Any opinions on my engine?

[Janusz]

Hello;
I bought my boat repowered with Perkins Sabre M225Ti.

This engine was installed new in 2011 by the previous owner. I bought the boat, 1982 40' Ocean Alexander in 2015 with 360 hrs on this engine. Now the hours are 840.

I have no previous experience with marine diesels, but from my perspective this engine is literally perfect. It starts instantaneously every time and runs like a swiss watch. I am literally unable to think of anything negative about it, no matter how insignificant it might be.

This boat was built with Ford Lehman so now, with this Perkins you might think its overpowered, but if that is the case, it can only be a good thing. On a calm day with the sea state 0 I can attain hull speed at 1,900 RPM or even 1,800 RPM with the bottom just cleaned.

My fuel numbers are very low: 8 liters an hour on average. Normally I run at 1-1.5 knots below hull speed unless fantasy or need takes over. My hull is full displacement.

 

[AusCan]

Your Perkins should do 2500 rpm.
A couple questions:
Will it do 2500 rpm in neutral?
At full throttle in gear, do you get black smoke in the exhaust from unburnt fuel?

If so you are over-propped. Get your prop resized to suit your engine and gearbox ratio.

 

[Rufus]

A few years ago I assisted a gentleman moving a boat with these engines from the west side of Lake Michigan around to Huron near Toledo. The boat was an older 38' Hatteras aft cabin that had been reengined from gas and had never had a decent shake down. Unfortunately we encountered fuel system problems (dirty tanks), so we spent a lot of time changing fuel filters...about one every forty five minutes. But when those gems were getting fuel they were absolutely magnificent. We spend most of the time on plane and they pushed that rather heavy Hatt along at 25 knots with ease. And they just quietly hummed along when at hull speed. I was hugely impressed and would reengine our 44 OA with them if the need ever arose. They're compact, everything is accessible...and believe me, priming the engines after filter changes is a snap!

 

[Nomad Willy]

I had a Sabre 120 in a previous boat.
It was said to have been blue printed for military service.
It ran as described by Rufus.
The boat was a high speed SD hull and reached 20 knots at 2500rpm.
Owned this boat at the same time when I first had Willy and re our firm plans to move to Alaska one boat needed to go. Willy won mostly because I was slightly afraid of the composite construction. It was 8,000lbs lighter than Willy. Of course it burned more fuel and at that time I was more interested in great fuel economy.

But that Sabre was a sweet engine.

Re the hull the first and last pic shows the hull-form best.
It was a Sumerner Craft built in Amitivile NY.

 

[Rufus]

Your Perkins should do 2500 rpm.
A couple questions:
Will it do 2500 rpm in neutral?
At full throttle in gear, do you get black smoke in the exhaust from unburnt fuel?

If so you are over-propped. Get your prop resized to suit your engine and gearbox ratio.

I believe that boat is a semi-planing hull....

 

[Nomad Willy]

I do too.
The bottom is hooked about 1”+.
And you’re right the very soft chines don’t enter into it.

 

[sunchaser]

Janusz
Our vessel has the same engines, since new. If painted yellow it is a Cat 3056. Yes they are good engines. But, it always comes back to how well the routine maintenance is being performed. Now that they are approaching 10 years old
and a new to you vessel, some tasks basic to similar engines, are required. Feel free to PM me with any questions.