.
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There is also no incidence, fleet-failure, or percentage statistic in TSB 25-2572. The model years, chassis list, and P0301–P0308 range define applicability. They are not measurements of how often the failure occurs.
Which 7.3L vehicles are covered?
TSB 25-2572 applies to specified North American-market applications. Confirm the vehicle identification number and current Ford service information before treating the bulletin as applicable. Ford may supersede a bulletin, and a similar-looking vehicle outside the stated range is not automatically covered.
| Vehicle application | Model years listed by Ford | Engine covered here |
|---|---|---|
| F-Super Duty | 2020–2025 | 7.3L |
| F-53 Motorhome chassis and F-59 Commercial Stripped Chassis | 2020–2025 | 7.3L |
| E-Series | 2021–2025 | 7.3L |
| F-650 and F-750 | 2021–2025 | 7.3L |
The bulletin also lists 6.8L F-Super Duty applications, but those are outside this 7.3L-focused article. Market, engine, model year, and VIN all matter; an engine installed in another application should not be assumed to follow the same coverage.
What to check first when a 7.3L ticks or misfires
1. Match the symptom to the bulletin
Listen at idle and establish whether the sound is genuinely an upper-engine tick or tap. Record whether it is present cold, warm, or at both temperatures, and whether it changes with engine speed. Also note rough running, a flashing or steady malfunction indicator lamp, and when the symptom began. If the upper-end noise is absent, Ford’s bulletin says it does not apply; the technician should use the normal Workshop Manual diagnostic path.
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2. Verify the vehicle before replacing parts
Write down the model, model year, chassis, engine designation, market, and VIN. A service adviser or Ford dealership can check the VIN against the latest bulletin and any applicable warranty or service-program information. Do not infer coverage simply because the truck has a 7.3L engine.
3. Record the actual codes and operating conditions
Have the stored and pending diagnostic trouble codes retrieved before clearing them. P0301–P0308 are the codes specifically named in TSB 25-2572. Record which code appeared, whether it is current or history, and whether the engine was idling, under load, cold, or hot when the fault occurred. The code by itself does not prove tappet failure.
4. Separate an ignition fault from the bulletin’s deeper branch
When one of the listed misfire codes is present, Ford’s procedure calls for an FDRS cylinder power-balance test to identify the affected cylinder. The technician then swaps that cylinder’s spark plug, spark-plug wire, and ignition coil with known-good components.
- If the misfire follows one of the swapped ignition components, the bulletin directs the technician back to normal Workshop Manual diagnostics. The problem may be in that plug, wire, coil, or its related circuit rather than in the camshaft or tappets.
- If the misfire does not follow the ignition components, the technician proceeds to the noise-isolation portion of the bulletin when its other conditions are met.
A generic code reader can retrieve basic emissions codes, but it is not a substitute for the FDRS cylinder power-balance or cylinder-cancellation functions specified by Ford.
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How the professional diagnostic sequence works
Noise isolation
Ford directs the technician to use FDRS cylinder cancellation and/or an engine stethoscope. The purpose is to determine whether the ticking or tapping can be associated with a particular cylinder or area. If the noise cannot be isolated, the bulletin directs the technician to normal diagnostics rather than forcing the engine into the next branch.
Oil-filter debris inspection
When the bulletin’s diagnostic conditions warrant an internal check, the technician removes the oil filter, opens the filter assembly, spreads the filter element flat, and examines it for excessive metal debris. This is an inspection for evidence of internal wear, not a routine recommendation to cut open every oil filter.
An owner documenting a filter may encounter the search term oil filter cutter tool or “oil filter disassembly tool.” That tool can help open a filter for inspection, but it does not make the remaining TSB procedure a safe home repair. Keep the filter, debris, mileage, oil-change date, and photographs together for the shop if the vehicle is being evaluated.
What excessive metal means in Ford’s branch
Ford directs long-block replacement when the opened filter contains excessive metal debris. The bulletin does not provide a consumer threshold or a quantity in this summary, so a technician must judge the finding using Ford’s service information and inspection procedure. Shiny particles, sludge, or a single suspected fragment should not be independently translated into a repair decision without professional examination.
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Cylinder-head, camshaft, and tappet inspection
If excessive filter debris is not present, the procedure calls for removal of both cylinder heads. The technician inspects the camshaft lobes and valve tappets and checks for related collateral damage. The repair branch depends on what that inspection shows:
| Inspection finding | Ford-directed outcome in the bulletin |
|---|---|
| Misfire follows a swapped plug, wire, or coil | Stop pursuing this TSB branch and use normal Workshop Manual diagnostics. |
| Noise cannot be isolated to a cylinder | Use normal diagnostic procedures. |
| Excessive metal debris in the oil filter | Replace the long block. |
| Damage limited to the camshaft and valve tappets | Replace the camshaft and all valve tappets. |
| Collateral or wider internal damage | Replace the long block. |
These are conditional outcomes, not a prediction for a particular truck. Only the inspection can establish whether damage is limited or widespread.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What an owner can safely do before visiting a shop
Owner observations can make the appointment more productive without attempting the repair:
- Write down the exact vehicle configuration, VIN, mileage, and service history.
- Record when the sound occurs: idle or driving, cold or warm, and whether engine speed changes it.
- Note rough running, loss of power, starting difficulty, and whether the warning lamp is steady or flashing.
- Retrieve codes if a suitable reader is already available, but do not erase them before the shop sees them.
- Capture a short audio or video recording from a safe location, with the vehicle stationary and away from moving belts, fans, traffic, and hot components.
- Tell the technician whether the oil and filter were recently changed and preserve the old filter if it has already been removed.
Do not remove cylinder heads, swap ignition parts indiscriminately, or run cylinder-cancellation tests without the proper equipment and service information. Ford’s notice for TSB 25-2572 states: “The procedures should not be performed by ‘do-it-yourselfers’.”
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When to stop driving and arrange service
A new upper-engine tick accompanied by a misfire, rough running, or a malfunction indicator lamp deserves prompt professional attention. A flashing warning lamp, severe shaking, substantial loss of power, or an oil-pressure warning should be treated as a reason to stop operating the vehicle when it is safe to do so and arrange appropriate recovery. The bulletin itself does not establish a driving-distance allowance or a guaranteed progression rate, so do not use the absence of a published failure rate to justify continued operation.
How this bulletin differs from a diagnosis
A technical service bulletin gives technicians a manufacturer-defined pattern and procedure. It is not the same as a recall, and its existence does not establish that every vehicle in the listed years is defective. Ford’s own notice cautions: “Do not assume that a condition described affects your car or truck.” Applicability must be checked against the VIN and the current service-information system.
TSB 25-2572 superseded Ford’s earlier TSB 25-2322, dated July 16, 2025, and updated the service procedure, labor operations, and parts list. The November 2025 bulletin is therefore the latest procedure identified here, but a dealer or qualified repair facility should verify that no newer revision has replaced it before work begins.
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Bottom line for a 7.3L owner
The first useful question is not “Are all Godzilla engines failing?” It is “Does this vehicle have Ford’s specified upper-engine tick or tap at idle, and does the rest of the evidence fit?” Verify the application, document the sound and codes, and have a trained technician use FDRS to identify the cylinder and perform the ignition-component swap. If that does not explain the misfire, Ford’s sequence isolates the noise, checks the oil filter for excessive metal, and—only when indicated—requires cylinder-head removal to inspect camshaft, tappets, and collateral damage.
The evidence supports describing camshaft/tappet wear as a Ford-documented possible problem on specified applications. It does not support calling it a proven fleet-wide common failure or diagnosing an individual engine from a tick or P0301–P0308 code alone.
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