Help identify CAT marine engine please

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . . Gotcha Nige . . . I knew Johnson and Towers had a 450 hp version but didn't know Cat offered the same.

When these engines first came out they were known here as "cardboard Caterpillars" due to their (perceived) throw away construction but, in my experience, with conservative ratings they held up pretty well.

There were couple we serviced in a Game Boat that used to slip over from Hawaii for the Cairns marlin season that got rings, and a roughen up at ten thousand hours for survey but didn't really need them . . . another 8700 hour a year gen. set in a trawler was up over 40,000 with minimal blow-by and running strong.

I think D6 Merv is right on the money when he mentioned oil capacity and filtration. Quite by coincidence these engines had extra oil tanks, centrifugals and luberfiners as well as the standard marine/genset crossovers.

Cheers.

 

[Nige]

Scrub, the urban myth in the offshore oil industry in UK was that when a 3208 genset came to the end of its life the accepted form of replacement was to gas axe a hole in the floor, and let it drop into the sea...........
Then after welding a plate over the hole you dropped a replacement set into position.

it's always the same with a marine application. You know damn well they're not going to get looked after so you do fit everything that can possibly be fitted to increase the engine oil & the oil filtration capacity. So long as they are small enough centrifuges for filtering engine oil on a marine diesel are the dog's bollox ..........

 

[lantraxco]

Burial at sea, the British and their naval traditions, lol.

:salute

 

[Nige]

Burial at sea, the British and their naval traditions, lol.

:salute

Better than the other suggestion regarding their usefulness which directly compared them to a boat anchor .............

 

[lantraxco]

Agreed. Were the generator ends Lucas electrics? Sorry, couldn't resist.....

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . . Nige

it's always the same with a marine application. You know damn well they're not going to get looked after so you do fit everything that can possibly be fitted to increase the engine oil & the oil filtration capacity. So long as they are small enough centrifuges for filtering engine oil on a marine diesel are the dog's bollox ..........

I suppose it depends on the fishery. Back in the 70's prawn boats in Northern Australia were working in a remote hot environment and, for the most part, maintenance and service of company vessels was pretty much spot on.

It was very very expensive if something broke and after due consideration one of our clients specified 3408's for main engines because they would (just) fit in a DC3. There is quite a story about how I know that . . . remember how the early 3408's had some iffy crankshafts?

The 3406 auxilliarys were expected to and did 50,000 hours with just a few hours shut down for fresh injectors and a valve lash check each Christmas.

Cheers.

 

[CaptainAnalyzer]

Wow, 50,000hr! What's the most hours you have seen for a marine/genset?

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . . CaptainAnalyzer . There were some Gardners that did a lot of hours but the longest run I know of was from an HR4 air-cooled Lister that ran the weather station on Willis Island.

It ran unattended except for yearly checks and did 110,000 hours before being replaced.

Listers in Brisbane were going to put a saw through it and do an advertising promotion showing the lack of wear but I prevailed upon them to rebuild it and I bought it to run our first workshop in Karumba.

Cheers.

 

[CaptainAnalyzer]

I've seen ~85,000hr or so on a set of 3412's in a Greek ferry from 1977.

 

[Triole1]

Cat 3208 marine 01z19XXX and 01z26350 books

Hi,

Do you have the service/workshop/assembly/disassembly manual for the caterpillar 3208 marine? Thanks

 

[Nige]

Hi,

Do you have the service/workshop/assembly/disassembly manual for the caterpillar 3208 marine? Thanks

Try here. Simply put in your complete Serial Number to get the correct manual.

https://servicemanualpro.com/?page=Products&searchbox=01Z19000

 

[Triole1]

Sorry, i meant for free...

 

[Nige]

You are joking, right.....?

 

[Triole1]

Cat 3208 marine manuals 01z UP

Email me for the free manuals: gmedeirosmanuel@gmail.com

 

[Marghella 123]

I also have the same engine and the same problem with finding what model I have and what hp. I need the info to put a prop on my boat. It has a twin disk 2 to 1. Did you ever figure it out?

 

[Marghella 123]

I also have the same engine and the same problem with finding what model I have and what hp. I need the info to put a prop on my boat. It has a twin disk 2 to 1

 

[Marghella 123]

Hi .Found the numbers on the engines on the rear of the head . you were right. the no on engine. 75v6174 75v6152 AR on both 8n2543 is it potable to get the yeah and bhp of the motors ? my local shop can not go back to the 75v years Thanks Ricky

We're they on the heads or the block. I'm looking for mine also. My motor looks like the ones you have.

 

[Nige]

This thread is 8 years old. It’s unlikely that the OP is still around.

Take a close look at Post #29 back in on Page 2. In it is information & photos regarding two possible locations of where to find the Serial Number on your engine.

 

[Marghella 123]

Good man. That means the Turbo Gp is an 8N-0582 and reduces the engine arrangement options from 4 to 2. Both are 75V-prefix: -

8N-0529 which was built from 75V4283-75V5249.
8N-2543 which was built from 75V5250-75V7344.

OK, what identifies it is the expansion tank for the cooling system - see diagram below. One engine arrangement has it, the other engine does not. Your engine does, it's clearly visible on at least 3 of your photos.

Therefore it is my considered opinion that your engine is Arrangement Number 8N-2543 and has a Serial Number somewhere between 75V05250 and 75V07344. That should be sufficient to get parts and service information for it which I assume is your aim.

View attachment 122770

How do you decifer the dates mfg out of the serial number.

 

[Nige]

How do you decifer the dates mfg out of the serial number.

Simple answer - you don't. Only by plugging the Serial Number into the Cat factory parts & service system will reveal the date of manufacture.

Being honest the Serial Number is less important than the Arrangement Number, because the Arrgt # will tell how the engine is configured and the BHP/torque ratings. From your original question that is what you are after in order to correctly size a propeller for it IIRC.