Engine Hours and Maintenance Done to date

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

So I got a little curious about how others engines are holding up. We now have 2,165 hours on our engine. The boat had 250 original hours on her when we purchased it. So here is a list of things we have done beyond the normal maintenance items like fluid changes and filters:

Fuel lift pump (at least 5), engine mounts, dampener plate, new prop shaft, 3 Cutlass bearings, 2 PSS dripless adapters, K&N air filter, solonoid, raw water pump with 2 rebuilds, coolant pump, heat exchanger, new wet exhaust hose (big one the whole length and the smaller diameter ones twice), new fuel hose the whole length for supply and return, new exhaust elbow 3 times (twice out of galvanized steel and now over 800 hours on one out of stainless), valve clearance check 2 times and adjusted once (over do for current check); compression checked 2 times (also over due); 6 alternators (5 cheap Chinese ones and one good Compass Marine one with external regulator than now has close to 900 hours); oil pressure switch; primary fuel filter bracket broke and rewelded.​

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When I look at this list I feel the engine has held up well for the almost 2k hours we put on the boat.

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Curious what the rest of you are experiencing and what kind of hours do you have. (I have a theory that boat engines with higher hours hold up better.) Again this is all on top of standard maintainence items.

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Thanks,

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Jesse

 

[marchem]

Our 2000 model had about 2170 hours on the engine when we bought it in 9/15. At that time I know the PO had replaced the fuel pump and raw water pump, and added a K&N air intake filter. The surveyor thought the HX had been replaced at some point. Hard to tell what hoses were replaced, but I’ll bet fuel and some of the cooling. It now has just under 2300. We’ve replaced the cutless bearing, but not much else. Obviously we don’t motor a lot-maybe 5 minutes from our slip to open water.

 

[JRT]

According to the log book from the previous 2 owners not a lot has been replaced. All hoses and the water pump was upgraded to the Oberdorfer, belt replaced twice and oil and fuel filters are replaced annually since the hours are pretty low each year. Everything else on the motor is still covered in factory paint. I even checked the HX and straps this weekend and they are good and painted silver so I assume original. Total hours are around 670 right now.

 

[marchem]

Forgot to add, just replaced the raw water pump again. So #3.

 

[jssailem]

WOW Jessie... That is a lot of work for 3 years.

 

[jviss]

Seems excessive to me. For example, "at least 5" fuel lift pumps? What's going on there? Three exhaust elbows, six(!!!) alternators?

Wow.

I put nearly 2000 hours on an M25 in a C36 which required far less.

 

[Michael Davis]

Rebuilt starter, rebuilt injector pump and this year I’ll need to replace the coolant pump. Not too bad for 6258 hours and 35 years.

 

[paulj]

Fuel lift pump (at least 3), , dampener plate, new transmission; new prop shaft and split collar flange , 1 Cutlass bearings, 2 PSS dripless adapters, K&N air filter, solonoid, 3 raw water pumps until I got an Oberdorfer coolant pump, head sink faucet , new wet exhaust hose (big one the whole length and the smaller diameter one), new fuel hose the whole length for supply and return, exhaust elbow crack welded, valve clearance check 2 times and adjusted once; compression checked 2 times ; injectors tested; oil pressure switch; 4 Macerator Pumps , water heater, electric head and hoses, engine alarm horn, high water temp switch alarm, and transmission and throttle cables ................ replaced bilge pumps, re did batteries with combo golf 6 volts, replaced old VHF radio with new VHF w/ DCS, Upgraded auto pilot.


paulj

 

[jviss]

4 Macerator Pumps

please explain

 

[paulj]

please explain

Well if you turn on the macerator switch and it does not pump out the holding tank... you head out for the nearest pump out and look for a new pump.
Defender refunded me on one of the macerators because they could not get through Canada customs. That is another story.

You can find macerators in Canada even in the Queen Charlotte Strait area.
That is not bad I think...had boat 15 years or so and we would be out on the water at least twice a year and stay out for 30 to 60 days at a time.


paulj

 

[jviss]

But four macerator pumps? I had one on the Catalina that was probably original equipment - thus, 33 years old and still working. How do you go through 4?

 

[paulj]

But four macerator pumps? I had one on the Catalina that was probably original equipment - thus, 33 years old and still working. How do you go through 4?

One at a time.

good nite johnboy

 

[LeslieTroyer]

Seems like a lot. I’ve put about 1K hours in my boat and only real failure was the exhaust elbow, main traveler, batteries (start and house) and a cracked muffler.

I have upgraded/re-engineered lots of other stuff.
2 new primary fuel filters and lift pumps
3” heat exchanger in place of 2”
1 new and 1 spare alternator because old wouldn’t fit after bracket upgrade.
1 whale sewage pump (nothing there previously)
1 new boom vang (nothing before)
1 autopilot upgrade from working ST2000
1 starter ( wasn’t the problem)
1 engine wire harness replaced
1 engine panel and gauges replaced
1 binnacle guard (more room)
1 music radio/cd
1 raw water pump (-3 to -15 and no grease cup)

Les

 

[paulj]

Peggie
What did
Raritan macerator pumps look like 33 years ago ?

 

[jviss]

What was failing on your macerator pumps? Motors, or were they leaking?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Well if you turn on the macerator switch and it does not pump out the holding tank... you head out for the nearest pump out and look for a new pump.

Placing this sign over the head will cut down on the macerator replacements.

Also, there is a small screw on the pump body which you can use to force the rotor to rotate. This will tell you what's wrong with the macerator.

Twenty years of cruising with two teenage granddaughters and an endless lineup of female friends ....................... one replacement macerator at 18 years because of a leaking shaft seal.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

WOW Jessie... That is a lot of work for 3 years.

We have owned the boat for 9 years. Been living aboard full-time for about 7 and out of the US for 4.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Seems excessive to me. For example, "at least 5" fuel lift pumps? What's going on there?

The original lightly failed because the original owner used 2 micron filters in the Racor. A mistake I continued for a while as well. Until recently these where cheap ($35-50, so around $170 total) auto parts store lift pumps. Some lasted a year and some a month. It's a crap shoot with those cheap pumps. We now have a Wahl pump that cost $200.

Three exhaust elbows,

The factory one cracked, many people have had this issue. So I started building new ones out of galvanized steel pipe for about $30. When they would get pin whole leaks then I would make a new one. I finally broke down and spent $250 for SS pipe to make the last one.

six(!!!) alternators?

Read Mainesail's article on deep cycle batteries vs. automotive alternators. When you run the motor while depleted then it pushes the alternator too hard too long they burn up. So we went through 5 of the cheap ($70, so $350 total) Chinese alternators before breaking down and going with an externally regulated alternator of much better quality (for about $800).

So yes there are times I have chosen the cheap route. From a cost prospective I could justify continue on the route. But we are trying to make our boat more robust and long lasting.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

please explain

I didn't add pumps but we have replaced 3 as well. The original Jabaco stopped working. Didn't spend much time diagnosing it. Just replaced it. Then bolts on the replacement Jabaco broke, apparently a common problem as they now sell and upgrades bolt kit. Just replaced that with a Raritan of better quality. Then we lost that Raritan as part of the casualties from Maria. It rusted and corroded due to excessive salt water spray.

We don't have a direct discharge and have not found a working pump out station or boat since Georgetown, Bahamas, so early 2016. So our pump gets used a lot more than a state side boat.

 

[RoyS]

Always used a 2 micron primary fuel filter without problems. Put about 100 hours a year on the motor.