FLASHBACK FEATURE - UNDER PRESSURE A 1,200 HORSEPOWER

A 1,200 HORSEPOWER 6.0L DRAG TRUCK

BY JASON SANDS DIESEL WORLD MAGAZINE

Afriend of ours once said that racing a 6.0L Ford is like competiting in a sporting event with one arm tied behind your back. If that’s the case, then Matt Moroni’s mission of running in the ultra-competitive NHRDA Super Street class is like having both arms and one leg immobilized. Want to hear the crazy part? He’s got the goods to do it. With a fuelonly shakedown pass of 10.89 seconds in the quarter mile without tapping into his 300hp nitrous system, it’s clear that Matt and his Powerstroke aren’t playing games. In fact, the truck’s awesome 1,211rwhp dyno number is a record for 6.0L Fords. How did he build such a monster? We talked to him to fi nd out.

As it turns out, Matt’s obsession with making the “wrong” truck go fast didn’t start here. Before the truck you see on these pages, Matt raced a four-door Ford street truck, which again was powered by a 6.0L Power Stroke engine. Matt went through the normal progression of turbo and injector upgrades, before going into the big time with twins and some nitrous. Despite weighing in at nearly 4 tons, Matt’s bright orange 6.0L was able to lay down some serious quarter mile times, eventually running 11.30’s at more than 120mph on a healthy dose of squeeze. The nitrous-heavy passes were enough to get track offi cials to give him the boot for lack of safety equipment, so it was then that he decided to build a dedicated race effort.

Since Matt did diesel work for a healthy group of buddies, he soon ran across the perfect candidate for a race truck via a friend--a well-worn regular cab 4x4, with a hydro-locked engine and a beat-up body. Once Matt got the forlorn Ford

UNDER FLASHBACK FEATURE

It should be no surprise that building a 6.0L Powerstroke into a 1,200-hp monster, takes a bit of doing. While the crankshaft and block is stock, almost everything else has been modified. The connecting rods are from Hypermax, the pistons are from Elite Diesel and have been modified by Matt, and the camshaft and valvetrain is all experimental and prototype stuff from Elite Diesel. Plenty of fuel and air are needed, and oh yeah, there’s nitrous too, although the engine alone still propels the truck into the 10-second zone.

From the back of the truck on up, the fuel system is all serious race stuff. First, a 5 gallon fuel cell leads up to a Holley Dominator fuel pump, which pushes and impressive 200 gallons per hour worth of fuel and is regulated at about 60psi. Next, the fuel is sent to TWO high pressure oil pumps (HPOP’s for short) which then fires the enormous 410cc injectors. With the power numbers that Matt’s F-250 produces, being conservative is not an option.

UNDER PRESSURE

towed home, he quickly set about working on turning his new ride from farm truck to drag truck. The rear of the F-250 was so beat up that one of his fi rst moved was to secure a new bed for the rig. After that, he went with a basic clean-up, including chiseling about 10 years worth of mud from the frame. Matt estimated that just cleaning up the truck must have taken about 50 pounds off of it. Since the motor in it was hydro-locked, the engine and transmission from the orange rig was jammed in placed, and he was ready to race. Or so he thought.

Unfortunately, the engine Matt had just put in from the orange truck had a cracked block, which necessitated a full rebuild. It was then when the project really started to get out of hand. Although a new factory block was sourced, that’s about all that remained stock

With the front clip removed, one of the more impressive engine pieces is the mammoth water-to-air intercooler, which was built by Chiseled Performance, and is rated to flow up to 3,000hp worth of air. If you’re wondering why it looks kind of mad-max, it’s because the intercooler had to be heavily braced to handle the type of boost pressures that are seen in a diesel application.

Lots of water is needed for a water-to-air intercooler, so Matt had this 7-gallon tank and pump system installed in the driver’s compartment. The setup circulates ice water up to the intercooler and back during a run down the dragstrip, and keeps engine inlet temperatures extremely dense.

Try as we might, we couldn’t get the exact turbo specs from Matt. If we had to guess, we’d say that he’s running a GT45-framed Garrett charger as his high pressure turbo, and a GT55-frame turbo as the larger low pressure unit. Both turbos are ball-bearing units, and are regulated to produce 100psi of boost on either fuel alone, or with the assistance of nitrous oxide.

UNDER PRESSURE

on the truck. On the engine’s crank swings a set of ultra-strong Hypermax connecting rods, which are attached to a set of oversize pistons from Elite Diesel which were modifi ed by Matt himself. The rest of the engine also got a heavy dose of the Elite treatment, with the camshaft, pushrods, and valvesprings all coming from Elite. The heads were ported as well, to insure a clear airfl ow path throughout the engine. Reliability was also secured via ARP head studs and rod bolts, although the head wasn’t o-ringed or fi re-ringed for this application.

When we moved on to the power-producing parts, Matt suddenly became pretty tightlipped. Since there aren’t many 6.0L Fords out there that make 946 rear-wheel horsepower on fuel, and 1,211rwhp on nitrous, we can

If you’re wondering about all the round objects in the exhaust system, they’re 44mm wastegates from JGS. Large injectors, especially when combined with nitrous, create enormous amounts of drive pressure, and overspeeding a turbocharger can become a very real reality. Since nobody likes compressor shrapnel flying through their intake tract, the exhaust side is wastegated heavily, with two gates on each side leading into the high-pressure turbocharger, and another in between stages.

Spent exhaust gases need as trouble-free of an exit as possible in an engine that moves so much air, so Matt fabricated up his own 5-inch downpipe for the race truck. If you’re wondering why he didn’t just go with a hood stack, it’s because they’re illegal in the Super Street class that he races in.

The transmission has been gone through a few times, and is currently sporting an experimental high-stall converter and a manual valvebody. Since hard launches aren’t easy on shafts, billet input, output, and intermediate shafts are used. The final piece of the puzzle is a PPE deep pan, which holds additional fluid as well as providing much better cooling than the original pan.

Out back, the rear suspension is surprisingly stock, except for a set of Cal Tracs traction bars. Both front an rear differentials are also from the factory, but the original 3.73 gears were replaced with 3.31’s for more load and time in each gear.

In addition to the compound turbos, Matt’s Ford also has a multi-stage nitrous oxide system to spray past the competition. The system adds about 250-300 horsepower, and provides an additional intercooling effect, as the nitrous enters the intake tract at approximately -127 degrees F.

Right below the stock (surprisingly) heat-wrapped exhaust manifolds the special adapter plate can be seen which mates the Dodge 47RH transmission to the 6.0L Powerstroke engine.

Speaking of boost pressure, hoses, even the strongest ones, have a tendency to blow off, so on all the ultra-high pressure connections, Matt incorporated v-band clamps. These V-bands provide an extremely stable connection that has an almost zero chance of blowing apart.

UNDER PRESSURE

relate. What we did get out of him is that both the turbochargers are Garrett ballbearing units, with the smaller (or highpressure) turbo being 70+ millimeters in size, while the larger atmospheric turbo is a whopping 90+ millimeters. When going down the track, the engine produces a crazy 100psi of boost, with the drive pressure and boost pressures being nearly equal thanks to some JGS wastegates. A big honkin 5.5-inch Airaid fi lter and custom intake, and 5-inch downpipe round out the airfl ow combination.

The fuel system is also just as interesting as air. Eschewing the popular pump setups, Matt settled upon a 200gph Holley Dominator fuel pump, which sends 60psi of fuel up to the engine’s high-pressure fuel system. And what a system it is. One of the most glaring additions to the 6.0L engine is the twin HPOP (high-pressure oil pump) setup that stares onlookers in the face. Designed by Elite Diesel Engineering, Matt was one of the fi rst people to try this setup. Both 7.3L and 6.0L engines use oil pressure to fi re the injectors, so having enough pressure is very important. Above about 500 rear-wheel horsepower, the factory pump becomes a hindrance, so this setup with two stock pumps was created. So far, the system has proved very reliable, and has enough Wheaties to keep up well beyond the 4-digit mark. The last piece of the fuel system, the injectors, also have an appropriate amount of voodoo. They are custom 410cc units that Matt build himself with parts from Elite Diesel. The nozzles are a one-off design that Matt says are “around 400%” although he admits they might be bigger.

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With all that power, we now come to a painful part in the story--trying to keep transmissions together. While Matt initially started with the 4R100 that came in the Ford, it needed some serious help coping with the horsepower, and it still wasn’t holding up. The transmission would either hang a shift (basically, fail to shift at the right rpm) or break a shaft, or burn itself up. After many attempts, Matt went a different route than many might have guessed...a Dodge transmission. That’s right folks, instead of a 4R100, a 47RH that’s normally found in Dodge Rams lies behind the powerful 6.0L engine. The transmission was bolted to the engine with an adapter made by SunCoast Converters, and features a high-stall torque converter, billet input, output, and intermediate shafts, and a manual valvebody so Matt can do his own shifting.

With a unique and powerful powertrain, Matt still had to get the rest of the truck ready for competition. This meant a few well-placed modifi cations for getting the truck down the 1320, as well as a bit of lightening. You see, a lighter vehicle can be faster with less horsepower, and even though the truck was a regular cab, it was still way over the 6,000 pound weight minimum for the Super Street class. So, Matt started getting creative. A universal 5 gallon fuel cell may cut down on the cruises to car shows, but it was a whole lot lighter than the factory tank. A rear roll pan from Sir Michaels was also fi tted to the rear of the truck to shed some pounds, and the interior was modifi ed with lightweight buckets replacing the factory seats. Perhaps the biggest weight savings however is the custom fi berglass front end that Matt had made for the truck , which lifts off in one section. The one piece front end also allows for easy access when working on the rig. All told, the weight reduction brought the Ford down to about 6,700 pounds with driver.

While Matt has been busy with other projects for the past year or so, he’s already planning on a triumphant return for his fearsome Ford. With the nitrous fl owing on a solid pass, the truck should dip into the 9 -second zone, at more than 140mph. While many may question Matt’s sanity for building a race truck out of a vehicle most people can’t even get to run right, we have to say kudos to Matt, and his extremely powerful dare-to-be-different Ford.

Much of the factory interior has been removed on Matt’s truck, and replaced with a racing seat, pushbutton switches, and the big intercooler tank. If Matt decides to drop even more weight, the power windows and factory dash are the next to go.

A lot is going on in the shifting department. The Dodge transmission is controlled by a B&M Pro Ratchet shifter, which also has buttons on it for locking the torque converter, and also hitting Overdrive.

Matt is presented with a full-on data overload, thanks to a bunch of DiPricol gauges in a custom carbon fiber insert. Boost and drive pressure are monitored, as well as exhaust gas temperatures, transmission temperature, fuel pressure, and oil pressure. Only when everything is in spec does Matt then make a blast down the track.

READERS RIDES

WHO: WARWICK ANDREWS WHAT: 1947 FARGO

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: Chain Smoker is a 1947 Fargo reclaimed from a Canadian fi eld with original matching patina on every panel and no body fi ller. Owner Warwick Andrews sculpted its chain body panels using design cues from Art Deco era cars mixed with modern day Rat Rods. 12v 6BT Cummins diesel crate engine built with only high performance aftermarket parts and machine work. Compound turbo setup, 74mm turbo feeding nasty 96mm. NV4500 manual transmission with stage 6 clutch. Boxed frame with inner tube frame and full interior cage. 14” rear c-notch, four link rear with Watts link. Chain widebody built using 300ft+ of chain from a 1940’s decommissioned elevator (600ft overall). During a burnout, smoke plumes through the rear widebody chains while simultaneously rolling out the exhaust stack into its surrounding chains, which is when the name Chain Smoker truly comes into play.

WHO: DON HESS WHAT: 2002 LB7

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: 2002 2500hd lb7 I bought new, it only has 120000 easy miles on her. I’ve put on 295/60/20 wheels, level kit, banks air cleaner, Jake brake, hypertech programmer, sun pro gauges, 2015 tow mirrors, backup camera, touch screen radio, amp sub woofer, weather-tech fl oor mats, roll and lock tonneau, lines and more. I love this truck best truck I have ever owned. I am 62 years old and plan on keeping it till I die.

WHO: TYLER MORGAN WHAT: 2004 RAM

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins 6 speed running a bds 8” long arm lift with custom ladder bars, custom bumpers and grill, fi berwerx fenders and box sides. 40x15.5r20 nitto mud grapplers on 20x14 XD hoss 2’s. Backed up by some goodies under the hood like snow performance water/meth injection, industrial injection turbo and injectors with supporting mods, fass lift pump, pac brake exhaust brake. Tinted 5% sides and back with brow on windshield!

WHO: COLLIN REESE WHAT: 1986 GMC

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: 1986 GMC single wheel one ton with a LML Duramax swap. Engine is a fully built Freedom racing engine running a S366/488 compound turbo setup.

WHO: CODY FORDAHL WHAT: 1972 F250

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: 1972 Ford F-250 ranger xlt, 7.3 Powerstroke conversion with zf5 transmission, hydroboost, custom front mount intercooler, 4” exhaust, stand-alone harness with hydra tuned by Brian Jelich, all work done by Fordahl Bilt

WHO: NATHAN CLEAVE WHAT: 2015 SILVERADO

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, 6.6L LML Duramax. S369sxe WC Fab kit, 100% over Exergy injectors, Exergy 10mm CP3 pump. Stage 2 Transmission by Randys Transmission. 1074 Suncoast converter. Fully wrapped in 3m satin dark grey vinyl. Traction bars, race brakes, lift pump/sump, with many more supporting mods. Best 1/4 mile ET 11.86 @186KM/H on stock internals. I bought this truck brand new in 2015 and it has slowly turned into my race truck ever since.

WHO: KURT MCLUCAS WHAT: 2012 F250

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: 2012 Ford F250 Lariat, w/21730 miles, Bought new, Tuned, 6” BDS 4-link lift w/FOX 2.5 coilovers, FOX 2.0 shocks, Road Armor bumpers, Specialty Forged 20” custom wheels w/Pit Bull ROCKER XOR 37” tires, ALEA leather interior, FASS fuel system, No Limit Fabriacation/PSP products, AMP steps. Was originally a 2-tone.

WHO: KEVIN BOROUGH WHAT: 3RD GEN RAM

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: Self-Built 800hp sleeper that has a full Carli Performance Dominator kit to boogie off-road and an interior sound system to rival the best. One owner, 90k on the odometer and built by my father and I to race at the track , which are some of the best memories of garage time I have!

WHO: DAWSON KOMANT WHAT: 2004.5 GMC

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: I’m 22 years old from BC, Canada, and I built this truck by myself in the garage. It’s a 2004.5 GMC Sierra 2500HD. I went frame off on this truck , and powder coated every single piece of the undercarriage in a gold metallic gloss orange, with black accents. It has a 9” McGaughys lift, with 26x14 AF Draco\’s and 40/15.50 Fuel Grippers. There’s a ton of custom touches on this truck , such as the wrap, grille, trac bars and more. The interior is one of a kind with custom blue leather and a ton of other one off touches. I put my heart and soul into creating the truck of my dreams, and also achieved my life goal of attending SEMA with it.

WHO: RODNEY SIEFKE WHAT: 1971 F350

What The Owner Had to Say About Their Ride: 71 f-350.crew cab. Was originally a 2 wheel drive. 4x4 conversion done using suspension from a 97 Dodge 4/4 ton. Engine is out of a 93 Ford bus, transmission is a 700 r4 with a Sunnex Smart drum assembly with a billet input shaft. Transfer case adapter is a slightly modified piece from an nv4500 mated to a 241 dld housing with a 241 c input hub , planetary. And main shaft With the did basket with the Torrington bearings from the c, basket so it would work on the c shaft. Built completely by myself in my garage. Including paint.

JIMMY MACK IS B

SPECIAL THANKS TO PAUL ANDROVICH, CHRISTOPHER KOUTTRON, MIKE MARTINELLI, THE BIGMACKTRUCKS FIRE APPLIANCE FORUM AND THE DETROIT DIESEL FORUM AT SMOKSTAK

CK IS BACK! 1949 MACK MODEL 75 WITH JIMMY POWER

Only the most Mack-knowledgeable would know

this truck was not built as a tractor. Some of the fire

truck details would include the bumper style and the lack of horizontal cross bars in the grill, plus a “75” on the radiator shell, under the bulldog. There was a real dog that was the company mascot and his name was “Mack” ... and now you know the rest of that story. The spotlights on the

A-pillars are original to the fire truck and a common fire

truck item. While this Vintage Smoke column usually centers around period original diesels, this Mack drew our attention. While it’s technically a “restomod” it’s a resto mod done in a vintage way. Have a look at this 1949 Mack Model 75. It started life as a fire truck but fell into disuse and was rescued from the back of a used car lot in 1982 and given a new life with a historic powerplant. Sit back and we’ll tell you that story.

MACK FIRE TRUCKS Mack started building fully fitted out fire appliances in-house in 1935. They built a wide variety of units based on the Mack trucks of the eras in which they were sold. Sometimes they had different model designations than the equivalent standard trucks they were built upon and sometimes had slightly different styling. From the info from the Mack Museum, it appears that only 5,222 fire trucks of all types and models were built from 1937 to 1969. The majority of those were built between 1937 and 1955.

THIS OLD MACK This truck is a Model 75, which was built on the bones of the ‘37-50 Mack E-Series. In fact, this one is the last E-Series truck shipped for 1949. The only available engine for the 75 lines was the Mack “Thermodyne” ENF-510A, 510 cubic inch,150 horsepower gasser. Though there were several diesels in the Mack lineup at this time, including the END-510 Mack-Lanova diesel variant of the gas 510, it wasn’t on the options list for the fire trucks. The Thermodyne had dual ignition systems and two spark plugs per cylinder for maximum starting reliability. Gas engines were generally preferred for fire trucks in that era due to the lack of cold starting issues versus diesels. See a Vintage Smoke article on the Mack-Lanova diesel at https:// www.dieselworldmag.com/diesel-engines/

Power comes from a turbocharged 1977 Detroit 4-71N that was originally naturally aspirated. It’s an engine Lowell went through, adding a factory style turbo setup. In stock form, the NA engine was rated at about 160 horsepower at 2100 rpm and 400 lbs-ft at 1600

rpm. If he fully configured

it as a later model turbo engine, internally and externally, output could be up to 200 horsepower and 525 lbs-ft. Just adding a turbo to an NA engine, won’t gain much. That’s a typical situation with

Uniflow two-strokes... they don’t benefit much

from more air because most of it blows out the exhaust valves during the scavenging part of the stroke. The intake posts are covered before the exhaust valves close. If he incorporated all the turbo mods, slowing down the blower, a blower bypass (the blower impedes

airflow from the turbo), the liners (specifically the inlet ports in the sleeve),

exhaust valve timing and injector sizes, he’d get all the bennies of the turbo. Reportedly, performance is adequate, even with a 40,000 pound load behind the truck. Part of that’s obviously due to

the gearing flexibility the

13-speed gearbox adds. vintage-smoke-2/.

Thanks to Mike Martinelli and the Mack Museum, we know this Model 75 truck was built in 1949 as a pumper for the Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, fire department and shipped December 30, 1949. We don’t know much about the truck from that point but it acquired 18,641 miles in service of the Schwenksville community. By the early ‘80s, it was long out of service and pretty much living the life of a giant paperweight.

If you are in the enthusiast world of GM two-strokes, you may know the name Lowell Baker. He has the reputation of being one of the best two-stroke techs in the Midwest and one of the best Great Lakes Diesel in Vermillion, Ohio, ever had on staff. He also worked for Greyhound, helping keep their vast fleet of Jimmy-powered busses on the road. Lowell was a noted collector of vintage diesels, particularly Jimmies, tractors, trucks and many other things that have an engine. Sadly, Lowell passed on in 2017 but this old Mack is one of his many legacies.

The truck was acquired in 1982 from the back lot of a used car dealer in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was stored at the Baker shop until a resto mod began in the early ‘90s and it was completed in 1996. Why wasn’t it restored back as a fire truck? Well, Baker needed a 5th wheel truck to haul his various tractors, trucks and equipment to shows more than he needed a restored, essentially useless fire truck so the stylish Mack was converted to a 5th wheel tractor. Fire appliance collectors may be foaming at the mouth by now but there aren’t many uses for vintage fire trucks other than to be restored and shown, or converted for other forms of useful employment. Baker chose the latter and used the truck extensively. Reportedly, the original Thermodyne engine was seized up but no self respecting Jimmy fanatic would drive a gasser anyway. Lowell shortened the wheelbase and added a stouter, more modern rear axle. He wanted to install a 6-71 but it was too big. Instead, he built a ‘77 4-valve 4-71N (“N” indicating a four-valve engine). It was originally built as an automotive engine and had been

The interior is mostly original and very utilitarian. An underdash air conditioner was added for those warm hauling days. The AC compressor runs from the rear accessory drive on the engine, along with the alternator.

The rear axle is a modern unit (make unknown to us) with air brakes. The front end still has the original Mack hydraulic brakes. Lowell

set up an air over hydraulic

setup to make the dissimilar types of brakes work in concert. The big Tulsa winch is hydraulically

operated, driven from a

pump powered by a PTO outlet on the transmission. removed from an International stakebed truck. Lowell added a turbo but we don’t know much more than that. He may have done the other mods needed to take full benefit of the turbo but apparently he took that knowledge with him to Detroit Diesel heaven. The current owner doesn’t know and isn’t likely to do a teardown to find out anytime soon. The Jimmy is backed up by a 13-speed road Ranger gearbox. Also installed was a fifth wheel from another truck and a big Tulsa winch behind the cab for hauling derelict equipment onboard the flatbed trailer. LOWELL’S LEGACY Paul Androvich is the current owner of the Mack. He was a friend and neighbor of Lowell’s and spent considerable time working with him on the initial build and subsequent maintenance of the truck. In fact, around 2005, Lowell sold him the truck under an agreement where he retained what Paul’s describes as a “life lease.” Both men used the truck when needed and when Lowell passed, full unfettered ownership went to Paul. Paul uses it the same way he and Lowell always did, hauling equipment to shows and sometimes showing the truck on it’s own.

SOURCES

BIG MACK TRUCKS FORUMS BIGMACKTRUCKS. COM MACK MUSEUM WWW.MACKTRUCKSHISTORICALMUSEUM.ORG SMOKSTAK DETROIT DIESEL FORUM WWW.SMOKSTAK. COM

EVOLUTION OF A

1961 MINNEAPOLIS-MOLINE GVI

SPECIAL THANKS TO BRIAN GONYEA

Tall and upright is the stance of the G-Series tractors. That’s typical for a fixed tread, standard tractor built for the amber waves of grain in the northern Midwest USA and southern Canada. At a bit over 8,000 pounds, it was certainly a heavyweight in the era. It could carry another 4,000 pounds of ballast as needed. The two headlights were standard as were two rear-facing work lights. It was quite a while before M-M turned this basic platform into a rowcrop. This tractor belongs to the Bergman family and is one of several Minnie-Mo tractors in their extensive collection. It was shot at the Tri-State Engine and Tractor Show. In fact, for 2022, Minneapolis-Moline will be the featured tractor at the August 24-27, 2022, show in Portland, Indiana, so if you want to see more Prairie Gold tractors, be there or be square.

OLUTION OF A HEAVYWEIGHT

At the dawn of the 1960s, Minneapolis-Moline (M-M) had an aging but well-regarded line of heavyweight tractors that had evolved from a 1938 model. That original model GT was a big wheatland style tractor with a 403 cubic inch four-cylinder gasser and it established itself as a player in the standard-tread tractor market. In 1942, as the United States went into full blown war mode, the GTA emerged with only a few updates. Not many were built as M-M production moved to war priority items. M-M tractors in this era had a military and jeep connection that crossed into agriculture and they relate to this story.

MOLINE IN GREEN In 1938, development of a M-M four-wheel drive artillery prime mover began. It was originally based on the U-Series tractors, which were smaller than the G-Series. The project soon morphed into something bigger and though it was ostensibly still a “U-Series” it was much more. Tests in 1939 showed the U-Series 283 cubic inch fourcylinder didn’t have the suds for an artillery tractor. By 1939, M-M had begun production of a new 425 cubic inch six-cylinder that made 70 horses and it was perfect for the prime mover project. With this new engine mated to the U-Series 4x4, the UTX artillery tractor was born.

Six UTX were built for tests, four of which were used in 1940 at Camp Ripley, Minnesota, during tests with the Minnesota National Guard during their annual maneuvers. At this time, the UTX acquired the nickname “Jeep” because like the character Eugene-the-Jeep in the Popeye-the-Sailor comic strip, it could do almost anything. The UTX didn’t go into production and while the rest of this story is fascinating, it doesn’t involve diesels. We have marked the appearance of the 425 engine, so we move on.

THE BIG MOLINE EVOLVES Following the war, that 425 six-cylinder needed a home. It found one in the GTB

The working end of the GVI showing the standard swinging drawbar and optional PTO. A 3-point lift is not listed on the GVI options list. That is typical of a wheatland tractor by this time, though most manufacturers already had begun offering the option of a 3-point on this class of tractor. On the left, just below the platform, and above the step, is a toolbox. On the right is a rack for an optional hydraulic cylinder for use on various equipment that needed one. When switching implements, you removed the cylinder and hung it, uncoupled, hitched up to the new implement, attached the cylinder and off you go.

The D425 was a Lanova cell diesel that went back to 1953. It was based on the gas 425 that debuted in 1938, sharing the same bore and stroke. The cylinders are parent bore, cast in pairs and bolted separately to the crankcase, with a separate head for each pair. There were only four main bearings but they were big bearings (2.91-inch diameter main and rod journals). The diesels had larger rod journals and wrist pins than the gas engines. It was a very big engine, so you could say, “Who needs front weights when you have an engine hanging out up there that weighs nearly 3,000 pounds.” This engine had a very long existence, running from 1938 to 1971, very near the end of the Minneapolis-Moline name.

line for 1954, specifically in the GTB-D. The “D” for diesel... go figure! With a Lanova style combustion chamber and a RoosaMaster injection system added, the 425 gas six adapted well to diesel. A Lanova diesel version of the 293 cubic inch four had debuted in 1952 in the smaller UTS-D and marked the first production M-M diesel. The GTB-D evolved into the GBD for 1955 and the GVI replaced it for 1959 as an update.

So, yeah, the GVI was not a new tractor, rather it was a new presentation and evolution of the G-Series wheatland. You had the choice of a propane-fueled engine, or a diesel. The diesel and LPG produced almost identical outputs at Nebraska, in the realm of 78 horses on the PTO and 6667 horsepower on the drawbar (without ballast). A PTO and swinging drawbar were standard but power steering was an option. The GVI proved to be a good pattern for more evolution. Before it’s run ended in 1962, the G704 debuted... which was the same tractor with a front driving axle. At the end of 1962, the G705 (4x2) and G706 (4x4) took over and this time it was more than a designation change. They were upgraded with a bigger engine. By boring the 425 a whopping 3/8-inch, they created a 504 cubic inch Lanova diesel that could spin up to 1600 rpm and was rated at 101 PTO ponies. For the first time, M-M power went past the century mark . You can read about the G706 model on the Diesel World website at www.dieselworldmag.com/ diesel-tractors/split-personality/.

ALL IN THE NAME Every once in a while, all manufacturers have gone down a model naming rabbithole. The GVI, also seen expressed as G-VI was in that realm. Trying to exude a little class, they adopted the GVI moniker... the “VI” being Roman numerals for “6.” Apparently, it went right over the heads of most buyers and at least one recent tractor column writer who needed to be educated on the topic.

THE MOLINE FADE M-M was swept up by White in 1963. Over just a few years in the same timeframe, White had also gobbled up Oliver and Cockshutt. All these companies were struggling for market share and vulnerable to “offers you can’t refuse.” White consolidated the model lines significantly

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Mag-Hytec 65

MKM Customs 56-57

Move Bumpers 37 Navistar (Diamond Advantage) 51 Nitto Tires 124 Powermaster Performance 115 PowerTeq /Edge Products Inc. 27 PPE (Pacifi c Performance Engineering) 28-29 Pure Diesel Power 121 Raybestos Powertrain 79 Riff Raff Diesel 13 Rigid Industries 41 Scheid Diesel Service Co., Inc 43 SHELL OIL CO (SLL) 8-9 Sport Truck USA Inc. 61 SpynTec Industries 111 Strictly Diesel 77 Summit Racing 22-23 The Wheel Group 55, 97 Thermo-Tec Automotive, Inc. 85 Transfer Flow 63

Warn

11 Wheel Pros 16-17 Wheel Pros 72-73 Wilwood Disc Brakes 39 Xtreme Diesel Performance 35