BRUISER

So does anyone around here know anything about these engines?

longevity?
do they leak a lot of oil?
reliability?


Anything else you can think of?

thanks

1-5-3-6-2-4

I'd personally not use an 8v71 in anything. they haven't been made in about 25 years. parts are becoming hard to find. expect it to leak. reliability and longevity are not stellar. We are the largest Detroit dealer in Canada, and in Calgary where I'm based out of. we havn't had an 8v-71 in the shop in almost 2 years. and it was in a '74-ish bus. and that unit got scrapped before it ever left the shop. They're just not on the road anymore. Doesn't matter if its turbo or natural.

Russ Roth

I have driven numerous ones in the fire service and part time one summer running tanker truck. They are noisy, leak oil and are downright gutless. Pretty bad when you get passed on Cabbage hill by a set of triples which happened to me.

1-5-3-6-2-4

Yep....... and there'll always be some hick farmer somewhere with one in his grain truck thats he thinks is the best thing since sliced bread........ coulda said that if it was a 92. but thats it.

Russ Roth

Our SOP was for the Truck to lead the parade out of the house on a box alarm but when we went to Skyline we had to let the engine company go first otherwise it was a lot longer response time with the 8V71 I was driving. Was supposed to be 350 horses but I always told the shop guys it was so gutless they had to be Shetlands.

About 5 years before I left the Fire service we got a new rig with a 470 horse series 60. Now that one done good climbing the hill. Joe Ligatich would always say we got passed by the bicycles climbing and I would always say I had to get out and pound a stake to see if we actually moved. Would pull the old rig as low as 12 MPH but the new one I would have to back out of to take the corners. It was a 2 mile climb so you can imagine how painful that was. Especially for a guy that thinks there is no such thing as too much horsepower. Just a leeeettttle bit too much right foot on occasion. BTW, the engine company NEVER went first again.

AUGIE DOG

Ken,all these responses are pretty much on the money.I had same experience with my 318 it was N/A (natural asperiated)fortunately I was in Illinois at the time so not a lot of hill climbing.After we talked yesterday I thought some more about this combination and I really think you will not be happy with this. Just my opinion,it is your money. If price is right could be a good candidate for a Cummins upgrade but not the 5.9 we know more like a 290 or 350. If it is as nice as you described that may be a possibility. Good Luck!!

BRUISER

thanks for the replies and if anyone else has more please post.. thanks

BRUISER

that is my other thought.

if it would work for a year or so then consider getting rid of engine and upgrading to newer more powerful one.

any idea on what would be best option to replace 8v71 with? and what kid of cost are we talking?

BRUISER

also any info on 8v92 engine?

thanks again

1-5-3-6-2-4

great engine. very common. can make a ton of power. not very fuel efficient. newer ones, have electronic DDEC controls, or mechanical on the older ones.


If it were a question to repower that unit in the future. I would strongly suggest looking at 4 stroke. in the 9-12 liter range. L10 M11 cummins, A 12 liter Series60, Cat C9 or C12. Anything up to 400hp, would be more than enough power. and have much better fuel efficiency than any 2 stroke.

chaikwa

I haven't ever owned a 4 cycle Detroit, so I can't speak to those, but I have had 4-53's, 6V-53's, 6-71's, 1 6V-71, 1 8V-71 and 1 8V-92. About the only thing they do consistently is leak oil. If they don't leak, there's no oil left in them. Oh, and they make noise. LOTS of noise. Power, not so much. Kinda ruined my opinion of ANYTHING with the Detroit name on it, 4 cycle or not. I've never had major trouble with anything that Cummins made, not even the old 335's that were known for bending crank shafts. I have a Cat now, my first. I've had Cat's in equipment, but never road vehicles. We'll see how it pans out.

1-5-3-6-2-4

Thats too bad. Have you ever driven a truck with a Series60 in it?

I don't like 2 strokes either. I believe they are inferior in pretty much every aspect I can think of.

But man the 60 is nothing like them. In 1987 it was OHC with electronic unit injectors. 60 is a really nice engine. and the DD15 and DD16 are pretty wizzy commonrails now.

an 8v92 with 500 or 600hp will pull anything and use a ton of fuel doing it. they're pretty tough. they make enough power to still run when seized. Ive seen it. had to get the belly pad up on a seizmic vibrator that seized up the 8v92 in the bush. WOT she'll spin baby. got the pad up, and drove most of the way out..... I love working in the sticks.

chaikwa

I don't doubt you, but how can a company go from making noisy boat anchors to nice engines? It would be like Suzuki coming out with a 1 ton truck and all of us falling in love with it.

1-5-3-6-2-4

I don't like them 2strokes for OTR engines just as much as the next guy...... not nearly as much as you it appears. But any guy with an open mind can see things for what they are.

But the fact is, They are not boat anchors. They were the big Cahuna from 1937 to the '80s. Not a bad run. they were pretty pivotal in helping win WWII for the allies. fairly solid track record.

Yes the advent of the bigbore I6 4 strokes were the best thing to happen to the industry in a half century, but doesn't change the fact that detroit were the pioneer iron. And good and solid for about 60 years virtually unchanged.


DDC didn't go from making junk, to making gold. Personal pet peeve here. I am not a brand loyalist in anything. both Cat and Cummins as well as every OEM on the planet have dropped some pretty big turds on the public.

2006BLKMegacab

From what I have been told the 60 series was originally designed by cummins, then they came up with the design for the N14...liked the N14 better and still liked the 60 series platform too much to scrap it so they sold the design to detroit...feel free to correct me if im wrong