Should I buy this? Gray marine diesel - what yr?

Up for sale - $200. I dont really have a use for it because its way b4 my time - but looks like a cool little side project to tinker with -

its a gray marine Model 118 diesel

 

Never saw a diesel with spark plugs.

 

I don’t believe it’s a diesel. But I have seen ones by International that started on gas then switched to diesel. Some old farm tractors started on gas and switched to tractor fuel when warmed up. He could Google it and find more about it.

 

Ya that's not a diesel. might be flat head Continental 6 banger.

 

Does NOT look like a diesel to me. I see 6 spark plugs and a distributor.

Found a 9 year old post on the 118.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/gray-marine-phantom-6-115hp-engine.712856/

 

Continental six gasoline boat motor.
They're heavy and tough. I've seen them used to power lots of different things, air compressors, generators, pumps. I've also seen them converted to air compressors. Some of them even came with dual carbs.
Some of these engines are sought after by the wooden boat folks for restorations.

 

Post it on a boat restoring / classic boat forum, I'm guessing there'd be some value there. IIRC , those engines are bulletproof !

 

If you have an antique boat to put it in it might be a good buy. Or if you just like old engines and plan to put it on a stand with a radiator and have a running display engine.
That said, if it is good shape and runs there is probably a market for it with the old boat folks if you are willing to hang on to it for a while. Gray Marine – Welcome
eBay item number:
265098751702 This one is a 4 cylinder.

 

Interesting, I don’t see any carburetor (s)

 

I think it's an updraft carb, hiding under the manifolds

 

Should be dual updrafts under the water cooled exhaust manifold.

 

Those things run forever. Could have twin carb setup or not. I've owned & been around Gray engines all my life & loved them all. The V8 versions were American Motors blocks except for one that used Buick.

 

oh my I completely didnt pay attention to the plugs! Looks pretty clean - think ill go get it this week.. just for kicks if anything- yes would look beautiful in a classic old wood boat (30s era chris craft?) - any idea what model carb/ etc would be found on this? and what era this would have come from? I did read that gray marine made alot of engines for war boats -

 

That looks like late 40's early 50's vintage.

 

Interesting history on Wikipedia. My first introduction to Gray Marine was in the Navy where I occasionally crewed on landing craft and V-bow utility boats. I served on a Destroyer, but we would ‘rent’ one of those craft from the Navy shipyard in in Long Beach to use like a pickup truck for certain tasks. The model I mentioned above were Gray Marine diesel…actually GM Detroit Diesel 6-71 series, converted to marine use by Gray. The landing craft had twin engines and the utility boat a single engine. Twins were counter rotating and the Coxswain could put that LC anywhere he wanted by manipulating the rotation with the gear box (forward/N/reverse) and throttle. The wet exhausts were unmuffled and boy did they bark when given their head. Fun memories.

Ray

 

Well here's a new experience for you then. There are better overall videos of a TD24. but this one shows the gas system on one side, diesel on the other. Pretty good beast when new, size of the early D9 Cat. One of the dozers at the end of "Vanishing Point" was a TD24, and there was also one burying critters in "Hud"

 

Here ya go- starts on gas, runs on diesel. TD24 was a beast in its day, size of a D9 Cat. One of the dozers at the end of "Vanishing Point" was a TD24, and there was also one burying critters in "Hud"

 

All of the old International/Farmalls started on gas. Once warm, over to diesel.