Thanks Ted but that's not where I'm going with this. Unless that is your way of saying 3208s with 4500 hours are finished???Try Steveston Marine, I was quoted approx. $14000 for rebuilt ones a couple of years ago. Said they had lots of parts.
Thanks for the check list Jim. Gives me a place to start and some questions to ask.My 3208s are 1991 models. But there are a few things that I have learned in general about 3208s as I boiled the cooling system and worked on the fuel injection pump...It is all in how they are maintained.
Thanks OD. Same owner for 10 years so that's encouraging. To a degree.Have put almost twice that number of hours on NA 3208 and they were running strong when I sold the boat.
From everything I have been learning, I should be watching for reman 6Bs but...with me arse planted on a milk crate in an engine room, staring at a 3208NA, what should I not see? What would concern you before it is even turned over?The 210 hp 3208 will run one day longer than forever. Cummins 6BT trumps them every time.
Nice, thank you Jon.Like Jim said in his first list. That's a good list. Looking in the valley will tell you a lot. Any fuel or wet of any kind is an indication of issues. They should start with basically a bumping of the starter. There should be no grinding. On a cold start there will be a little smoke but it should dissipate after a minute or so.
Rust is the enemy of a 3208. If you see heavy rust in the valley or under the exhaust manifolds next to the heads it a sure sign of trouble. If you can look in the coolant tank with a light see if there is any rust on the plate just below the coolant tank neck. Rust there might mean the coolant was not properly keep up. I would also run my hand down the coolant tube from the oil cooler that runs to the back of the engine looking for heavy rust and coolant.
Good information and encouraging as well. What you and others have given me along with reading the Cat Manuals, I think I'm fairly well armed for this cursory look.djones said:That engine is rated at 30,000 gallons before overhaul, I believe. So if it's 210 NA you can expect it to have twice the life of the 375 hp version, and no turbo to rebuild if you do encounter some surface issues. A safe buy if everything else checks out, IMHO.
Thanks again guys. It was not an easy task to look at these things. Very tight space and no access to the outsides because seller had a mountain of plastic bins back there.Capt. Jon said:Good luck. Let us know how you make out.
Yes, thanks John. I was there primarily to get a feel of the 3208 configuration in a confined space. Man, I tell ya, I can now appreciate what it would have been like if they were TAs. Based on my lack of agility and size, I think a single would make more sense.I forgot to tell you along with the flashlight to bring a mirror. A cell phone camera works sometimes in those had to get to places also. Looking at a lot of boats will give you great experience!
The Monk 36, which just recently caught my attention comes as a single. Early builds in Taiwan; Lehman and Perkins. '92 through '08 builds in Nova Scotia came with Cummins 6Bs, some "T"s by order. Here are a couple more pics from current listings.Now that is sweet engine.