The base engine for the Ford Lehman 120 is the Ford of England Dorset diesel. This engine was developed in the late 1950s by Ford of England to be a heavy truck engine for which it proved a total failure. It did prove to be a good industrial and agricultural engine in applications where power requirements and operating rpm were both relatively low and constant. It was these attributes that brought it to the attention of a number of engine marinizing companies in England, Australia, and other countries including Lehman of New Jersey.
There was not a three-cylinder version of this engine so far as I know. There was a 90hp four cylinder version, the 120hp six cylinder version, and a 150hp turbocharged version. The 90 and 120 hp versions were both marinized by Lehman and were very popular powerplants in power and sail boats from the early 1960s until the late 70s or possibly even the early 80s, at which point Ford of England took the Dorset engine out of production.
I don't know if Lehman ever marinized the 150hp turbocharged version of the engine. I've never seen mention of any boat with one although it is covered in the original Lehman manual that came with our boat.
There was not a three-cylinder version of this engine so far as I know. There was a 90hp four cylinder version, the 120hp six cylinder version, and a 150hp turbocharged version. The 90 and 120 hp versions were both marinized by Lehman and were very popular powerplants in power and sail boats from the early 1960s until the late 70s or possibly even the early 80s, at which point Ford of England took the Dorset engine out of production.
I don't know if Lehman ever marinized the 150hp turbocharged version of the engine. I've never seen mention of any boat with one although it is covered in the original Lehman manual that came with our boat.
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