Gary here from Ohio,
Last week I posted about wanting to do an engine swap on a Mainship 35/39
to a lower horsepower, with all sorts of responses. Mostly pointing to suck it up and pay for the fuel. Thanks to all for those responses.
Let me explain myself here...When I get this boat I plan on living on and using it so it is going to get some hours. Hours means fuel so I want to get that down as low as possible...Duh!
Our last 2 diesel cars...A "Scandal" VW jetta sportwagon and now an Italian diesel chevy cruze, with fuel computers get in the mid 40's mpg BUT that is only when the motor is cranking about 19-2000 rpms. Any lower and it drops to as low as 16mpg any higher and it is off the charts.
After I placed the comment about maybe wanting to swap motors for a smaller horsepower I came up with a whole new can of worms!
Engine life of a turbo charged caterpillar 3116?
AN online crash course seems to point to the fact that pumping a lot of horsepower into a basic cat, or any motor can seriously lessen the life of that motor in a boat. Two or 3 guys seem to think that 1,000 hours is a lot on one of these turbo motors?
I keep going back to two different mainship ads ...one cat has 4,400 hours and the other 2,700 both turbocharged and I have no way of knowing the extent or accuracy of any maintenance done other than to note the holds seem spotless.
In browsing through well over 100 ads for trawlers from 34 to 40 feet there are a lot of 3-6000 hour Lehmans and Perkins' and in trying to study, these seem to putt along for well into 6-8,000 hours before a major overhaul is needed. One guy claimed 14,000 on a 4 popper perkins.
I guess my question is twofold:
1) What kind of life can one expect out of a cat or yanmar or any other turbocharged 270-350 hp diesel?
2)Since I am going to be constantly putting around at low rpms what all is involved in changing a turbocharged diesel engine back to a naturally aspirated one?
If you can do it then what kind of money, expertise would be involved in doing so??
Again I am a hands on mechanical guy with just enough knowledge to be not so dangerous!
Thanks in Advance, Gary
Last week I posted about wanting to do an engine swap on a Mainship 35/39
to a lower horsepower, with all sorts of responses. Mostly pointing to suck it up and pay for the fuel. Thanks to all for those responses.
Let me explain myself here...When I get this boat I plan on living on and using it so it is going to get some hours. Hours means fuel so I want to get that down as low as possible...Duh!
Our last 2 diesel cars...A "Scandal" VW jetta sportwagon and now an Italian diesel chevy cruze, with fuel computers get in the mid 40's mpg BUT that is only when the motor is cranking about 19-2000 rpms. Any lower and it drops to as low as 16mpg any higher and it is off the charts.
After I placed the comment about maybe wanting to swap motors for a smaller horsepower I came up with a whole new can of worms!
Engine life of a turbo charged caterpillar 3116?
AN online crash course seems to point to the fact that pumping a lot of horsepower into a basic cat, or any motor can seriously lessen the life of that motor in a boat. Two or 3 guys seem to think that 1,000 hours is a lot on one of these turbo motors?
I keep going back to two different mainship ads ...one cat has 4,400 hours and the other 2,700 both turbocharged and I have no way of knowing the extent or accuracy of any maintenance done other than to note the holds seem spotless.
In browsing through well over 100 ads for trawlers from 34 to 40 feet there are a lot of 3-6000 hour Lehmans and Perkins' and in trying to study, these seem to putt along for well into 6-8,000 hours before a major overhaul is needed. One guy claimed 14,000 on a 4 popper perkins.
I guess my question is twofold:
1) What kind of life can one expect out of a cat or yanmar or any other turbocharged 270-350 hp diesel?
2)Since I am going to be constantly putting around at low rpms what all is involved in changing a turbocharged diesel engine back to a naturally aspirated one?
If you can do it then what kind of money, expertise would be involved in doing so??
Again I am a hands on mechanical guy with just enough knowledge to be not so dangerous!
Thanks in Advance, Gary