My Detroit Diesel powered 61 K20 project!!

[pope]

Nice carryall Ron, did you keep your leaktroit? Good eye on the chasis. I had to use that chassis (late 63) because the original was to far worn out to run, and wasn't worth rebuilding. I had my choice of an early 63 1/2 ton in so-so shape or this later 63 3/4 ton and picked the later for this truck, and re placed the springs and pins. I will use the other for a 65 air conditioned custom cab. I kept the transmission crossmember in its original location, and built the front cross member to suit. The body did get an additional 4'' of lift, which allowed me to run the exhaust down and keep it between the frame rails rather than out and down the outside of them.

[padresag]

what side is your starter on . mine was on the right side which prevented the exhaust from going down through there. I have seen some applications with the starter on the l/side.
sold my motor and trans(fan -frt ujoint to a fellow in santa cruz who is installing it in a f250
ron

[pope]

My starter is on the right side as well, but with the 4'' of lift to the body I was able to achieve the room to run the pipe between the floor and the transmission cross member leaving ample clearance to the starter and surrounding stuff.

[rustyrodknocker]

what are the bellhousing details on the 53 series motors? Im guessing its a sae of some # . what are some trans options ? is a sm465 or a 420 an easy hookup ? sounds like a 5 speed direct like a clark would be good. And lastly I've read several places that you should not turbo a na motor. but never heard why. seems like you could turbo it like any thing else. might need to dump the compression a little? anyway I want a detroit but know nothing. whould love to hear from the guys that have been there. I'm gonna watch this build close. I've seen all those you tube vids a hundred times.

[Dieselwrencher]

Here is a place that builds some sae housing adapters.
http://www.phxgrp.com/transGM.htm

[pope]

There is a bell housing and rear cover that allows for the sm420 and sm460 transmissions, the military used a 3-53 and sm420 remote shift transmission in their gama goats. The automotive style bellhousing and rear cover that I am running is for a 13'' clutch and medium duty transmissions like a clark, or 540 /542 new process these can be found in older c60 and c70 trucks with detroits. I have another 4-53 that has a #3 SAE flywheel housing as well for the heavy duty transmissions such as Eaton or Allison. If you want to turbo a naturally aspirated detroit it is reccomended to use the propper pistons, liners, and blower for turbo applications. There are many that do it without changing anything and get away with it, while others are not so lucky. I figure if you are going to do the work to install one you may as well do it all right the first time so you can enjoy a trouble free install.

[Dieselwrencher]

Great info, thanks for posting it.

[pope]

Dieselwrencher, thats an impressive list of equipment that you have yourself!

[jbclassix]

just wanted to say that a good-ol 2-stroke Driptroit is AWESOME!!!!

[pope]

Right on and thanks! It has been a blast to drive!

[duallyjams]

Very cool.

[pope]

Thanks!

[thirdstreettito]

Updates?

[56taskforce]

Here is a thread from the syovebolt page that may interest you fellas who like the Detriots.
http://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/...946#Post149946
Grigg has done some fabulous work if you like the bigger trucks as well take the time and see what he has done in the way of updating axles and brakes on old two ton trucks.

[thirdstreettito]

I love Grigg! He is great, I talk to him on 4BT Swaps.

[pope]

Originally Posted by thirdstreettito

Updates?

LOL, I wish I could give an update! Unfortunately I still have a few months in Iraq left on my deployment.... Ugh I am ready to go home and get back into that thing!

[pope]

[QUOTE=56taskforce;4733079]Here is a thread from the syovebolt page that my interest you fellas who like the Detriots.
http://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/...946#Post149946
Grigg has done some fabulous work if you like the bigger trucks as well take the time and see what he has done in the way of updating axles and brakes on old two ton trucks.[/QUOTE

Thanks for the link, I was a member of that forum and had forgotten about it till now...
I would have to agree that grigg is great! I enjoy watching his you tube videos, he has a wealth of info when it comes to D.D. and conversions with diesels. I think he is part of nearly every truck and diesel forum that there is out there.

[56taskforce]

Pope thank you for your service I 'll be prying for you safe return!!! I don't know what branch you serv in but I send a big Semper-Fi from this old Marine and fellow gear head.

[pope]

Originally Posted by 56taskforce

Pope thank you for your service I 'll be prying for you safe return!!! I don't know what branch you serv in but I send a big Semper-Fi from this old Marine and fellow gear head.

BIG thanks to you as well! I am here with the Army National Guard out of Montana. One of my uncles was in the Marines, back with Bush sr. in the late 80's. He got lucky and never had to visit this place.

[thirdstreettito]

Thank you for your service!

Hoorah!

[pope]

Roy Wa...Dang, it has been a while since I have been through there! It seemed like a nice little community. I was raised in Moses Lake.

[Monty]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Very cool build! The 4-53's are very reliable. We have one in a push back at work that gets used 6 times a day to push 160,000lbs+ 727's up a slight grade on the ramp. Poor thing sure is under powered, but gets the job done.

we have a locomotive tug where i work powered by a 4-53 and that poor thing has to move 400,000+ # locomotives day in, day out. it'll move more than it can reliably stop...

one place i worked had twin Mountain Logger skidders with 4-53 power but one had a turbo/blower and one just had the blower. it was kinda interesting running them side by side. the one without the turbo was kinda handy on the landing because it made power a lot faster, but the turbo powered one would walk away from it on the longer pulls.

the only issue i've had with any of them was when one of the skidders got some ice or frost build-up in the blower at sub-zero temps and broke the blower drive shaft when we tried to start it.

[56taskforce]

Ah yes my first memories of the sounds of Detroit were of Garrett skidders echoing through the woods only to be sounds of the past memories echoing in my head as I pull wood to the landing with a Cat or a Deere.

No need to say turbo/blower as all the two cycle detroits had blowers, being two cycle the only way to clear the cylinder is to push new air in with a blower. turbo or non turbo need be all you say.

[Monty]

yea, i'm somewhat aware of how two stroke diesels work. i am a machinist in a locomotive diesel shop where the locomotives we run ,are two stroke, 16 cylinder engines, each cylinder displacing 710 cubic inches. horsepower runs right at 4,500 HP. engine oil capacity is 360 gallons to the full line on the dip stick, and fuel capacity is right around 5,000 gallons.

[pope]

Those are some impressive numbers! I have always been a bit of a rail fan, had a few relatives retire from BN and the UP. Got to go into the LRC shop once to charge some Nitrogen accumulators on mining equip they were working on in there. To say the least a locomotive shop is something to see if you are a gear head!