Re: O/T fuel milage (towing)

Posted by Wardner on July 28, 2005 at 20:30:32 from (4.154.242.7):

In Reply to: O/T fuel milage (towing) posted by Nebraska Cowman on July 28, 2005 at 17:36:07:

I did what you are contemplating back in the '60s. I took a '47 KB-5 International and replaced the flathead six with a 4-53 120 hp Detroit. It is a head turner and a fun, yet noisy, truck. It would have made quite an impression at the RPRU with a M loaded on it.

I had to change the rear end, tranny, steering box, driveshaft, and reform the firewall. It never weighed less 12,000 lbs and spent half its road miles at around 20,000 lbs. I used it until 1980 when I bought a new tandem axel S1954 Navistar. Still own both trucks.

The KB-5 gained 42 hp and was a big improvement over the stock 78 hp. I suspect fuel milage increased substantially but that was never a concern as I was buying bulk diesel for less than 20 cents a gallon. The biggest advantage of having the diesel conversion was storing my own fuel and completely avoiding the '70s fuel crisises.

Now that I am older, I would never go to the trouble of building another truck. There is a huge inventory and impressive selection of used trucks on the market. Your time is better spent making money than spending it on something that may not be any better than something you could find in the classifieds. And I say that even while I have half a dozen DDs around here. Anybody need a new 4-71T or a rebuilt 12v-71?

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