The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Detroit Diesel 8V53 turbo

Thought y'all might enjoy seeing and hearing one.

Here's the whole photo album

And here's the you tube video

I heard about it while ago at a truck show and made arrangements to buy it, then later took a road trip to fetch it. Got it running a few weeks ago, that video is literally the first attempt at starting it.
Now I'll finish cleaning it up, make some new exhaust pipes between manifolds and the turbo.

Then to figure out what to do with it...

Grigg

Sounds like you got a good one! I've got a 55.1 COE we could stick it in!!!!
Scott

It sounds better then the Detroit in my yard truck. We could trade.

Scott, in the video, it looks like he is getting ready to put it in the Jetta ... THAT would be different.

JM

I can't explain what that sound just did to me. Pure inspiration.

Thank you for posting, Grigg.



Jake

Sparks would fly!...from the front end dragging!...haha

You gota love'em, I like to think of them as a big block chevy on diesel. I've got the sickness to. Got a pair of 271s. Like to start them up once in awhile, I also have a pair of 16V71s with twin turbos mounted on shids. The local scrap yard got in 5 of these and I was able to save 2 of them, have not fired them yet but I,m sure it will impress the neighbors.

That is one sweet sounding engine! Seen lots of supercharged 8v's but never a turbo. Now to find just the right chassis/home for that bad boy...hmmmm......

I doubt you've seen all that many 8V53 Detroits? They are reasonably rare to start with and usually found as marine engines. (Lots and lots of 8V71 and 92 engines though)

Have you checked the rotation? I was going to add to my wise remark that I might be afraid that my yard truck might run backwards. I'm sure it was a stationery engine or marine, and most marine Detroits run backwards.

Check the video, it runs correctly for a vehicle.

It was military surplus from a tank or armored personnel carrier sort of thing. After that best I can tell and from others that know the engine it was swapped into an L model ford truck, and then obviously removed.

Grigg

Just a few minutes ago I ran across a 6v53 at a surplus/salvage yard with a turbo which is fairly uncommon too. It was a stationary. My old Blue Bird bus had a supercharged 6v53...you know...the one they call "the Screamer". Same engine as what was used on most of the "Brown Water Navy Swifts" on the Mekong & Saigon in pairs. Almost as dangerous as the twin .50's!

A close look at the pulley right before the puff of smoke does reveal the direction. I never thought of the military.

Hey Grigg keep your eye on the military surplus Detroit’s. Although in the civilian world the use of the two cycle diesels ended before the advent of electronic fuel control the military still uses them and I have seen many computer controlled 8V-92s. These computer controlled motors produce better power and consume less fuel.. Kind of a mix of old and new technology that only the government got. However I don’t know if the electronic fuel controls have been used anything else but the 8V-92

Electronic 4-71 and all the larger 71's as well as all the 92's were available and in use by civilians prior to 2000. DDEC controls they're called.
A DDEC 6v53t was available for the military, I think its the only electronic Detroit we couldn't get, but I have seen two of them available surplus.

Looks good and sounds good. I don't know a whole lot about them other than they are usually found as marine engines. Glad to see it turns the correct way.

Keep us posted.

Bill