Fuel consumption of twin 3208 Caterpillar engines

[theboatman]

Hello everyone... I am planning on purchasing a 36 ft series II convertible Hatteras from 1985 and it has twin 3208 Caterpillar engines and I'm wondering what is their fuel consumption.

Are they good for trawling??? for fishing?? lets say 7 knots??

Help is appreciated

Alex

 

[captainwjm]

I had a 46 Jefferson w/ 3208s - loved the 3208s; would expect that you'd be very happy with them at a slow cruise. You didn't say what HP they were, but assuming that they are in the mid range and that your boat was similiar in weight to mine, a hull speed cruise would be 2-3 mpg.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Did you get my E-mail response to your questions about the late model 36' convertable?

 

[REBrueckner]

Naturals or turbos??

If you search the forums here, I think you'll find some skeptical posts about the longevity of the 375 HP turbo model....

 

[captddis]

Naturals or turbos??

If you search the forums here, I think you'll find some skeptical posts about the longevity of the 375 HP turbo model....

You mean because they only last 5,000 hours?

 

[Boatsb]

You mean because they only last 5,000 hours?

No Because the yellow paint is so expensive. Come one Dave no one here would trash a motor they have no actual experience with.

Oh yeah I forgot they don't make them anymore either so they must be ..........


Most of the people I know that have them have operator induced issues if they have any.

Now when I owned my 1845 53 foot carbon fiber sailing hydroplane we had these special motors that no one here would be able to understand but they were better than your favorites because I know better.

 

[jim rosenthal]

One of our forum members (ex-Hatteras owner) has a 42 Duffy he uses for dive charters in Hatteras and it has a pair of 375hp 3208s. I think they have been fine on reliability. My guess is that he is burning about 1.25 gals/nm at cruise, about 17 knots or a little better. But this is a heavier boat than a 36 series II Hatteras, and he frequently has a full load of six divers and their tanks etc. If he sees this, he might shed some light on your question.

 

[wmassey9]

Lots of experience with 3208 Cats. Three different boats. 45 Californian, 53 Defever POC, and now 40 Hatt MY. Some DD along the way with a 46 Bertram and 43 Hatt. As opposed to most, greatly prefer the Cats. My current Cats (3208 turbocharged - 375 HP) are great. With fuel prices, I slowed down a few years ago. Currently @ 1100 rpm my fuel consumption is 5.5 gal/hr at 9.7 mph, clean bottom. This power setting was also the same for the other boats as well. Fuel (tankered 1100 gal with the Defever) could make a difference with the speed, but not the fuel consumption. 2200 rpm power usually ran about 22-23 gal/hr. This was the lowest rpm setting to keep on plain. good luck.

 

[theboatman]

Thank you all very much for the help.

 

[REBrueckner]

I have no personal knowledge of cat turbo engine....just great reports from natural owners.

I could not find the thread where 375HP were previously discussed...I think it might have been several years ago.....

but this might be of interest to theboatman regardings parts sources:

http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1821&highlight=caterpillar

 

[Boatsb]

Not that we do too much with cats but while I was working on the electronics for the dive boat we pulled the engine and replaced the oil pan and a few other parts on an early 1980's cat 3208 T with about 3k hours and had no issues with getting parts. Before that we did a few fuel pumps on other 3208's as they were plugged because of the fuel degradation with the ULDS. again no issues. I see no reason to shy away from one of the most successful engines of it's type.

 

[REBrueckner]

Scott's post reminded me: Cats are VERY popular on commercial lobster boats in Maine...THAT"S a big recommendation....but most I saw were bigger engines, higher HP......

 

[Blaine Thorpe]

If it is a 375, this is what it is supposed to do on the prop demand curve.

RPM HP GPH
2,800 375 21.1
2,700 337 18.4
2,600 301 16.0
2,500 267 13.9
2,400 236 12.1
2,300 208 10.6
2,200 182 9.3
2,100 158 8.1
2,000 137 7.0
1,900 117 6.1
1,800 100 5.3
1,700 84 4.5
1,600 70 3.8
1,500 58 3.2

Blaine

 

[Akyla]

Greetings All,

Jim is right that I have switched hulls and now am running a 42 Duffy with a very unusual arrangement of twin 3208's. Most of the 42 Duffy hulls have a bigger single, but this one was built with twins.

Into the 3rd season with this boat and I am now again found of the Cat power after my previous experience with the 3126 series. The 3208 at 375 is very reliable and the ones I have are smooth runners that have given me very little grief. Only minor isues with some injector line leaks and some oil weeping at a few seals - all easy fixes. They start easy and run strong.

This boat is a downeast lobster hull that is beamy with a full deep forefoot and good sized keel, but fairly flat aft and she never leaves the dock light as I am going with ten divers and all the gear. The cats cruise it loaded at 18kts easy and give me a total fuel burn of 1.25 per mile at speed and can hit 26 flat out, again loaded heavy.

They are an old technology engine (tier 1) that are a bit smoky compaired to anything new is the only drawback. Parts are easy to get and a rebuild will not be a fortune when the time comes. Any good diesel wrench can figure them out and work on them - no computers needed is the up side.

It may be tight in the engine room of a 36 due to the v-8 layout, but probably workable and most everything you need to get to is on top of these engines anyway. If the overall boat is what you like, I would not let the 3208s worry me much as long as they are in good shape.