Diesel engines.

[Guest 000]

Looking at Dutch built canal boats again, and with regard to engines, we have made a spreadsheet and entered data for around 50 boats of interest.

So, from the data the following are averages but the range of info is surprisingly narrow.

 

Installation -1980

4cyl, direct injection, keel cooled.

80hp

By popularity, (1)Daf, (2)Volvo Penta, (3)Mercedes,

Av hours per annum -86. This sounds low but if you know the so-called Dutch summers...

Engine logbooks are kept for all installations and although I haven't seen them, the adverts state that the logbooks will show that the engines have been serviced in accordance with manufacturers recommendations. Under Dutch law it is compulsory for the vendor to disclose and known faults to the buyer.

From the spreadsheet averages, engines have been either replaced or reconditioned in 2006.

So, only 2236 hours on average before rebuild or replace?

This doesn't sound right.

The only thing I can think of is that the canals have a speed restriction of 5km/the which means the engine spends it's life just ticking over. I can see that this might gum it up but it shouldn't destroy it, should it?

[Island Time 1,230]

Actually Chris, it's probably right. Not enough use, corrosion is an issue. Iirc, and I can't remember any more where I got the data, but in NZ, the average hours on a leisure marine diesel before replacement is around 3000.

Some, of course, do a lot more - mine has almost 10,000 hours, 3000 now since rebuilding.

[Guest 000]

Actually Chris, it's probably right. Not enough use, corrosion is an issue. Iirc, and I can't remember any more where I got the data, but in NZ, the average hours on a leisure marine diesel before replacement is around 3000.

Some, of course, do a lot more - mine has almost 10,000 hours, 3000 now since rebuilding.

Well that's a bit alarming.

I don't know if fresh water cooled marine engines can equate to car engines but if you allow 70km/h as an average speed between town and open road then 2236 hrs is around 156,000 km. - not sdo much!

Going to look for a canal boat with really low hours.

[Island Time 1,230]

Or price in a new engine!

[Guest 000]

In our search for a boat in Europe, we are compiling a short list of vessels to look at when we go there. As it turns out a lot of the boats that we really like have 4 - 5000 hours on the engine so we reject them.

Thinking it over, if (1) the compression on all cylinders is up to the manufacturers specs, and (2) an endoscopic inspection of the engine internals shows all to be in order and (3) and oil analysis comes back all good then do engine hours actually matter that much?

I don't want to get involved with an engine rebuild but have no problems with injector and fuel pump servicing, water pump, fuel lift pump etc.

[harrytom 642]

Funny thing as I am/was concerned about the age of my yanmar 16hp 30yrs?? talking to a old marine engineer today and he said best thing to do is run it at almost full throttle,nice and warm,idle 2/3 minutes down and turn off. worst thing is to run at idle or above,This confirms what the Volvo dealer said the boat show regarding yanmar. change oil annually + filters do not sit on mooring and idle go for a run as batteries need a charge.

[Island Time 1,230]

Not really. Most pleasure boat engines die from corrosion, not over use!

If oil test is good, compression and oil pressure is good, no odd sounds, the engine is likely fine.

[Frank 157]

Not really. Most pleasure boat engines die from corrosion, not over use!

If oil test is good, compression and oil pressure is good, no odd sounds, the engine is likely fine.

My Volvo MD 7B is still doing sterling work , DOM circa early 80's ? Had new injectors and the head re-built last year... hours ? god knows, Oh and sea water cooled !

[Island Time 1,230]

Diesels like to work. Low revs, or light loading can lead to glazed bores, and in a turbo to cause carbon build up, which will lead to turbo issues in due course.

So, run it at about 80-90% of Max revs, which is normal pleasure rating, with the occasional 10 mins or so flat out. If it can't reach full revs with a clean hull it's over propped or down on power....

[Guest 000]

Diesels like to work. Low revs, or light loading can lead to glazed bores

And herein lies the problem, and I don't know how canal boat people deal with it.

80% of the time European canal boaters spend their time on the canals where the speed limit is 3-4 knots so the engine will be just ticking over, and the other 20% will be spent on rivers where the current can run at up to 6 knots so you need horsepower.

[cj! 19]

Modern diesels using modern lubricants are pretty good with respect to glazing but even so long periods at idle can be a problem, even if less common than in the past but turning the prop should create enough load. Ideally, the engine should be given a burst of max throttle every couple of hours or so. Proper running in and using the correct lubricants has a big impact on reducing potential glazing and it shouldn't be run with no/minimal load for extended periods within the first 100 hours.

[wheels 543]

 

And herein lies the problem, and I don't know how canal boat people deal with it.

80% of the time European canal boaters spend their time on the canals where the speed limit is 3-4 knots so the engine will be just ticking over, and the other 20% will be spent on rivers where the current can run at up to 6 knots so you need horsepower.

That's the answer to why they don;t get the hrs from the motors. They also spend a lot of time idling in Locks.

As I always say, you can kill you diesel with kindness.

The biggest killer is startup and idle to warm. NEVER do that. Start the engine, put it in gear and select some revs. You don't need to rev the guts out of it, but get some load in it to warm it up. Badly smoking engines can be bought back from that by abusing it even more,

Modern Oils are even worse sorry cj. They are made for Road Vehicles that are more commonly turbo'd and tweaked with electronics controlling them and getting heaps more power from a little engine pushing a big load. For a boat, we simply do not see the Loads, RPM and temperatures.

If the engine requires a Mono30, then please use a Mono30. Use what the Engine states it is needed. Do not get sucked into the Oils on the shelves that allude to a wide number range as being superior. A 0W-50 will likely cause any Boat engine to use oil exccesively.