Until it blows up, then you also get into duty cycle.
The big ol diesel is designed to run at full load all day every day, the corvette engine is built to do it once a twice a year on a dyno in front of spectators.
Hence why the Ecoboost has never graced a super duty...
Massey Furguson tried that in the 70's with combines. Great way to rid the world of 318's and 350's, they neither lived long or prospered. The optional 100hp Perkins would run forever.
Of course - that's why I said 'rated' and 'continuous' and longevity....and why 'torque' matters,
indirectly, since it points to a slower revving, lower stressed, more robust engine...but has no direct meaning relative to the ability to do work. Those old steam tractors had incredible amounts of torque at super low RPM, hence relative low HP and last 50 years, but get demolished by modern machines....
I have a strange fascination with gas engine tractors, I remember going to a junk yard back in the 80s as a kid and they had a large front end loader with a swapped in junk yard SB 350 from the previous diesel....he'd start that up and just pin it, plenty of power for lifting old cars and dragging engines around....he must have had some sort of gear reduction added on.
I don't see why an 'Ecoboost' couldn't work in a SD, it's going to be larger displacement, so less stressed, but turbos are turbos, diesels use them and don't have issues. I don't see why a 5.0 Ecoboost, iron block, forged internals, etc, de-rated slightly to match or exceed the 7.3, couldn't be viable....and more simple than a diesel without all the emissions stuff. I'm sure marketing and cost are large factors, an Ecoboost would be more $ than the 7.3 and the 'small' engine is likely not seen as an appropriate SIZE for a 1 ton truck....but things may change.
