The hours you see on an ad on Yachtworld.com or Boat Trader reflects the hours
on the current engine--not hours on the boat's life.
Some engines do have seen a relitatively short life span. For example sport
fishers which run hard and heavy a number of days a week. I once looked at at
Bertrum 40 and the Navy mechanic who maintained it said he rebuilt the 6-71's
Turbo about every 1200 hours. Another is the light high speed high HP
diesels-- I notice that that a number of the "Picnic" boats only a couple of
years old have new or rebuilt engines in them.
Most rebuilds in trawlers are more from abuse or misuse than wearing out. I
have only owned one turbo diesel in a boat and one turbo diesel in a motor
home--both of these required turbo work at about 1000 hours. These may be
exceptions to the rule. The slower diesels--extreme being Gardner-- you see
many with over 20,000 hours. I know of tugs with the big commercial Cats that
get 50,000 hours (of course a lot of that time is at low speed). In the Ford
Lehman and Perkins the 10,000 hour (or more) figure is often quoted. In one
of my boats the engine had been taken apart because of a leaking oil seal--and
when since it was apart when I got the boat I had it rebuilt. At 3500 hours,
it was up to factory specs in almost every measurement--but I replaced the
bearings, valves and rings anyway. I put another 3000 hours on the
engine--and the current owner has put another 2000 hours on it--so the basic
engine has 8500 hours--and really did not need a rebuild.
Abuse would be not changing oil properly, not running the engines regularly,
water intrusion which was not immediately addressed etc.
Bob Austin
The hours you see on an ad on Yachtworld.com or Boat Trader reflects the hours
on the current engine--not hours on the boat's life.
Some engines do have seen a relitatively short life span. For example sport
fishers which run hard and heavy a number of days a week. I once looked at at
Bertrum 40 and the Navy mechanic who maintained it said he rebuilt the 6-71's
Turbo about every 1200 hours. Another is the light high speed high HP
diesels-- I notice that that a number of the "Picnic" boats only a couple of
years old have new or rebuilt engines in them.
Most rebuilds in trawlers are more from abuse or misuse than wearing out. I
have only owned one turbo diesel in a boat and one turbo diesel in a motor
home--both of these required turbo work at about 1000 hours. These may be
exceptions to the rule. The slower diesels--extreme being Gardner-- you see
many with over 20,000 hours. I know of tugs with the big commercial Cats that
get 50,000 hours (of course a lot of that time is at low speed). In the Ford
Lehman and Perkins the 10,000 hour (or more) figure is often quoted. In one
of my boats the engine had been taken apart because of a leaking oil seal--and
when since it was apart when I got the boat I had it rebuilt. At 3500 hours,
it was up to factory specs in almost every measurement--but I replaced the
bearings, valves and rings anyway. I put another 3000 hours on the
engine--and the current owner has put another 2000 hours on it--so the basic
engine has 8500 hours--and really did not need a rebuild.
Abuse would be not changing oil properly, not running the engines regularly,
water intrusion which was not immediately addressed etc.
Bob Austin
