8.2 Detroit questions

[folivier]

I know this will be hard to answer but a 42' Roughwater with 8.2 Detroits at 250hp each, approximately how much diesel should it burn at 8 knots?
And will running these at that low speed be harmful? Not sure what the rpms would be?
The owner claims at 10 knots they turn 2000 rpms but doesn't know the fuel burn. He also doesn't know what the hours are (he's trying to sell it for his dad). I know maintenance and how they were run matters a lot but how many hours should these go with typical maintenance?

 

[Marlinmike]

I would add into your research the availability of parts as the 8.2's are pretty out of date and those four strokes were not the most popular as apposed to the 2 stroke ones that were put in everything, that being said at 250hp and low load would out last anything you most likely will be doing.
Fuel burn would be pretty low as those motors were pretty good, total guess would be 6-8gph.

 

[rardoin]

Back in the late '80's my father had a Luhrs 34 with the J&T 8.2L TI engines at 300hp IIRC. He ran them at a reasonable RPM, being a bit of a conservative man, and we never had any engine issues in a bout 1600 hrs or so until he sold it. I did have a lot of time in the 'hole' changing out Racor filters in nasty conditions but if fed clean fuel and not overheated they were reliable. As noted, parts may be a concern but if cruising in coastal US waters probably not a significant issue since the engine was also used in road vehicles as well.

 

[DavidM]

A very rough rule of thumb is 2 hp per thousand pounds to push a semi displacement boat to hull speed. So assuming 40,000 lbs that is 80 hp for 8+ kts. That engine probably makes about 15 hp per gph at 40 hp each, so your total fuel burn should be about 80/15= 5 gph. But could be 50% more. 5-8 gph would be the range I would work with.


David

 

[Old deckhand]

Had a 8.2 in a 36 ft boat at 8 knots burned about 3 gal/hour.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

I had 2 in an aluminum 32' boat. They are really good on fuel- The "Fuel Pincher" name by GM is very true. I couldn't believe how efficient they were. Getting parts....thats another story.

 

[dach side]

I had a pair of the 8.2t in a 25,000 lb. Sabre. We cruised at 8 to 8.5 kts, burning about 4 gph. Had close to 2,000 hrs on them when I sold it.

 

[Baker]

I was under the impression these engines had a bad rep???

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

They had a horrible reputation.

 

[Baker]

They had a horrible reputation.

Was it deserved???

 

[dach side]

I think originally they had cooling issues, but I think that was corrected. After that, it was pushed to 300+ HP. We all know how that works. When not pushed hard, I think the service life would be very good.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

I believe it was deserved. They went from 13mm to 14mm head bolts to solve some head issues.
That engine was designed for services in busses and they blew up pretty quickly. The constant speed , constant load service in boats it faired much better. The Detroit Diesel dealers and mechanics didn't have much good to say about them once the problems started. Not very well supported by DD.

 

[Old deckhand]

They had a problem of head warping. Mine did twice. After the second time I replaced it with a Perkins. When the ran they ran smooth and great.

 

[KneeDeep]

We have 250hp 8.2's in our Atlantic and i have been extremely happy with the the fuel burn. I calculated the last day of our recent 4 day cruise at about 4.5 GPH, 8 knots at 1800 RPM. At just over 1700 hours now and we have done 200 of that since last year when we purchased at all about that same rate, plan to keep going with them as long as we can.

Had similar concerns and did all the research before purchase and agree with several comments. The loser engines were the 350 hp that had over heat problems and earlier models with smaller head bolts. Many mechanics i spoke to really like the engines provided they had not been overheated - my real concern is that there are very few folks that will actually work on them. Our local DD diesel won't but I did find a local mechanic - thankfully haven't needed anything yet (knocking on wood...)

Agree parts will also be a challenge - but not impossible

 

[Ski in NC]

Run at trawler speeds, they should do fine. In sportfish apps where they were run hard, not so good. Not many of those left.

Make sure you can get exhaust manifolds, I think those are bordering on being unobtanium. I would not worry too much about head gaskets and bolts running at hull speed.

 

[KneeDeep]

Ski - when i first posted about our 8.2's your comment mentioned a road load governor on these engines, i never have figured out what that is? not an issue when cruising at trawler speeds?

 

[djones44]

I have had two myself and they are as smooth as a car engine compared to what I have endured with Cummins - which I can't stand to listen to anymore. DD 8.2's sing like an industrial bench engine at higher RPM, absolutely clear exhaust as well with 2000 hours. But yes, 250 HP, not something like a 375 hp 3208, which has a service life of 30,000 gallons - quite modest compared to a reliable bus engine like the 8.2.

 

[Baker]

I have had two myself and they are as smooth as a car engine compared to what I have endured with Cummins - which I can't stand to listen to anymore. DD 8.2's sing like an industrial bench engine at higher RPM, absolutely clear exhaust as well with 2000 hours. But yes, 250 HP, not something like a 375 hp 3208, which has a service life of 30,000 gallons - quite modest compared to a reliable bus engine like the 8.2.

????

A straight 6 Cummins is about as smooth as it gets!!! But....just an opinion!

 

[Ski in NC]

Ski - when i first posted about our 8.2's your comment mentioned a road load governor on these engines, i never have figured out what that is? not an issue when cruising at trawler speeds?

A "road governor" mimics how a gas engine behaves with a gas pedal: give it a bit of pedal and it will rev high. A normal diesel governor is a "variable rpm" where no matter where you set the throttle, rpm will stay within say 10% of the setting. The road governor, or "speed limiting" governor will rev way up in neutral if you just crack the throttles. Anyone that owns 8.2's will understand the difference.

 

[KneeDeep]

thanks SKI for the info - i understand now, these are the only diesels i have owned so i probably would not know the the differnce

will keep cruising along and maybe start the re-power thread in 4-5 years when we can be on the water full time

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

The 8.2's were pretty quiet. Mine were 250 HP versions. To say the Cummins engine is loud, is a new one on me. The 6BT is the 6-71 of the new millenium. Thousands of them in all kinds of service grinding it out day in day out without problems. The 8.2 never did anywhere close or it would have had a production run longer than a good lunch hour.

 

[djones44]

The 8.2's were pretty quiet. Mine were 250 HP versions. To say the Cummins engine is loud, is a new one on me. The 6BT is the 6-71 of the new millenium. Thousands of them in all kinds of service grinding it out day in day out without problems. The 8.2 never did anywhere close or it would have had a production run longer than a good lunch hour.

It's true that I didn't have proper soundproofing for my 6BT 300hp, standing over it in a pilothouse and all, so I guess i gassed myself. Too many of them running around in obnoxious over-squared pickups, tormenting me at traffic lights...

Methinks that 8.2's are reliable Detroits, like your cited 671, a WWII tank engine. They did have a cooling problem if an air pocket wasn't cleared, but in later versions you have a turbine-type 4 cycle howler Andy Granatelli would have liked.

 

[cliff johnsen]

racing rpms!!!

I am at my witt's end trying to figure out why the port engine (8.2l) will race if left at idle. the problem is that the throttle WONT shut it back down.. I have to shut the engine off. I have tightened up the throttle linkage and even tried my hand on the engine to slow it down. no luck.

This will do this in the start up if left to idle and as it slowly warms up it will begin to race to 2500 rpm.

Worse is when docking. Coming in, it will race as you are manurving to the dock. The stbd engine will not do this.

Anyone able to help here???

 

[Bigfoot4]

You could check out boatdiesel.com, pay 25 bucks for an annual fee, and get all the info regarding diesels in boats for many years in the past.
A very cheap source for information