| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Ted Williams |
Posted - Jan 08 2010 : 19:54:16
I have a 1999 442 with CAT 3126 engines. The engines currently have just over 2200 hours and one engine is showing signs of a scarred cylinder wall (some smoke out of the breather). I haven't had the blowby test as yet but was wondering if anyone has tried taking a big diesel engine out of a similar size aft cabin.
These engines are parent bore (no cylinder liners) and would need to be removed to be rebuilt (or replaced with a reman).
How did you do it? Take the bridge off or through a window?
Should both engines be removed at the same time? The strbd engine runs great.
Should I rebuild the engine, replace with a 3126 reman or change both engines to Cummins or similar?
Any suggestions and information appreciated. |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Ted Williams |
Posted - Jan 11 2010 : 13:15:12
Yes there is a breather leading from the crankcase to air intake. I don't know if it's racor or not but it is where I saw the smoke drifting out of when I started the engine last time.
The tech took an oil sample, but I have not received the results as yet - I'll give him a call.
The flow chart is great thanks for forwarding it.
Thanks, Ted |
| Robyns Nest |
Posted - Jan 10 2010 : 18:14:28
Lets just assume you have either bad rings or a bad cylinder wall, it's possible to get diesel soot and fuel in the crankcase oil, what's known as making oil, one of the symptoms is excessive crankcase pressure. How is your motor setup for crankcase ventilation, my CATS have have the Racor CCV system, do you have a filter on the CCV? Maybe it's clogged.
http://www.tpub.com/content/constructionmixers/TM-5-3895-359-14-P/TM-5-3895-359-14-P0511.htm
The flow chart about is for a 2 stroke Detroit, but many of the problems would apply to your 4 stroke.
Google 'Excessive crankcase pressure'. |
| Ted Williams |
Posted - Jan 10 2010 : 14:34:16
Yes, I intend to have a blowby test when I can get back down there. Apparently it's best to do the test before the engine gets warm - when it warms up the rings may expand and seal better.
I do not have a price, I have seen ads for reman engines in the 16K to 18K range.
The engine does not appear to be burning any oil - what is the consequence of running it this way for awhile?
Thanks, Ted |
| Robyns Nest |
Posted - Jan 10 2010 : 10:51:20
Ted,
It can be a scored cylinder, bad rings, you should have Cat do the blow by test and maybe boroscope the suspected cylinder.
Get a price for a reman short block yet?
|
| Ted Williams |
Posted - Jan 09 2010 : 21:47:38
I hope you're right. The port engine has always ran really strong. I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but after I had the aftercoolers and turbos cleaned last summer, the engine started having problems and never ran as well again. Maybe some of the dirt was pulled into the cylinder?
Anyway, I was on the way to Annapolis in October and it started running rough. I called the local CAT tech (Albin Tractor in Baltimore) to come look at it. Turns out that 2 of the injector seals had failed (they initially used a rubber o-ring but now they simply seat the injector into the sleeve). He replaced all the injectors but noticed a "noise" when we started it up and he thought maybe a cylinder was leaking. He didn't have the tools with him to do the blowby test.
It ran well all the back to NC but when I cranked it recently I noticed smoke drifting out of the crankcase breather. So I suspect a scored cylinder wall.
If you check the diesel forum you will see all makes of engines that do the same on occasion as well as drop a valve, bend a rod, etc., sometimes with relatively low hours Sh!t happens. But I was always pretty meticulous with the maintenance and hoped to get more hours before an overhaul.
I was thinking that for every hour you run the engines, you probably should set aside about $30 for engine replacement. For me that's about the same as the fuel cost.
Are your engines original with only 500 hours? |
| Audrey II |
Posted - Jan 09 2010 : 11:52:02
I am surprised that with only 2200 hours it would need to be rebuilt. Maybe it's not as bad as you think. I have the same motors with only 500 hours I'm hoping for much more than 2200 out of them. |
| Bliss |
Posted - Jan 09 2010 : 10:25:17
I owned a S-ton 402. It is similiar to your boat but without the cockpit. It had the Crusader 502 V8s. I often wondered about this problem. I believe your route is out the main door after some engine teardown. Check behind the aft deck ice machine-back of the little sink. I think there may be some space that can be used to move the sliding door a little more to the right after removing its hardware.
Please let us know what you eventually do.
Good luck! |
| Ted Williams |
Posted - Jan 09 2010 : 09:29:46
Thanks for the reply.
Yes, the engines are in the salon. The sliding glass doors at the cockpit open to the aft cabin, but from the aft cabin to salon is up 3 steps and through a fairly narrow door on the port side of the bulkhead.
The aft deck also opens to the salon, but it's also a fairly narrow sliding door and then down about 4 steps.
It may be that the engines are disassembled and the block could go out the front window if turned on it's side.
The engines weigh 1600 lbs each, and my guess is that even stripped to the block you're still looking at 500-600 lbs to carry out that door.
This must have been done before. |
| Planeguy |
Posted - Jan 08 2010 : 20:21:06
If your engines, and I presume they are, are located in the salon most likely you remove the sliding glass door from the frame. Then when you are ready to lift the engines out they use a fork lift to pull them up and out. |
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