Cat 1693 vs. 3406A

By 1981 an A model was offered in 400 hp. I’ve been working on a W900A with one. 1673’s were real popular in White products in the late 60’s early 70’s. Poor man’s truck with a poor man’s 1693.

I’ve always heard from the old timers that were around in the late 60’s when the 1673 and 1693’s were first being advertised that they were just a dozer motor with a automotive type pump put on them to adapt them for highway truck use. They never really were intended for road use. The 3406 was designed from the ground up to be used in trucks from front to back, top to bottom.

 

400 is the highest on an A. Or at least that I’ve seen. I am 100 percent certain that the 3406 wasn’t offered in a truck with 425 till 1986 which made it a solid B.

The JWAC on the 400 was the biggest all around. We used to put an A model JWAC on the B.

Course that’s been a long time ago so there may have been another motive behind that.


I can verify that an intake runner on an ol A model is not a piggy bank. A quarter will fit past a valve face and land on piston. Makes a distinct sound. In the course of listening to this sound 5 year old me says hey take that apart I got a quarter in there……..I’m sure I barely escaped an ### whooping that day

 

When you walked by a truck with a 1693 idling, there was no mistaking what motor was in it.
Sounded like a handfull of loose nuts and bolts rattling around inside it.