Engine hours - why important?

[rosssavage]

Mike, yes, market value is an overiding factor.. but it doesn't take into account each individual boat. I had no problem buying a boat with 2000 hr engines as it had all of the previous owners cruising logs. Most of the boats life was spent on sea passages (ex charter boat) so the engines were generally run for long periods at high power. This meant a far LOWER number of cold starts than, for example, a river boat, and more time with the engine operating in its nominal temperature range. Also, because they were run at high power, I am happy that the cylinders aren't glazed or the turbos choked up. Had the 20yr old boat had x hundred rather than 2000 hrs, I would be concerned that the engines hadn't been worked hard enough (low power kills diesels). As mentioned before, these engines are truck derivatives so at 2k hrs they're really in their prime. Yes, I have some bills coming up (overhaul injectors / recalibrate injector pump) but I can be (fairly!!) sure that the big moving bits in the middle of the engine are not corroded or worn. I absolutely agree that oil analysis are a must when considering a prospective purchase, and I'm planning to have them done again before I do the injectors to preempt and nasty surprises later on. Again, the condition and history of the individual boat is a better indication of health than engine hours alone.

 

[ADLS]

Engine hours cannot be taken alone age must be considered, my boat had a pair of 2.5lt Leyland lowlines installed reconditioned in 1985. They were removed in 2005 as I found them very hard to work on being laid over, they port engine was almost impossible to bleed at sea. I've now fitted a pair of Ford 2.5 lts smaller engines giving the same power, the engines were from wrecked transits and all we did was fit new cam belts, flush the oil and fuel system. Marinise them and stick em in the boat. The boat was used most of 2005 summer then not agian till 2007. Charged the batteries, pulled off some sump oil then topped the level up again. The starboard lump started first turn of the key the port needed the injectors bleeding then fired away. later in the season the port engines injector pump blew gaskets and I had to have the pump rebuilt in Holland.
One thing I often do when river running at slow speed, is to shut one engine down and run the other at higher revs to make it work a bit harder.

The old engines were sold on to a boater in my old boat yard who later sold them onto a fisherman down in Cornwall, who has installed them and is using his boat to make a living. Diesel engines are like most things, take care of them, use them. don't abuse them.