Detroit Diesel In A Cj3b?

should i? not going to be able to until at least next summer, but there's a 3b that i'd like to be able to move under it's own power and a 353 palleted, waiting for a meaning in life. a little worried about the front axle though. plan is to put in a currently unidentified transmission that is hopefully bolted to a dana 20, so the bolt patterns match. the main problem is the 1500 miles between my home and the stuff

 

Well it's not my time/money so I think you should definitely do it and I can follow along. Gotta say I love the sound of a Detroit in action The oldest engine we still have in service at work is running a 6V71. Love firing that up and driving it

 

there will actually be almost no money put into it... as far as i know. it's my grampa's jeep, my grampa's engine, and my dads transmission. some fabrication for motor mounts, but nothing much in the money department. i dont have a job, i want to spend time in new york next summer, and i'd hate to see the jeep sink into the ground, unloved and unused.

i might not make an exhaust system either...

 

I had a friend back in Nevada, that had dentside F100 4x4 with a 3-53T and a T18 in it, that was a scream to drive. He actually had a couple records at Bonneville in that thing, at one time (not that it was super fast, but I mean, how much competition did he have in his class?) I say do it.

 

i just need good technical advice now. everything is riding on a slim hope that A. i'm allowed to do this and B. the transmission has the right bolt pattern, as an adapter for an sm465 is $570 from advance adapters.

 

Over 900lbs. Just saying...

 

Actually I've been looking at this exact swap. Gama goat would be a good source of parts. That engine is heavy so plan on either making a new frame or plating/boxing the stock one. There's other stuff you'd need to gather.

It's been done before actually.

 

It might not be pretty, but this Detroit Diesel-powered Jeep is the pride of the family

 

the engine is out of one of those. it's also aluminum, so it's slightly lighter. i saw that article

 

my next question is: will the stock front axle handle the weight?

 

A d25? No. I would look into either a d44 or a d60.

This won't be a simple swap. The frame will have to be modified and different springs will be needed. Maybe I'm wrong but I highly doubt that a stock frame, axles, and springs can handle the weight of such a power plant.

 

i know for sure now that the 25 wont work. how about 30? there are some in the general are at reasonable prices. i also would have a plethora of vehicles to choose springs from. how about 1/2 ton chevy? that's the donor for the tranny.

 

I'd find a pre 78 1/2 ton GM truck and rob the D44 out of it and IIRC the front springs are 47 and rear are 52. 3/4 ton *I think* have 56 rear springs. A 9 inch, D44, D60, or 14b ff would make good rear choices but I'd be sure to match gears and lug pattern.

A D44 should hold up to the weight of a diesel. The Detroit 6.2 idi weighed around 700 lbs. There are people running around with 5.9 Cummins (~1100 lbs) on them in full size trucks.

If you're robbing a GM truck for the manual transmission I'd take the NP205. It might fit between the frame rails and would keep the swap cost down.

Honestly, I'd decide what you're building it for. The 3-53 has (from what I can find) a 2800 rpm redline.

 

my problem with the 205 is that the rear is centered. i believe the truck that i have (1969 1/2 ton 4wd) actually has a dana 20 (also centered), so the 18 should bolt up to the transmission (3 speed). i'm mainly trying to get the jeep moving. also, wont the axle from the chevy be substantially wider than a jeep?

 

You're not likely to find anything thats "bolt-in" doing something like this. Going to stronger axles is pretty much going to require you to narrow them to fit the width of your Jeep, unless you're buying a custom assembly from somebody like Moser or Strange.

 

what about a dana 30 from a later cj5? they are somewhat stronger, no?

 

I worked for a few years as a Detroit Diesel mechanic in the early eighties. What application was the 353 from? Some 71 and 53 series had a reverse rotation depending on the application. It was easy to change by pulling the bell housing and moving the idler gear. Turbo or blower?

 

unsure of most of it, came out of a gama goat. i've spent very little time with the engine, it's at a relative's place.

 

The specs on this engine are 100HP 217lb/ft tq. Weighs approximately 1000 lbs and seems like a terrifically awful engine for a jeep. Its loud, low powered and low torque. It weighs twice as much as any gas engine and would require a custom frame, steering and an axle that would need to be narrowed and springs outboarded to make room for the springs and the carrier housing.

While I think this is a cool idea to think about... after thinking about it, its just doesn't make sense. A better idea is to make the gama goat operational... Thats a cool rig.Gama Goat - Wikipedia

 

the problem is, the gama goat is nowhere near. the engine was bought surplus, seperate from the vehicle. it would be really cool to have operational. also, the aluminum engine is 100-200 pounds lighter.