Posted by David Sherman on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 at 10:15PM :
In Reply to: Continental Multi/Fuel HyperCycle 6cyl Engine?? posted by Willy-N on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 at 2:08PM :
You really need to look at the data plate on the front passenger side of the block. It is probably an LD427, LDT465-1C, LDT465-1D, or LDS465. The tag will also tell you when the engine was built and if it was rebuilt whether oversize bearings were put in.
The LD427 is the naturally-aspirated version, infamous for its smoke. I doubt they're worth much with so many LDT465s around. The -1C seems to be the most common, and has the distinctive whistler turbo. The -1D is the latest and greatest version, having a slightly bigger turbo, different flame heater assembly, improved head gasket, and larger clutch. I've heard different stories on whether there's a tweak to the injector pump. I've seen many -1C engines with -1D parts on them, so many a -1C is essentially functioning as a -1D. The -1D is rated slightly higher power than the -1C, which is of course more powerful than the naturally-aspirated LD427. The -1C is also known as the "clean air" engine, since the turbo was added primarily to reduce smoke rather than to boost power. Other modifications you might find are an ether injection kit rather than the older manifold flame heater, and the density compensator on the injector pump being bypassed, forcing the use of diesel only (no gasoline).
As far as I can tell, the LDS engine is basically the same block, with a bigger supercharger and the fuel rate turned up so as to produce considerably more power. It was the standard engine in the 5-tons, though I know of at least one 2-1/2 ton that came out of Ft Lewis with an LDS465 in it. It definitely make the truck perky, but it drops the fuel economy from about 6 mpg down to 3.
These engines are not currently too valuable, unless there are good accessories on them, like a leece-neville alternator. A known-good injector pump or turbo is probably worth as much as a spare as a whole used engine is. Two good-looking used LTD465-1Cs in shipping cases just sold at Ft Lewis for $1000 for both. A few years ago I was offered my choice of probably a dozen multifuels in unknown condition, but not red-tagged, primarily 1Cs, for $300. The dealers seem to be asking $1000-$2000 for good tested engines, complete, but I don't know if they're selling them.
Unless they were known-good turboed engines (LDT or LDS), complete and running well and you got them for next to nothing, my personal opinion is you'd be hard-pressed to sell them at a profit since shipping them any distance would cost more than the engine is worth and they would be very hard to handle. I could be wrong and you could get lucky, but you might have two big hunks of iron sitting around for a long time too. These engines are extremely heavy. I don't recall what they weigh, but I know that little hydraulic hoist on your trailer wouldn't come close to lifting them. If they are LD427s with anything at all wrong with them, I think they're probably scrap.
I don't know of multifuels being put in M135s or M211s by the military. There are some people who convert to the newer M35 engine and tranny (spicer 3052 or 3053) mostly to get away from the unreliable automatic tranny, but from what I hear it's a difficult conversion requiring much cutting and fabricating.
If the engines you're looking at were recently bought by somebody from the DRMO, I have sometimes been told that if the clutch is still on it, it's more likely to be a good engine than if they pulled the clutch. I have no idea how true this is. Obviously disconnected injector lines, compression numbers written on the valve cover, red tags, etc are signs that somebody tried to fix it and gave up. Overbuilt as these engines are, they do tend to blow head gaskets.
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