$250 Two Stroke Detroit Diesel Sitting 6+ years, WILL IT RUN!?!?

[@fkyew]

I used to work for Detroit Diesel when I was a younger man. The 71 engines were (in my opinion) sweet engines to work on. We built standby gen sets for home and hospitals and irrigation pumps for agriculture use. The 71's were damn near bullet proof and dependable powerplants. I sure do miss those things. You got a hell of a deal for 250 bucks. Even if I had no use for one, I'd snatch it up at that price. It was nice to see it come to life again. I'll dedicate a few cold ones to you. Thanks!

[@brustdiesel]

I have a 6-71, and a 3-53. No idea what I will use them for, but man they sound sweet!

[@rp1645]

I own a 8V-71 in my 1971 SeaGrave Fire Engine and have a 353 in my 1978 Dynahoe-190 Backhoe. That has almost (9000) hours on the meter.

[@316tomiller]

Sadly, that was over fifty years ago, when a dollar had a much greater value. Still, it was really good value for money.even in those days..

[@lloydparrish930]

Be a fine power unit for a sawmill

[@markgamble8377]

Have a 353 in a dynahoe backhoe.its turn key.

[@slicksiderepairllc2822]

You’ve came a long ways Matt. You’ve gone from beating battery connections on with a club to beating them on with a club indoors lol nice work 🤘

[@wmweekendwarrior1166]

😂😂😂

[@friedtomatoes4946]

Wait that's not how you attach battery connections????? I've been doing that for years

[@christopherweise438]

@@friedtomatoes4946 - Doesn't work quite as well on side posts....but it can be done. Don't ask me how i know that.

[@slicksiderepairllc2822]

@@christopherweise438 that’s funny 😂

[@maximilianrockefeller8854]

Comment of 2023 nomination right here I can't stop laughing 🤣

[@seagrave7336]

I used to privately own a 1973 Seagrave Fire Engine with a 6-71 Detroit. Those engines are pretty much indestructible. There are two shut off mechanisms. First is normal which shuts off the fuel, and an emergency shut off if the engine "runs away" which is a damper which shuts off the air. Several truisms about the "Screaming Jimmys". They love high RPMs so drive them like you stole it, if it leaks oil, then you know it ok, they are famous for leaks, the sound, as you mentioned is one of a kind. When you got it running that purr is unmistakable. Finally, General Dwight Eisenhower attributed the "Higgins Boat" Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) with winning World War II. They were powered with the early Marine Version (Gray Marine) of the Detroit 6-71.

[@vvdvlas8397]

Яке задоволення та радість, коли старий двигун починає працювати! What a joy it is when the old engine starts to run!

[@warrengerhard1710]

I was in the U.S.Coast Guard in 1972 and all our 30 foot rescue boats had these 671's They were very dependable and powerful work horse engines. That was 50 plus years ago..!! Great Video Thankx lots!!

[@jlo13800]

A high performance 2 stroke here, run klotz 2 stroke oil

[@jlo13800]

Polaris 850 patriot boost is tge new jimmy

[@jamesortiz5388]

I trained with the CG 43 years ago I wonder if they were using them. They saw me on a fishing boat on the Bearing Sea and were shouting my name. The fis6crew were asking how they knew my name I denied everything. 😆

[@bnkwupt]

When the rack sticks, it is actually a run-away. The governor can’t control engine speed if the injectors are at full fuel. The only thing controlling speed at that point is valve float. Also, as others have said, multiweight oil is the wrong oil for 2-stroke Detroit Diesels. Delo 100 straight 40 weight oil is the stuff to use due to its very low ash content, among other things.

[@tomhartig4247]

30+yrs crane and equipment mechanic. Love DDA. Wait till a 12-71 takes off I was on top laying on the valve cover tried to trip the 2flapper valves on the blowers!

[@dirtfarmer7472]

@@tomhartig4247 Did your pants need to be changed afterwards

[@gravelydon7072]

@@tomhartig4247 Our 12V71s had only one damper valve. When it closed it would CLANG! Unless you have an emergency, you do not want to trip them as at overspeed rates they can suck the seals out of the blowers. Then the next time you could really have a runaway as the oil from the blowers would act as fuel.

[@budlvr]

If I'm not mistaken, at the 12 minute mark of THIS VIDEO, the 1st filmed and published project of Diesel Creek, entered, THE DREAM SHOP ! Man I've been waiting for this a loooooooooong time ! A fine coating of Detroit Diesel smoke for the walls in The Dream Shop; Just lookat the haze in there; AWESOME ! Great video Matt; I can't wait for the next chapter! Almost 3000 comments in I don't think you'll ever even read this, but I had to say it!

[@wes3428]

And well christened with exhaust smoke/soot. Hopefully the shop needs no more painting don't think the paint will stick too well anymore.. :-)

[@adwenb]

These were used for standby gensets in the ATT microwave towers from the 1960’s through today. Had 2 cylinder, 3 cylinder and V-12 marine motors.

[@jamesgrubbs6496]

Matt. Galvanic corrosion can form in a heat xchanger when there is a potential between two dissimilar metals in a liquid envionment. Prevented by using a sacrificial anode. Changed at least annually. Zinc is often used. They form little rust domes that are hollow and when broken open reveal shiny metal. Learned about it when I operated Nuclear Power Plants in the Navy in the 70`s

[@gravelydon7072]

We had both rods in the heat exchanger and plates in the Nalcool filters. Both were made of Zinc. The rods were for the raw water and the filters were for the closed loop.

[@jlo13800]

This is not a problem on the Detroit 2 stroke which are made if ultra hardened steel components!

[@gravelydon7072]

I forgot to add, we did not change ours yearly. We did pull them out and run them over a wire wheel. Stuck them back in all nice and bright till the next year. Rinse and repeat until the 1/2" diameter anode was down to 1/4" and then replace. In the 18 + years I was there and the 24 years that the engines had been in use, we never had a heat exchanger leak.

[@alco4248]

The fuel coming out of the exhaust is called wet stacking. It's usually caused by idling a diesel for extended periods of time, or running it under little to no load for long periods.

[@mrt601]

It a high RPM engine and needs to be treated as such back in the day we called them screaming maniacs the city trash trucks used them and you could hear them coming from a mile away

[@Darkrif1957]

spot on

[@stephenpinson2360]

I used to work at a DD shop, whenever I'd rebuild a Detroit engine and the owner of the engine came to pick it up they would ask about the break in time as for how to run it. I'd tell them run it like your trying to blow it up. You have to run them hard to get the rings to seat.

[@ronaldballard9787]

I drove a 75 gmc with a 671 Detroit all over the northeast. It was so good to hear that characteristic 671 bawing away again after all these years !

[@m35a2ww]

Matt, the cooling system is set up for "unlimited " cooling, like a boat. The tank up front is a heat exchanger that would have seawater if it were a boat, and city water in this case as a fire pump. The exhaust is also water cooled using the coolant for the engine. As for your drive system, maybe look into a drop box style allison transmission that were used in articulated loaders. Disneyland uses this type of trans in the tow vehicles for the monorail, they cut them androtated the drop 90 degrees so the drive shaft runs next to the engine.

[@oldmanx1234]

I had a keel cooler on my boat. Fresh water only.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

was about to say, it's quite common for engines used to power water wells to be cooled by the well water through a heat exchanger. Since this was used to push water it makes sense to build it that way

[@bballer182ify]

More than likely not a remote radiator. Used the water from the holding tank to run through the heat exchanger. Basically unlimited cooling until the holding tank runs dry.

[@DavidGeppertRecycling]

Forgot about that old Allison trans, had one behind a 3-53 in an old Pettibone Super 8 years ago

[@drcovell]

Had some Detroits in the past, fixed units and trucks, 3-71, 6-71, 12-71. Among those, an oil drain on the 12-71 350K generator wasn’t necessary-if both leaked and slobbered (when it wasn’t under load). My favorite (Detroit) story was when a rubber fuel line connecting the return back to the tank split during operation at night. (Whole trailer was as filled with hot diesel mist-an explosive situation!) I had to go up into the trailer and find this spurting leak, getting *totally* soaked in hot diesel. No real tools tools or parts handy, so I used a flathead screwdriver and two hose clamps and the shaft of a *Bic pen* in lieu of copper to span the gap where I had to out the leak. It started and ran without leaks so went to the washing station to clean off. I had blisters bubbling up in my body from being soaked with hit diesel. A 100% true story! The shit we do when we are young and stupid! 😅

[@gravelydon7072]

Wait till you have one of the internal to the head fuel lines break. The increase in oil level will shoot the dipstick across the room. And take 4 oil changes to get the smell out of the oil. Our fuel lines were very short. From a ball valve to the filter which was less that 12" away. And from the block to the return ball valve. And we used Aeroquip 300 hose for that. The rest of our fuel lines were welded steel pipe. DD factory certified on the 71 series in 1988.

[@jlo13800]

Run the best synthetic 2 stroke oil in here, I’m running BRP XD-100 in my 8v92 2 stroke and she loves it

[@printolive955]

When you set the rack make sure buffer spring is backed off

[@andrewking4885]

@@gravelydon7072 How do you break the internal fuel lines ? Are'nt they rifle drilled

[@gravelydon7072]

@@andrewking4885 There are short fuel lines that go from the fuel rails ( what you are thinking of ) to the unit injectors. One in and one out. They are internal to the valve covers. As they are steel lines, over time they can crack. When one does, it floods the crankcase with Diesel fuel and can cause the dipstick to be shot across the engine room.

[@DancerOfClouds]

I just love the sound of those old Detroits. Sounds so much like the 6V53 that we had in one of our farm trucks years ago. The 2 strokes have a sound that just resonates power. I will never grow tired of hearing them. What is nicer than working on a Detroit, working in your brand new Shop. You have done good Matt

[@gravelydon7072]

I hear them on irrigation rigs here and that will do for me. I listened to 12V71s and 6-71s at work for 17+ years at work. 108db of sound anywhere in the engine room and up to 118 right next to the engine a 1800 RPM. And also often slept next to one when running on a cold night at work ( 2 hours out of 12). Miss a single beat and instantly awake.

[@lancejohnson16]

I was the deputy chief of my volunteer fire dept and we had a 1978 American LaFrance pumper with a 671. You could hear that thing across town, it was awesome, so reminiscent to hear that running. Nothing like an old Detroit! To hear it pumping water at a barn fire was like nothing else.

[@westaussie2006]

Aren't they just the most glorious sound ever. I lived in a converted Greyhound bus, did a bi of traveling but always knew that "press the button and go". Mine was a 671, cried when I sold it but age caught up and I believe it is still going 10 years. Lovely to hear.

[@Romans--bo7br]

@westaussie2006...... it must have been a "4104" with the 6-71 in it. Always loved the style of the 4104 and of course the big 4501 "Super Scenicruiser" with the 8-71.... but both of them with them darn 4 speed transmissions, were a complete mismatch with the engines torque curve.

[@brentmcmahon8188]

They might sound great to you. When you had a 328 twin stacks and the exhaust came out just above the door windows and after 10-15 hrs a day you would have to go to the bar at the motels we stayed at . You would have to drink a 6 pack just to get that pinging screaming motor out of your head just for you could go to sleep at nite. When all of our new trucks had AC and the moved the exhaust down on the ground so it would oil down our new cars and trucks and it was the best up grade and it was like nite and day.

[@brentmcmahon8188]

318 not 328

[@dingdong2103]

Matt should do a co-op with bus grease monkey, he's a specialist on Detroit diesels...

[@danielkresha2228]

Absolutely! Nothing sounds as comforting (to me lol) as a 2 stroke diesel! Love it!

[@davidlabar6688]

Started my life on my grandfather's boat with 2 6-71 s and I learned from the best. They are one of the best engines ever.

[@thomasstrickland0]

And suddenly Matt realized he needed an exhaust system for the shop. Glad to see you get it running.

[@craigperry7376]

Your brain Matt never ceases to amaze me. I look forward to your project start & progress. Cheers 🍻

[@michaelmcneil4959]

@@craigperry7376 If you have some large box-stores locally or a timber mill, converting trees to lumber; you have a source of free fuel that could service your garage and home once you re-connect your water supply system. Packaging from supermarkets costs money to dispose of and tends to get shunted out into the rain, especially during holiday seasons; Bark and off-cuts from timber-yards is generally soaking wet to start with... So you need a second hand turbine or some sort of a jet engine to dry it but is should fit nicely between your exhaust and your fire-place which is going to need an hard-pad for the woodchipper-cardboard shredder/diesel-creek/forge. (If you still have your creek you should dig some sort of a sump to plant willows to supply geese, venison and saplings in the winter and a reservoir/fish pond to deal with your run-off. A fish farm operation might appeal to your neighbours, especially with ex-warm water?)

[@rogerbeck3018]

the donk can drive the ventilation !

[@mikesmith8952]

I remember back awhile when Matt mentioned he was going to install an Exhaust fan or two, three but then Life and more fun 😉 projects keep popping up. 😂 One day Matt will be in the right state of mind and get er Done, as they say.. 😊❤

[@rileydj8764]

What a glorious sound!!! I had 4 of those in my boat in the Navy in the 70s. (LCM-8, 4 engines into two shafts ) loved them!!! The blower flapper was a normally open emergency only item. We always started unknown (or rebuilt) engines with the valve cover off and vise grips on the rack, just in case.

[@naturalorang3]

The small cooler is probably small heat exchanger. The other hoses probably tapped off the water supply for the fire suppression system to supply cooling rather than being air cooled.

[@claytonsambola1856]

It is a heat exchanger. They are very common in marine applications. I’m guessing they had it plumbed into the water supply and cooled the engine that way.

[@harrycave6309]

Yeah totally a liquid to liquid heat exchanger set up had a genset i bought from a water company it was used for back up in a water pumping station and it had 2 heat exchangers like that that would use the water from the pumping station to cool the engine pretty neat i think

[@rockerbuttons25]

This is how the fire pump at my plant is set up. If you run it without pumping water it will overheat.

[@william4all]

You are correct, I build fire pumps at Cummins.

[@Meow2024.]

Exactly

[@nighttrainist]

There IS something about the sound of a 71 series! Once those injectors were squinting fuel, it proved that it only had a handful of hours under its belt. Getting a basically brand new engine for $250 (plus shop supplies) should be a win in anybody's book.

[@dalethornton1113]

Straight 40W is what I run in my 8-71 bus engine. I like Rotella too but I've always stuck with that they recommend, the straight 40 weight. It's readily available.

[@Dave-ty2qp]

This is your shop, these are your projects, and we are just on board to watch and appreciate what you are doing. It is a pleasure to see a man doing what he damn well pleases with his stuff. LOL

[@Gaming_with_samington]

Lol

[@316tomiller]

The 6-71 "Screaming Jimmy" was a regular workhorse after the second world war. They were used during the war as tank engine in a left /right pair configuration. They were available in original grease as a pair from Army Surplus in Canada at $500 for the pair. Most small oil and gas drilling rigs of the day had two pairs of Jimmy's on the draw works and another pair driving the mud pump. They copped abuse and zero maintenance but seemed to last for ever. They usually ended their days by seizing a big end bearing , and throwing a connecting rod through the side of the crank case while pulling pipe from the bottom of the hole

[@jlo13800]

Polaris 850 patriot boost turbo jimmy

[@cjblais]

I'm sure someone else has spoken up in the comments but these old Detroit motors are meant to run of an SAE 40 weight oil, they can be damaged by the newer oils with additives. Keep up the good work its awesome to see this old iron come back to life and be used.

[@Datsun280zeeee]

Yup I was just going to say this. I love Rotella oil but it does not belong in 2 stroke Detroits.

[@rustybracewell4424]

@@Datsun280zeeee makes two of us who were going to memtion this.

[@milantrcka121]

Please enlighten us who are not DD experts: Can be damaged or Will be damaged? What is the probability? Why would new oil with additives damage the engine? No sludge to stir up with detergents. Reaction with metallic components? Soot/carbon?

[@damienmccormack2789]

Not a problem in a stationary application. The issue with DD 2 strokes is that you get a bit of fuel contamination which breaks down the additives and can cause sludging leading to oil starvation. You combat this with more regular oil changes. Base oil is fine with contamination because there's nothing to react with the diesel. Modern oil will be fine if not better if changed regularly.

[@mjpbase1]

My thought was that the engine is barely past its breakin period. Too soon for synthetics.

[@edgarkeck3010]

Matt, That engine uses straight 40 weight. Had them on several boats that I operated. If taken care of properly, they will run seemingly forever. Nice buy!

[@mattwilliams2709]

I'm surprised he didn't know that. It killed me when he said what he was pouring in.

[@cliffpalermo]

Yeussss

[@jesperwall839]

The Rotella is probably better in all ways possible than old straight oil. The difference between is only that this oil has a lower viscosity at low temperatures (15W).

[@robertneumann7782]

​@@jesperwall839 km

[@jcurtis4082]

@@jesperwall839 Except for the sulfated ash requirement. Which will cause problems.

[@bob-gj6mv]

I believe the black oil you see in the exhaust is a condition called wet stacking I worked with several Detroit Diesel engines like the one you have and had that problem with the low hour units the best way to deal with it is to run them under a load like they were meant to run

[@ridgefieldjohn9041]

Idle time is bad for diesels they need to work at or near compacity to burn off oil blow by. . Check your airbox drains its common to have a steady drip when running. Wear your ear protection or you won't hear well ask how I know! There is a reason they called them screaming jimmys! Not oil or fuel efficient.

[@TheCheffydave]

Wonderful video Matt❤

[@PedigreeMongrel]

Yeah could be just diesel slobber it needs putting to work old engines like tractor or generator type were made for being under heavier loads it needs breaking in bet those pistons are barely bedded plus light weight oils aren’t the best for those engines even if they haven’t got many hours rotella sae40 or the dd40 heavy duty. Could probably run a decent size hydraulic system or something with it

[@Porty1119]

​@@ridgefieldjohn9041 They're exceedingly efficient at converting fuel to noise. That's the only time "Detroit" (at least the old 2-strokes) and "efficient" should be used in the same sentence.

[@gravelydon7072]

@@Porty1119 Hey now. If tuned right they weren't all that bad on fuel. We ran a two ft head on our pumps ( 8' diameter axivane prop ) and ran a 12V71 at 1800 RPM burning 9 gallons of fuel per hour. Rated emergency load was a 4' head at 19 gallons per hour per Corps of Engineers specs.

[@cleanpowerelectric]

Brings back fond memories of the 1962 Detroit 453 that was in my boat. They’re loud, but so reliable.

[@Gaming_with_samington]

Nice

[@TheMrDarius]

They didn’t make as much power as the other engines out there but boy once you fired up a two stroke Detroit, it just wouldn’t die unless it ran away or ran out of fuel, whichever came first lol.

[@gravelydon7072]

Replaced a worn out 4-71 with a high speed 4-53 at work. At idle it was quieter than the 4-71. But when you opened it up under load it got loud, real loud. The pump put the maximum load on it and kept the RPM at 1900 RPM. No load maximum speed was 3005 RPM.

[@speeddemon4484]

If you get the remote setup on it working, you could probably set it up to run a fairly large compressor for you. If the PTO is electric, all you would have to do is build a small cabinet inside the building and set the motor skid on a pad out behind the shop, and then use the high pressure cutout from the compressor control the PTO on the motor. The same setup would work for a 3 phase generator or even a water pump to give you pressurized water at the shop + whatever other buildings you wanted to put out there.

[@classicautorepair2100]

That engine has a closed marine heat exchanger with antifreeze in it that is cooled by the water it is pumping. Would have run extremely cool. That is basically a brand new 6-71 Detroit. Nice find.

[@langdons2848]

Thanks for explaining that. When Matt was inspecting it I thought that was the probably how it worked. It's the logical solution for a water pump.

[@GeoHvl]

I was stationed aboard a Guided Missile Cruiser while in the US Navy. We had 4 of these 2 for emergency ship power and the others for emergency firefighting water. These four engines used seawater for cooling. Each had an oiling system with an external sump, oil pumps, and filters. They ran on the boiler fuel that the ship's power plant used. The ship had 1200 PSI steam pressure, which used a high-grade boiler fuel.

[@jlo13800]

Running a high performance 2 stroke with a cooling system, and 2 stroke don’t need oil pressure till running, my YZ-250 engine makes 45 psi at 40:1

[@actionman862]

The secret to the oil filter gaskets is to pre-stretch the hell out of them before you fit them. That way they are pressed tight against the outside rim and can't sneak out of place. Love your work!

[@richardfrey3716]

Having Trained on 6-71 Detroit in the Army in 1953 that was the "Go Too" Engine in WWII "Clean Air & Clean Fuel with plenty of Oil and they would run for ever" !!!!.....Popular as the GM 350 Ci of the 60's ...Because they were reliable

[@kevinknight470]

Great buy Matt, I'm not a whiner but be very careful around a moving power shaft, have seen some horrifying accidents that changed lives. Another comment was made about the smoke from the engine, find a way to get that stuff out of your shop. Great video, thanx for sharing.😃

[@amadeo_serrano]

6:09 Many moons ago, the company I was working for had 6-71 powering a 600 CFM Chicago Pneumatic compressor. One of my first jobs (and nearly the last) with that company was to drop the cast iron oil pan and evaluate the internal lower-end condition. What a beast to work on!

[@chuckwhitfield9761]

Matt, I'm not a gear head and have no experience working on machinery. But I enjoy watching you mess around with equipment and trouble shooting. I'm amazed at how you bring things back to life and make it functional. Diesel engines are fascinating.

[@jamesortiz5388]

I learned how to clean the air filter cans out and how to bleed the fuel lines and wait for the glow plugs to warm up other than those things I no nothing about diesel engines.

[@jacobnelson9054]

7:55 The box on the front that you’re looking at is a heat exchanger. The 8v72 fire pump that we have at work has a very very similar setup. It pulls water directly from a man made pond with 550,000 gallons in it at all times. The 200gal fuel tank will run dry before the pond does. Love the videos btw. Keep it up 👍

[@grantalbertson5053]

Thank you Matt that brought back a lot of memories. My family was in the road construction business and we had 671 Detroit and all of our dozers scrapers motor graters my dad and my uncle like the 671 because they were so easy to work on and they could fix them themselves, my dad always said it was like working on a motorcycle engine

[@thomasgriffiths7761]

I was in navy 1966-1970 Went through several grey marine schools The Detroit Diesel was called Grey Marine in the Navy Worked on many of the 3,4,6 and 12 cylinder engines in Viet Nam In civilian life worked on them in trucks , cranes and loaders etc Great little engines especially because of parts interchangeable

[@greglaroche1753]

What a great find! That brought back a lot of memories. When you took off the valve cover, it reminded me of the pictures you used to see in a repair manual. I certainly never saw one as clean as that before. Good luck with whatever you decide to do with it. Those engines are part of what made America great.

[@gar691]

I would think that a sawmill would be a much better use of that powerhouse. You do have a large stack of seasoned logs and the price of lumber would justify the build. If constructed right, you could pull the motor and use it elsewhere for other purposes as well.

[@Calamity_Jack]

If he built it right, maybe he could make the engine multi-use; when it's not set up as a diesel go-kart, it could drive external machinery like the sawmill using the PTO. Bonus would be it could drive itself where it was needed.

[@AugustusTitus]

Use railroad rail in weights from 25 lb / yd to 100+ lb / yd for the rails, but the quality of the rails sets the quality of the edge.

[@tkskagen]

This would be EPIC if used as a Stand-by Generator for the Shop!

[@dangit4341]

With all the wood and logs you get your hands on, you should try to find a saw mill for that Detroit. That would be great for your future house plans.

[@01ripkirby]

I worked in a hospital that had a 92 series V8 twin turbo Detroit on an emergency generator. I used to run this thing every month but even then, it had only amassed around 250 hours by 1996. It was then moved to another hospital where I believe it only got to around 400 hours. It was then replaced by a much larger genset located externally as this unit was actually in an internal room. Then they refurbished the wing and built around that room which was locked and sealed up. It remains there to this time and will never see the light of day until that hospital is demolished. That was a beautiful engine, started instantly and sounded great. It is a shame that it was not removed and sold. I would love to get my hands on it but that will never happen.

[@stevelacker358]

Coincidences are funny. Small Engine Mechanic’s channel did a 4-71 this week. His was a bit the opposite of this though… a 1940 block with a LOT of wear. A research ship I used to work on from time to time had 3 of these as ships generators, and a pair of 12-71 main engines. I always had a raging headache an hour after stepping aboard with multiple Jimmies screaming. it’s a distinctive sound… not necessarily a pleasant one! 🤣

[@gutsngorrrr]

I just watched that, boy did that thing smoke.

[@BlueDually4x4]

All the guys I know who used to drive truck with them never had anything nice to say about them and all of them had to wear hearing aids in retirement.

[@stevelacker358]

@@BlueDually4x4 I can believe that… I think they do much better in constant speed (or narrow speed range) applications like generators and pumps.

[@FeralPreacher]

You are amazing in getting it running with so little problem. Congrats. How about a 50 - 100 KW generator to power the whole farm? Lots of potential for so many projects. I have never seen one run so vibration free. Thanks for sharing.

[@poorfarm-nn6ii]

You will want to run a 40w oil. Detroits tend to slobber and burn blended oil. I just bought my first one like 2 or 3 weeks ago and I’m learning a lot. It’s a 1980 ford l9000 with a 6v92TA in it. I’ve been making vids on bringing it back to life. It’s purple and we named it Barney. Thanks for making all the great vids. Been watching you for years and my little one even knows it’s diesel creek when he hears the song come on. Keep up the good work!

[@buckberthod5007]

Have to watch those 92s. They love to snap crankshafts. If it ever did let go, swap a 6-71 into it and it'll live forever

[@thebbgrouplimited210]

Those old Jimmy 2-strokes were the most quintessential sounding diesels ever!!! LOVE THAT SOUND!!!!! GOOD ONYA!!!

[@sporty1701]

Two stroke Detroits are among the most reliable/dependable diesels ever made. With minimal care, they can run nearly forever...and with the seemingly endless supply of aftermarket parts available, they will!

[@ottoolsen9676]

it also usaly need a endless supply of new oil.

[@sporty1701]

@@ottoolsen9676 Detroits are usually oil tight when the correct gaskets are used and installed properly.

[@kevinfalkner1624]

​@@sporty1701from a retired mechanic of the 1970s. 😅😅😅😅😅 No , you're making my gut hurt, Jimmy's don't leak oil.😅😅😅😅.

[@gravelydon7072]

@@ottoolsen9676 12V71s at 1800 RPM 24/7 used 2 qts per day and 36 qts per oil change every 300 hours. Most of the 2 qts were burned so it saved a bit of fuel. 😉

[@benchipley]

I love this kind of stuff. I feel like I’m right there with you, handing you wrenches. God bless you Matt!!

[@wi.dave3812]

Is it something like an airport tug you’re thinking of doing?

[@thinkcasting3182]

Lucky there was no fire because that would have burned for days before that engine responded.

[@davestanley6233]

Love these videos. Just a word of caution. If your running those inside your going to have to pressure wash your ceiling before spray foam goes on.

[@n3glv]

Makes it look like the air quality of Pittsburgh circa 1920!

[@joeblow1934]

A common feature of those old engines was a flapper that served as an "emergency shutoff" that, when activated, would shut the air flow off going into the motor to prevent runaway. Back in the day the Detroit two stroke motors were notorious for "slobbering" down the stack on the trucks if the were idled overnight. I was always told it was blow by caused from idling for a long period of time.

[@gravelydon7072]

We actually had Diesel fuel drip out of our stacks if run for long times below 1400 RPM. This was just before an overhaul at 14,000 hours on a 12V71. I don't miss listening to them at 1800 RPM for 12 hours a day and sometimes 18 or more hours. Do it for 90 straight days and it does affect you. As for oil use, it was 2 qts every 24 hours with an oil change every 300 hours. At overhaul, the pans were nearly spotless. The engines ran at 140°F all day long.

[@James1095]

Those Detroit 6-71's are some of the sweetest sounding engines ever built. You left that aerosol can sitting right on the exhaust manifold lol I was waiting for that to explode! Given this was used on a fire pump my bet is there was no radiator at all, it would have been cooled by the water it was pumping.

[@johnbarilovits3721]

Hi Matt. That's a sweet motor. I love the Detroit Diesel 71 engines. I have a 16V71 on a 750K generator. It has a radiator that's about 5' wide x 7' tall. Like yours, it's been sitting awhile. It was removed from a hospital backup generator application. It only has a couple hundred hours on it. It has dual turbo-chargers feeding the dual Roots blowers.. I hope to get around to firing it up soon. Thanks for the great video.

[@johntremain8403]

In steel mills there's a pretty good chance that it was on a river and there was a "raw water" pump that drew river water for make-up water to the cooling water basins. That kind of pump house would also have both motor and diesel driven fire water pumps that charged the firewater header with river water. The motors could be air cooled, they could use the mill's cooling water header, or even take their cooling water directly their own discharge piping as "once-thru water."

[@rickmorton7819]

We had the same engine for our fire protection system. We had a heat exchanger that we ran water through it from the fire protection pond.

[@matts.8342]

That's what I was gonna say, that heat exchanger on the front looks like a marine unit. I bet they use river water or a cooling pond. I don't have any experience with one, but I watch a couple other channels that have these in their boats and they looks just like the one on Matt's engine.

[@georgejobin1744]

@@matts.8342 you are correct i have a 40 ft. fish dragger same set up there is a inlet through hull fittin called a sea cock water comes in goes through the heat exchanger then out a deck hose over board there was probely a mill pond for that setup

[@matts.8342]

@@georgejobin1744 The idea of a cooling pond kind of reminds me of old school radio stations. There was a station in Southwest Ohio that broadcast at 500000 watts and could be heard throughout most of the United States. It had a series of ponds for cooling with fountains to increase the rate of cooling. They ran the water through the transmitter at 600 gallons a minute! I think that the popularity of nationally known acts around that time is likely due to this station, the only one ever given a license to operate at that power level. There's some pretty interesting videos about the station and what's left of it here on KZbin if you are interested. The call sign was (still is, it's just not nearly as powerful now) WLW.

[@txtigr]

My dream shop is 40x60. I built it about 25 yrs ago. One thing I did that you may want to consider (given how smoky yours got) is a ventilation fan. I put a Dayton Model 7M8E4 in mine and love it. Of course it was about 1/3 the price back then. Mounted mine in the end gable. Also hung two 7w led bulbs one near each end as "nightlights" well worth having.

[@sithus1966]

He has openings and louvers for fans but hasn't installed them yet. You can see one sitting between the door openings on the floor at 13:41.

[@redryderaus]

I agree with the extraction fan but he has a roller door at the other end of the workshop that he should have opened. There's nothing like breathing all those unburnt hydrocarbons to improve your chance of cancer in 20 years.

[@Pamudder]

I’m sure that someone sense has mentioned this, but the easiest and cheapest way to cool the engine would be to connect it to the fire main for which it is acting as a pump.

[@LordMuck]

The heat exchanger could have been connected to mains water, river water, a plate cooler, a remote radiator in a cooler room - it depends on the location of the unit and the location of the plant/factory. I've worked on these (and CATs, Cummins etc)in all kinds of set ups depending on their application. Detroits were made to work the world over in endless environments.

[@shepherd2346]

The cooling water probably came from the discharge of the pump being run by the engine.

[@LordMuck]

@@shepherd2346 Yes possibly but it all depends on supply. If there's a readily available supply of continuous water they can but if it's a limited supply they'll run remote rads or cooling towers and conserve the available water for fire suppression.

[@shepherd2346]

@@LordMuck It takes very little water to cool the engine even when at full load, relative to the maximum output of the pump for that engine.

[@LordMuck]

@@shepherd2346 the flow rate required is less than a restroom tap but it's down to regulations and a lot of sites cannot be signed off if not running a separate system. If you need that much water the place is gonna burn...

[@shepherd2346]

@@LordMuck It's the most elegant design, in any event. Cooling water supplied only when needed ..... while engine running under load.

[@derrickpettit86]

I was thinking that you would hook it up to a generator or something for 3phase power, but that is amazing that it only has 38 hrs, pretty cool

[@BillPenoyer]

I think you should use the engine for backup power for your shop and everything else you have up there. It's made for that use.

[@tonykingme1x471]

I worked on 12v71 Detroits in the Navy. I love the sound of them monsters.

[@jlo13800]

Giant Polaris engines! The patriot Polaris boost 850 is the new jimmy!

[@gravelydon7072]

Normal or turbocharged? We had three 12V71s for our pumps and 6-71s on the main gensets. In 2001 I got from the DRMO 7 more 12V71s They were a mix of Navy and Army units. They were twin turbo units war power rated at 600 HP which could be run at full loads for a maximum of 24 hours continuous before the factory said they needed an overhaul. We had them turned back into NA units.

[@bluef1sh926]

Hi Matt. The cooling setup on the front of the engine is a heat exchanger. It looks like it was set up so that part of the pumped water was used to cool the engine, so the short, closed loop of coolant was giving away heat to the open loop of water used by the mill. Those two pipes at the sides, one was probably connected to the pump outlet, the second probably somewhere downstream. Second thing, you might be using the wrong oil for this engine. The guy at Bus Grease Monkey channel fixes a lot of 2 stroke detroits, but of the V8 bus variant, and I believe in some video he said that those two stroke diesels need some specific oil, maybe low ash content, I don't remember exactly but he was adamant about it. You should probably get some more info or maybe even contact him. That Shell oil is a good oil, but it might not be good oil for this specific engine.

[@blueboatone5653]

Great video as usual Matt! I've got a couple of old Detroit 2 cycles in a boat. You have to use straight 40w in them. I've been using Rotella 40w. I don't honestly know why but all the old boat mechanics will tell you that. Bus Grease Monkey on KZbin, a real 2 cycle expert, said the same just a couple of weeks ago. Hope this helps!

[@firesurfer]

A quick search on several websites said the same thing. A bunch of posts on Bob the oil guy were interesting.

[@localcrew]

Straight 40 weight *Low Ash Content*. I get mine from Miles Petroleum Products in NY. It’s still about 5 bucks a quart - shipped.

[@robertsmith9547]

Som÷thing had to due in the old 318's was fill the fuel pump with 30w oil if they were run out of fuel. That just gave the fuel pump better suction

[@KBoettcher13]

Its to keep the oil consumption down is all. They all leak put 15 40 in they leak and use it faster

[@localcrew]

@@KBoettcher13 No.

[@6usaa]

Great job Matt! I have worked on a lot of engine driven pumps and usually the lines from the heat exchanger were hooked to the pump the engine would have driven. That way cool water was pumped thru the heat exchanger, seperate from the antifreeze.

[@dougerrn]

Yes I have that exact motor out of a boat and the heat exchanger was cooled by fresh water from through hull fittings.

[@Jarvisbiker]

This is correct, the pump that this motor was driving was the source of "pump" water which cooled the engine coolant through that little heat exchanger. Many fire pump systems are exactly the same. I services a very similar fire pump at the factory I Millwrighted at for over 30 years. They were usually very well maintained and not a lot of hours for sure....

[@scottbedard5095]

Came to say the same thing

[@93rt]

@@scottbedard5095 makes 2 of us.

[@PETERREPKA-du4up]

the 71 series goes back to 1939 and was designed to basically last nearly forever. it was designed to be rebuilt quickly and go back in service. The 53 series was introduced in 1957. You should make a tidy profit if you should decide to sell it. Anyone with a vintage bus or truck that needs a 6-71 to repower would be happy to have this sweet one as it is basically brand new and barely broken in at such low hours.

[@johnmenzies-rg3vj]

Hi Matt Great video on the 6-71. As a long time user of Detroit Diesel 2 stroke engines the oil to be used is not a multi grade but a Mono 40 weight oil rated CF2. Keep up the great videos. Regards John

[@stevenhogan8476]

Really neat episode! When I first saw it I said to myself what a great power plant for the farm. Easily could be married up to a 3 phase generator to power machinery. Keep up the interesting videos

[@charlie_nolan]

However imagine how loud it would be though. I think he might have mentioned in a previous video wanting a more quiet power solution. But it would be pretty easy, you could hook it up to some kind of CVT belt drive transmission and a very large AC 3 phase motor and use it as a generator. Would work very well

[@johnhhinton5473]

They are not very fuel efficient.....Didn`t matter much *back then*, however, different story nowdays!...🤔

[@StevelsCamping]

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[@TugboatMatt]

@@johnhhinton5473 5 gal/hour ours burn

[@The_Real_Pope]

Definitely feel like you could do with some really good local extraction that you can hook up to the exhaust pipes of engines to stop your shop filling up with smoke

[@Zealdave2223]

Back in the bad old days (early 80's) I drove a Bedford 4x2 with a 4/71 (air start) and a 15 speed with a Eaton diff. It hook up to an twin axel trailer, hauling 39,000lbs and was used and built for a run over a very high hill. It was a run with multiple pickups from farmers at night. I mention this as the torque that came off the accessory take-offs kept ripping off the alternator. You left the yard regularly with just your batteries fully charged @4pm and only used your lights when you saw another vehicle (rural roads with no street lights) or when you drove in city limits. If you were lucky you had dime lights around 4am when you arrived at the mid city drop. I miss that truck It was a fun truck to drive, if not a very draftee truck, with no heater in the winter, a great sound and it freaked-out/scaring the sh.t out of people when you hit the air starter while parked in town. The company had 2 other Detroit's both 6/71 (6x4's), great sound but not as many eccentricity's.

[@gravelydon7072]

We actually had a Bedford Diesel powering our hotel power ( 50 kW ) at the pump station. Hardly got anything more than test runs weekly as if we were operating, one of the 6-71 gensets would have been in use if commercial power had failed.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

Those air starters if you didn’t know what was happening, they got your attention real quick.

[@gravelydon7072]

@@dirtfarmer7472 BRRRRRRRRRP Engine noises followed. We had them on 6-71s and 12V71s.

[@williamgurtner4759]

The cooling system is like a water jacket. It's similar to what is on a tug boat. The antifreeze jug and the Little bottle are the ports for the heat exchanger.

[@Exserik]

Cool idea! I think the hydrostatic transmission from a park/golf course mower would be perfect for that. Would not be hard to fit the pump to that shaft and the motor to any rear axle. Another benefit is that you’d probably be able to get forward and reverse in the same pedal. An oil tank for that system could probably easily be hidden in a frame rail or along the rear axle.

[@mcporter03]

with you sitting behind the engine, I was reminded of my childhood knowing when the hydroplanes were in town. 6-71 to 8-v92 going well over speed at 6 inch’s of water. I was really glad when they swapped over to turbines. A few years ago I was taking a layover and realized those engines are powering boats . 2 am, multiple boats headed out for the days fishing. I was a few miles from the water, but quickly remembered that ear plugs are underwear for ear muffs 🎉

[@hdcsp3]

Yes.....Some of my earliest childhood memories of watching those old hydroplanes rippin up and down the Detroit River chasing that Gold Cup. Loud as hell and even cooler than that. That would be an awesome use if Matt was on a lake.

[@clintonroushff7068]

Thunder on the Ohio. Madison Indiana in the 70s. I can't agree about turbines though. The noise was so loud.

[@deltacx1059]

45:21 they are common on marine engines so you don't have to run salt water AKA liquid hate through the block and they protect you from pipe failure for a bit.

[@cody4925]

After getting my constant fix of electronics daily, driving my drive by wire 6 speed, and being in a digital word, it’s nice to kick back on the KZbin’s and watch some good old historic farm equipment get tinkered with. Sick video

[@kevinb8285]

That’s how to break in the new garage. Love the sound of Detroits

[@elbertfreeman8124]

Great content again, thanks Mat! The Fire system at one of the Buildings was Diesel and another one was Natural Gas-Continental reciprocating. They both used a small amount of the fire system water it was producing to cool the engine Heat Exchanger! It uses smaller lines/pipes because the entering water comes from Fire Tank at Approximately 75 degrees water uncirculated you can put a lot of BTU (British Thermal Units) in a gallon at 75 degrees and not recirculate it and waste it down the floor drain! Only running mode Some Boats use the same design o engine heat-exchangersr dispelled water over exhaust manifolds.

[@roscopcoltrane7963]

I love that you called your Bantam crane a “big chicken”. My dad used to call his Bantam excavator the “super chicken” lol I have an ‘86 international crane truck with a 671 in it. Runs like a top, but sunnuvabitch is it underpowered.

[@danieledwards1081]

There's 2 vehicles in your fleet that I could see this engine landing nicely in, the first being that old army truck, the second being Christine. What an awesome find Matt 👌👍

[@rknudson1407]

there is also his "green" Autocar semi truck with single rear axle..

[@v65dreamer]

or the Unit Drag-Line. If I remember correctly, That machine has a gas motor.

[@Kickyourass484]

This grifter don't read comments. Ha ha ha

[@kellygb9278]

This has been better than a bowl of jelly beans! I almost crapped when I saw that 671 D I watch bunches of Grease Bus Monkey & his dealings with these old engines and once you hear one, they stick in your soul. History that we are slowly losing - pity Don't let this one fade away Matt. Will must assurdley be following this project to see where it leads

[@djadventure]

I love the WILL IT RUN!?!? series, i always learn something

[@peterdubyoski4622]

Of course it will run.

[@Swigglewiggle438]

Matt will always get it running!

[@SPLASHMEWITHMUSIC]

Sameeee

[@peterdubyoski4622]

The motor should be named Kitty. She purrs.

[@djadventure]

@@Swigglewiggle438 True

[@rodgarretson6193]

Your videos are pretty much what i see myself doing with mechanical things. I did notice a spray can of cleaner sitting right on the exhaust manifold as you ran it for the first time... we want to see more of these videos from you, preferably; safe and sound! Keep up the good work

[@pheffr]

The plan for this engine reminds me of an episode of Monster Garage from way back in the day. As I recall it, they built a giant big wheel type contraption around a semi truck engine. I have a distinct memory of Jesse James just vaporizing tires with it.

[@Cyberdeamon]

From memory that was their Peterbilt trike they made.

[@iceman45ification1]

I remember that episode. That was one sick build. 👌

[@MrVanmancan]

Nice to see you working on something in your new shop . The Sound and lighting inside was great 👍 good job keep the content coming .

[@peteschiavoni]

Matt check up on the oil requirement as 2 stroke Detroits call for single weight oil. Multi viscosity oil they tend to burn. So cool seeing the old girl getting a second life.

[@DavidMScott-cs8pp]

From 1983 to 2016 I lived in a small western Canadian town of 1700. I was on the volunteer fire dept in the 80s and we had an old 6 cyl gasoline LeRoi stationery engine to feed the fire hydrants. We started it once a month but it had of course had fire time over the years but basically very low hours. I left in 2016 and never did learn if the engine is still in use or it’s vintage. In the late 90s I sold truck parts for Freightliner and called on Hutterite Colonies as they serviced their own vehicles. One Colony would go to heavy duty machine auctions in the U.S. and by surplus military equipment for repair and resell. They once bought 4 Euclid earthmovers, repaired and resold them. Their biggest catch however was 30 brand new Cummins NH220 Diesel engines that were U.S. Army surplus from the Gulf War I was told. Each came in a clamshell container that was filled with pressurized air or gas to protect them. These were basic old style, non turbo NH models that were commonly found in construction machinery of the 50s-60s. They came with 24 volt electrical systems and mechanical fuel pumps. The Colony manager asked if I would consider selling some. We agreed on a price of $3000 and I moved 6, one for an old Champion grader, one went in a 70s Alice Chalmers farm tractor and four for irrigation pumps. Their all still running.

[@BarnStangz]

My old man use to work at an oil testing laboratory called Lubrizol and they tested a LOT of different oil with the old Detroit Diesels. He mainly tested the 6v and 12v 71's. I forget which ones had the turbo and supercharger on it, but when they would do dyno testing, they made so much torque it would wrap the measurement needle around twice. He's got some great stories about those engines. Definitely one of the best sounding engines on the planet!

[@jimhaines8370]

detroits all have superchargers called blowers to scavenge exhaust while blowing in fresh air then T series add turbo's ie 6V-71T for turbo

[@theMG174]

Right it’s not a supercharger although they were used that way on gasoline engines, they only moved the same volume of air through to push out the exhaust.

[@BarnStangz]

@@jimhaines8370 Thanks guys, I was going to ask my old man about all this stuff the next time I talked to him.

[@GemmaLB]

@@BarnStangz Lord Muck has a video on how they work, it's interesting. I would link it but then the comment wouldn't go through!

[@BarnStangz]

@@GemmaLB I'll check it out for sure! Thank you!

[@gwharton68]

Sounds like a fun project. Very limited knowledge on Detroit Diesels, but I was always told, never use multi grade oil in a Detroit Diesel engine.

[@cpyart]

I helped my father repair a pair of these on a yacht in Spain. They both started their lives as bus engines. Very versatile units that sure sound sweet. 👍

[@taurota1554]

Awesome.Always great seeing an old machine come back to life

[@graemethompson340]

Jesus Matt your level of excitement when ever an engine fires up never ceases to amaze me well done and I like the way you are thinking of what to do with it, cheers for now mate

[@everestyeti]

Everytime you bring something back to life, we all feel your enjoyment and enthusiasm. What a gorgeous sound that engine makes. 🤗 I could imagine it as a very slow but powerful off roader.

[@greypoet2]

Transmission makes all the difference. That's why semis do 100 MPH at 1200 RPM.

[@Bravo21]

Lots of these engines in boats back in the 60's and 70's - The GM 71 Series, 6 and 12cyl are great marine engine and were used in everything from pleasure boats to yard tugs and the oil fields. Had twin 6/71's and 12/71s in a number of boats I ran. They will run forever if you change the oil every 200hrs and are not overheated. Not the most fuel efficient but they are Bulletproof. And if you have a bad injector or two they will still make power and get you home.

[@stevewareing8525]

Hey Matt, bet you loved the fact you could work on the engine in a nice dry well lit workshop with heating! Loved the video man. 👌👍

[@robertneilitz4926]

really happy to see you in your deam shop working on something, I think you may have completed the cycle. I would use that engine to power a generator for your shops, your yard and your house, just like a solar system powering batteries as needed.

[@ericshayer]

This engine looks more like a stationary engine that would be a perfect fit for a irrigation project or a massive power generator.

[@wesleythomas1594]

A version of your 6-71 Detroit diesel called the GM 6046 was used in a twin coupled configuration in the U.S. M-3A3, M-3A5, and the M-4A2 medium tanks, as well as the M-10 and M-36B2 tank destroyers. Also the later variants of the British Valentine infantry tank used a version of the engine designated the 6004, including all the Canadian built Valentines (the Mks. VI and VII) and every British built Valentine from the Mk. IV through the Mk. XI. In addition, the U.S. M-109 series of self propelled 155mm howitzers all the way through to the M-109A6 version use the 8 cylinder variants of this engine type, the 8V71-T. The newest M-109A7 uses a Cummins VTA-903T diesel, same as in the M-2/M-3 Bradley IFV series.

[@buildingsalvage]

Wow what a score for $250. And an even better sound… sheesh

[@mepley5115]

Sounds like a cool project. Looks like you might need an exhaust fan for your shop to keep the smoke down. Love the shop though.

[@Pinehollowmechanical]

It’s an instant thumbs up on your videos as soon as I click on them because I know they are always gonna be gold. Keep up the good work your one of my all time favorite channels! Would love to see that beautiful Detroit running a sawmill or something.

[@daveadams4109]

Hi mat the water header tank is a heat exchanger, when running the water pump driven by the engine ,would have a tapping on the water discharge pipe , this would be piped to the lower connection on the heat exchanger and the higher connection would be piped to drain , this would cool the engine coolant ,and keep the heat exchanger full of water to prevent corrosion cheers dave

[@bobbalbirnie2478]

Awesome engine Matt, what a fantastic addition to your collection, great episode. One idea for a drive on it that might interest you would be to put a hydraulic pump on it and use hydraulic motors right and left to run and steer it, should be able to keep it pretty compact. Great stuff, thanks for keeping us in your travels. Be well.../B

[@clinthall3794]

Exactly what I was thinking. Hydrostatic drive on all four wheels. That would also take care of the steering.