BMW diesel

[warren]

Eric,
Prehaps many trawler types don't run at WOT very often but only because they have oversize engines. As you say running WOT even for a short while is a good idea for a marine diesel.
Still, it's good to have the option to feel safe running Close to WOT on occasion. This is what you want your engine to do. Like entering a harbor with a 6 knot tidal rip coming out or getting away from a cheasapeake bay pop up storm.
My thought also go back to the days when I was involved in building the Canyon running fishing machines on the east coast. These guys would run close to WOT for a couple of hours to get to the fishing grounds. Or crash across to the Bahamas in daylight from Florida. You need to run hard to do that!
Prehaps not the type of boat use that the trawler forum caters too but these are the same diesel marine engines we use.
Warren

 

[Nomad Willy]

Warren,
Running at WOT is not "good" for engines. It's done at times to check the engine and it's subsystems. Only several minutes are required. It checks cooling systems, fuel systems, driveline systems and general engine mechanics. All systems affected by load so that when the engine is asked to perform it can do so without failures due to worn or weak components.

I like this statement from you;
"Perhaps not the type of boat use that the trawler forum caters too but these are the same diesel marine engines we use."

Yes,
Good point and all our boat engines should be fully capable of performing as specified by the manufacturers. Running at full load and rated rpm for X amount of time. Significant difference from engine to engine. And especially different types of engines. Some "experts" have consistantly recomended running trawler engines at a 75% load .. continously. Many to most engines (perhaps all) should be able to do that. But I think a 60% load would allow an engine to last longer .. how much longer is a great unknown though. I don't think there would be much difference but I'm no engineer. In my own personal opinion a load of about 40 to 60% is probably ideal.