My Detroit Diesel powered 61 K20 project!!

[padresag]

By rondavid at 2010-12-17

By rondavid at 2010-12-17

By rondavid at 2009-03-04
1st pic is my 64. the whole body was rotten. there is suburban body going on
2nd pic is when I am taking the honda out
3rd pic is trying the 67 4 x 4 eng crossmember for the 283 that is going back in. couldn't find a set of stock 4 x 4 frame perches(looked for years). that eng crossmember will stiffen up that area . there is really not much in the frt of these trucks other than the small member under the rad. I was going to remove the bellhousing crossmember as the trans is rear mounted but am going to put it back in as it adds support at the back end of the frt springs. have a t5 in behind the 283 and still with the indendent 205 t/c. if the t5 doesn't hold up ,I will either go to a tremec version or 700r4 which I have for it
the winch bumper is gone and the bumper horns have been replaced and have an orig chrome bumper and grill for it
ron

[Dieselwrencher]

Very cool.

[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.

[thirdstreettito]

Updates?

[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!

[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.

[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.

[thirdstreettito]

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

[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.

[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.

[thirdstreettito]

Thank you for your service!

Hoorah!

[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!

[Monty]

i was working at LRC then. it was fun to get a variety of stuff to work on though. besides the locomotive shop, we worked on every thing from 70 yard dragline buckets to windmill generators.