Caterpillar engine experts?

[ChrisKaye]

Hi OAF, I have a pair of these engines, I take it yours are the mechanical ones like mine serial number 8NM**** and not the electronic versions

As VP says there was a recall with soft blocks, new inlet and exhaust valves, modified turbo assy, modified jacket water pump and new exhaust manifold including studs also
engine blocks were replaced with new short motor. Mine had all this lot done under warranty before I got it so make sure yours has the same !

Check with Finning in your area and quote engine numbers and they will give you service history.

As long as all this done then engines will be no prob, parts not as bad as you think, CAT impellor £100 but ASAP do them for £50(Sherwood Pumps) filters @ £10/15, anodes, 10 or so in each engine, try boatzincs in US and buy big batch then half price. Oil cheap monograde X30 60L for £150

Regular oil changes and aftercooler cleanouts and these will go on for a long time, not much else to do apart from CAT long life coolant, which will find any way out past clips that you prev thought were tight ! Oh and valve lash at 600hrs MUST be done but only CAT can do but not too costly as prob half a day

One other thing to add, engines are smoke and soot free and make sure they make they're WOT at 3850

 

[volvopaul]

Hi OAF, I have a pair of these engines, I take it yours are the mechanical ones like mine serial number 8NM**** and not the electronic versions

As VP says there was a recall with soft blocks, new inlet and exhaust valves, modified turbo assy, modified jacket water pump and new exhaust manifold including studs also
engine blocks were replaced with new short motor. Mine had all this lot done under warranty before I got it so make sure yours has the same !

Check with Finning in your area and quote engine numbers and they will give you service history.

As long as all this done then engines will be no prob, parts not as bad as you think, CAT impellor £100 but ASAP do them for £50(Sherwood Pumps) filters @ £10/15, anodes, 10 or so in each engine, try boatzincs in US and buy big batch then half price. Oil cheap monograde X30 60L for £150

Regular oil changes and aftercooler cleanouts and these will go on for a long time, not much else to do apart from CAT long life coolant, which will find any way out past clips that you prev thought were tight ! Oh and valve lash at 600hrs MUST be done but only CAT can do but not too costly as prob half a day

One other thing to add, engines are smoke and soot free and make sure they make they're WOT at 3850

Chris kayes motors are excellent, one thing you forgot was the scaling up of the intercoolers, net result burnt paint as the charge air temp is too high.

 

[sunquest]

Slight sidetrack, I have a pair of 3116TA's. Are all or some of the potential issues the same as the 3126TA's. Thanks Geoff

 

[ChrisKaye]

"one thing you forgot was the scaling up of the intercoolers, net result burnt paint as the charge air temp is too high"

Thanks to VP again for showing me how to remove the intercoolers and de-scaling the buggers, now back on with new gaskets, shotblasted, zinc primed and two-pack painted that beautiful CAT yellow

 

[volvopaul]

Hi OAF, I have a pair of these engines, I take it yours are the mechanical ones like mine serial number 8NM**** and not the electronic versions

As VP says there was a recall with soft blocks, new inlet and exhaust valves, modified turbo assy, modified jacket water pump and new exhaust manifold including studs also
engine blocks were replaced with new short motor. Mine had all this lot done under warranty before I got it so make sure yours has the same !

Check with Finning in your area and quote engine numbers and they will give you service history.

As long as all this done then engines will be no prob, parts not as bad as you think, CAT impellor £100 but ASAP do them for £50(Sherwood Pumps) filters @ £10/15, anodes, 10 or so in each engine, try boatzincs in US and buy big batch then half price. Oil cheap monograde X30 60L for £150

Regular oil changes and aftercooler cleanouts and these will go on for a long time, not much else to do apart from CAT long life coolant, which will find any way out past clips that you prev thought were tight ! Oh and valve lash at 600hrs MUST be done but only CAT can do but not too costly as prob half a day

One other thing to add, engines are smoke and soot free and make sure they make they're WOT at 3850

WOT at 3850, he means 2850 rpm.

 

[Renegade_Master]

"one thing you forgot was the scaling up of the intercoolers, net result burnt paint as the charge air temp is too high"

Thanks to VP again for showing me how to remove the intercoolers and de-scaling the buggers, now back on with new gaskets, shotblasted, zinc primed and two-pack painted that beautiful CAT yellow

dont understand how can the outside paint scale up the internal fins?

 

[aquapower]

dont understand how can the outside paint scale up the internal fins?

The paint will burn on the outside of the casting due the the temp of the metal being too high from the higher than normal air temp

 

[Renegade_Master]

The paint will burn on the outside of the casting due the the temp of the metal being too high from the higher than normal air temp

Yes thats how I read it, I have removed cleaned out the fins and replaced my intercooler many times it is a complete casing fixed with 16 bolts and a gasket, with the sea water fed in one end to cool the air then out the other. How can the outside paint scale up the internal fins?

 

[Renegade_Master]

just read your answer again sorry, what you are saying is that just the heat of the external paint overheats the air and can cause the fins to coke up..............mmm best I remove all the CAT paint then, but cant see it myself

 

[volvopaul]

just read your answer again sorry, what you are saying is that just the heat of the external paint overheats the air and can cause the fins to coke up..............mmm best I remove all the CAT paint then, but cant see it myself

No sorry your not fully understanding the fault.

The waterways block up with marine growth, next time your looking at your engines you will notice the outlet sea water pipe from the sw pump splits and pumps water in 2 directions, 1 way to the heat exchanger, the other to the intercooler, a great way to stop loss of water to the heat exchanger, but as the intercooler clogs up, sea water just stalls in the intercooler, it then overheats and burns off the paint, this tells you its blocked.

When I notice this, of course you can remove the outlet hose and run the engine, you then realise how little the amount of sea water exiting the intercooler, hence removal req.

Blocking up is nothing to do with paint.

 

[OAF]

I am having a survey and sea trial in a weeks time so I will certainly be looking at the things that have been mentioned so far, there is nothing that is mentioned that worries me too much at this stage.

Regards Simon

 

[Renegade_Master]

With Volvopaul as a name hasnt stopped you nowing a lot about Cats for which I thank you. You having said that has made me reaslise yes there is not a lot of paint on my intercooler, or the second one I aquired. They are clear now I guess i should give them a fresh coat of paint so as to monitor any future overheating yes?. Thanks again Paul

 

[ChrisKaye]

Hi Renegade Master, the other problem with mine is that with the bit of bubbling paint and discolouration it was difficult to spot rust and potential leaks along the weld seams, as these parts must be around 2K new I thought as a preventative measure clean them back to bare metal and etch prime and good coat of two pack by the spray shop next door (I now have my own tin of CAT yellow he keeps for me !)

Have a look at the pic I took some time ago to see what I mean

http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/photo/full?photo_id=1678140849