One of the guys in my squad, in Iraq, has a father who is a diesel truck mechanic. When I returned to the states, he invited me over to look at his stuff. He had a Allis Chalmers HD7 bulldozer, with a running Detroit diesel 371 two stroke. In 2008, they scrapped the dozer and keep the engine. The father built a stand for it and kept it able to be run.
A chance encounter at Walmart, with a logger, who gets his trucks worked by the father, led to me arranging to purchase this engine. I didn’t leave anything to chance once I heard about the engine. I called the father in the Wal Mart parking lot, and drove to Ontonagon, the next day.
I had it running last night. I think it has the HV injectors, as it sends up a big cloud of smoke. Starts right up even without a block heater.
It’s a 1946 model.
This is a long video about the state of modern engines. The lord knows that I love a good conspiracy theory, but I think that Tony is reporting a truth here so it’s worth some consideration. He is connecting the dots as to why engines produced in the last 10 years do not seem to be durable. I think that engines produced in the early 2000’s were probably the best ever made as far as longevity. Anybody with a solid maintenance regime could get 300,000 miles out of most of them, and often more. . Specifically GM LS engines, which I have proven, but even moreso with Toyota and Honda. I always attributed this to computerized parts manufacturing and assembly. I don’t think that the giant automakers were appreciative of their products lasting so long. You have to be pretty old to know this, but in the 50’s and 60’s it was pretty common for even the average family to purchase a new car about every three to four years and the term of car loans was 24 months. If you were driving something older than that is was considered a mark against your social standing. Of course getting a hundred thousand miles out of one of them was noteworthy. Now the average length of an auto loan is 72 months and most are financed by the manufacturer so that’s a constant cash stream as long as the term of the loan is not met. Not much profit in building a vehicle that can be driven 10 or more years after that. As Tony explains, in the last decade engines have been regularly imploding around 150 K. If you drove 30K a year, which I think would be about average now, chances are that it’s a race between the end of your loan period and the demise of your vehicle.
Very interesting his views TomH.
Old now too and seen a strong 60 years of come&go’s I agree with 80-90% of it.
An almost hidden very overlooked factor is the aging-out and events lay-off’s of been-there-tried-that engineers in the OEM’s. With full working caree of say 40 years, a fellow (or gal) has seen and had to endured through a couple of three; took-to-far, too-quickly engineering mistakes.
Old GM even since the 1960’s as being the most prevalent for this newly hired engineers blind to previous big fat corporate OPP’s.
The numb-nuts new-ooh-wow engineer and GM vice-president who promoted and approve the hush-quiet nylon toothed camshafts timing gears that pretty much all failed starting at 60K miles. Cost GM millions and millions.
The mentioned high silicone all aluminum acid etched engine cylinder blocks in the GM Vega’s and some of the same time BMW engines. The least coolant leakage and a wiped out cylinder bore. Air-cooled no-coolant possibilities did not translate over worth a damn. OPP’s.
Chrysler had done with no problems aluminum cylinder heads with hard metal valve inserts for nearly 30 years in their four cylinders. Then the “new, better, higher performing” 4.7 SOHC and new Hemi V-8’s with thier dropping out valve insert problems. Those I saw in the shop were not even hot-rod driven hard. Just coming off of long summer trips then at a restart idle. Ka-chink!! Insert dropped damaging.
The all across the manufactures time, and time again, failures using cast plastics in hot pressurized cooling systems. Chrysler 2.4 DOHC thermostat covers . . . Ford SOHC all plastic intakes with the coolant crossovers always 100% developing leaks. The GM big V-6’s on block plastic coolant elbows . . .another with time 100% leakers.
At least all of these had quickly aftermarket metal up-graded retrofit parts. The sprouting many coolant leaks too much plastics in the cooling systems BMW’s and Audi’s; you are screwed $$$$ big-time. Replacing “fixing” with the same parts for a down the road reoccurring failure. Absolutely tanks the thier used resell values. As it should.
Whole bunch of other new-engineers better ideas and new materials mistakes out there now in the last 15 years.
Why? Well for GM and Chrysler (now North American made Stelantis) it was the bankruptcy, lay-off’s and early retired out engineers from the 2008-2010 period. Later new hire engineers are under the gun to prove themselves to also new bean-counters management.
Ford; Honda; Toyota that explanation does not wash.
His explaination of forced obsolescent to favor the multi-billion $'s investments for EV’s does not wash for Honda and especially Toyota.
I do disagree with his make-money opportunities though. Those did not work well in the early-mid 80’s vehicles struggling with tack-on labrith spaghetti lines, hoses and vacuum devices emissions system pre-EFI. How many for how long actually had GM Oldsmobile diesels swapped to gasoline? How many for how long had thier Vega block over-bored out for cast iron retrofit and machined cast iron sleeves?
Pretty much drive until performance undriveable then set-aside junk. A true lost generation gap in automobiles the early and mid-80’s.
A small time opportunity for a mechanical fellow in searching out the rare non-turd models, buying them reasonable; fixing up and reselling them at market driven up demand prices.
Do it small and stay small. Be prepared to jump off with market changes.
Engine swapping? Possible on some model pairs IF GOOD AFTERMARKET EFI and TRANSMISSIONS controllers are on-shelf buyable. OEM system minimizers like the Backyard Engineer fellow are allowed to continue.
Sure the US EPA regs will be reeled back now for four years. Then maybe another four years with a J.D.V. election.
8-12 years from now though they will come roaring back with the nanny-staters back into power/control. They did not dry up and disappear. They have now life-long investments into their Beliefs Philosophy systems. Decades investments into indoctrinating younger generations.
Steve unruh
Maybe… but I see BIG trust issues in our society. This spans the local plumber, painter, mechanic,
tree service guy… We don’t trust our workers. I don’t see how there is going to be an economic opportunity here at all. Anyway, on to happier subjects.
I have the growing feeling that an ordinary old body could build, put together, make a specific purpose engine if they wanted to. I’d make it for woodgas, based on the 351 Windsor, 12.5:1 CR, cast iron throttle body. But then maybe I could just overhaul and modify something to get what I want? Any thoughts from others?
Rindert
Hi RindertW. what I was referring to was Uncle Tony himself now become a Jeep Cherokee with inline six collector, buyer and seller.
Others out there like Ford Crown Vic’s with the SOHC V-8’s. Buicks with the 3.8 V-6’s.
Some years of Toyota Camry’s. Some years of Honda Accords.
All for pump gasoline of course. Not for wood gassing.
Your Ford 351 for woodgasing the problem it seems is the heavier chassis weights in full-sized pickups.
One pocket digital camera and computer back, I had pictures outside the local bar-watering hole of a fellow stuffed a Ford small block V-8 into a 1st generation Ranger pickup. Sounded great. But tight, tight on the left-handed side.
Two pocket digital camera’s and laptop computers back, I had U-Pull-It wrecking yards pictures of someone had shoe-horned a wider small block Chevy into the same 1st generation Ford ranger pickup. Had to be ~10 degrees angled installed.
The 1st generation Dakota’s have a larger engine bay.
No need as the Dakota woodgas fitters have found for a cast iron throttle body. Machined aluminum is fine.
Swapping and being willing to mix it up opens up possibilities. Marcus Norman and someone else here on the DOW with small block Chevy V-8 swapped into earlier Toyota pickups. Woodgased.
The YouTube Driveway Engineer guy now doing some of that. Ignore his woodgasing simplification.
Regards
Steve unruh
Just chat no pics til the glacier releases my stuff. So, fellas, I have two broken Ford 460s. Normally, I wouldn’t care, but I am considering getting one running again. What are your opinions on these? One is an 1984, the other is a 1979.
My opinion is any old big block from the big three is worth restoring even though they get about 8 mpg and usually weight as much as a old VW. Those engines powered a butt load of delivery type trucks that ran all day stop and go, day after day. With two to swap parts off it sounds like a wrench party to me. 
We had a 1996 E350 window van with a 460. We drove it 1/4 million miles, with me doing the maintenance (or not 
). When we made the big move, we towed overloaded trailers from California to Idaho a number of times, which was really hard on the transmission. It had wonderfully high gearing for the highway, but not so much for towing. The 460 was still running pretty well when the tranny went from 4 speed to 3 speed (and sometimes 2), and we retired it, around 330,000 miles.
Its replacement was a Ford pick-up with a 6-L diesel, bought for the move. Six months later, it died. Really died. I had no idea there were so many ways to make a vehicle hard to work on. We sold it to some eager young guys who were starting a shop, and needed the work. They bullet-proofed it, and sold it. I was glad to be out from under it.
To return to the topic, it was replaced by a low-miles 1997 F-250 with, ahem, a 460. Poor mileage, but tough to wear out. My only complaint is the aluminum timing cover between an iron water pump and iron block.
Those are sought after by some in the antique trucks/collector market. Trucks kind of replaced cars to mod. If you fix them, you can probably get your money back out of it fairly easily especially under the bridge.
The funny thing is I want the 460s out of the truck and a FE390 or an IH6.9l in that truck in the picture.
As an aside, that truck has a 3:0 rear end. I want to see if the 6.9 and Allison 4speed would fit in that 84. Direct, with 285/75r16s would roll out something like 65mph.
Just old guy blah blah, but I had a 1968 Mustang with a 390 automatic. . It was a dog. 289 HIPo’s left it in the dust. We put a 406 into a buddies 57 Fairlane though and that was a ass kicker. Four speed manual. New clutch about every two months along with new rear tires. I miss those days when even idiot kids could build impressive machines.
Me too Tom. Triumph TR7 with a built up small block Chevy was my funnest one I built.
GC
I’d like to have seen that Garry. Sounds like a lot of suspension work. I did weld up some motor mounts for a small block chevy into an Austin Healy once but that was a fairly common build back then. Here is a video of a small block Ford in an MG. Of course we are all to sensible for those kinds of shenanigans now. 
O.K. here is a video in a series of a fellow who did choose a cast Iron inline Jeep (former mid-1960’s AMC engine) as his keep-it-simple for personal freedom choice same as Uncle Tony now:
He has a whole series based on his red Jeep personal $$,$$$'s Freedom four-door.
I worked on plenty of these inline easies with aged worn accessories. The engine core itself never needing work.
My own choices back in the 70’s often was 10 year old AMC’s with cast iron inline engines and manual transmissions.
Today now, I go with used inline engined Toyota’s for the better, longer lived all other vehicle chassis systems. My daily driver 2003 Camry.
Absolute a PITA to have to drop down a whole steering column and pull forward the whole dash to be able to remove the clam-shell heater/AC assembly to be able to then split it just to replace out a corrosion pinhole, leaking heater core. GM’s and Fords and Chrysler/Jeeps suck for this repair.
The wife’s 99 Plymouth mini-van I had to remove over the course of it useable V-6 engine life the drivers door inner panel Three separate Times for different power window repairs and dig into the passenger door twice for the same.
So again why I’ve learned to value the chassis systems reliability and repairability maybe more than just it’s engine.
Hard learned from an MG with Prince-of-Darkness 60’s Lucas electrical. A 60’s BMW with a lighting system just as unreliable.
The 2017 GMC box-van I chose is as simple minimalist as a modern can be made for all of it’s systems.
Ha! The wife’s 2022 Toyota hybrid out there as complicated as a modern system can be made. It is Her’s, not mine. One I expect I could never get an additional 10 years past her usage then driving me around. Ha! I am now too old to ever be able to do that!
Steve unruh
I will wander around and look and see if I can find something simpler than this … Prolly 1967-1972 Ford truck. I agree with Steve. I look for simple cabs. I don’t care about the engine so much, as I can put just about any combo together. Same with trans. You can get an adapter to go from 700r4 to NP205…noice!
Hey @tcolton717 TomH. here is a good engine conspiracy video for you:
I owned and primary drove a 69 Chevy H.D. 2500 pick up with one of these in it for eight years. My “penance” vehicle to slow my go-fast; go-faster addiction down so I could live more decades.
Comparing the Chevy/GMC to the Ford inline 300 the Chevy would output, out work it. Loads hauling up in the mountains I was keeping up with same era factory mid-range V-8’s.
Watch the video carefully and many time the pictured engine are sticker labeled 240 CID. ?? That is a Ford engine. Many other WTF, NOT-292 video clip woven in throughout!! Presentations like this make me question anymore ALL easily made from stock video bits internet presentations.
There was a smaller GM engine in a 250 CID. In vehicles easy to ID one versus the other as the 292 had a taller block with taller tappet side covers for its lengthened stroke. The 250 was used in Chevy full-size cars. The 292 only in trucks, HD vans, and industrial equipments.
Look up Wikipedia’s article on Chevy “Thriftmaster” engine family for the full evolution of these modern era inline Chevy’s.
Regards
Steve unruh
And then for a no-spin, in-depth much better video presentation of one of only two 60’s inline engines that the manufacturers did bring forward into the electronic fuel injection age:
One of my brother-in-laws drove one of these factory fuel injected 300’s for years and years and years. He loved the engine. Always groused about a vertical case seam leaking Made-in-Japan five speed manual transmission.
This Ford 300 inline was one of only two 1960’s inlines to be brought forward by thier manufacturers into the late electronic fuel injected era. The other was the AMC 4.2L I-6. made by Chrysler/Jeep as the above highlighted 4.0L.
The Australians turn out did much more improve-it forwards development work on their in-county made inline sixes versions.
The one engine I regret overlooking in my decade of 6 = 8 was BruceJ’s Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth’s slant sixes.
I realized much later that those in the great small chassis early Darts and Valiants were an awesome engine/transmissions/chassis combinations. Stupid me. Being put off by their only four main bearing crankshafts. Forged cranks versus cast. Wider main bearings then. Using less oil.
No magic to any of this engines stuff. Hard core mechanical and combustion engineering. Factory and post-factory streets and racing modifiers.
I try now to not be so overlooking, prejudicial stupid today.
How am I doing?
S.U.
Steve,
I think this is the “Thriftmaster” link you mentioned??
Chevrolet Turbo-Thrift engine - Wikipedia
You should question all the information you see from essentially everything on the internet.