Rebuild

[rgano]

Had one of my Lehman 120s rebuilt because a previous owner had taken a shortcut - I took him to court. If you are going to sell it, you might get lucky and pass a quick fix on to the next owner assuming you are a bit lacking in the moral character department. However, as it sounds like you might just be needing to depend on this engine there is only one choice in my very humble opinion and that is to completely rebuilt it or replace it. I am going through the same decision process with my generator. Even if I was selling the boat tomorrow, the genny will go back into the boat as new-in-the-box condition.

 

[PM]

While there are certain advantages to having an engine rebuilt in place It is almost always best to remove the engine.

At first glance it seems to be a daunting task but generally it is not that hard. The advantages of having it rebuilt in a shop environment certainly outweigh the difficulties encountered in removing the engine.

With a decent plan and decent equipment on hand (Two pretty big "ifs") I would be willing to bet that most engine removals can be done in less than 6 hours. Mine took less than four. I had an experienced fork lift driver on hand, the forklift was fitted with a ten foot "stinger" on the front.

pete

 

[rslifkin]

Depending on access for removal, there's also the option to tear the engine down in the boat (either in the engine room or after lifting it out) and then remove it from the boat in pieces. Access and lifting ability will determine how far to tear it down (to limit the weight of the heaviest pieces).

 

[jleonard]

While there are certain advantages to having an engine rebuilt in place It is almost always best to remove the engine.

At first glance it seems to be a daunting task but generally it is not that hard. The advantages of having it rebuilt in a shop environment certainly outweigh the difficulties encountered in removing the engine.

With a decent plan and decent equipment on hand (Two pretty big "ifs") I would be willing to bet that most engine removals can be done in less than 6 hours. Mine took less than four. I had an experienced fork lift driver on hand, the forklift was fitted with a ten foot "stinger" on the front.

pete

What Pete said.

 

[Comodave]

3208 are not sleeved so in place rebuild isn’t an option if you really want a rebuild. You can’t bore it in place I don’t think.

 

[alormaria]

True boatyards would not have a problem pulling an engine.

 

[gonesailing13]

Due to some family medical issues I’ve been unable to get to the boat for awhile. Had a real problem finding a mechanic who would even come out to look at it. Finally found someone to come out, Found that the fresh water pump was shot, some hoses needed to be replaced . Did a pressure test and it did hold pressure. Started it up and had a lot of white smoke and some oil on the water. Mechanic told me he could pull the head but not sure if that would turn up anything. Pretty much stumped at this point.

 

[rgano]

Well, that sounds promising. Thanks for the update.

 

[Cold Duck]

We rebuilt a 6000# MTU engine in the boat as to remove required removal of the top of the main cabin ( it had been done once before we got the boat). All we did was remove the 600# crank for rebuild and two rods that had overheated when a bearing failed. This required some real thought and engineering to jack up one end of the MTU and get the crank out to the dingy davit to transport on the whaler. Things can be done, sometimes you really have to think outside the box.

 

[mickand]

If your pressure test held, it may not be a blown head gasket.
On both occasions when my Lehman head gaskets failed, the coolant expansion tank filled and overflowed as the leaking compression pressurized the system.
You must have started the engine if you noticed white smoke and an oil sheen.
Did it sound normal with no metallic noises?
Before attempting to restart it, have you checked the oil to ensure no coolant is present there?
Both my Lehmans lay a sheen on the water every start, but it's normally just a bit of unburnt fuel.
As to the white smoke, it could be several things.
If the white smoke is not copious and after checking the oil for coolant, I would attempt a restart and if it sounds 'normal', let it run for a few minutes to further assess the white smoke and the 'oil' sheen.

 

[ronobrien]

If your pressure test held, it may not be a blown head gasket.
On both occasions when my Lehman head gaskets failed, the coolant expansion tank filled and overflowed as the leaking compression pressurized the system.
You must have started the engine if you noticed white smoke and an oil sheen.
Did it sound normal with no metallic noises?
Before attempting to restart it, have you checked the oil to ensure no coolant is present there?
Both my Lehmans lay a sheen on the water every start, but it's normally just a bit of unburnt fuel.
As to the white smoke, it could be several things.
If the white smoke is not copious and after checking the oil for coolant, I would attempt a restart and if it sounds 'normal', let it run for a few minutes to further assess the white smoke and the 'oil' sheen.

A thought might be to ensure that the engine is safe to run for a short while and start it, then use an IR thermal scope ($30+/- Home Depot) and take readings as close to the cylinder as possible. A cooler reading on one cylinder might help direct you to a problem cylinder.

 

[rslifkin]

A thought might be to ensure that the engine is safe to run for a short while and start it, then use an IR thermal scope ($30+/- Home Depot) and take readings as close to the cylinder as possible. A cooler reading on one cylinder might help direct you to a problem cylinder.

Agreed. IR gun to the exhaust manifold right near the cylinder head is a great way to narrow down a cylinder that's misfiring, especially if it's a slight miss and not a dead miss that might be otherwise obvious.