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What engine can i use?

Halo615

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Nashville Tennessee
I guess it really depends on what you plan to do with it. Just drive it around for fun and maybe some parades? Gonna use it to haul some firewood or do odd jobs on the property?
Myself, I would stick with a diesel engine. There's plenty out there that will make that truck giddy on up and then some. I'm partial to the multi-fuel engine myself, it's plenty easy to work on and been around one for as long as I have, I'm just so familiar with it that I'm more comfortable staying with it. Everyone's opinion is different, but Mullaney did have some good recommendations on his list as well as others.
Thank you for the info,I like my multifuel but I can only go 50 MPH in it.
 

Halo615

New member
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Location
Nashville Tennessee
How fast are you looking to go. I ask because yes you can make them go faster but it is not really wise to. I can understand wanting more torque to get up to speed easier and not loose so much on the hills but have no desire to get more top speed.
id like to be able to at least go 70 mph
 

HDN

Well-known member
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Finger Lakes Region, NY
id like to be able to at least go 70 mph
I'm not sure how realistic that is for a 50+ year old truck designed for both on and off-road operation, and even then not go much faster than 55 MPH. I'd be especially concerned about braking power. I think some members here have done it though, so I guess it's kinda realistic.

Then again I'm fine with my truck going slow 🤷‍♂️
 

V8srfun

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Altoona pa
id like to be able to at least go 70 mph
i think you would find yourself not wanting to drive at those speeds once you did it once. These trucks don’t have the suspension and brakes for going those speeds without being on the edge of a bad situation constantly. Yes it can be done but that is not a deuces element.
Another thing to consider have you done your axle boots, checked all of your wheel bearings, changed all your fluids, greased all the fittings, replaced all the cracked dogbone bushings, adjusted all your brake shoes, and so on. I mean just keeping up with the maintenance is chore enough let alone trying to make it safe at 70 mph.
 

ToddJK

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id like to be able to at least go 70 mph

To go 70, you'd want a different motor and a different transmission. The company that made higher gear ratios for the axles, don't make them anymore so finding one is extremely difficult and if you did, it's gonna be very expensive.

I know the custom built trucks, they make them so to cruise going 65-70 but also, they have power steering and everything is completely gone through.

For a faster cruising MV, better off doing a humvee or something similar. For a deuce or 5 ton, it's safer to keep the speed down, mostly due to the suspension and brakes. I know when I got my second deuce, driving from TN to MI, at times going over bridges, construction zones, RR tracks, where there's decent size bumps, the truck jerked hard to the side in which tire hit first or the tire that hit the bump. Kinda scary imo. Like driving a normal pick up with no stabilizer bar and if you've ever driven one with a broken link or two, you know what I mean, and this is in a deuce going 65. I ended up slowing down to 55 and kept it there. Felt a lot more comfortable and the jerking wasn't as bad.
At least if I wanted, I could go 65 on a smooth road no problem, but the rpms are high and I'd like my motor and stuff to last so 60 at 2350-2400 rpms is the fastest I'd go and that's only for a short period.
If you want a deuce that cruises like a normal semi, be prepared to dump a ton of money and time to get it there or have a shop like C&C or Boyce give you a quote on something that's capable of doing that. This is just my opinion 🤷
 

Mullaney

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To go 70, you'd want a different motor and a different transmission. The company that made higher gear ratios for the axles, don't make them anymore so finding one is extremely difficult and if you did, it's gonna be very expensive.

I know the custom built trucks, they make them so to cruise going 65-70 but also, they have power steering and everything is completely gone through.

For a faster cruising MV, better off doing a humvee or something similar. For a deuce or 5 ton, it's safer to keep the speed down, mostly due to the suspension and brakes. I know when I got my second deuce, driving from TN to MI, at times going over bridges, construction zones, RR tracks, where there's decent size bumps, the truck jerked hard to the side in which tire hit first or the tire that hit the bump. Kinda scary imo. Like driving a normal pick up with no stabilizer bar and if you've ever driven one with a broken link or two, you know what I mean, and this is in a deuce going 65. I ended up slowing down to 55 and kept it there. Felt a lot more comfortable and the jerking wasn't as bad.
At least if I wanted, I could go 65 on a smooth road no problem, but the rpms are high and I'd like my motor and stuff to last so 60 at 2350-2400 rpms is the fastest I'd go and that's only for a short period.
If you want a deuce that cruises like a normal semi, be prepared to dump a ton of money and time to get it there or have a shop like C&C or Boyce give you a quote on something that's capable of doing that. This is just my opinion 🤷
.
Another option would be to buy yourself a fairly late model 18 wheeler. Cut the cab off it, then do the same for your Deuce. Bolt the Deuce to the tractor frame then call that good and go fast...

Suggest you stay out of the mud though. A tractor can get stuck with one wheel off in the grass in a rainstorm...
 

98G

Former SSG
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AZ/KS/MO/OK/NM/NE, varies by the day...
To go 70, you'd want a different motor and a different transmission. The company that made higher gear ratios for the axles, don't make them anymore so finding one is extremely difficult and if you did, it's gonna be very expensive.

I know the custom built trucks, they make them so to cruise going 65-70 but also, they have power steering and everything is completely gone through.

For a faster cruising MV, better off doing a humvee or something similar. For a deuce or 5 ton, it's safer to keep the speed down, mostly due to the suspension and brakes. I know when I got my second deuce, driving from TN to MI, at times going over bridges, construction zones, RR tracks, where there's decent size bumps, the truck jerked hard to the side in which tire hit first or the tire that hit the bump. Kinda scary imo. Like driving a normal pick up with no stabilizer bar and if you've ever driven one with a broken link or two, you know what I mean, and this is in a deuce going 65. I ended up slowing down to 55 and kept it there. Felt a lot more comfortable and the jerking wasn't as bad.
At least if I wanted, I could go 65 on a smooth road no problem, but the rpms are high and I'd like my motor and stuff to last so 60 at 2350-2400 rpms is the fastest I'd go and that's only for a short period.
If you want a deuce that cruises like a normal semi, be prepared to dump a ton of money and time to get it there or have a shop like C&C or Boyce give you a quote on something that's capable of doing that. This is just my opinion 🤷
Agree, and....

My experience over dozens of trucks has been that the 809series 5tons handle speed better than deuces, and 939series trucks handle speed better still.

And none of them are suited for a sustained 70mph. That just doesn't leave you any margin. The first surprise has a real potential to end with a splat.

In a deuce, at any speed over 65 or so, the steering wants to wander and requires near constant input. Blow a steer tire and things are likely to go bad in a hurry.

809series are similar to a deuce except you have substantially better control due to the power steering.

939series trucks handle much better than either of the above, with substantially better braking. You can reasonably cruise an M939A2series at 65ish, but you have much more margin at 55mph and will not die if you blow a steer tire (I've done it more than once). With 16.00s on 939series trucks top speed is 74mph or thereabouts, but you're beyond the design envelope of the tires and pushing the edge of the envelope for everything else.

If "I simply must have a cruising speed of 70mph or better" , a deuce just isn't the tool for the job unless heavily modified. And if modified to that point, it probably loses too much in the areas where a deuce performs well...
 

ToddJK

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Location
Sparta, MI
.
Another option would be to buy yourself a fairly late model 18 wheeler. Cut the cab off it, then do the same for your Deuce. Bolt the Deuce to the tractor frame then call that good and go fast...

Suggest you stay out of the mud though. A tractor can get stuck with one wheel off in the grass in a rainstorm...
Yup. I say if you want speed, better off with a conventional vehicle. As slow as the deuce is, I don't care. I'll take the extra 60-30 mins loss of sleep to leave earlier if that's what I plan on driving. 9 out of 10 times I'll drive my deuce before my pick up, even if it takes me longer. The joy and experience alone is worth it to me.
 

ToddJK

Well-known member
1,321
4,518
113
Location
Sparta, MI
Agree, and....

My experience over dozens of trucks has been that the 809series 5tons handle speed better than deuces, and 939series trucks handle speed better still.

And none of them are suited for a sustained 70mph. That just doesn't leave you any margin. The first surprise has a real potential to end with a splat.

In a deuce, at any speed over 65 or so, the steering wants to wander and requires near constant input. Blow a steer tire and things are likely to go bad in a hurry.

809series are similar to a deuce except you have substantially better control due to the power steering.

939series trucks handle much better than either of the above, with substantially better braking. You can reasonably cruise an M939A2series at 65ish, but you have much more margin at 55mph and will not die if you blow a steer tire (I've done it more than once). With 16.00s on 939series trucks top speed is 74mph or thereabouts, but you're beyond the design envelope of the tires and pushing the edge of the envelope for everything else.

If "I simply must have a cruising speed of 70mph or better" , a deuce just isn't the tool for the job unless heavily modified. And if modified to that point, it probably loses too much in the areas where a deuce performs well...
Well said, explained much better than I did.
 
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