I’m a member of the GGHS and volunteer mechanic on Goose #5. I have many hours of experience over, under and inside of the GMC 361 in #5. I am not a professional mechanic and much of what we know is from OJT and service manuals. Here’s a small portion of what I know:

First of all, the manufacturer’s plate clearly shows the GMC 361motor in Goose #5, (and the one that came out of #7 we got from the CRRM), was built in the GMC plant in Pontiac, Michigan. (“Built in the USA”) See pix. The REO we got, via the CRRM, was built in their plant in Lansing, Michigan. (That REO is the one that came out of #3 at Knott’s Berry farm.) The transmissions for these are Spicers that were built by that company in Toledo, Ohio “For GMC Truck & Coach Division…” in Pontiac, MI. (This info is taken from my own photo documentation.)

About 4 years ago we decided we needed an additional REO motor as a spare, (at least for parts.) So, we (the GGHS) purchased a used REO from Winer Motors in Akron, Ohio. This is the only one of the bunch that I have direct knowledge of being used in an Army truck. It is a “331 REO gasoline engine used government surplus.”

I’m in Arizona right now so I can’t check this directly but from what I recall it appears that REO was in service up until the mid-1960s. One of the reasons I chose this motor for a spare was that the bell housing was an exact fit to the Spicer transmission in #5. That in itself indicates to me that that the style REO had been in built to military specs and in use since at least WWII. I could be wrong…

I hope some of this information helps. I will be out of the loop for 10 days…

Larry

Plate on the GMC 361 motor from #7