Early Diamond T's

Just a quick question for those who may be able to cast your memories back a few years, (ONLY about 50 or so!).
Was a bloke in the Liverpool (NSW) area had an ex WW2 Diamond T with the short tray on it, would probably have been the petrol Continental engine. The tray was removed and a turntable fitted with a frame set up for house removals. I THINK it was painted a pale blue, always used to impress me the length of the bonnet.

Was told it was repowered first with a Cat out of an old series 12 grader, complete with pilot motor start, but my older bro was pretty sure it was an inline 6/71 GM.
Bloke who had it's first name was Bob, but for the life of me can't think of his surname, used to have a yard down near where Inghams eventually built their processing plant. Anyone throw any more light on this?
Dave.

Ah the old grey matter can let us down now and then LOL hmmm "dont fail me now brain"

I seem to remember being told that the Diamond T tank transporters had Hercules motors in them but maybe completely wrong there

I think those old Cat graders were only around 110 -130 hp max so it would have been a slow old trip in it 6 71 is over 200 and was a fairly common up grade I also feel those Cat bell housings for the grader werent a normal thing
would be very cool either way

Paul

...was it the wartime Federals that had the Hercules petrol and the Diamond T's having the Hercules Diesel...??

Federal tank transporters had a Cummins , Diamond T tank transporters had the Hercules Diesel Reo's tank transporters looked the same as a Federal had the Cummins as well as far as I know

Paul

Hmmm! I may not even be on the right tram, here. What made me think it was a Diamond T with a Continental petrol, I am not so sure now. It was over 50 odd years ago, so if the old memory fails, I reckon I have excuses!

I can recall the yard in question having a cyclone fence around it and amongst the detritus and debris, the skeleton of the Cat grader, but also there was a pallet with a flathead six engine, seemed massive at the time, had a carby which looked to be the size of a gallon tin sitting on it. reminded me of an oversize Dodge flathead.

But, that's not to say that particular engine came out of that truck, although the shed had no door and one could see the cab with bonnet and guards removed, no engine in chassis.

Interesting point about the Cat 12 engine/bellhousing. Some of those old D6's used the same engine (8U series) didn't they? As far as low horsepower/slow trip times, I would be thinking that with a house moving prime mover and the ultra low gearing, probably limited to around the 30 mph. And those flathead six Continentals would have been long stroking/slow revving engines, would they have not?

Dave

Read here somewhere on these forums about US military thinking during WW2. Petrol was available just about any theatre, whereas diesel could sometimes be hard to source. (probably the main reason why they (US) went to multifuel engines in later years). Those big petrol jiggers must have been hellaciously thirsty, especially with big loads on (e.g tank transporters etc). Always amazed me just how many of the US domestic manufacturers got behind the war effort, not only for vehicles, planes etc, but all the ancillary equipment. I suppose necessity breeds ingenuity, but some of the more exotic ideas, even concerning vehicles were certainly thrown into the mix. Just as a point of interest, you only have to research some of the petrol power that the US utilised in their tanks. Anything from conventional engines, to radials, but the lulu must have been the 4 flathead Dodge six cylinder petrols cobbled together to form a square. 24 cylinder, the fuel system alone must have been a nightmare, likewise the plumbing. Even if they were set up as 4 individual engines with their own fuel/spark systems, how the hell did they not only get them to run in synch, but even work on them? Have heard that the engine was amongst the first to be "modulised" where they were assembled on a skid affair and when requiring more work than mere servicing, the whole shooting match was removed??
I'm only going on what I have read on the issue, have never seen one in the flesh. Must have been worth a look.
Dave

Hi Dave,

A few comments from one with a little bit of knowledge:

The yanks went for a one fuel policy in WW2, with very few exceptions. Thus even the biggest trucks and tanks had petrol engines. I guess petrol was cheap and plentiful, and you couldn't rely on millions of troops to put the right fuel in the right fuel tank.

The Diamond T 980 tank transporters had the Herc diesel, (DFXE, 895c.i./185b.h.p.@1600r.p.m.) as it was not built for the yanks, but for Commonwealth nations. And, yes, its' obvious feature was its' looong bonnet. With its' trailer, known as a 'Rodgers', it is rated at 40tons. Top speed = 25mph.

The Federal 604 tank transporter was a 20ton rig, with the Cummins HB600. Also produced by Reo. These are a very rare rig, except in Australia.

To add confusion, there was also the Diamond T 969 Wrecker, a 6x6 with a Hercules RXC 6cyl side valve petrol, (529c.i./106b.h.p.@2300), but with a much shorter bonnet. Their top speed is more like 40m.p.h. Both Diamond T models had double reduction diffs, the 969 ratio being 8.435:1, the bigger truck had a similar ratio. No, they are not worm drive as some people say.

Regarding the multi bank Dodge tank engine, I recall seeing where someone in Europe rebuit one, even found gaskets,etc. at one of the large disposals dealers there. I remember earlier models had problems with the lower carbys flooding, so later models had all the carbys at the same level!!
On www.g503.com , methinks.

I also collect a few WW2 tools, and most manufacturers had a hand in the war effort. There was a lot of money to be made!

BTW, those trucks all used a standard SAE#2/#3 bell housing, which makes engine transplants not too difficult. I've just slotted a Cummins 6B into one. Bolted straight up. Even the clutch is an standard size.

I am rebuilding a 969.

Have a nice day.
Sam.

Dave_64 wrote: Hmmm! I may not even be on the right tram, here. What made me think it was a Diamond T with a Continental petrol, I am not so sure now. It was over 50 odd years ago, so if the old memory fails, I reckon I have excuses!

I can recall the yard in question having a cyclone fence around it and amongst the detritus and debris, the skeleton of the Cat grader, but also there was a pallet with a flathead six engine, seemed massive at the time, had a carby which looked to be the size of a gallon tin sitting on it. reminded me of an oversize Dodge flathead.

But, that's not to say that particular engine came out of that truck, although the shed had no door and one could see the cab with bonnet and guards removed, no engine in chassis.

Interesting point about the Cat 12 engine/bellhousing. Some of those old D6's used the same engine (8U series) didn't they? As far as low horsepower/slow trip times, I would be thinking that with a house moving prime mover and the ultra low gearing, probably limited to around the 30 mph. And those flathead six Continentals would have been long stroking/slow revving engines, would they have not?

Dave

Yeah I reckon your onto it Dave the same motor was used in old D 6 as well mind you a lot got converted to direct electric start out here and you can still buy the kits now so maybe it was a D6 / 12 grader motor the pilot motor is on the back of them above the bell housing dunno how you would go about wrapping a rope around it to pull start it ????? but never know may have been converted to electric start and that would have worked better

Those old Diamond T 's were only good for around 20MPH so you maybe spot on you wouldnt want much more for house moving I wouldnt think

In the latest ACMOC (old Cat magazine) they had a article about the first Cat diesels ever fitted to trucks totally off the subject I know but one was a version of the Cat D6 or 12 grader motor

sorry for taking it off topic :blush: :blush:

Paul

A cat in a dog ? .... Knew they did that in the 70s/80s .... But not back that far

...Hi Werk .. We had Cats in a couple of Peterbilts from 1963...

...there's a gem of a wartime Diamond T soon to be auctioned at a clearing sale in Cowell S.A. Google website "Farm Clearing Sales"....It's in the upcoming clearing sales section.