MTU 8v331 diesel engine

[Byresch]

I was asked a question about a company I know nothing about, MTU diesel engines. It was about a specific engine their 8V331. If anyone on here knows anything about these I'll pass it along to Paul. I have never even been on a boat with MTU engines.

 

[Fish Tales]

I have MTU 8v396 in my 65c. I love the motors. 4 stroke. Have not had an issue finding a good mechanic. However, parts are usually 3-4 weeks out. From Germany.

Tim
Fishtales
65c

 

[Pascal]

I was asked a question about a company I know nothing about, MTU diesel engines. It was about a specific engine their 8V331. If anyone on here knows anything about these I'll pass it along to Paul. I have never even been on a boat with MTU engines.

MTU bought Detroit Diesel marine division in the late 90s I believe. Their engines are used in thousands of boats including very large yachts. Good stuff. A neighbor of mine I’m had a Carver Marquis 59 that I ran a few times.

 

[Fanfare]

A Viking sportfish was in front of us in Key West having its regular 1,000 hour check. Two mechanics were working on it over several weeks (corona virus shut-down may have affected scheduling?). I saw four turbochargers r and r for checking, at least one head, lots of other stuff I didn't pay much attention to. Dock talk was that this had to be done every 1,000 hrs. to maintain the warrantee. Required to use only MTU fluids, filters, parts. If you ever missed one service the entire boat would become unsaleable for lack of this maintenance because no one would purchase it. Cost was said to be over $10,000 per engine. I don't know if there were underlying problems included in this but it had been out fishing when we first arrived.

It did make me think about my now 25 year old 6V-92TA Detroits. Other than annual oil changes and one leaking fuel/transmission cooler failure (replaced both) I have only had one engine have a tune-up in all that time. Something to be said for the old iron!

 

[jim rosenthal]

Jim, were those MANs or MTUs? That sounds like the maintenance schedule for MAN diesels, and quite a few Viking yachts were equipped with MAN engines. I recall hearing years back that when boats were selling poorly right after 2008, MAN were extending credit to Viking Yachts, some of it in the form of engines for which they could pay later.

Those engines have a reputation for being needy and expensive on service. I have not heard the same about MTUs, but if I needed engines that size, they would be Caterpillar or Cummins.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

What Jim R. said. Sounds like MANs. I was close on a 50 Post before I bought Aslan. 1,000 hour checks were due and quoted at $10K per side. Owner wouldn't budge and neither would I.

 

[Fanfare]

I take it back--I think they were probably MANs. I should have paid more attention but the mere thought of such expensive servicing gave me the creeps!

 

[Pascal]

Sounds like MANs ...

 

[Cricket]

MAN Engines didn't help Viking way back when, it was Deutche Bank that moved in with construction and dealer floor plan financing to help German industry. There was also a VERY loyal group of Viking owners who made sure Viking kept going.