3000 engine hours

[gaucho]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

If a buyer wants a boat with zero or very low engine hours, they need to be shopping for a new boat.

It's absurd. Some people prefer a 800 hour 20-year old engine. Go figure.

My engine is 2900 (recently got there). Bought it with 2500 hours. I don't use the engine that much, but it was repowered by a previous owner in 2012. In 3 years somebody did a lot of motoring, hehe.

But my engine looks extremely clean, runs excellent, and has no important signs of trouble, except a bit of corrosion on one engine mount support because there was a bit of a leak from the heat exchanger at some point. That has been long fixed, and I always clean that rust off.

Apart from that the engine is almost pristine.

I'll take my engine anytime over those old 800 hour engines!

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Connecting rods sticking out of the sides of the block are often a sign that the engine will be hard to start.

Seriously, poor starting from cold, significant smoke of any color in the exhaust, signs of slack maintenance as in cracked hoses, rust on exterior, sludge evident when looking down the oil fill port, any metallic bits or excessive sludge in drain oil (when you drain it for a change)... all these things are worrisome, but a check by a pro (compression, etc) is always a good idea if you are not reasonably familiar with the type of engine involved.

And as a couple of folks have noted, general cleanliness is always a good sign.

Jim

Reminds me of a quote from a race car driver on his retirement from a Bathurst race, a minor electrical problem, the con rod appears to have knocked the alternator off the block.

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by slo007

What are some easy to spot tell tales that an engine has, or will soon have problems?

Low oil pressure and blow by ( crankcase pressure) are the two easiest things to see that indicate engine wear. If you take off the oil filler cap while the engine is running and there's a constant or pulsing flow of fumes .......there is a problem that might be expensive to fix.

[kjbas123]

Thanks Skipperpete

[kjbas123]

Thanks Jim

[kmacdonald]

Engine age plays a role in engine life also. A lot of marine engines have been overheated and impeller replacement only gets done when there is an overheat problem. Preventative maintenance is a unnecessary expense to many.