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Old 06-05-2022, 11:31   #1
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Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

Very helpful reading here over the years on many subjects, and here I am now with retirement income and the boat I built over decades and preparing for regular use on the beautiful NW waterways.
Over several years of building the hull and fitting the interior I finally found a great deal on a Perkins 4.108 engine that had been totaled for loss of oil pressure but showed no damage on inspection, low time of only 60 hours use. They said it broke an oil line which must've been the pressure sensor because what else is there?
Anyway I assembled it after having the crank checked and its run beautifully for two offshore trips and about 600 hours, but its noisy! And it's a shaker.
I attributed this to the canoe bodied design of my boat in comparison to the deeper bilges of the other boats with this engine, a globe for example.
The engine has always had a very clattery sound although it uses about .5 gallon per hour at 1800/2000 rpm and does not burn oil or smoke when properly timed. And it has a rock solid idle at almost 400 RPM and Ive just gone though and adjusted the valves and tweaked the timing as far back as possible without causing excessive diesel exhaust smoke. And I even pulled the idler gear and tightened the cam bearing that adjusts the lash as much as possible. It all helps a little and its running smoother but still clatters awfully.
Anyway if the Perkins familiar pros here would please do me the favor of going to this YouTube link where I uploaded a video of the engine running at various speeds and then stopping with the usual clank, I would appreciate any insight. Maybe its just fine and Im being neurotic about it.
Please, this is just loaded for the audio content and the phone is tipped around various directions to orient the microphone to the engine for listening. You may see up my nose and various directions without regard for the visual, as I work my way around the engine, sorry!
The engine has always pretty much sounded just this way, fitted with a large Vetus water-lock and silencer and about six feet of exhaust with gooseneck, so it has virtually no exhaust noise, just this top end clatter.
Starts instantly...
Thanks everyone.
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Old 06-05-2022, 12:11   #2
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

What about this
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Old 06-05-2022, 12:22   #3
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

No, that’s not something unique to your Perkins 4.108. They are incredibly rattly, shaky, valve smacking engines. They sound like a big box of metal parts constantly thrashing around inside. That’s just how the engine is. They are all like that.

Yours actually sounds more smooth than mind did at 6000 hours.

I used to put that Lucas stuff in there just so I could quiet it down. For my own peace of mind to escape the rattle . That’s just the way these things run. Imagine being in one of those old British taxis they used to use them in.

I wouldn’t worry for a second about this if it has such a low hours. If there’s a starter, it’s getting diesel, and you have oil in it, you’re good to go. This thing will never die.

Just insulate that engine room a little for sound.
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Old 06-05-2022, 13:01   #4
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

How is the oil pressure? I remember talking to a yachtie in Thailand doing his third rebuild on a 4107. He had replaced all the main bearings, but still had low pressure at idle when warm. He was all excited because he thought he had finally found his problem. There was a smaller bearing that was way worn--Maybe it drove the injector pump.

Its a bit noisy, but doesn't sound terminal. What oil are you running?
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Old 06-05-2022, 13:27   #5
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

We had a 4.108 on our 84 Endeavour 40 CC and it sounded very, very similar to that. Had the boat for about 7 years. As far as I know we had it running quite well, it leaked a bit of oil and we had to have oil sheets under it all the time but it ran great. That sound brought back memories!
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Old 06-05-2022, 15:23   #6
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

You need to type in all capital letters so I can hear you over the sound of my own engine.
Your Perkins sounds pretty good to me, I'd have no complaints.
It's not like they have the latest design technology regarding combustion chamber design and fuel injection.
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Old 06-05-2022, 16:06   #7
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

Well its 600 not 6000 but I got you. I am reassured and I believe I'll just run it a couple hours and send an oil analysis sample and if its okay then, as you say, insulate the hell out of it. I made all the panels and have the material already.

Thanks for having a listen and the advice.
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Old 06-05-2022, 16:08   #8
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

Okay Im feeling better hearing that. On my first offshore trips I was 30 something and now Im planning trips with companions on board and I guess now Im feeling more responsible about all the details!

Thanks for listening to the rattler!
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Old 06-05-2022, 16:09   #9
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

Ive been able to add a drip pan and its a great addition. Thanks for listening!
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Old 06-05-2022, 16:17   #10
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

Oil pressure is right up btw 40/60 somewhere. And I put the delo in and all I could find was a 40wt, then I see in the manual it calls for a lighter 20 or 30 wt in the hottest conditions, never 40wt. So I pumped that out and installed Ford 10-20 synthetic for diesel. The highly recommended oils are not in stock anywhere so I had to use a Ford product. Hoping to get the Rotella T6 when stock is re-supplied. Thanks for the encouragement!
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Old 06-05-2022, 16:35   #11
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

Quote:
Originally Posted by doog View Post
Well its 600 not 6000 but I got you. I am reassured and I believe I'll just run it a couple hours and send an oil analysis sample and if its okay then, as you say, insulate the hell out of it. I made all the panels and have the material already.

Thanks for having a listen and the advice.
Sorry. What I meant by the 6000 hours is you are going to be able to enjoy many, many trouble free hours with this engine. It’s a vote of confidence. Mine indeed had 6000 hours on it. And it sounded exactly the same. Probably just a little louder than yours.

I was all concerned about the thrashing metal sounds myself. I thought I got a lemon. But the more I talked to experts on the Perkins engine itself, the more they reassured me that’s just how the engine sounds.

There was a heavy equipment repair guy just a few slips down. He had massive experience with Perkins engines. He came for a listen.
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Old 06-05-2022, 17:07   #12
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

We had a huge Perkins in a 48’ steelbdive boat. No one was sure how many hours. It was an early four stroke and we had a huge muffler stack. We carried a spare starter and a couple solenoids. The sound in the engine room was insane. I had a Sea Ray with twin 395 Cummins and they were smooth and quieter than 454 gas in previous boat.
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Old 06-05-2022, 18:12   #13
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

Go with 30 wt non synthetic oil and it will leak less. I ran 40 in the tropis.
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Old 06-05-2022, 18:50   #14
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

Here’s mine starting and running after sitting for 8 years
Noisy.... I did solve the exhaust puffing....

https://youtu.be/5jCUJvzJWVk
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Old 06-05-2022, 20:13   #15
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Re: Restoring Perkins 4.108 after years of disuse

Gotcha Chotu, nice to hear and after the bargain purchase I made and my quick assembly work, I was feeling now is the time for further restoration but good to hear this. Im hearing it all around now and focusing on other systems and installations and thanks to everyone!
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