Crazy engine idea

[fireguywtc]

I have always heard them called "screamin Demons" and have mixed feelings about them. I have had most of my experiences with them in fire trucks. They were popular in a lot of fire trucks because they are high reving and used to be faster then their four cylcle brothers. Thanks to technology that is no longer the case. We still have them in a few of our pumpers (6v92T) and they do their job well for being old. When I was in the Air Force we had the same engines in our pumpers and tankers, and 8v92T in the large aircraft trucks. Though loud and annoying, they always worked well and moved the trucks quickly.

My only other experience is with an older supercharged detroit in a cab over farm truck with a 10spd. It was loud and slow and had the worst shifting mannerisms of any big truck I have ever driven.

I think one might be fun as a toy if you had an old detroit laying around with a spare truck to mess around with, but I wouldn't want one as a daily driver.

[FreakysFords]

2 6-71s in the Thompson (non turbo), both spinning twin disks.
1 20kw gen Kubota

Neither Detroit leaves soot (no need to run the fuel rail up, so no soot)
Neither Detroit slobbers (aka oil slobbering beasts)
Both Detroits VERY reliable
Both quiet. (save for the 5" dry stack exhausts)

Kubota: NOT reliable. After 4 kill solenoids, I rewired it for marine style (runs until solenoid kills it rather than solenoid letting it run). Get's overhauled once a yr minimum. NOISY as HECK (precombustion chambers still in head like an old standard diesel). VERY inefficient.

We run the old girl on cooking oil most of the time (save for the kubota) and she's even quieter.

She's not an oil slobberer because I took the time to re-tap all external threaded holes, used sealing paint (was a test to see how would hold up as apposed to plating) on porous block, machined EVERY mating surface and I don't run anything but rotella in them. They've both been slobber free for over 4 yrs now and you'd be hard pressed to put more hours on an engine than a long line snapper boat does (year round fisher and engines NEVER killed when out to sea).

What do I like about them?
1) VERY reliable
2) Don't care about the weather
3) EASY to work on
4) Very efficient in their current use

What do NOT like about them?
1) GM
2) GM
3) GM
4) GM

More than 90% of the fleet is running 71 series detroits, and yes, most of them are oil slobbering beasts, but I have proven that they don't have to be. My old KW also has one and it likes it's oil on the inside as well.

We had Cats in the Pelican and NEVER again will I run a cat in marine conditions.
As soon as I can manage it, the Kubota engine on the Gen will be replaced by a Perkins and the Kubota will make a nice emergency anchor.

Am I saying the 71 series Detroits are the end all? NO, they most certainly are NOT.
All I'm saying is that after all my years in the USAF, then OTR for a company who would fire a driver for allowing his engine to slobber and whatever's left of me in commercial fishing..... is that the 71 series Detroit is a good engine and does NOT have to be the oil slobbering beast it's made out to be. These engines were put out in fast casts, with HIGH nickle content (a good thing from my POV). Just like any other engine you'd want to put to some specialty job, you don't just rebuild a 71, you all but blue print it, and then SEAL the porous block.

Now, if I ever get to build the retirement trawler I've dreamed of for many years now, it will be powered by some very old Perkins, cause I can "in-frame" one in less than 4 hours, and I just like 'em. Would LOVE to trade my JD combine diesel for a good 5/6 cyl Perkins, but right now, the JD's fine.
BTW, the retirement trawler wouldn't be pushing NEARLY as many storms, and this is where the 71 refuses to be beat.

Frank