The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun 1957 gmc 250 diesel

Hi All, can anybody give me any information on a 1957 gmc 250 with a detroit diesel 453, i cant find any info on the production of this truck however im sure it came from the factory as a diesel.It has a 7 inch frame with dual rear wheels, gmc diesel insignias on the hood and an original tach. rad shutters and so on. any info would be greatly appretiated
v

likely a 4-71, the 53 series came out in 1958.
Could also be a conversion with either.

Grigg

I don't think GMC put diesels in any truck smaller than the 400 series.

I agree... didn't catch that this is a small truck.

Sounds like a swap, lets see some pictures!

GM/Detroit Diesel sold some 3-53 and 4-53 engines with special housings to swap into older and then current trucks with gas engines, even had a setup to bolt in a ford truck with original ford mounts. I have one of the large GM housings on a 3-53T going in my 52 1 ton.

Grigg

Sounds like the truck previously discussed on oldgmctrucks.com, turns out it is a 4-51.

Even more interesting...
Where are the pictures??

Is this the truck?
Pictures

http://oldgmctrucks.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4101021591/m/47420793073/p/1

If so then vcrash, are you the newest owner? Sounds like the last owner knew it was a 4-51, did you get that confused with a 4-53 or did he not tell you what it was to start with?

In any case, it would be a swap.
I have seen a service manual for a 4-51 in a Chevy truck, the manual was in Spanish and apparently if any of the trucks sold they were probably not in the US, I've never seen or heard of a 4-51 in a truck (from the factory) other than that manual.
Looking at the pictures it uses the factory rear mounts on the GMC crossmember, if it has a flywheel housing that does this cleanly and not cobbled together then the engine could be one of those intended for a GM truck. Or even sold by the Detroit dealer new to swap into a GM truck. This would be quite rare.

All said and done it's a 4-51, pretty uncommon and parts are extremely hard to find in good condition. It's basically a novelty engine at this point, not something I'd want to depend on.

Grigg

Hi Guys, yes i am the new owner of that truck. it uses all of the factory mounts, has shutters that look oem and even has the gmc diesel insignias on the fenders. not sure if the engine is 451 or 453 yet, it runs nice though and doesnt even leak any oil which for a detroit is rare!!!. i bought it as a 453 which i knew i could rebuild fairly inexpensivly so if its a 451 that sucks. There is nothing cobbled up and everything looks factory. i should know more by the end of the week on the engine.
Thanks

my intent is to build a napco 4x4 swivel one ton with single rear wheels and an 8 foot stepside keeping the detroit in there, The swivel was originally in a 1957 napco truck and i believe they were called forestry trucks. preferably all 1957, i am still looking for a rear frame section ( 7 inch) 1 ton to use from the swivel back. my front frame section is mint (likly due to the oil the detroit leaked over the years) but the rear is to rough for me. Im not sure if the 3/4 tons have the straight 7 inch rear frame section or not.
Dean

If you can post some more pictures I can ID it for sure as a 51 or 53 series. But from what I've seen so far I'd say it's a 51 series. You can pop the "valve cover" and look for valves. The 51 series has NONE, just some injectors under there. The 53 series will have 2 or 4 valves per cylinder.

It's a conversion one way or another, the 53 series came out in 58.
A conversion can be done very cleanly and appear factory, that's the goal of many who do diesel conversions, it's certainly my goal.
As I said earlier I've seen literature for a 4-51 in a GM truck (I'm sure the real thing is extremely rare if any survived). So you could have those parts from an older truck and or a surplus 4-51 engine destined for a truck and now swapped in to the later GMC still making it a truly bolt in affair.
Badges on the hood are just that, I wouldn't judge if it's factory by hood emblems. And the radiator shutters can easily be swapped from another truck.

In the end if it is still a 4-51 you have an interesting truck but not something I'd want to swap those nice/rare NAPCO and Swivel frame stuff to. The 4-51 while interesting is an oddity and likely to be expensive if it needs the least amount of work/parts.

Here are some 4-53 (with turbo) pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/118082002072608219229/48Chevy453TConversionProgressPictures02


Grigg

oh but the sound!!!!!! i think ill take a chance on it. if it does brake will the 453 or 471 bolt up? that would be nice if they would.
Dean

A 4-53 will be a close match but probably not a perfect swap/ replacement for the 4-51, probably take some fabricating and head scratching to do it.

uh oh, your just full of good news arnt you!! lol, not liking the sound of the fabrication thing. i guess ill just cross my fingers then and hope for the best, i have a detroit guy comming to look at and he claims he rebuilt his first one at 13 years old so im assuming he will no exactly what it is.
More to come!

well it turns out to be the 451, going to go ahead and build the truck anyways, if the motor brakes i can always go back to a gas motor or look at doing a 453.
Dean

Sounds like a good plan, if it's running well as is, let er rip. If it takes a dump find a 3-53t or 4-53t. Keep us updated, I still like the truck, it's very unusual.

Any updates on this rig?????

I was wondering if you have a 57 250 with a 453? If its the same truck that I know of.....it is a custom built 250. I used to own that truck and helped with the conversion. The engine however was not a 453...451. Pls reply or call me if you have info on this 250...thanks...Gerry
248-eight eight two--four nine eight one.