How Old is Your Engine?

echo

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Don't know if a thread has been posted like this here before but would be interested in knowing how people find the marine engines or any interesting stories about your motorboat engines.

How old is your engine and how many hours does it have?
Has its efficiency decreased over the years? Burning too much oil or consuming more fuel than it should?
Much maintenance involved?
Any interesting engine stories?

Echo.
 
commisioned 1974, engines hours? average 500 a year, use oil at a about half pint an hour, service? oil filter once a year, performance, never had any, just keep going, smoke like chimneys at start up, been in bits a few times only as far down as the heads, refuse to "stop", What are they? FORD SABRES, what else.
 
About 60 years old. Coventry Godiva commissioned in 1951. 30HP 4 cylinder diesel also used as an auxillary pump engine on some of the old Green Goddess fire engines. Smokes a bit on starting but runs as sweet as a nut.
 
8 years old assuming its the same age as the boat. Has coming up for 1000 hours on the clock, burns no oil between oil changes. Servicing as recommened by Volvo Penta. Oil and filter every 100 hours, fuel filters, air filter, crankcase filter, SC oil every 200 hours, belts every 500 hours.

It never misses a beat and in the last 3 years and 725 hours has never let us down. Starts first time every time with very little smoke and then purrs away happily all day.
 
31 years young. Lister HRW6M. 6.25 liters, 6 cylinder, 4086 hours. Of which I have put 1600 on in the last four and a half years. Other than service items I have not had to do any work at all to this engine. No exhaust smoke under load at all. For you people that like to talk about HP per KG, Well it's a big lump with gearbox and heavy flywheel the manual says its 951Kg. Rated at 88HP but that is the old horses not the BHP horses. Oil change is every 250 hours and although I religiously check it every trip. I have never had to top it up between services. It is fitted with valve decompressors In case you need to hand start it (never tried it). It's probably running as well as the day it was made. manufacturers recommendations are:

Always run at 60% or greater load. (how you work this out I don't know)

Never allow to idle for more than a few minutes as oil will form on top of the pistons and this is bad for your engine.
 
2 x 28 (ish) Year old - 6.9 L straight Six with 2300 hrs on clock, rated at about 385 HP.

Still packs the punch and achieve same speed as when boat was launched..

Detroit Diesel, two strokes at 1.5 T each.... with no oil consumption above expected as per original spec.
 
2 x Perkins HT 6354s, build year 1969 and rebuilt by Golden Arrow in 1987. 1600 hours or so, which I assume must be from the rebuild. Less smoky than they were due to the PBO and this forum. Dont really burn much oil but will still make mountains of "clag" in the manner of The Royal Scot climbing Shap if you open her up briefly.

Silencers? What would I want them for?
 
My last Ford Mermaid, 135 hp, did 14000 hours, then developed a crack by a core plug, could not keep the plug in. This one has 8000 hours. No problem or oil consumption on either, just from the top mark on the dipstick to the bottom between changes, about 2litres per 200 hours. Mermaid said start to worry when your oil consumption is 2% of fuel.

I have posted this link before, I had a couple of these in the dim distant
http://www.sky-net.org.uk/kelvin/petrol/poppet/index.html

note that the 50/60hp poppet is 29 litres, 4 cylinder, 410 rpm and weighs nearly two tons. I had the 12/14, a mere 3 litres and 900 revs.
 
2 Detroit Diesels @ 36 years old with 2103 hours on each. Still running as smooth as silk. Not sure about oil consumption yet, but in the 23hrs that I have used them since servicing them, the level on the dipstick has not moved.

Syd
 
Perkins T6.354's.

Oil and filter every year.

Belt and impellor every other year.

Running as well as hey did 10 years ago.

I'm not certain of rebuild history but there is some, one leaks oil a bit and is harder to start on frosty mornings, other one is perfect. I reckon they'll outlast me!
 
Twin Perkins ht-6354's 145bhp 33 yrs old - No oil used between services.
Still perform to boat and engines original specifications.
Slightly smokey on startup and after lots of slow running, but soon clear again once given a good run.
Very easy to service myself as due to the horizontal design all the service items are right on top.
 
Twin Bedford 330's

Commissioned with the boat in 1966, one rebuilt in the 1980's due to seizure after a failed oil pressure switch, the other is as fitted.

Oil and filter every year, totally unknown hours, have to gradually top up about 5 litters over a season.

Start very easily with no smoke but a bit of smoke at full chat, but clears in about 5 mins.
 
Got a 1928 hot bulb diesel, currently not fitted in a boat, as for hours??? god alone knows, always starts first time and smokes like a good un until warm.
 
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