The 71 and 53 series may be "dinosaurs" but IMHO for simplicity, durability and reliability, they are among the best engines ever made. Yes they are loud and yes they leak oil but they will run for years. We must have had 10-12 on the farm, mostly on irrigation units that ran countless thousands of hours trouble free. They were excellent power units. That said, I'm not sure I would want one in a truck as they ARE screamers and they arent torquey down low.

 

What kind of mileage does something like that get? What tranny do people run when doing the swap?

 

No clue as to mileage but a 4-71 IIRC burned roughly 6 gals per hour @ 2100rpms pulling a Crane Demming 6x4 water pump, moving about 900-1100 gals per minute through a nelson big gun with a 1.5"'' orifice. Allisons were the transmissions used in the larger trucks. We had a C-60 with a 4-53 but it was just used around the farm. Also, a friend had one of these:

Oliver 1950 Detroit Diesel 4-53 on the road - YouTube

Just for kicks, at 0:28 you can see irrigation trucks in use, I know this farm and these rigs are powered by 4-71s that are from 30 - 50 years old, he has about 15 or 16 of these and at times they run 24-7:
http://youtu.be/XedmTVBncWs

 

Damn, sounds like he is doing a lot of RPMs at that speed.

 

Thats because its a detroit, they are 2 strokes. Hes probably turning about 2500, I think thats about what a 4-53 is governed at. From Wikipedia:

"Over the years, the 71 series has enjoyed a reputation for dependability and ease of maintenance. Due to their ubiquity and operating characteristics, inline models acquired a variety of nicknames from those who used and serviced them. Most common were "Screaming Jimmy" (Jimmy being trucker slang for GMC trucks) or "Rocky Mountain Humming Bird," which terms referred to the engine's sound at full throttle. Other nicknames include "Green Leaker" and "Driptroit Diesel," referring to the powerplants' factory color and propensity for leaking oil on everything in or near the engine compartment. The v12 has been called the "Buzzin Dozen" due to the higher RPM needed for it to produce power and what sound it makes when the engine brake is on."

 

The Oliver in that video is moving out, for a tractor. They were known for their fast road speeds

 

I know for a fact there are all aluminum versions of a 6V71 out there. M113 Armored Personnel Carriers had them. Pretty certain they were also in boats, long with 6V53's. Probably much harder to find, but should be quite a bit lighter.

I know the 6V71's (turbo'ed) could move 13 tons around pretty damn quickly.

 

That's quick for a tricycle. If that front end gets the shakin he's screwed

 

i was thinking the same thing. dudes got some *****!!

 

My H is a tricycle and it's tight I just rebuilt it and I still feel sketchy getting up in road gear.