Sailors don't tend to be gear heads like most motor boaters, that's why we are sailors. But if we are going to go anywhere far in our sailboats we will need a smooth and reliable diesel engine to fill in all the gaps between breezes. That means we also need to be diesel mechanics of some sort. Those who are talented in the engine room will know already we what we'll be saying here. Those who are not may want to pay a bit of attention... a new diesel will run $8,000 to $12,000 if you have to replace the old, neglected one.
Very few things go wrong with modern diesels – usually problems crop up in the fuel supply or the cooling loops. But the long term health of the engine all depends upon the crankcase lubricating system and the oil you run through it. Engine manufacturers will recommend a class and weight of oil for their engines-- usually 30 weight. We like Rotella from Shell and suggest, strongly, that you do not mix grades or brands except in an emergency. Synthetic oils like Mobil One have had good long term results and if well filtered through clean oil filters, will give hundreds of hours of life. No matter what oil you use, if you overheat the engine because of a cooling problem, you will need to change the oil right away.
Every 100 hours... that's what most mechanics and engine manufacturers recommend for the time interval between oil and filter changes. If you do not have a hand pump installed to pump out the old oil, you will want to look into installing one because it makes oil changes much easier and much cleaner and therefore will make it more likely that you will in fact change the oil and filter on schedule.
Every 1,000 hours, you will want to have your oil analyzed for stray chemicals or metal filings both of which will give you a good idea of how the engine is running and where it may be experiencing excessive wear.
Look after your engine by using a top-grade oil, changing that oil every 100 hours and keeping an eye on the oil's chemistry and your engine will look after you for thousands of hours of operation.
Very few things go wrong with modern diesels – usually problems crop up in the fuel supply or the cooling loops. But the long term health of the engine all depends upon the crankcase lubricating system and the oil you run through it. Engine manufacturers will recommend a class and weight of oil for their engines-- usually 30 weight. We like Rotella from Shell and suggest, strongly, that you do not mix grades or brands except in an emergency. Synthetic oils like Mobil One have had good long term results and if well filtered through clean oil filters, will give hundreds of hours of life. No matter what oil you use, if you overheat the engine because of a cooling problem, you will need to change the oil right away.
Every 100 hours... that's what most mechanics and engine manufacturers recommend for the time interval between oil and filter changes. If you do not have a hand pump installed to pump out the old oil, you will want to look into installing one because it makes oil changes much easier and much cleaner and therefore will make it more likely that you will in fact change the oil and filter on schedule.
Every 1,000 hours, you will want to have your oil analyzed for stray chemicals or metal filings both of which will give you a good idea of how the engine is running and where it may be experiencing excessive wear.
Look after your engine by using a top-grade oil, changing that oil every 100 hours and keeping an eye on the oil's chemistry and your engine will look after you for thousands of hours of operation.
