You don't hear them much any more but just on daylight yesterday some thing with a 6-71 Jimmy went by on the highway. I can't see the traffic from my house but I could could hear him coming and went outside with a coffee. It was a two stick and he dropped half a gear on the rise past our gate and then a full gear on the turn. You could hear her pulling heavy and then she topped the rise and howled off into the distance as he went back up the box...and you know I got all sentimental. There was some thing about those two-strokes, the way they sound and smell. I could be wrong but I would be surprised if any family of engines was more versatile or able to be configured to fit more applications than that 71 series. They were available from two cylinders to twenty four cylinders (I have never seen a V24 but I believe that they were made) and could be configured to run even with a verticle crankshaft. I always thought it was a huge advantage for an outfit to standardise on one engine...spare parts inventory, familiarity to the fitters and so on. The biggest problem was the noise. We used to maintain some trawlers with V12-71's for the main and a couple of 4-71's for auxilliarys and when they were on full song that engine room was a very noisy place. Apart from that--and the fact they were not particularly fuel efficient--they made a lot of money for a lot of people and they're place in the history of the diesel engine will never be surpassed. Any thoughts from you old timers? Cheers.
I owned a lot of them in trucks over the years and they were extremely durable when configured in conservative horsepower ratings. I still own pair of 6-71 TIB's @ 485hp my 42' sportfisherman,we refer to them as hand grenades after 410hp,but I run them easy and they are doing ok. In trucks the 71 series had an appointment with it's own demise when Cummins produced the NHT-335 followed by the NHTA-350. They tried their best with the 92 series but after years of excessive warranty claims trying to keep coolant out of the crankcases Detroit was through except for the marine market. We "as drivers" used to have a saying about how to drive a truck with an old 238 or a 318. "Open the hood,pour in a gallon oil,open the cab door and slam your finger in it,then drive the truck all day like you were mad at it cuz' that's the only way it will go anywhere or get anything out of a Detroit".
Exactly TCS, we used to tell drivers "drive it like you stole it!" I have spent some time working on the old 2 bangers and love em. So much you could to bomb them up, timing, step up blower drives and god knows how many different spec injectors you could throw in them. Like anything though, the more HP you squeezed out of it, the shorter the life, and you could easily turn it into a ticking time bomb! The last job I did on one was a 8V92 rebuild in an International truck and test driving it was a real buzz! The owner has had the truck for years, he loves it, no electronics, it's a good, honest machine that fires up everyday, doesn't give him any grief and makes him a ton of money.
We used to also hot rod Detroits as much as we could back in the day Zed. Just by putting a set of N-70's in a 6-71 you could easily pass an 8V-71/318 on a hill. Nice engines indeed back in their day.It was the need for torque that got me away from them in my trucks and after I hot rodded my first non piston cooled Cummins 250 into 380hp I never looked back unless it was to repair a Detroit in a boat.
My dad always said that you slammed your hand in the door to "get you in the mood" for proper driving of a detroit.
When I was a kid, a local fuel oil company had a long nose GMC tractor and tank trailer hauling fuel oil on the State road that was about a half mile from my parents house. It had an 8V71 in it with twin stacks and what seemed like an endless transmission. My parents house was about 100' higher in elevation than that road, and the nearest traffic light was 5 miles away. When the weather was right, I could hear that truck pull away from the traffic light and come up the road, and he was still shifting as he went by! I watched that truck change colors through the year as the oil company changed brands. I bet it was around for 30 years or more. Last I saw it, it was out behind the fuel storage tank and had been cannibalized. One of the neighboring fire departments had a Seagrave ladder truck with an 8V71. If the wind was right, I could hear the firehouse air horn sound the alarm, followed by that Seagrave pulling out of the station. That firehouse is 13 miles away by road, probably 10 as the crow flies!! The local stone quarry had 3 quarry trucks with 12V71s. I could hear them climbing the ramp out of the pit and again, that quarry is a 20 minute drive away!!! The first truck I drove daily was a 1973 Autocar 10 wheel dump with a 6/71 and Fuller 13 speed under drive transmission. I hauled 21 tons of blacktop on that truck and my region is very hilly, we aren't called the Hudson Valley for no reason! I grew to hate that truck, and drove as such, banging gears as quick as I could up against the governor. That was an all day affair, I couldn't travel more than a quarter mile without making a gear change. I had a personal competition with myself to keep up with the newer Macks the company had with the Mack 237 and Maxitorque 5 speed. A few years later I hauled freight for a grocery chain and was assigned White Road Commode with a 6V92TA and Eaton 8 speed. I actually could keep up with the Ford Louisvilles with 300 Cummins, and the White had a lot more top end where I could run away from them. Except for the climb into the truck, I actually enjoyed driving it. I hated the 53 and 71 series with a passion, but I've been looking for an old truck with one to restore and just drive once in a while, I do miss hearing them scream. Like you Scrub Puller, when I hear one I have to stop what I'm doing and watch it drive by. I arrived home late one night about a month ago and heard an 8V71 pulling the hill on the State road which is about a mile from my current home. The last one I actually saw was an old IH 6 wheel dump, and I know I had a smile on my face as it drove by.
You cann't kill a jimmy. We had a 1979 gmc brigadier with a 8v92ta and 13spd. In the end we only used it as a job site truck but it never quit. oil in the anti-freeze, antifreeze in the oil, oil poored out of the power steering pump, it blew a nasty blue-white smoke that would gag you right out of the truck. no matter the temp. you could jump in and it would fire up every time. I can still hear that old girl screaming by with a pile of top-soil pouring off three sides.
That's something I forgot to mention: I was assigned to site work a lot with the Autocar since it was the oldest truck in the fleet and one day I got bogged in mud. Just as the truck was about to stall, I threw in the clutch and to my horror saw white smoke pouring out the cowl mounted air cleaner box. I didn't know what was going on and the engine was making a strange growl so I shut it off as soon as I regained my composure. I asked someone to look at the truck and learned that I had spun it so the engine was running backward. I guess the 2 stroke Jimmies are the only engine that can happen with.
did the same thing with ours only I was crawling a steep grade. To be honest the smoke coming from the exaust didn't freak me out as much as seeing the oil pressure drop to 0 . Scared the crap out of me I thought I blew the motor up.
No....I have done it with a 673 Mack in a B-61. Trying to take off from a stop light in the middle of a very steep hill with TD-18 on the lowbed. The B-61 only had a Duplex and wasn't geared low enough to take off from a dead stop,it stalled,ran backwards and instantly covered the windshields with oil from the oilbath air cleaner. No maxi-brakes in those days,but the mirrors were clean and I managed to back her safely into the granite curb.Very shortly after one of the Autocars on the job with a big extended bumper was coming up the hill and he pushed on the back of the lowbed and got me started. That was the last lowbed pull for that Mack as we got a really nice GMC Hi-boy with a 6-71 and a 5X3 that was geared right for the job.
I remember the first time driving an old GMC General with a 6-71. was backing up the fill pile lugged it down almost to a stall. When I pushed in the clutch and the smoke started rolling out the air cleaner. Scared me but shut it down and restarted it. ran great the rest of the day. when I got back to shop and talked to the mechanics they started telling me stories. with Terex pan and dozers with the Jimmys in them. I never knew they could take off and run on their own oil until they blow. the guys told me it is they sound like a turbine engine when they take off. I guess they had some blow up in the shop. would love to hear one wind up someday.
You might not say that if you were the owner or the driver! I had a 318 run away from me many years ago. Fuel filters were not what they are today back then.They were cartridge type that did not guarantee moisture could not pass through them. Well, I had a rack stuck wide open as it turned out from water in one injector and buddy it was a scary effin thing! I was lucky it was a KW cabover sleeper and I could get at the rubber elbow at the FARR air cleaner and cut it off with my jack knife,then stuffed my US Army watch coat right into the air pipe.which slowed the engine down just enough for me to get the transmission in high gear and stall the engine. BTW/.........When it first happened I pulled the emergency shutdown. The engine barely slowed then ran hard again because as we found later the damn emergency flap just bent right over allowing plenty of air for the engine to continue running away.
I had a '73 GMC 10 wheel dump with a 6-53,5sp. main with a 4 sp. aux. that I ran for 23 years.Every time I talk about it,I have to check on my left knee,as it's still weaker than my right because of that beast and it's been 10 years now since I sold it.Steve might remember it as most contractors by me always knew it because of the barking Detroit and the fact that I ALWAYS had my head phones on for my ceiling mounted radio/8 track stereo.Couldn't hear any music otherwise-I'd just take them off when I saw the man coming my way.I also had the engine once run backwards for about a whole minute-seemed like an eternity till I managed to kill her.When I first got her it had single horizontal exhaust and when I went down this fairly steep hill in this narrow little village with 3 story buildings,the barking was so unreal that I could actually see the panes of glass on large windows on the upper floors pulsing just so slightly.I changed it over to dual exhaust which made it a little quieter.No matter how cold it got in the Winter,she would always start,never a problem there.I just found out from the buyer of the truck 10 years ago who used it for a site truck building his house that he sold it to this import/export biz who wanted the old Detroit badly.Probably going off overseas somewhere. In my latest little project,I have an old JD 440 crawler loader with a baby Detroit--a 2-71.Funny how she starts on it seems like 1 cylinder and then the second one sort of kicks in after about 30 seconds and then purrs like a barking cat if that's possible.
I remember that truck Tuney, it was brown. The tanker I wrote about started out with Texaco colors and ended up with A-1 Oil markings out of Millbrook.
An oilfield mechanic I worked with once told me of an 8V71 that ran away in the shop. He tripped the blower door to kill it, and it had so much suction on the intake it sucked the door down until it hit the blower lobes, ground a giant hole in it, then went to the moon again. It ran until it spit enough parts out it had to quit.
You guys talk like you hardly see one, so here's pics of mine. The 6-71 sings quite a song with 77,000lbs to drag around. After 16 1/2 hours in it yesterday, I think I still hear it today (it may just be left over ringing).
I wonder if we had the same dad. Haha Out here in california they won't let any of the old motors run. What a waste!
I know this is not construction equipment, but.... I have a pair of 6-71TIs in my boat, at low cruise, about 1400 rpm, they make a lovely rumble, at high cruise, about 2400 rpm they have quite a voice. Other passing boats are immediately recognizable if they have 6-71s as opposed to boats with "tractor engines" (John Deeres). Rick
have a 453 screamer in an old skidder that we still use. earplugs help a bit , but i have a load ringing in my head for a day or two after that thing shuts off ...
I ran some sort of boats all my life it started with a 3-71 then 6-71 then 12-71 (with 4-71 generators) For 14 years I ran survey boats, with twin 6-71 or 8-71, water exhaust, even then they were still loud I really think they were the best engines, in a boats (in their day) just too loud and fuel burning for today I forgot, the 4-71 & 6-71's in the old Drott 40 & 50 excavators
One of best sounds is a Jimmy taking off from a stop. The delvil him self could not make a sound so sweet to my ears.
Good to see your keeping busy crane operator with the old grove.love the pictures of that Grove rig (even if it is painted up like a linkbelt) We still run 6 detroits in my little operation,couple trucks,crane ,scraper,and excavator. The sound and feel of these engines is also very familiar to myself as well.I reckon I'l keep running them as long as I can still get parts to rebuild them.Heck....the high school kids all think they sound cool and ask me what kind of engine is under the hood,maybe they are comming back in style We were setting an A/C unit in the picture.
The mechanical detroits can be made to meet emissions much cheaper than a repower. The only mechanical option available that I know of for tier 3 and 4. http://www.cctskit.com/index.html
I have a 453t siting in my shop. As soon as i get time its going in my 89 chevy dually 1 ton.
oh i love the sound of the detroit in Screaming Ford. that 318 on the winter road screaming for mercy as i bring home all the broke equipment from the guys who take southern trucks in the bush. i like sound when i use the wicked winch to drag the broken stuff up on the deck, the engine give a little grunt when it is steel on steel, lol. also note the truck is a 1974 so 8 wheel lock up is all the chains on all the wheels but on this trip it was cold enough i just needed on the outside tires. thansk KoO Pushished Author
here is a video from 2009 and if you listen closely you can here the sound of the tire chains. http://s558.photobucket.com/albums/...rrent=WinterRoadroadtripagainapril0120090.mp4 thansk KoO Published Author
KoO I like the Screaming Ford video. Moved on from there to look at the rest of your album. Looks like your GMC decided to lay down for a nap.
yes that was a good one on how it laid over on its side. i still have a good laugh on that, lol. thansk KoO Published Author
great site king of the old and trusty ...
thansk, i just need my internet connection fixed so i can update the website again. thansk KoO Published Author
nice video of one running away. great sound! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M1o2rpO_JY&feature=related
Love the website King of Obsolete.Allways interesting seeing your projects:scool. "joey's ramp boat looks cool"Great to see the Ford 9000 in action and sure enough I could hear the tire chains slapping the road in the video.That looks like the same tire chain we use,single chain,and it dosent have the old "cam lock" lever hook on the outside of the tire, just regular j hooks inner and outer to connect the ends.They work fine for me but I dont use them nearly as often as you would up in the" Kingdom" We dident have much snow this year,I only chained up once due to ice on the road.
Company still has Detroits in several cranes . Cut my teeth in the cab of a 73 KW 8V71 and a 5 and 4 trans set up . Had an older guy tell me that before I hit the key I should put my hand in the door jamb and slam the door hard . "You will be in the right frame of mind to run this old girl " Here's a vid of an 8V in a 150 ton Link Belt 518 , Ignore the Ironhead LOL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glRPsxaC_Rg
The link belt sounds good Tiny.I have been working on a demolition job on an old farmsted the past few days ,mostly using the detroit powerd excavator taking out trees & buildings piling everthing up to burn .Like Scubb Puller mentioned I think Detroit diesels success was due mostly to it being versitile & having common standard parts. Both Good for the company and customer.In a nutshell, if a company made a vehical,Detroit Diesel made an engine that would fit in it and get the job done.Government,municipallitys,military,constuction,forestry,railroad,farming.........You name it they all used the detroit at some point in time. Jon Kinzenbaw (founder of Kinze ) also liked the two cycle noise maker for his re-power projects in the late 1960's installing an 8V71 engine in John deere 5020 tractors. Heritage iron magazine had a good feature artical on him last month. www.heritageiron.com scroll down and view a video of "Big Blue" Kinze built to demonstrate his new 12 bottom plow in 1971. Kinze's website also has a few pictures on it. www.kinze.com/our-company/a-history-of-innovation/ A random question....Dose anyone know when Detroit quit building the 71 series engine? I know they started in 1937.Dad and myself were arguing over it:Banghead,I want to say it was in the late 1980's.
whose coming for a ride of their life???? the winter road closed early and now it is time for me and the Screaming Ford to haul some freight. fear and common sense should not hold you back if you want to join in the fun, LOL. thansk KoO Published Author
well i guess no one want to enjoy the fun we had. here is a couple of quick pictures of the Screaming Ford working hard. thansk KoO Published Author
KoO, I would have loved to come and ride with you, the problem is, it's not like that you are just around the corner, but who knows, never say never. Your world is so totally different to mine, that it would be a whole new experience for me. Thanks for the photos. RnR.
RnR i'm glad you enjoy my lifestyle in the great white north. you would have enjoyed the trip we had. i'll be adding a thread to this great BB on the whole trip but in the mean time more Screaming Ford pictures. thansk KoO Published Author
KoO , Good the see it making a mile and earning some Dollars .
thansk, i had a busy 2.5 months now it is time to relax and enjoy. the Screaming Ford got new tires, new heated mirrors and a new beacon. here is another picture of the second trip in over the winter road that was closed. thansk KoO Published Author
There was an O/O that used long nosed Chevy's to haul pipe here.He would buy a new one and his sons would gut the mufflers first thing but they didn't drive them.You knew whose trucks were coming way before you seen them.
today i bounced over the so-called road for a 600km round trip. the trip was going great untill the flex pipe broke under the driver side of the cab. then it got really really loud in the cab even with ear plugs, lol. here are some quick pictures of traveling with a morning sun rise, the empty van trailer then returning with a load of wood that was loaded back end heavy. of course the pouring rain that will turn to 20cm of snow tonight. glad i got home when i did, lol. thansk KoO Published Author
http://s558.photobucket.com/albums/...n=view¤t=morelumbermovieapril062012.mp4 here is a 1.44 minute video of the Screaming Ford. thansk KoO Published Author
In the early 70's we had a Ward LaFrance fire engine powered with a 8V71 which would scoot down the road pretty good. I hadn't been around many diesels back then but I always noticed that the exhaust had a rather sweet smell to it compared to the other trucks. Here is your 24V. I'll bet that could suck some stuff down the intakes. :cool2 http://youtu.be/C-oDw2iVcTk
Yair . . . thanks for the link OldandWorn. It's nice to think that there are still some of them out there. As far as that exhaust smell went it was different all together from other engines . . . I always thought I put two and two together and assumed it was due to incomplete combustion . . . hence the reputations the two strokes had of being a little "thirsty". Any tech. folks out there who can offer an opinion? Cheers.
i spent the weekend driving my Screaming Ford and here are a few pictures and the story. http://kingofobsolete.ca/weekend_trucking_with_a_1974_ford_9000_webpage.htm thansk KoO Published Author
the detroit diesel is the only engine written about in the bible. I don't remember which verse it is but it say's . IN THE END THEY WILL BE CRAWLING AND SCREAMING
many years ago I was on a big new road development in the Uk.There was big Fiat dozer on there, no cab, fitted with a Detroit 2 stroke, my god, the sound was incredible in the extreme. Music to the ears!
I tried to email you but the mail came back sadly,,, [email protected]
Did you try this Robin, check the spelling. [email protected] RnR.
yes RnR has the correct spelling of my email address. looking forward to an email. thansk KoO Published Author
Yair . . . I always enjoy your posts KofO because you life experience is diametricaly opposite mine . . . substitute snow and chill for sand and 40--50 Cheers.
yes that is very true, i could not got to your country and live in the heat or do anything because i would be indoors by the AC, lol. will keep the adventures coming. thansk KoO Published Author