The Detroit Diesel ages well over time .

RonSII

Well-known member
I have a 4-71 I need to rebuild... had a coolant issue and I should have quit running it... but no... I figured it can handle it :( sure hope I didn't fry the ECU :eek: ;)
 

td25c

Well-known member
I hear that Ron ! I looked at a customers Cat 3126 engine that had a low power complaint ….. Holy Crap ! We got electric wires off the injectors of some kind of F'ed up fuel system using engine oil to prime a pump to feed the injectors !

Somebody worked hard on that system . (n):oops:

I'm sticking with the old school mechanical Detroit's all the way Bro !
 

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
I was wingman in a FWD plow truck as a late teen that had a 6V53, that was my introduction to Detroits. OMG!! That truck was so noisy it was uncomfortable even to a teen accustomed to listening to rock!! A few years later I was driving an Autocar dump with a 6/71 and 13 speed regularly, I soon learned you had to drive it like you hated it and that I did!! My goal was to keep up with the Macks the company also had, they would always pass me on the hills but I'd catch them on the flats. Did nothing but shift all day keeping that thing running up against the governor!!

In later years I drove a Road Commode with a 6V92T and 10 speed, that was a much more refined engine. I didn't have much trouble keeping up with the 300 Cummins powered trucks.

I've got an original F450 or F-SuperDuty with a wore out Powerstroke in it that I'm half tempted to put a 6V53T in just for nostalgia sake, would probably need to put a 10 speed behind it to make it driveable. I'm thinking I might hate this decision after the first twenty minutes of driving it though LOL!!
 

RonSII

Well-known member
LOL, just wait til your hearing goes ;) then you'd have a blast :) If I had the money I throw a detroit in my powerstroke... I think it would be pretty fun... yeah a bit noisy but still fun!!!!
 

rzucker

Well-known member
LOL, just wait til your hearing goes ;) then you'd have a blast :) If I had the money I throw a detroit in my powerstroke... I think it would be pretty fun... yeah a bit noisy but still fun!!!!
I have a 4-53N that's going into '97 F350... If my buddy ever comes and gets the dang thing. He's going with a 5spd OD trans of some sort and a divorced transfer case.
I got to drive a '71 Chevy C70 with a 4-53T once... A lotta shifting and noise. But I did enjoy the bigger stuff, a 12V-71 in a Peterbilt 359 was horse I rode for awhile in 1982.
 

td25c

Well-known member
I like the repower projects in the pickup trucks . That would be pretty cool ! 53 series Detroit would work fine in a pickup truck . Great engine that has stood the test of time … Like 1937 to 20 something ?

As for noise the GMC has a pretty good muffler on it . Inside cab noise is mostly engine & blower whine …… It helps muffle the cell phone ring . LOL! :)
 

Truck Shop

Well-known member
I thought about and had a line on a good running 12V71 to put in the B75. With adding 14" to the length of the hood there was plenty of room.
But one big problem with that was the radiator, having a cast aluminum top and bottom tanks and the fact those are hard to find I wasn't ready
to modify those tanks. It would have been a real odd bird for sure.
 

td25c

Well-known member
Was always intrigued by the early Kinze 8-V71 Detroit repower kits for the 5020 Deere .


1580951945482.png

Kinzenbaw got both talent and forward vision . Hat's off to you Jon !
 

td25c

Well-known member
I thought about and had a line on a good running 12V71 to put in the B75. With adding 14" to the length of the hood there was plenty of room.
But one big problem with that was the radiator, having a cast aluminum top and bottom tanks and the fact those are hard to find I wasn't ready
to modify those tanks. It would have been a real odd bird for sure.
The 12V71 would have been a cool engine for the project . But the time & tested big cam Cummins was also a good choice to make the Mack B71 Great Again !(y):cool:
 
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td25c

Well-known member
We thought about repowering the GMC with a bigger engine . Then came the question about why ? Truck was specked out perfect for back & off road conditions where big trucks would have trouble …Decided to leave it as built and I run it almost like I own it . LOL! :) Those cat's knew how to build a truck !:cool:

 

td25c

Well-known member
Well the GMC wrecker stalled out the other day . Finished up at a job , went to mash the throttle & grab some gears and nothing happened . Engine would just barley idle . Trouble code flashed fuel filter and that's where it was . Dropped a new filter in on job site and that fixed it but had the wrestle the new filter in the can . Like it would not fit on the flange correct in the bottom of the can.

Got the truck back home and she ran fine but noticed after sitting a few days it just don't start like it used to . Like it has a small suction leak …. Swapped out filter cans today to see if any change in condition .

After looking at the video 's I think the inner steel cup of the old filter is stuck in the can "base plate" . Like it separated form the filter …... I had to pry the filter out of the can on the first round and then had trouble installing the new one ? We gotta new can and filter assembly now .

 

td25c

Well-known member
Out of curiosity I pulled the problem filter can apart … Sure enough the collar in the element was stuck to the base plate in the can. No wonder I had trouble mashing it in the can back at the job site . :rolleyes:

100_4912.JPG

 

td25c

Well-known member
Yes RZ . You guys already know this as back in the day Detroit Diesel primary fuel filter was the sock style and paper element in the secondary can .

I thought the sock version was discontinued as we had a hard time finding them in recent past …… Until this morning ….. Dug around a little on the" world wide waste of time " and up came the picture .

serveimageN9SUOX8E.jpg

I like the sock better with it's simple design , no funky pressed in " end caps " that could separate from it .

Parts feller said we will have it in the morning (y) https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/carquest-premium-automatic-wound-sisal-primary-fuel-sock-86552/10693765-P?searchTerm=Car+Quest+fuel+filter+86552

Thanks again RZ !
 

rzucker

Well-known member
The floating plate for the sock wont fit the cartridge filters, it can be replaced if you can find a parts guy that knows anything. But I think if you check the top support housing it's shaped for the sock too.
 
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