Detroit Diesel DISASTER - How Could this 8v71T 2 Stroke V8 Truck Engine be this BAD?

In this video, I go through a partial tear down of the bottom end of the 8v71 Turbo Supercharged Detroit diesel V8 GM Truck engine before I ask myself the question will it start. What I find truly shocks me. Please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts! Thanks for watching, Bruce.

[@jamesallen712]

Guess somebody started and gave up half way due to lack of parts or cost and just put it back together to pass on. Be interested in seeing you strip and rebuild it back to running Bruce.

[@raygale4198]

That's an engine that has been a 'strip and quote' job and the customer turned down the job. It's normal to just loosely rattle gun it back together so all the parts aren't lost. You will probably find it doesn't have any o rings under the heads either. The oil pump has been off the front as well, the bolts are half screwed out.

[@Golden-dog88]

sounds like you should be giving Bruce a hand fixing the ol girls😂

[@raygale4198]

@@Golden-dog88 I think Brice is based in Queensland, I am about 3,000km away down in Adelaide, South Australia. I used to be able to do it in 2 days driving, would take a bit longer these days. 2 stroke GM mechanics are an endangered species, I ran into one of our apprentices late last year, he's now a grumpy grey haired old bloke as well. 🙂

[@marcjeffery]

Hi Bruce. I love the fact you are so respectful of the engine even though it is knackered. You oil everything up even though there is no chance of it starting and you even take care not to rip the gaskets on the port covers. You also have a very gentle manner about you even though you say it how it is, you do it so calmly. Respect to you and well done for making the content for this channel.

[@richardsloane7983]

Looks like someone else was checking out the bottom end before you they left 1 rod bearing out engine looks good new liners with pistons hot tanked crank check out I rebuild a 6-53 Detroit back in early 80s piston liner kits were $65 a piece back then less then 1k for entire rebuild valve job hot tank cam bearings gasket set crank checked out OK engine was in crab boat in florida oil pressure was dropping at end of season reason for rebuild had many many thousand s of hours on engine 5 crab seasons boss bought boat used 2 stroke Detroit diesel s are tough engines 1 dislike sometimes a injector line would Crack and of course fill oil pan up with diesel fuel which didn't help with oil pressure and bearings sorry to carry on I'm 75 yrs old and this brings back happy times in my life

[@JoeSmith-wd8ks]

Thank you for your experience

[@rogerbrandt6678]

Maybe I’m stupid, but I could never sell something like this without FULL DISCLOSURE. These people DESERVE TO BE OUTTED, SO OTHERS KNOW, ENOUGH OF THIS NICE GUY.

[@frosteone1670]

With that big of piece of a ring in the oil pan there has to be a really damaged piston in there somewhere. That or the heads have been off and at least one piston pulled and a piece of ring left in the oil pan. From the US here and I've rebuilt a few of these Detroit Diesels in my days working in a machine shop. Like your style and awareness when you work on engines.

[@wazza33racer]

boggles the mind how an engine can lose piston rings like that. If you have a good core its still a win......its when you get lots of damage, knackered crank etc that is disappointing.

[@alanlanghorn9528]

That ring was put in there dont think it would come down but maybe

[@walteraddie7925]

I wonder why someone would put it back together like that. They obviously had the pistons out. Weird!

[@no2thenwo737]

It probably was one of those " I'll get to it one day" projects. I have plenty half complete projects at home. Best to order the parts for this engine and get it finished once and for all.

[@jimmeer]

Love your videos Bruce. A lifetime of experience and knowledge and you are so good at explaining

[@dsohn]

Thanks Bruce for sharing. Maybe this was a playtime project for a novice guy, just to look through the inside of an otherwise okay engine with some shattered rings as happens on some models. And then the novice had no funds to get replacement rings; and they did a novice job in re- assembling it - - and without funds for new piston rings, they just put it back together rather sloppily (like a novice) -- - and so assembled it minus the broken piston rings, etc.? Perhaps the previous owner broke the rings, and they just need to be re- installed along with rod bushings and gaskets? Seems more info is needed to determine whether this engine is actually in bad trouble, or actually is salvageable, and could be made to run well again? I am thinking this engine might be salvageable. What if the cylinder heads were pulled, pistons and cylinders examined? Maybe it is just a matter of installing piston rings, bushings and gaskets to get it back to running condition? Best Wishes, David

[@wayneandrus240]

This man is great! He is my favoritte mechanic. I would love to go to Australia and work with him - I would learn very much!

[@johngibson3837]

Like the opening comment of, its a mystery bag, that's name for ozi meat pies, so now to enjoy the video

[@oldamericaniron5767]

Your comment made me chuckle. I’m from the states and when visiting Steve at Steve’s Place Down Under in May we stopped and had some meat pies so I understand what you are saying.😀

[@kellyswoodyard]

With the correct service regime, those old 2 stroke GM engines, will go for ever. Use a zillion gallons of diesel an hour. And send you deaf, the screaming demon.

[@markcandrl6039]

Hello young Bruce from South Africa. Yes this looks like a job someone started and then saved for a rainy day It’s been apart with the intention of getting spares and put together temporarily. Im suspicious they found something catastrophic and backed out. Great channel Pats for woofie 👍🏻👍🏻

[@andrewkeene6594]

Sounds like it's a good one for someone to rebuild

[@kevinbirch7914]

After watching this and I’m not a trained mechanic,( just what I’ve learned over the years and ytube recently) I’d say the piston rings went and it was halfway through a rebuild when either it the guy working on it left or the engine was sold off for “scrap”. Good chance those crank shaft bolts aren’t tight either, shouldn’t be to hard to finish the rebuild, new rings, crank bearings and oil pan, all might be sweet.. 🤔🤔🤷‍♂️👍

[@davidbarnsley8486]

I’m thinking the apprentice put that engine together Bruce It looks to me that it is in very good condition That crank looks like new It needs a pull down get the heads off so we can see the bores You might just need rings and bearings and jobs a good one 👍👍

[@oceanmariner]

Probably somebody opened the engine and decided not to overhaul, so used it as a core motor. I've been running marine Detroits since 1960. My favorite engine.

[@williampankratz600]

Imagining that someone tore it down for rebuild and found a cheaper route and reassembled it for a core Pistons liners rings and bearings would likely get you a good running screaming demon , But that's a couple thousand in parts

[@rogerbrandt6678]

This makes me so MADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD. CROOKS.

[@KlepsGarage]

Gday. How does a top ring get into the oil pan? Definitely a rebuild on that one. I visited QLD In 2018. Allora. Great place on the downs. What part are you in. Good video. We don’t much like Detroits. In the states anymore.

[@zonie1953]

FM on the bearings prolly means Federal Mogul manufactured . Yea , No way that engine would run the way it is. If it could only talk to tell its story Bruce. I know what you say about glasses mate, I just gave up and keep them on all the time now. Thanks for the video Bruce , always good to see you and Jax. I'm hoping to see you tackle that VW pump engine soon . I'm sure it has story also . Best Regards , Scott 🌵

[@davidaobrien1783]

its a detroit motor,put some oil in the sump, fire it up ,it"ll run!!

[@charlesallanstewart-kl2op]

Oh what a shame, when I saw the half ring , l was hoping it was the piece leftover from the rebuild, l thought wow you may be in luck , lol ,sadly it wasn't to be, don't know how much work it would need & how much it's gonna cost sadly , a good effort bruce , until the next episode 🙄😮😮😮😮😁😁

[@dinosshed]

It's been pulled apart and checked then loosely put back together. The rebuild cost was not welcomed and has sat ever since. Hone the cylinder, replace the ring pack, bearings and o rings for the head. It won't be 100% but it should run.

[@mjm7187]

Maybe someone had the plan to rebuild the engine but backed off with parts cost. Rather than have a basket case, reassemble without rings and sell as a complete engine. That's my take.

[@owenvinall9970]

Hi Bruce again, Thanks for the followup video. I didn't notice you are also from Australia oops on my part. Please keep the video's coming I'm subscribed and in S.A. in the hills. It's a busy time here at this time of the year. Mowing Slashing fencing chainsawing are almost daily tasks here let alone all the other chores required on an extra large block. I had to wear glasses from around grade 5 onwards could barely see the blackboard let alone read it. There is one positive its a crude but better than nothing ear protection device kind of. Regards Owen Vk5kov

[@Alex462047]

I suppose it's one of those things, if you need the engine, you can pull the pistons out and look at doing the pistons and liners, but it's probably more expense than a scrapyard special with no commercial use is worth. It was pretty interesting, nonetheless.

[@chrisbailey459]

Time for the micrometer to measure the crank,heads off new rings and bearings (maybe liner or two and your away ?? !! Regards Chris

[@thisnthat3530]

did someone have the crank ground then put standard sized bearings in it? It didn't look like the bolts were loose enough to create all that play.

[@Mercmad]

I bet the ring issue was caused by the over use of 'Start ya bastard.' The more they used it to try and start the engine,the more the rings got hammered by the preignition .And looking at the carbon in the ring grooves,it probably clocked a few hours like that before eventually stopping through lack of compression. Imagine facing a hill with a load with that poor bugger?

[@richardw.foxhall3392]

The former owner "knew a guy" who could fix anything(but DETROITS) He got as far as checking the bearings and saw how easily the pistons moved... told the owner to scrap it, never fully re assembling it. It gets shoved around the shed till you folk show up. sounds plausible to me. Hey Bruce you can't fix STUPID, LAZY, or misinformed. Good work on your part, Puppy Paw Waves always enjoyed.

[@marcushaynes843]

Detroit diesels in down under? I didn't know they're popular down there. Greetings from the U.S.

[@vicbittertoo]

we LOVE them here :)

[@jlo13800]

Some folks have the Nisaan UD 2 strokes there.

[@jblob5764]

​@@jlo13800 Never heard of it 🧐

[@andyharvey608]

That suddenly became a much bigger job, no shame in flagging it as it stands.

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

The pistons are scored up. It needs bearings and cylinder kits. What did the valve train look like? Were the injectors missing? Thanks!

[@damienodonohue1327]

Great video Bruce, low stress, it's a blower not a supercharger 👍

[@DavidSchumann-z9u]

Hi Bruce, good video's you should remove the air box covers to inspect the rings,

[@davestark2015]

The heads been off piston were pulled somebody walked away

[@gordonagent7037]

The plot thickens Bruce, looks like someone had a squise in there at sometime with intentions to come back to it but then for whatever reason never got around to it. Let’s hope the top end is salvageable. Great video young fella, yeah getting older sometimes is a bitch but thems the breaks

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

Looks like that engine has had a hissy fit, someone has been poking around to have a gander and said, thanks, but no thanks to fixing it up, and put in the too hard basket. It appears that the engine has seen a lot of hard work, pity the hour meter wasn't still attached, be interesting to see what hours it has clocked up. In the end, it is a total strip down and rebuild project Bruce...

[@simonblackwell4273]

Poor old girl, please fix her

[@JoeSmith-wd8ks]

I hope you don’t scrap that engine , rebuild kits are not too expensive , liners , bearings, pistons ect . There’s some good parts in that engine , crank looks okay , someone might need it . I have one of these in a big terex loader and a couple of non turbo engines in Green dozers , they’re great reliable engines .

[@trucker447]

Great video Bruce!! I like the channel and will keep watching when i have time. my international eagle has a 1989 12.7 cranked up to 490 hp with bigger injectors and bigger turbo. nice to see older iron.

[@mischef18]

Just guessing here but do you think there was a reason it was stuffed in the back of his shed, defiantly not run when parked I would say, made for good viewing though. Safe travels Ken.

[@HOTTERTHEBETTER]

Bruce, what possible reason would someone take 1/2 a bearing out then put the cap back on...?

[@chriscorrigan7420]

You get something like this come in, you do a partial autopsy on it and you DON'T put it back together and sell it off. If someone want's it they can see the damage and take it for what it is. That way you can sleep at night knowing you didn't rip it into some poor soul. I've seen it with boats and outboard's. When you look at a motor next time Bruce, if you can put a socket and bar on the crank and just rock it back and forward you'll hear the slap or knock.

[@EricaMTB]

Someone's had the pistons and rods out and removed the rings. Looks like they gave up on a rebuild.

[@matrix54190]

You will have quite a lot of work on this old engine⚙️🔧👨🏼‍🔧. Merci for your comments😉👍👍. 👋🥖🇫🇷

[@earlycuyler8719]

The one thing about these engines is that if they’re not burning oil they are not running right. They would chug on forever as long as you had plenty of oil.

[@shaneellasdaicastrestorati3675]

I wonder if it's been a spare parts engine? Any witness marks on the head bolts , anyway another interesting video

[@nsjguitarsakascotsman6989]

You'll need a forklift to put that on some loose paper Bruce! Cheers from Scotland

[@AlanKinninmonth]

Could be saved. If you really need it .

[@outbacknomad9939]

I'd love you to pull the heads off .possibly a good rebuilder

[@jackiesure8865]

Hi

[@lancegriffiths2398]

Good video Bruce.. always entertaining. Cheers

[@TheSeastar19]

I think the old boys that owned it before pulled a piston or 2 out already and that's how the ring ended up in the sump, also that explains the other missing rings not sure why they abandoned it and slapped the old girl roughly back together, though maybe they just wanted to put another brand engine back in it's place. I agree with others here and those heads need to come off next, then maybe go and buy yourself a rebuild kit, and who knows you might even end up with a good old banger there again.

[@kensutherland414]

Pull the rear main cap. If it falls out or comes out easy the block is shagged anyway.

[@zonie1953]

We'll have to see how this one goes !

[@johngibson3837]

Hey up mate take the heads off to find out the truth it dont cost, pats to that little fella

[@rogerhector5885]

proabably someone took the parts out for something else and put the junk back in that engine

[@kerrygleeson4409]

Amazing it mite live again with some care thanks for sharing Bruce 🦘

[@junebrooks665]

this is the second vidioe ive watched of you on a diesel engine and really enjoyed your talk over to fantastic show

[@ChrisKayeMeurer]

Great video Bruce

[@brianshields7137]

Hello Bruce, a sick screaming demon , what state are you in

[@kensutherland414]

Thanks for the video cobber, going to check out your other videos, good job.

[@mjmcomputers]

That one is quite the mystery.

[@MrDevilscreek]

Bruce, great video, it would be a awesome engine to rebuild

[@johnnicholls8721]

What about a rebuild episode or part episodes?

[@michaelfoort2592]

New liners, rings and bearings

[@davechristensen2493]

that was fun to watch. thanks.

[@jamesbailey7785]

Awesome and "rare" find? Was this some shyster flipping trouble? Can't wait to see Part 2. Tom

[@thefirstcalled]

Thank you!

[@kenhoward-h9e]

It looks like they put standard bearings in, on a crank that has been rebuilt. If they rebuilt the block and put standard rings on the pistons that would explain why the pistons slide so easy. They probably rebuilt the engine just to find out that it wouldn't start. So they dropped the pan and found the problem and decided to scrap the engine. I would tear it down and mike everything and get the right bearings and rings. That could be a brand new rebuilt engine.

[@brockmitchell3989]

I'd love to see this engine fully rebuilt and running again. I know it isn't cheap to do a project like this, but man would it be satisfying.

[@gmarshall1026]

Good on you Bruce

[@davestark2015]

Sell the crank

[@reuben9213]

Bruce , You don't know what problems are till you open them up . Still a good video .

[@davestark2015]

Yes please. Pull it out. Great episode !!!!!

[@davestark2015]

Lol wrong episode but do like this channel

[@alekjuskevice]

Beautiful engine. To ad that it cannot be utilized by someone, in something.

[@dougbadcock7206]

how the hell dig those rings get to the sump🥵

[@andrewking4885]

Because they glazed it up inside. The rings get stuck and will gradually expand but with chunky bits of carbon on them and then just get sheared off with the piston travel.

[@fredfarnackle5455]

I don't know about V8 diesels but I once had a twin cylinder Norton motorcycle that sounded a bit ominous after a flat-out run so I took the heads off. I was perplexed at what I saw - the tops of both pistons and the insides of the heads looked like they had been attacked with a chipping hammer! Took the barrel off to discover no rings on either piston! 😱What the??? Then I remembered that the silencers had rattled when I took them off, so tipped them up and a pile of broken rings fell out! True story. Got the barrel rebored, new pistons and rings and after a valve regrind it was a ruuner again. Never would have thought it.🤔

[@kurtolsson9557]

Det ser ut att vara cross head piston ( pendelkovar)

[@ianatkinson8464]

😎👍

[@larrybolhuis1049]

"That would have been rattling pretty bad." However it's a 2-cycle Detroit, so with all the noise those things make, you'll still never hear it!! LOL!

[@ShaneTLong]

I hope you didnt pay for this one mate..

[@scrotiemcboogerballs1981]

I seen a 8-71 that still ran it was smoking and pressuring the water system and when we took it apart one piston was cracked in half but still on the rod and both heads were cracked between the valves on every cylinder