Detroit Diesel question

JBMac76 · Dec 13, 2009

Morning All,

We tried to manufacture a tracked vehicle years ago for spraying wet areas in Right-of-ways. It never worked out so we are parting it out. Heres my question: It is powered by some sort of Detroit diesel. I don"t know much about them. I don"t know how many cylinders it is, I dont see any injectors? I know that they are 2 stroke? Any suggestions on locating a model # on it, all I can find is casting numbers. It is attached to a large hydrualic pump. I"ll try to post pictures tommorrow, maybe one of you guys could find a use for it!

JDH · Dec 13, 2009

Is it inline or V set up? The injectors are under the valve cover on all the 2 strokes. The inlines were 53 and 71 series. The 71 series had inspection plates on every cylinder on the block, the 53 series did not.

JDemaris · Dec 13, 2009

If it's a Detroit two-stroke-cycle diesel, each cylinder has it's own injection pump with built-in injector. All hidden under the valve cover. And there is a supercharger/blower bolted to the side of an inline engine.

Most in-lines used in equipment like that are 53 or 71 series. The number is the cubic inch size of each cylinder. A 3-53 is a three cylinder engine that is 159 c.i. in total.

It is the oldest diesel engine design in the world and was invented years before Rudolph Diesel invented his.

JBMac76 · Dec 13, 2009

Yes, I should have mentioned that, it is in inline with a very wide valve cover. Thanks for the help, like I said, I'll post some pictures tommorrow, I bet maybe you guys can ID it just from looking. What's your thoughts on value? Maybe I should keep it and make a standby generator out of it. I hear they are pretty loud though!

JDemaris · Dec 13, 2009

Great engines but were also very common and cheap in the past. Now, I don't know? Especially the big ones that got pulled out of over-the-road tractors. Farm next to me has a stack of them. He uses one to power his saw-mill. All V engines.

The Detroit powered electric generator sets are still for sale in many places as "factory rebuilt" and are priced reasonble. 12KW, 17KW, or 20KW often sells for around $2500-$3000 and runs at a slow 1100 RPM which is pretty amazing. They are very fuel efficient and long lasting.

They were orginally used to run refrigerators in railroad cars.

I've got an Allis Chalmers dozer HD5 with a 71 engine and a huge Pettibone backhoe/loader with a 53. Both great engines. I used to have small Deere crawler with a 2-53 and sold it. Wish now I'd kept it.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 13, 2009

All you have to do is count the ports on the exhaust manifold to tell you how many cylinders, that gives you the first part of the description then look at the valve cover, if it has big knobs in the center its a 71 series if it has bolts along the perimeter its a 53, Im having a blonde/gray moment on the 92's but most of those were bigger than you probably used..hope this helps...OCG

buickanddeere · Dec 13, 2009

There should be some info stamped in the block or on a serial number plate. Locate don the upper right side of the block towards the rear.

Detroit Diesel question

JBMac76

Member

JDH

Member

JDemaris

Well-known Member

JBMac76

Member

JDemaris

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

buickanddeere

Well-known Member

Similar threads