Getting Old

[Geoffs]

My 3 litre Mercruiser has given me 5 years of good service, but last year began to show first signs of age, and use, it’s done about 500hrs. So I’m wondering if 5 years is about it for trouble free use of a marine engine.

Half way through last season it began leaking lot’s of oil. I thought it was coming from crankshaft oil seals, but has turned out to be more serious (= lot more expensive!) than this.

Had loads of practical help from forum members, but in the end engine had to come out. What a mess!

Turns out water pump had been weeping slightly, this caused the timing cover to rust through, and not easy to see this behind engine mountings. A hole in this cover was the first source of oil.

Next, cylinder head gasket similarly weeping on the outside. This caused the push rod cover on the side of the engine to rot through, more oil towards rear of engine.

So its been engine out, cyl head off, new head gasket, head machine, new water pump, new timing cover, new push rod cover. Lot’s and lot’s of £££££££££££££££££/forums/images/icons/smile.gif You’ve got to!

So can I expect another 5 years of trouble free boating, or is this the start of the downhill slope?



<hr width=100% size=1>Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'

 

[ccscott49]

I dont expect major trouble with my mermaids, until 5000 hours, not 500!

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[rich]

My perkins 4108s 30yrs old,just renewed all gaskets and seals,and repainted,look good as new,

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.jersey-harbours.com>http://www.jersey-harbours.com</A>

 

[ccscott49]

Thats what I mean! My brother had 7000 hours on two mermaid four cylinder jobbies, they needed re-building, but were still running fine!


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[NoIllusion]

Deja-Vu......I bought a boat with 2 KAD 42s in the same state 2 years ago. All stemmed from leaking water pumps that caused the timing covers to corrode, head gasket on one engine leaking slightly, exhaust risers on the verge of collapse,
turbo gasket blown etc etc etc. So I paid over my 10 grand to the man in blue overalls to have both engines removed, stripped, rebuilt and replaced anything that looked suspect. Repainted both in shiny green V*lv* paint, had them re-potted in the shiny white noisy room at the back of the boat and they have performed faultlessly ever since. Two years on they look and go as good as the day they were originally built. I spend hours every month keeping them pristine....something that the 1st owner never did and it is TLC that marine motors need....if they get it they will last

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[Dave1258]

Have you had it from new Geoff? Or is it a case of one careful owner and some that didn't give a sh*t?
Mercruiser engines are like anything else, if looked after properly will give you trouble free performance time after time.
There will be forumites who will say if it was "deisel this or petrol that"..or I would expect xxx amount of hours out of my engine because it's a perkins/cummins/volvo/bmc or whatever...that doesn't matter, you have had it repaired, now enjoy it! /forums/images/icons/wink.gif


<hr width=100% size=1>Someday my ship will come in, and with my luck I'll be at the airport!!

 

[NoIllusion]

Hang on Mr Earlier post.......5000 hours on your Mermaids......thats 208.33 days under engine power...............your raggy things must be in perfect condition because they never see the light of day!!! Buy a power boat and get there quicker!!!

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[ccscott49]

Oy! I said I expect to get 5000 hours out of them, not I`ve already got 5000, but I have a motorsailer and 208 days is not a lot!


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[NoIllusion]

How can a yacht (rag and stick type) engine (life) be compared to a powerboat engine????. Typical powerboat engine rattling around @ anything up to 3800-4000 (or more) revs per minute and driving all the ancillary components at similiar speeds i.e. water pumps,alternators etc. ......compared to a two/three/four pot "out of breath" @ 1200 revs yacht engine that could hardly pull the skin off a rice pudding aint in my estimation a fair comparison. Of course a yacht engine is going to last longer....it is virtually in retirement the day that it is built !!!!
(Talk about "Light the blue touch paper and retire!!)

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[ccscott49]

2 x 6 cyl 135hp mermaids, they work fairly hard even motor sailing 48 tons. They also have alternators, etc etc.

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[NoIllusion]

But they still aint doing 3800-4000 revs !!!. ......and from my engineering background.....if it goes round faster it will wear out faster!!!

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[ccscott49]

What engineering background? Turbines whizz round and dont wear out that fast.

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[NoIllusion]

Stand corrected.......because the 2 Olympus gas turbines on a Type 21 that I travelled the world aboard had to be changed after 4 years.....maybe Rolls Royce make c**p engines as well!!. Here we go again......how can a turbine be compared to a combustion engine??......not many moving parts in a turbine and certainly very little friction.

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[ccscott49]

4 years isn`t bad for that not when you think about it.


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[NoIllusion]

I suppose not when you consider they pushed 3200 tons around in excess of 34 knots at times

Anyway.......thanks for a interesting thread

Cheers!!

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[ccscott49]

I have to agree!
Cheers!!

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[britemp]

I must say as a noob I am surprised at the relatively short life of marine diesel engines.

A couple of years ago I sold a very old Land Rover with 438,000 miles on the original engine and the first owner was Her Majesty, 8 years of squaddies driving it. In all that mileage the only major mechanical work was a new head at about a quarter of a million miles.

It was getting a bit tired but it could still out run a brand new Sunseeker. . . . . ;-)



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[omega2]

My mate had a brand new Mercriuser 180 diesel it lasted 3 years before the sump rusted through, our Sabres are 30 years old used every weekend average 500 hours a year since we have had them, before that hours not known and touch wood no problems.

<hr width=100% size=1>J HAMER

 

[ArthurWood]

My two Merc 7.4s have given me 10 yr and 1200hr of almost troublefree service. We did experience water circ pump leaks some time back and this was spraying salt water about the place, so on the advice of the Sea Ray svc guys we had them removed and now have some kind of crossover pipes and no circ pumps. Only disadvantage is that hot water supply is no longer heated by the engine, but we have genset for that.

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[oldgit]

Exactly the same thing happened to one of the 140 hpMercrusers on my Regal.That was years ago.
Do Mercruiser learn nothing over the years.

<hr width=100% size=1>If it aint broke fix it till it is.