MD revisited

DeltaRed

Well-known Member
As you remember the MD with the bad/stuck engine.I
had thought about the possibility of a 'repower'.Got
to talking about it at the local 'coffee club'.A V6
'jimmy' was mentioned. One of the guys(not a
'regular') mentioned he had one.Said I could I could
have it for the tractor!That would be SO
COOL!Doable? how hard? Thoughts?
 
NoNo,not a Detroit.But a 305/351 from a 1960s GMC pickup;light/medium truck.But yes!,a 'screamin jimmy' would be WAY COOL!
 
Shouldn't be any harder than putting a V8 in. Biggest challenges will be fitting the engine block to the backplate, coming up with some way to mount it in front, and getting the whole flywheel/starter/clutch situation sorted out.
 
But not fuel efficient, and there is usually a toxic waste puddle under them. I really like the V6 GMC. Torque and reliability. Jim
 
One of my friends got one for a truck he has. 3000 rpm red line. Can't get parts for half of it. They require a special belt housing that is quite strange. Save yourself some heartache. There are alot of engines you could put in that would be worth having but if you think fixing the diesel would be expensive start working on the jimmy. And a Detroit screams there's no such thing as a screaming jimmy.
 
Since you are still at the thinking stage how about a 4BT cummins. I have no facts to back up a swap like this just thought its a simple and solid engine that could be made to work and still be useful as a tractor in the end.
 
This has to be SUPER LOW BUDGET.Need something CHEAP or free(like the V6 in the F12).This tractor wont be a'user'.Just a fun puller and 'parade' tractor.
 
I don't want to get into a pizzin match here, but before there was a Detroit diesel, it was GM diesel. If I remember right Detroit diesel came about in the 60s. Before that it was GM diesel. In 58 the GMC had a GM diesel. Therefore the screaming jimmie.
 
Anything with an old jimmy v6 is tough these days. Im thinking a 4.3 or somthing similar would be better long run. Those engines were ok back in their day but they will really cost you if you are determined enough to keep one going. I always wanted to see one with a 2-53 in it but you're not a 2 stroke guy.
 
Ive been in to a couple of those. They were usally a 4-53 Detroit.
The blower on a Detroit clear up into the 90's in some cases still
said GM diesel on it in some cases at least in military
equipment. You are correct though I was misusing terminology.
I was just meaning a jimmy 305 is a low rpm torque engine and
from my experience I wouldn't say they scream.
 
No harder to make an adapter plate for that vs. anything else! I think it will be cool and you won't see another one. IIRC Norther Auto Parts had some stuff for them. If it ran then you shouldn't need much to make it go.

Hopefully it still has the flywheel and pressure plate. Maybe you can then use an M or SM clutch disk and the M clutch shaft.

It's short and deep and should work awesome! I have two 305's out back and have thought about doing one but I'm currently in a state of project saturation.

I'm sure you've seen photos of this one with the big 12:
http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/AScottWarrington/media/107_zps54d0d6cf.jpg.html
 
But you know what guys, they still make the 2 cycle Detroit Diesel, they make them in the same building where they make the new 4 cycle Detroit Diesels, The US Goverment buys them for the military. Mostly 8V92's and a few bigger ones were sitting there !
 
Yes, GMC had the 305 V6. I have a 1966 GMC Pickup with the V6 305 big block. Low hole 1st gear, 3/4 ton. Very slow engine, lots of torque.

The old GMC dump trucks had two (2) V6 305's in line to make a V12.
 

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