recommended maintenance for an inboard boat

#RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE FOR AN INBOARD BOAT FULL#

Giving an exact dollar cost for a specific rebuild in a general article is nearly impossible, given the wide variety of engines installed in boats and the range of age and conditions. Buying an identical re-manufactured engine and moving everything from the old engine onto the long block is another cost saving alternative to a new engine. Re-manufactured engines are often sold as 'long blocks' or 'short blocks' with any the external parts like pumps and starters that are added on to new engines. In most cases, re-manufacturing of engines is for re-sale, not by a boat owner to restore the engine. A re-manufactured engine is restored fully to the original equipment condition, as it was when new.

#RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE FOR AN INBOARD BOAT FULL#

Re-manufacturing an engine is like a full rebuild, but even more extensive. The downside is that you leave aged components on the engine, and you may end up passing a problem along that shows up more quickly after the rebuild when an old part breaks. So if a starter or pump is working fine, you can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars by not replacing them. A full rebuild gives you the best assurance of trouble-free operation after the rebuild.Ī partial rebuild is a cost saving measure you can take, where only those parts which are obviously worn or failing are replaced. This can be expensive, but engine manufacturers usually sell rebuild kits with all needed parts bundled at considerable savings, so replacing everything that comes in the kit is more cost effective. When doing a full rebuild all replaceable parts are replaced with new ones, ensuring that everything on the engine is new and there won’t be failures from pumps or mechanical parts which did't get replaced. This is only a partial list - the final list of what work is needed depends on the age and condition of the engine. turning the crankshaft to fix worn or damaged spots. Machining out of tolerance parts, e.g.Replacing pumps, starters, and other add-on components.Things done during a rebuild may include: Tolerances are checked on every aspect of the engine and the engine is brought back into specification and reassembled. In most cases, the engine is removed from the boat and brought into a shop and completely disassembled. Rebuilding an engine is restoring it to near new condition. This is usually because parts of the engine have worn outside the tolerances they had when it was built. Even if it starts and runs, it may smoke, use lots of fuel or oil, stall, or cannot reach full power. Valve stems bend, gaskets degrade and break, pistons wear, piston rings bend, break or wear, and countless other parts in the engine degrade.Įventually, you get an engine which isn't working like it did when it was new. Wear spots on the inside of piston cylinders let the engine exhaust escape and lose compression in the piston. The second thing that happens is that the integral parts of the engine itself get worn, scored, weakened, or deformed. Often fixing a problem like a failed starter is just repairing one part of the engine which has broken, but as an engine ages, every added on component gradually wears out, as does every surface where moving metal touches metal. They leak air or water or start working poorly as their condition degrades. As an engine ages, two things happen.įirst, many of the added on parts - the pumps, starters, alternators, heat exchangers, and so on - these parts wear out. Over 100 hours of operation between oil changes, every piston ring will rub against its cylinder millions of times.Īll that motion, heat, rubbing and vibration causes wear and aging on an engine. That's almost seventeen little explosions every second and 60,000 every hour. Each piston on a four-cycle engine running at 2,000 RPM moves up and down once per rotation, and fires 1,000 times per minute. Your engine takes a LOT of wear and tear over the course of its life. The precision engineering needed to keep two pieces of metal moving at high speed and separated only by a thin film of oil from tearing each other apart can not be overstated. They machine every single part of the engine to a fine tolerance so metal parts mate without damage, pistons seal in exhaust gases, and precise amounts of fuel and air arrive in the cylinder at exactly the right moment for combustion. Your engine is an assemblage of parts built around an engine block. But is it always the best solution, and what are the actual costs? What is 'Rebuilding' an Engine? So rebuilding your engine can save you money versus replacing it with a new engine.

Recommended maintenance for an inboard boat