Diesel Engine Training Course

Gludy

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I am now probably going to have to wait a year or so for my new boat.
In the meantime I plan to take my HF radio course but after reading this months MBY with an article on Piers Fleming 55 I see he has taken a diesel course that allows him to service his own engines without invalidating the guarantee.

I would like to do that - not because I want to service my engines but because the more I know about them the safer I am at sea.

His course was at Cummins in Coventry and was just two days.

Does anyone know waht types of course are available for Cat engines?

I would not mind spending a week or two learning if that was all it took.
 

Bilgediver

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Speak to the service department of Finning in Poole
Finning

Most engine companies are willing to do this though you might have to cross their palms with gold......or bits of Blue fibre glass... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 

MaltaBob

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Very worthwhile! As a past , very past, training instructor with Ford & Jaguar, CAT's Service Dept; will definately offer a range of service coures, the cost of which should not be too penal as they have already costed in training into their product! With a nice approach , may even be foc, after all your spending a good chunk with them already !!
Good luck, it will pay dividends , for sure . /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

nyx2k

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maintaining your own engines if blue water cruising is a very safe option.
i'd speak to cat directly as your 2 engines must be a fair amount of money for them.
 

andyball

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aside from the course - didn't the EU chime in with some law that prevented makers from dis-allowing warranty claims just cuz wasn't a franchised dealer anyway?


all engines are pretty easy anyway imo - just when they get stuffed into boats is a problem.

all you want is oil n filter changes, fuel filters, bleeding procedures etc , surely? maybe changing coolant & anodes., change some belts too Sir? mind you, valve clearances when necessary is satisfying, long as not a total pig to get at. To be honest, most of what you pay for in a service you could easily do w/o fuss; and I guess Marlow fit a snazzy oil-change system anyhow.


Anyway, if you want something done right - do it yourself - Cat mechanics aren't born lucky .
 

Gludy

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The marlow oil change is at the transom of the boat.
You open a flap, choose what you want to empty or fill, choose fill or empty and then press a button!!! Saves taking oil on board with messy spilling etc.
 

PilotWolf

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We ve got Cats and besides the basic maintainance of oil and filter changes there isn't a huge amount you can do as they require the nice Finnings man to come along with his laptop to fault find etc.

Finnings quoted around £6000.00 for 2 guys to come and do a 3000 hrs service on our 2 engines - and that didn't include coolant change or parts!

We found that the Cat specific engine course was simply too expensive and as our other boats have different makes of engine we opted for the MCA 30 hours approved enginge course at Gravesend Sea School.

W.
 

Gludy

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What Cats were they for such a high service charge?

My main interest is in knowing more in an emergency but also inluding some practice at changing impellers etc so I can do miore at sea. I think a lot of that may be engine specific.
 
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Deleted User YDKXO

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You must have monster engines. My Cat 3208TA's cost about £1800 in total to service a few weeks ago
 

PCUK

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Some things to know when at sea:-
How to fix a broken fuel or coolant line, how to change blocked fuel filter, how to clear blocked water inlet, how to change impeller, (often quicker to change entire pump), how to change alternator/pump belt/s, how to change starter motor, all generic items and not engine specific.
Buy the Cat' software and laptop and that's everything covered!
 

PilotWolf

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Twin 3406E s... 375 hp each side.

The basics tend to be the same but Gravesend did show us how to bleed different engines and the instructor was very knowledgeable (Ex chief engineer) and was able to tailor things appropriately to what engines the students had.

About £700 of that quote was travelling costs to Sussex.

W.
 

andyball

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Glenn, Paul, anyone else in a similar position....

Aquastar & Marlow should both be able to fix you up with a decent engineer for as long as it takes you to learn exactly what you want to about your future purchases - and actually get experience of the specifics of each installation, and all the many non-engine-maker parts, and how best to squeeze yourselves into xx space to carry out yy, and what tools & spares you'll need . What's the most likely reason for this or that problem - IN Practice, on that boat, not in theory.

they should also both, imo, be able to fix you up with a proper tool & spares kit, or at the very least a list; No doubt they'd charge a bit, but hey, well worth the cash imo. If they can't, I'd have to wonder if they took building big sea-going boats very seriously.

even if you don't think you'll do it yourself, ever - it can still be really very handy to have the right parts, and the right tools to get someone else to fix it for you. A decent kit of tools looks scary money on a cheap boat, and ok, you're neither of you tearing up £50's for the fun of it, but proportionally it's peanuts . (ducks).


Then there's the , well, passagemaking thing really - not being able to fix stuff might be a bit like buying a super-dandy off-road expedition vehicle; deciding not to have a back-up team ( neither of you plan to have prof. crew?) and being unable to keep going when something breaks. Suure, you can pay for redundancy in this system & that system, but it may not always cut the mustard in real-life. ( see hlb's recent exp.tho that's an extreme example I spose )


SBS is a good bet for an all-round view of nice clean shiny cats & other engines - just go and ask em what this does, where's the clutch? etc /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif If no help forthcoming, you could mention you're reviewing engine choices in small cruisers /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif, and if you really get the cold-shoulder - some forumite or other is bound to happily point & tell , esp if plied with tea or summat stronger even.



Just feel your time & money can be better directed than just a (say) Caterpillar day case -
 

Gludy

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Andy
I think I have become adjusted to a different standard of service - what you say has to be the way and I am sure marlow UK will agree. Cat engineers will check out the boat in the UK and I can go around it with them in some detail then but it would also be nice to have practice on an engine in the workshop so I think a day or two doing that should help.

I am planning all sorts of things to do before the boat arrives, so I am not too bothered at repeatingh some of it.
 
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Deleted User YDKXO

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Cat sell nice boxed sets of spares for each engine model and I have seen Cat branded toolboxes although I don't know whether they're engine specific. I've found Finnings helpful in the past for deciding which spares to keep on board
 

Gludy

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The answer

marlow Uk has just rung me to tell me they saw this thread and full training by CAT on my boat is included and if that means CAT spending two days going over it with me - so be it!!

They also as stanadrd provide a very experienced skipper - notamlly 2 days to go over the boat with the client as well as any other help needed so that every part oif the boat is known - this process can take 2 week or so

I just cannot get used to this level of service .... pinch me. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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Deleted User YDKXO

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Re: The answer

Mmm, Paul, I would'nt get too excited about their service just yet. A lot of companies, especially ones trying to make a name for themselves can't do enough for a customer when you're about to place an order (even Tarquin may have been like this once /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif). The proof of the pudding is when you're stuck in some godforsaken port on a bank holiday with your boat in bits and you need their help
 
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