Cat 3208

I have been looking for a trawler for awhile now and came across a 1987 Grand Banks 36 Classic wit a single Cat 3208 engine. Was this an engine that Grand Banks commonly used? This is the only one I’ve seen. Have any of you had any experience with this configuration?

The 3208 came in a lot of different horsepower configurations. Depending on which HP it is will help determine how long lived it can be. I believe they run from 210 to 425, maybe. The higher HP if run hard will not last as long. If it has been run reasonably well and maintained properly then it could be a good setup. There should be good access with the single. How does the boat look overall?

I have a GB42 Classic. The boat was originally ordered with twin 3208s; naturally aspirated, 210hp each. I typically lope along at 1,550 rpm. I stuck it in a muddy shoal last Sunday and appreciated the extra horses when backing off.

GB commonly used Cat 3208s and variants of Cummins 5.9 starting in the mid ‘80s.

The boat has the naturally aspirated 210HP version with 2700 hours. As far as the rest of the boat it looks good in the pictures, haven’t been able to see it in person yet.

3208/ 210hp is a great engine and will last well over 15k. I have serviced heavy machinery with excess of 30,000hrs. And that’s in a very dusty environment

Hi JD, we have a 1988 36' Grand Banks Classic in pristine condition. We have had her for 3 years. Our boat has the original engine, a CAT 3208NA. 210HP. We have 7300 hours and it will start and purr if you just breath on the starter button.
I have seen many GB with this engine. And according to our local CAT dealer, Milton CAT and our nearby resident CAT expert, John Pride, these 3208 engines, particularly the naturally aspirated are bullet proof and with regular care and maintenance will last a life time. We cruise at 1800 rpm and use about 2 gallons an hour. At 33 years old and 7300/ hrs she doesn't smoke and runs like a champ.
IMHO, John Pride Inc in Bowdoin Maine, johnprideinc@yahoo.com is ours and scores of others on the east coast and the Great Lakes is the "go to" outfit for all things CAT.

We are CAT 3208NA fans.

I'd go for it but contact John for professional advice.

Good luck!
Mike Dana
Third Reef
36' GB Heritage Classic
Potts Harbor Maine
207-833-5080

In the 1980s, American Marine began offering the Cat 3208 in a variety of GBs. For several years I ran a family 1988 GB 36 Europa with a single Cat 3208N (210 hp). It's a good fit in the engine compartment (which on the 36 is a bit snug for twins, IMO).

The 3208 is a nice, economical power match for the 36. The boat will respond well to throttle, gathering way quickly and backing-down easily. With a burst of throttle and full rudder, you can kick the stern around as you please. Adding a bow thruster was an unnecessary extravagance, I felt, but it made that 36 a total piece of cake to handle. As far as reliability, a 3208 that has been maintained will outlast your stewardship of the boat.

Agree with everything above. Call your local Cat dealer and Get a certified Cat technician to survey. Will pay off in comfort level and piece of mind.

JD750lgp said:

The boat has the naturally aspirated 210HP version with 2700 hours. As far as the rest of the boat it looks good in the pictures, haven’t been able to see it in person yet.

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I agree with all the comments, having got the same but a twin installation and the same engine hours. After plenty of research, the first thing I did was fit new (dry) exhaust risers, apparently the original wet risers, if left to deteriorate, could back flood the valves/bores with raw exhaust water.

If they haven’t been changed recently, get a quote for new, and factor this into the equation.

Cat 3208's

As the new owner of Intuition one of the first orders of business was to have my 3208's gone over. They are the 325 HP turbo, no after cooler, engines with 3,300 hrs. Had my new best friend Cat mechanic Karl spend a week replacing all the engine hoses, zincs, new raw water pumps and rehabbed alternators. Including a couple of leaky gaskets, fuel hose, a valve adjustment and a complete engine & trans service. The engines are in great shape according to him and now will be good for the foreseeable future. They are great time tested engines! Like previous said the higher HP engines are problematic, especially if they are run hard (Not typically a Trawler issue. Trawlers run at 1500 to 1800 rpm cruise speed. More likely on a sportfish running hard 2200 to 2500 rpm). The 325 HP model is Bullitt Proof if they are taken care of & maintained. Again the cruising sweet spot is between 1500 & 1800 rpm (3 gpm each). Running harder only pushes more water & burns more fuel. I am looking forward to putting another 2000 hrs on them! Prior to purchase my suggestion is to have a competent Cat guy do a complete engine survey as I did. This revealed some minor issues, but no major potential problems. Money well spent! Good luck!

These are common engine drivers for fire pumps in industrial buildings. They get abused, run monthly if they are lucky, and keep on ticking.

Ditto all, as another 3208 owner. Really there are few engines that can be kept running as cheaply as these. And a good match for the boat.

Totally agree with the last view points. Advice. book your overhaul in the winter when the mechanic's have plenty of time to work. I bought a 1999 classic in November The CAT mechanic told me I needed to spend $35k. Which I did. Got two brand new engines that run like a dream. I hopefully have another twenty years of pleasure with regular maintenance.