High hour Lehmans

[kapnd]

Hours on the meter do not set the failure point, ie, there is not a specific number of hours at which your motor will need a new head or turbo or starter or complete overhaul.
How the motor was maintained, and how its efforts were managed (by the nut behind the throttle) have everything to do with how long it will last.
A quick peek in the ER speaks volumes on this subject. Corrosion, dirt, oil leaks, dirty bilge all point to a poorly maintained engine.
My T-100 is just about to turn up 600,000 miles and runs well!

 

[grahamdouglass]

oil pan leak?

As long as were talking about maintenance on Lehmans, has anyone torqued the oil pan to remedy oil pan leaks? I have a 2715E. Is this a common maintenance procedure?

 

[Old deckhand]

Oil Deckhand,
Same w me re my seawater pump.

Willy, must be a SE Alaska thing, common here.

 

[Xsbank]

Graham, the most likely place for oil leaks is the lift pump gasket. The hot oil migrates and really looks like a pan leak. Try that first. Then, tighten the large bolts on each injector, they have seal underneath that gets crushed and oil can get out there, too.

 

[FF]

Most boat engines are KILLED , seldom worn out, at least for white boats.

 

[JDCAVE]

Interesting Bruce, I understood that the 135s needed retorqueing at some hourly interval but the 120s didn't? I actually did retorque my 120 cylinder head before I readjusted the valves. My understanding is that stretch bolts do not need retorqueing, they would need to be replaced. I also did not think that Lehmans had stretch bolts...?

My advice to high-time Lehman owners is to follow the owner's manual, complete all of the required maintenance requirements and run the bag off them. They will run fine for a long time and then they blow, although it's rare, even with an overheat (fatal to a Lehman) that it will quit dead and leave you stranded.

Only the 120 should be retorqued. The 135 should not be retorqued. That's my understanding, but a good mechanic should know.

 

[psneeld]

I wish I could be so sure.

My manual says no.....but I don't think is is a 120 specific manual. That's OK because myou engine was a rebuild from 8 years ago and is a 120 block with a few 135 parts used, so it makes my confusion worse.

Good mechanics I know, say well, depends. Has any head work been done since original?

If you don't know what kinds of bolts were used, or what gasket material.....I have had no luck in finding out a definite answer for Lehman 120s.

The only thing I have found others to totally agree on if you don't know is start over with a new gasket and bolts.

 

[Cigatoo]

Based on what I am reading here, there isn't anyone that has posted thus far that actually has a Lehman with 8 or 10,000 hours that hasn't rebuilt.

 

[Nomad Willy]

East,
See Larry M's post #5.

 

[psneeld]

Mine might have, it was used quite a lot by the previous owners.

It didnt die from longevity, it died cause the guy ran it hot for too long.

Plus most of us just get nervous when running old engines high or low time.

Larry rebuilt as convenience allowed, not because of just hours.

 

[jleonard]

Based on what I am reading here, there isn't anyone that has posted thus far that actually has a Lehman with 8 or 10,000 hours that hasn't rebuilt.

With the few exceptions stated, yes that is true.
Personally, I know of more that had to rebuilt in the 2000-6000 hour range. Reasons vary, mostly due to overheats that should have been avoidable.
However some things can happen in an instant.

 

[Xsbank]

The way I found the oil leak source on my Lehman was...foot powder. Clean the area where you think there are leaks and dust the engine with the foot powder. Run the engine as per normal. Oil leaks will leave tracks, plus the engine smells nice and the gaskets won't ever get athlete's foot.

 

[Xsbank]

Starting cold engines, running them without a load and overheating, all will kill your engine. They will run 30,000 hours as a pump or a generator. They were a failure as truck engines but were a huge success in combines.

 

[Ski in NC]

I don't buy the "cold starts cause most wear" theory. My vw jetta diesel is 16yrs old, and has been started cold at least five times a week since new. And started warm an average of four times a day.

That's 4160 cold starts.

And 23,000 warm starts.

It still runs fine and has no apparent issues, 245,000 miles, no internal repairs.

Do certainly agree that overheating and light load running are killers.

 

[Xsbank]

Well Ski, when I visited in Paris in 1970 you would pass parked diesel taxis that were left to idle while their drivers were at home asleep. They never shut them off. I didn't say "cause most wear," I said it differently. Believe what you want.

Your VW is going to blow this week. If it's not a standard, it will be spectacular! Show us the photos?

 

[Blissboat]

I don't buy the "cold starts cause most wear" theory. My vw jetta diesel is 16yrs old, and has been started cold at least five times a week since new. And started warm an average of four times a day.

That's 4160 cold starts.

And 23,000 warm starts.

It still runs fine and has no apparent issues, 245,000 miles, no internal repairs.

Do certainly agree that overheating and light load running are killers.

Ditto Ski's experience /observations. My 2001 VW Golf diesel (my daily driver) is now at 236K miles and running strong. On a trip it'll run all day long at 85-90 mph without breathing hard, consumes no noticeable oil, and still gets 45+ miles per gallon. I have done the recommended timing belt services, plus other routine maintenance, but otherwise everything is original (even the clutch).

Not knowing the history of a boat engine is troubling. I'd rather assume responsibility for a 5000-hour engine whose ownership and maintenance I trust than a 1500-hour engine with no way to assess the kind of life it's led.

 

[jleonard]

I don't buy the "cold starts cause most wear" theory. My vw jetta diesel is 16yrs old, and has been started cold at least five times a week since new. And started warm an average of four times a day.
.

Ditto for our 99 Jetta TDI with 180K on it and also the 91 Dodge Cummins I ran for 200K miles.

 

[Baker]

This is interesting. Relating it to cars is even more interesting.

One can find cars w 290kmi on the meter easily .. meaning there are quite a few on CL. I have one myself. I put a clutch in it and new tires. Struts, exhaust, heater, trans, power windows, and almost everything else is fine to ok. Turning hard left shows lots of wear on the steering rack.

Here's the thing that makes me wonder. Hardly ever see a car w over 300kmi. The cars seem to fall off a cliff at 300kmi. Admitedly many sellers wo'nt post milage over 300k as they surely must think it's like say'in "this car is about to fall flat on it's face". But there dos'nt seem to be a "cliff" for these boat engines.

Wonder what kills the car engines?

With the boat engines the killer could be cold starts. The pump engines seem to go on forever but many boat engines do'nt last 5k. Car engines get used regularly .. most all of them. I've been trying to find another little Nissan Stanza for a few years w very low miles but still have'nt. I probably have found one w 88k but I did'nt act fast enough and it sold fast for $3000.
Could be related to the boat engines being diesel but I think not. I'm not talking about how long they last just how abruptly they die at a specific # of hours or miles.

Eric, I think what kills cars around 300,000 miles is the car itself...not the engine. Cars with that kind of mileage just are ragged out....I think Ski mentioned this above. They simply become worthless whether the engine is running or not. Obviously they are worth something to someone, but most people won't consider buying a car with that kind of mileage.

Now as it relates to boats and/or "pump engines", you might be confusing something. You say pump engines "go on forever". If you look at their hour meter, you would get that impression. But a 15,000 hour pump engine may only be 2-3 years old....damn near NEW in boat speak. So the AGE of the engine has a lot to do with it....age in YEARS...not hours(run time). It is that AGE that kills boat engines....not hours of run time. I mean when you have a 40 year old engine that has 1500 hours on it....it is not the run time that causes failures. It is the age of the accessories on that engine that can cause problems. It is the potential corrosion in those cylinders....on the valves and their seats that cause issues. So don't confuse run time(hours) with age(years).