Author Topic: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?  (Read 1117 times)

Offline nelstomlinson

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Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« on: April 26, 2024, 12:08:00 PM »
I just bought a Huber Warco 4D grader, and it has what I'm pretty sure is a DD 4-53. It's old and thrashed, but the only thing it obviously needs is an oil change. I have a bunch of Rotella 15W-40, and some Delo 15W-40. Is either of them suitable for this old iron?

Offline gtermini

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2024, 02:20:32 PM »
Detroits will burn a lot of oil running multi-weight. Straight SAE 30 is what they were designed for.

The saying for saltwater chevys is, you know they're out of oil when they stop leaking. Haven't met one that didn't mark it's territory constantly.

If it hasn't been started in a couple years, and double so if it's sitting outside, pull the valve cover and work the injector racks to make sure they're free. Have somebody stand next to the intake with a board to slam over and choke it out when you start it in case it decides to go to the moon. The emergency shutdown flap in the blower is usually froze or has been sucked through before and won't work when you need it. Even it does, don't use it for shutting the engine down under normal circumstances.

Otherwise, a jimmy was one of the best engine designs ever built. If you can stand the noise.

Offline nelstomlinson

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2024, 04:46:46 PM »
I'll look for some single viscosity oil, but it sounds like I won't hurt it with the multi-visc I have on hand, as long as I keep pouring it through. Thanks.

It's run some recently, and I roaded it home Tuesday night.

Offline slip knot

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2024, 05:52:05 PM »
Any oil you dump in a DD will be black within 5 minutes of run time.

Offline nelstomlinson

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2024, 05:53:49 PM »
Most of my old machines are like that, slip knot.

Offline highland512

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2024, 07:03:19 AM »
Every time I hear a 2 cycle DD, I think of an old truck driver we went to church with growing up. He would tell you the DD was so good it was in the bible.
Revelations NKJ 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Offline gtermini

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2024, 06:02:31 PM »
The old truck driver we had on the farm always said to start you day by slamming your hand in the door, so you were good'n pissed off at it before you started driving. Only way to run a jimmy is hold the pedal to the wood.

Offline nelstomlinson

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2024, 11:37:50 PM »
I've heard that slam your hand in the door from an old truck driver, too. They're supposed to be great engines as long as you keep the rpms up.

Offline nelstomlinson

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2024, 10:20:57 AM »
Just for fun, here's a picture of the monster. Fortunately it does have cab doors to slam a hand in.

Offline gtermini

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2024, 12:35:51 AM »
Looks like a good, solid machine. Hydraulic machines beat knuckle busters any day, and twice on sunday. Side shift seems to be the only lacking feature.

Offline nelstomlinson

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2024, 09:34:55 PM »
Does anyone know what oil filters I need? NAPA doesn't have an entry in their computer for a Detroit 4-71.

I'm pretty sure there are two canister oil filters, one larger, horizontal, near the radiator end of the engine, one smaller, vertical, near the flywheel end. If anyone has NAPA or other part numbers for those, it would surely be helpful.

Offline nelstomlinson

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2024, 09:02:41 PM »
Tried looking the grader up in the Baldwin catalog, found the CU406... but it's obsolete. Cross referenced that to the Wix 51002, they may still make it. That's the bypass filter. Wix had the other, full flow filter, 51133. Neither catalog had both listed under the Huber-Warco 4D.

I'll pull the two filters this weekend and take'em in to NAPA, get replacements on their way.

Offline Midnitemack

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Re: Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #12 on: Today at 01:47:41 AM »
I have a Fleetguard  Filter catalog with listing for your grader , hope this helps…. Maybe you can cross the Fleetguard numbers to Napa numbers


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Offline Midnitemack

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Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #13 on: Today at 01:58:52 AM »
LF 509N is a Napa 1130 or 1133 or 1136 or 4133….. , I can’t see the LF 3357 in my list of Napa numbers


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« Last Edit: Today at 02:26:30 AM by Midnitemack »

Offline Midnitemack

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Any Detroit Diesel gurus on here?
« Reply #14 on: Today at 02:24:12 AM »
LF 509N is a Napa 1133 or 4133….. , I can’t see the LF 3357 in my list of Napa numbers


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Or my other Fleetguard Catalog has another number ……
Try these Napa numbers for that LF504= 1500 or  1502 or 1503

Looking at the Wix number 51002 you had that crosses to possibly a Fleetguard LF506 or LF534. Feel free to PM me if you want


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« Last Edit: Today at 02:36:18 AM by Midnitemack »