Engine Hours: How Many Are Too Many?

[Velma]

When a Yanmar engine has 2900 hours is that to much?

What constitutes too many hours?

What is the average life expectancy of a marine diesel engine?

To many questions? Can't help myself, still learning, and apparently "my husband says" the running on of the fingers.....ya right....lol

Velma

[mbianka]

Well my engine died at around 1800 hours after 20 years use but, was rebuilt and someone else is using it today. I think conventional wisdom is a diesel "should" last 6,000 hours before a rebuild. BUT, on sailboats diesels tend to rust out before they wear out. Because on sailboats diesels are not used like they liked to be worked. Lot's of on and off motoring is not the best way to operate them. As they say your milege may vary. BTW when mine died I converted to electric propulsion and never looked back.

[sww914]

A friend has a refrigerator with an Isuzu diesel that has 60,000 hours on it. It's in a much better environment than our boat engines and it's well maintained, obviously. I added it up and it was something like 9.6 years, 24/7. I think Captain Mike said it right.

[careka]

Charter boats in Croatia,Greece, ect. runs normaly around 5000 hrs on Volvos and around 7000hrs on Yanmars
Around 40 fots boats and 50HK engines.
Then they get full Makeover. and normaly boats are sold.
------
and my nabors fishing boat has a generator, its a Volvo 57HK , it was opened up for check afther 8 years and more than 70000hrs run. No wear at all. that was 4 years ago, and still running, 24/7/365. and it will keep on going. it does not get started and stopped all the time, it runs at the correct rpm, a clean engine inside, that is hard to do when it is your motor.

give good maint. and they will last a long time.

[svHyLyte]

When we had a 2GM20F installed in our old boat in '87, the Yanmar Rep told us to safely count of 10,000 hours before a rebuild. Perkin's 4-108's are reportedly good for 20,000 hours. I suspect the Guru of Seach (GordMay) can come up with more specifics...

FWIW...

[Unicorn Dreams]

2900 hrs well maintained is just broke in.
100 hrs not maintained will trash an engine.

[jenny2]

My new enngine the manual says 12000 hours. General inspections changing cooling fluids t-stat ect.at 6000 hours which will be done more often Cat told me the same thing yesterday.

[Tellie]

Both my Yanmars have over 10,000 hrs and going strong. But then my wife says I pay more attention to them than I do her. She might be right. Since her birthday is coming up and we really should spend more time together I'm going to gift her a new filter wrench.

[PamlicoTraveler]

Still plugging along with ~7,500 hours on our 23 year old 4JHTE Yanmar and hoping to reach Tellie's + a few in the next 10 years. We don't obsess over it either. We just change the oil and address problems when we have them.

[zeehag]

diesels last forever--ask a trucker!!! lol..mine are unknown amount of hours-- yannie was overhauled at XXX hours and i put less than 150 on her--- perkins has ??? hours onher andi put another 6 on our trip so far..i think was 6--- didnt have to listen to it long, and we got here mostly under sail.

[Southern Star]

I have 3200 hours and counting on my 3GM30F's and apart from, as Pamlico says, regular maintenance and addressing problems when they arise, have no concerns about the need for imminent replacement/rebuilds. If well maintained, they should be considered no worse than 'middle - aged'.

Brad

[chris07732]

Originally Posted by Tellie

She might be right. Since her birthday is coming up and we really should spend more time together I'm going to gift her a new filter wrench.

What a romantic

[LostAtSea2011]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Both my Yanmars have over 10,000 hrs and going strong. But then my wife says I pay more attention to them than I do her. She might be right. Since her birthday is coming up and we really should spend more time together I'm going to gift her a new filter wrench.

How often do you service her ??

[delmarrey]

I have a Pathfinder (VW) that has 7000 hours (with a head job) and still runs good.

As long as the compression and oil pressure is up they are still useable. It's the misuse of a diesel that kills it.

[Hudson Force]

I have 5,138 hours on my eleven year 4JH3E Yanmar and I keep up with regular maintenance including valve adjustment checks. I have only replaced the oil pressure sensor and the oil cooler due to a cracked hose barb on the water side. I'm expecting an easy 10,000 hours if not more.