Rebuild Cat 3126 Q’s

[Wanna-b]

Hey all, I’m new here and looking for advice. Namely....I need to know what the right questions to ask are. I found a 2000 39’ mainship for a really good price (I think)...but it needs an engine rebuild. Here is what I know- It is a Cat 3126 300 hp with 900 hours on it. Through email I was told it needs a rebuild, and the most likely reason for it was a bad after cooler. My next step was to call and talk with the broker, but thought I should get advice on the right questions to ask. I assume it’s a good price based on other prices I’ve seen.....which already makes me skeptical. Seems like they would just rebuild it themselves if it was as simple as that. Price is 60k. Any and all advice is welcomed, thanks!

Wanna-B

 

[DavidM]

I think that Cat offers long blocks at a reasonable price. So find out what one costs plus a new after cooler and add about $10,000 for other parts and labor. Add that to the $60,000 price and see how competitive it is and go from there.


If the after cooler failed allowing salt water to be ingested into the engine, then the bearings and valves are probably shot, thus the long block.


David

 

[Ken E.]

Get the engine serial number and see if anything shows up on Cat's database. Worth a shot in the dark.

 

[sunchaser]

A 19 year old boat with 900 hours on a bad engine suggests there may be other issues to consider than a rebuild. Suggest you talk to Cat and Cummins to get prices on a reman drop in 3116/3126 (if they exist) and 6BT with transmission. In both cases assume new mounts and exhaust system. With the boat in SoCal, Tony Athens at Sbar marine may be a source of good insight. You're looking at a minimum of $35K to do either engine correctly.

Maybe $60K is too high. How is the rest of the vessel and genset? The instruments look pretty dated.

 

[Ski in NC]

What is wrong with the engine now? Does it run? Blowby high? Leaking valves? Other symptoms?

How much it costs depends on what needs to be fixed. Unlikely it needs a complete rebuild. Just that whatever wrong needs to be fixed.

 

[sunchaser]

What is wrong with the engine now? Does it run? Blowby high? Leaking valves? Other symptoms?

How much it costs depends on what needs to be fixed. Unlikely it needs a complete rebuild. Just that whatever wrong needs to be fixed.

Ski, on the one hand you're right. But on the other this is a sale where is as is. The broker lists the boat as inoperable.

It looks OK by pictures, none of the ER, so may be a good candidate for a total rebuild or repower. Given the inability to get it running and torn down during the buying phase, my recommendation is assume the worst, price out a repower, and offer accordingly.

With a new engine this vessel is possibly worth about $100K. Without being able to do a sea trial, issues beyond a BO engine may well be lurking.

 

[Lepke]

A rebuild kit is under $3000. Unless the engine cracked the block or had a catastrophic failure, it can be rebuilt.
I've rebuilt a lot of engines that were exposed to salt water in different ways. The block and parts can be adequately flushed and the engine rebuilt to last as well as other 3126s that were never flooded, etc. It gets expensive if the engine was running and submerged. Bent rods, sometimes a broken crank.

 

[sunchaser]

The after cooler alone costs more than $3,000.

 

[Wanna-b]

Thanks

Thanks for all the quick input. I will couple that with info I get at Trawlerfest in Seattle in a couple of days and hopefully have enough info to make a decision