I found a BR-549 IH engine for sale with an allison auto trans included. It is out of an old fire truck and has 2 plugs per cylinder, and dual distibutors. It is a 549" engine. It is a good deal at $250 OBO for everything I think...

Anyone know anything about these? How much do they weigh? Factory HP/torque ratings?

I've learned from google that the BR stands for "broad ringed" and that these are supposed to be high compression engnes.

I have till Tuesday to buy this... so any info before then is appreciated :beer:

Heres a few pics...

Two more...

So what are you going to do with it? The 549's weigh in at around 1500 pounds, so I am assuming you've got a Loadstar or semi tractor to put it in??

I dont have anything to put it in yet, not sure if I ever will. I'll probably pick it up anyway. I figured it would be around 1,000 lbs or so... but 1,500 :eek:?

I read on one site that these made around 200 HP... Havent found a torque rating yet, Im guessing upwards of 5oolb/ft. :confused:

I dont have anything to put it in yet, not sure if I ever will. I'll probably pick it up anyway. I figured it would be around 1,000 lbs or so... but 1,500 :eek:?

I read on one site that these made around 200 HP... Havent found a torque rating yet, Im guessing upwards of 5oolb/ft. :confused:

I honestly don't remember, but those figures seem a little low. I'll see if I can't dig up the info....I know I have it around here somewhere.

Did all of these IH 549's run dual plugs and distibutors or is this an uncommon setup?

Thanks for the help.

Did all of these IH 549's run dual plugs and distibutors or is this an uncommon setup?

Thanks for the help.

No, typically the dual dizzy setups were a Fire Engine thing, but you could get them in many applications. The 549 I've seen locally is only a single dizzy setup. I have never acutally heard of a "BR" 549, and wonder where you got the term. The dual dizzy engines were refered to as an FTVS-549, where the single dizzy's were the LV-549. Good engines for there time, good engines today, as long as you don't mind the 2.5-3 MPG and revelatively low RPM range.

I'll see if I can't track down some concrete power figures and weight for ya.

The seller is calling it a BR 549 and I found another source calling it that off of google.. said it stands for "broad ringed". I havent found any factory type info yet..

Most of my searches come back with about 99% results for some old band called BR549 :laughing:

I found this also... an old advertisement on a matchbook.

I found a BR-549 IH engine for sale with an allison auto trans included. It is out of an old fire truck and has 2 plugs per cylinder, and dual distibutors. It is a 549" engine. It is a good deal at $250 OBO for everything I think...

Anyone know anything about these? How much do they weigh? Factory HP/torque ratings?

I've learned from google that the BR stands for "broad ringed" and that these are supposed to be high compression engnes.

I have till Tuesday to buy this... so any info before then is appreciated :beer:

The are really heavy, get shitty gas mileage, rev very slowly, and are a waste of time to put into anything light line.

Someone at the BB was giving away a running engine.

Try and find parts for that pig engine. I'd pass on it.

The are really heavy, get shitty gas mileage, rev very slowly, and are a waste of time to put into anything light line.

Someone at the BB was giving away a running engine.

Try and find parts for that pig engine. I'd pass on it.

Im not very concerned with the practicality of it. I may use it one day, I may not.. I just like old iron.

Put it into a pickup, add turbos, and report back :D

If I found that setup around here, I may grab it too. Maybe throw it into my 1100 "out of curosity". Of course I'd need a gas credit card :p

They are Junior Samples' favorite. :laughing:

From my 1965 truck repair manual

1956-64 549, comp 7.06, Hp 256@3400, torque 505 @ 2000

1964-65 549, comp 7.57, Hp 285@3400, torque 505 @ 2200

It needs a supercharger or twins.

Anyone want to do a pbb build?

Anyone want to do a pbb build?

This could get interesting... twin turbo IH 549.. Now I just need a truck to put it in, I dont think I can quite fit it into my 82 300D Benz :laughing:

There was a '48 or so Chevy 2 ton truck for sale by me a few months ago..Factory 4 wheel drive setup. Pretty cool looking, it would be deserving of something like this I think. Rat truck it, make it ugly and mean. Lose the duals and maybe throw some 14R20 or 16R20 Michelins on it :smokin::D

Now not a clue but the big block sounds nice.

From my 1965 truck repair manual

1956-64 549, comp 7.06, Hp 256@3400, torque 505 @ 2000

1964-65 549, comp 7.57, Hp 285@3400, torque 505 @ 2200

It needs a supercharger or twins.

Thanks.

Agreed on the forced induction...

Thats some healthy torque.

Thats some healthy torque.

The Cummins 3.9 ISBe (http://www.cumminsuk.com/eu/pages/en/products/bus/engines/isbe/index.cfm) 4 cly diesel produces that kind of torque. That's more like it:grinpimp:

Semi-related.... there is a video clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAADEoJpTFQ) on You Tube showing what it takes to drive a truck with a 549 and a 5-speed with a 4-speed aux. trans. Lots of shifting going on, but you can hear the 549 humming along.

Yes, the old Brownie Box. The problem driving a rig with a brownie box is usually the shift linkage would be all fucked up and you would lose your momentum quickly when you missed the shift.:mad3: I hate those fucking things. I drove a water truck that had one.

Yes, the old Brownie Box. The problem driving a rig with a brownie box is usually the shift linkage would be all fucked up and you would lose your momentum quickly when you missed the shift.:mad3: I hate those fucking things. I drove a water truck that had one.

Having never driven anything with a brownie.... I wouldn't know when to shift which trans into what gear. That old codger made it look easy.

I found that video to be funny but, that would get old in about 58 seconds or so..........:shaking:

Semi-related.... there is a video clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAADEoJpTFQ) on You Tube showing what it takes to drive a truck with a 549 and a 5-speed with a 4-speed aux. trans. Lots of shifting going on, but you can hear the 549 humming along.

No coffee drinkin' or cell phone jaw jackin' going on there...not that you could hear it anyway, those earplugs weren't for decoration. That would keep ya busy. He did make it look easy, he's probably been doing it awhile.

Semi-related.... there is a video clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAADEoJpTFQ) on You Tube showing what it takes to drive a truck with a 549 and a 5-speed with a 4-speed aux. trans. Lots of shifting going on, but you can hear the 549 humming along.

Cool video. Thanks.

Negotiations for a trade for the 549 are in progress :smokin:

Turbo it :smokin:



any biger pics of the dual plug setup? mst be tricky to time

BR 549 is one of my favorite outlaw country bands:dustin: Right there with Hank III and Wanda Jackson. Good times...


Good luck with that beast. Turbo it and put it on a barge. Thats the only good place to put an engine of that size.:flipoff2:

If I get my greasy hands on this thing, it will be turbo'd, probably twins :D

I have not heard back from the guy yet, its been two days since I emailed him back... So it's not looking so good right now. I hope he didnt scrap it yet :(

Turbo it :smokin:



any biger pics of the dual plug setup? mst be tricky to time

Sorry, that's all the pics I have. Im curious about the twin distributor/plug setup also... This is what made me want it in the first place...

If I get it, I'll post up a detailed teardown thread with pics for anyone interested.

That would be a perfect power plant for this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=015&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=250116622378&rd=1,1

That thing is looooonnnnggg! :laughing:

I'm thinking COE :smokin:

maybe... we'll see :D

Well... the seller has not emailed me back so it isnt looking good :(

I was starting to get excited...