Lehman Ford 120 Questions

[KME]

I am looking at a CHB with 3600 hours. I read what American Diesel recommends for spares and replacement intervals, such the flex plate, exhaust elbow and so on. My experience has been with a Yanmar 6LP-DTE that I have been quite happy with in my 34 MT DC. If I get really serious about the CHB I will have an oil analysis done. What all do you recommend I dig into if service records aren't available? What might I expect, all things being equal, a good service history and so on?

Thanks

 

[SteveK]

What is the purchase price and year of the boat.
With experienced eyes you should see/hear with engine running if something is off. Do you need a mechanical survey in addition to the insurance/purchase survey.
Why not post a link to the boat in question.

 

[socalrider]

I've got a pair of FL120's in our CHB41. I love them - they are very simple, easy to work on, and seem by reputation to generally give lots of warning that something's off before giving up the ghost.

If there are no service records you just have to do your best with an oil sample and test - I'm not an expert but it seems like if they can be run up to full speed/power with no issues, you've probably got a good foundation for your engine and running gear.

On ours, I replaced every single fuel line & coolant hose, plus the oil and transmission coolers, the internal coolant pumps, upgraded to electric fuel pumps, etc. etc. It took some time but all the parts were quite reasonable & you have no big ticket items (e.g. intercoolers on the 3208TAs or others). Like any boat, engine access is key. Our port side engine is an absolute PITA to service on its port side (raw water pump, injector pump).