[Jos40806]

Hi guys,
I am considering buying a 44 foot sailing yacht, of about 1983. a few of those boats are equiped with the perking 4236, 80HP engine.they all have between 3500 and 5000 hours. If well maintained, until howmany hours this type is reliable?somebody has experience with these engines?

 

[Stillraining]

10,000 easy if well maintained...if not its all over the board.

 

[xort]

my perkins 4.154 has 3300 hrs and is running just fine. Turner Automotive Diesel - ENTER for parts. A few parts are getting hard to find off the shelf. Contact them and ask their opinion.

 

[svsirius]

10,000 easy if well maintained...if not its all over the board.

Yup I agree, have a 1985 4.236 w/ approx 4000 hours runs like a top. clean fuel, oil and service the injectors/injector pump per schedule life is good.

 

[Stillraining]

FWIW...death for most Perkins come from over heating them...it will usually take the head out.

Cooling issues seem the bane for salt water kept engines for obvious reasons..and owners tend not to spend allot of preventive maintenance on this area of the boat...after all who wants to pull down a heat exchanger or mixing elbow every year and checking raw water flow?...but it should be done...way more important then changing the oil IMHO..

 

[SanDiegoChip]

We have a Perkins 4108

We have a Perkins 42108 and I was told the engine it's self will run for almost ever. It is all the parts attached to it that fail. Ours is 30 years old and has lived in a dark damp place. We recently had and injector clamp fail, it just broke sitting there in the boat not even running. When I started the motor smoke came billowing out and it sounded like it through a rod. Any way I fixed it with the help of a dock mate. I did notice the fuel line to the injectors was a bronze or brass tubing brazed. Now when is that going to fail? It sure is hard to think of replacing a perfectly good running engine. We are going cruising in a few years so there is the rub. I would leave it alone and still might but for leaving the country and when we need it we may REALLY need it. No vessel assist to call.
The PO set up a fresh water rinse for the cooling. It draws water from the fresh water tank instead of the sea water, flip a valve. OK I have not tried it yet but it seems like a good idea. We have had the boat six months.

 

[meuritt]

One of the features I like about the Perkins is ease of rebuilding. The cylinders are sleeved, assuming reasonable elbow room, you will not need to remove the engine for a rebuild.

I've no idea how many hours it has on it, original meter is gone. It starts instantly and ticks along nicely, using no oil.

 

[Stillraining]

One of the features I like about the Perkins is ease of rebuilding. The cylinders are sleeved, assuming reasonable elbow room, you will not need to remove the engine for a rebuild.
I've no idea how many hours it has on it, original meter is gone. It starts instantly and ticks along nicely, using no oil.

Man!.... you must have an "Oil Can Henery's" work pit under that Perkins.. ..Im envious.

 

[meuritt]

its not so much under as it is all around and over. The boat is A Banjer 37, we have an online website, if you are interested. It's a pilothouse motorsailer, Scottish N Sea tradition. The area is big enough to include a 6-236, so my little 4 cylinder has lots of room.

 

[Stillraining]

Well I was just figuring you must.....as ya gotta pull the pan to remove rod caps to push the pistons out to pull the liners and be able to drop the crank for a rebuild...we do in-frames in trucks and even dozers but even then a pit is a big help...I'm never done learning though so I would like to hear your method.