Overview I’d like to express a few thoughts on this subject as it has come up many times in the past (at least indirectly) and many times just after some type of catastrophic engine failure that some unfortunate boater has … Read More
To answer a common question that seems to pop up quite often and without getting too technical, you’ll find that the thin nut is supposed to go on first and torqued to something less than full spec. The BIG nut … Read More
What are turbo boost and EGT, and what are their relationships and importance to the operation of a diesel engine in a boat? Following is a brief summary of my ideas and some data that I’ve accumulated over the years … Read More
There are many perspectives and opinions floating around in the marine world that characterize low speed running or low loading of a diesel engine will adversely affect its life.. I also have my own opinions on this subject and these … Read More
If my memory serves me correctly, the first time I heard the term “throw away engine,” was back in the early 70’s and someone was referencing the 3208 CAT. Wow, did that start something! Sure, this engine has no sleeves, … Read More
Most of the modern diesels of today (2-15 liters or so, where most of my experience lies) have a minimum of ring bypass and create very small amounts of crankcase blow by. That is not to say that the breather … Read More
This question does not come with a simple answer. You asked about “cheapest to rebuild” and “afford to maintain”… and then, you throw in the word “easiest” which, by the way, adds another dimension to your question. I’m not exactly … Read More
The Cummins marine version of the 6CTA 8.3 has evolved through many versions and horsepower ratings since it was released in the early 1990’s (about 24 years ago) as a 6CTA 8.3M-1 ā300Cā, but all of them still share the … Read More
For the Cummins Marine B & C series engines released in the late 80ās to early 90ās, the idler pulley arrangement had an unacceptable failure rate. The engineers updated the idler pully support arrangement and that basically solved the issue … Read More
What causes white smoke? What is white smoke? What can we do about white smoke? Why does white smoke seem to be more of a problem now than it was fifteen years ago? Why is it that most of the … Read More