Worst Engines: GM's 8.2L / 500ci "Fuel Pincher" Detroit Diesel Pinched Its Owners' Pocketbooks

Learn more about this unfortunate Detroit Diesel "fuel pincher" diesel engine and its shortcomings!

[@Choochinc]

The head gasket issues are even more hilarious than that. From what I've heard from others who worked on it at the time, they updated the gasket, which didn't work, they tried to harden the cylinders, which didn't work and created a tendency for them to crack. Then they put out a bulletin to drill out the head bolts to the next size up, which actually made it worse, because that block was so weak that the extra clamping force warped the deck and pulled the cam bearings out of round, resulting in the camshaft seizing. Incredible right?

[@bruceabbott3941]

Worked on Detroit 6V53 V-6 diesels in the USCG, and 3-53 diesels in skidders; we always said of Detroits, "if there's no oil under them there's no oil in them"...

[@keithiverson6687]

The Canadian military used these 8.2l engines in our Medium logistics trucks, I was an army mechanic and worked on them a lot. They were geared so low that they would redline barely doing 55mph and would struggle to maintain that speed up the slightest of hills and risk throwing the rods out the side of the block going down the other side of the hill. All while making the crew deaf with the noise that “isn’t service related...” They worked well off road when put in low range and turning the 3 power sucking Rockwell differentials.

[@moelll]

It's almost like GM decided to put ALL its bad ideas into one engine

[@DarkIZero]

Pretty sure the HT 4100 has the same free standing cylinder design.

[@kenwjones]

I have a 1986 Ford F700 with this engine. It was replaced with a factory rebuilt engine in the late 90’s. It’s been a good motor for the truck. Decent power.

[@greglammers9905]

We had several of these in ford and gmc school buses. The fuel mileage was WAY better than the alternative gas engines. We had pretty good luck with them and school bus’s were a good fit for these. I remember they used the same basic unit injector as the two stroke Detroit engines and were prone to leaking fuel into the oil. I think I still have the tune up tools for this engine somewhere in my stuff. Cool video. Thanks

[@GHinWI]

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[@gregculverwell]

Actually the only reason for an open deck is low cost.

[@melsplace4007]

The high school I attended and then came back to work at had a Chevy activity bus with one of these engines. I rode in it and then drove it. When I came back to the school as a teacher, I got a bus license to help drive the marching band, some clubs, and tennis teams to matches. It was slow and I don't honestly know how hard the bus garage had to work to keep it running, but every single time in any weather conditions that old bus (it was a 1990 model and I started working there in the fall of '03) would crank, get us to where we were going and get us back. They finally got rid of it about 8 years ago.

[@tocsa120ls]

I'm gonna guess GM would've done what they always do if they get the chance: get it right - just as the product is EOL'd.

[@Robsksas]

we have a fuel pincher in an 83 C60 grain truck bought brand new. never had any major issues except its guttless as hell. still going strong.

[@gordtulk]

Thankfully never crossed paths with these. The 2-stroke six cylinder detroits screamed and leaked but ran forever.

[@ThePaulv12]

I'm a mechanic and my worst engine ever is 1982-1985 Volvo V6. That engine had more problems than the Middle East and Africa combined and was the engine fitted to the DeLorean. That engine makes this look engine like a success story.

[@morgansmith2087]

I love how you keep using the word "challenges" when what you really mean is failures or flaws 🤔😆

[@vincemajestyk9497]

The HT4100 had the same design with the liners. In fact, you couldn't order a typical 'short block'. They only sold the replacement engines in Long Block form. Strange they didn't learn the lessons of the 5.7 diesel on the 8.2 using a lousy 10 bolts per head. I had a number of the 5.7 Diesel cars and got to be pretty good working on them. They weren't all that bad once you got the bugs ironed out, however, NOT powerhouses by any means. Stinky, weak, leaked oil, Burned oil, didn't really generate the heat an IDI needed for good combustion, head gasket changes were considered fairly routine. I got to where I could change a head gasket in 90 minutes. Rebuilt the stanadyne DB2 pumps and put the solid agricultural governor weight cage in. The cars I had would top 75 MAYBE 80mph balls out top speed, but I got nearly 31mpg once.

[@loumontcalm3500]

A future topic: discuss the earlier GMC V12 truck motor made from the GMC V6

[@jimsmith6937]

As an employee of a certain energy services company, I saw many of these in medium duty trucks. It was a throwaway engine. Rebuilding was limited to out of frame work. The head gaskets only failed on the higher hp engines. At the time they didn’t seem that bad.

[@stevenlatham4397]

We have a couple of old C70’s with these engines. One Is a service truck, and it has 350k miles and an innumerable amount of hours from running the pumps, compressor, and generator. We’ve never had any problems with it except we have to use canned glow plugs on a 90 degree day.