Similar levels of wear can be assumed in this example. A gasoline-powered motor might last around 1200-1800 hours before needing a lot of work and a diesel engine might last 5000 hours before needing a lot of work.
Engine oil-life monitors that track engine hours rather than mileage take into account idling time rpm and other factors that aren.
How many hours will a boat engine last. An engines weight and horsepower can impact the performance and the longevity of your motor. How Long Do Boat Motors Last. Boat motors typically last at least 2000-3000 hours before they need serious maintenance.
Inboard motors will sometimes last longer because they are more protected from wear and tear. The Life Expectancy of the Marine Engine The average marine gasoline engine runs for 1500 hours before needing a major overhaul. The average marine diesel engine will run for more than three times that long and log an average 5000 hours under the same conditions.
Most marine engine manufacturers recommend an oil change every 50 engine hours. Our 1000 hour boat serviced every 50 hours would have had the same 20 oil changes. Similar levels of wear can be assumed in this example.
Some newer vehicles have an engine hour meter. Here is a picture of the hour meter on one of our shop trucks. The use of the engine and the location.
For boats that live in Florida and get used regularly we would say that the average number of hours for a boat will be around 2000 hours. That is just the average number of hours that are going to be on a 5-10-year-old engine that has been used regularly throughout the years. A gasoline-powered motor might last around 1200-1800 hours before needing a lot of work and a diesel engine might last 5000 hours before needing a lot of work.
This might not seem like many hours but many boat owners might only run their boats for 50 hours a year. But I do know a few tricks that the average boater can use to make his enginesbe they gasoline or diesellast for a very long time. Maybe even as long as the boat itself.
This 1987 135-bhp Ford Lehman SP135 diesel has approximately 3671 engine hours on her and yet she still purrs like a kitten thanks to lots of TLC. If it is now or ever has been seriously overpropped deduct 1500 to 2000 hours from that realistic 3000 hours bondo mentioned. Its has always been the OEM Bravo III props since purchased new.
The main limiting factor regarding high hours is. How many hours is the engine realistically good for. Much like high performance cars some boat engines are not designed to last forever.
If a boat is 10-15 years old 200-300 hours is most likely not enough. Mercs are not heavily built when compared to Crusader engines which if well maintained can go for 15-20 years. Small plane engines must be rebuilt in the range of 1200-1600 hours depending on make and they are usually well maintained.
You can do a test diagnostic and find out some data or even pull a head. How many hours should a marine diesel engine last. The average marine gasoline engine runs for 1500 hours before needing a major overhaul.
The average marine diesel engine will run for more than three times that long and log an average 5000 hours under the same conditions. On average an outboard motor will run about 1500 hours or 7 to 8 years. Each outboard motor will be different but if you keep up maintenance and take care of the motor it can last much longer.
Depending on our needs as anglers different outboards will be better for us. If a boat is four years old then about 200 hours would be about normal. If its five years old 250 is about right and so forth.
Rindas TechMate diagnostic tool can help with determining engine hours on a used boat with electronic fuel. Like the truck a boat with 745 engine hours has many years of optimal running performance left. In fact its just past getting broken in.
There are a few things to consider when looking at boat hours. Unless you are looking at a really high hour boat 2000 hours there are typically very few drawbacks to the number of hours a boat has. When that is compared to a lorry or van engine they will do 8356 hours in 4 to 5 years.
The older diesel engines are relatively simple engines and easy to fix to compared to modern ones with turbos and electronics both which are prone to fail. Most people say average engine life of a 350 57 class engine in a tow boat is between 2000-2500 hours. 700 hours on a 10-15 year old boat that is well kept is no big deal.
They will accept much more abuse and often deliver if well maintained 8000 hours of hard work before need a major overhaul. Theoretically a well-maintained diesel may last the life of your boat. Since the average recreational boater logs only about 200 hours per year the 8000 hour diesel would last 40 years.
This leaves us with a 10 gallon reserve or an additional 12 hour of running is. So we take the range and deduct 10 or 10 miles and the fishing range for this boat is about 80 miles with 2-3 hours of trolling time. Now not too many people take their 24 boat out 80 miles but lets say you that wanted to go to the 371 or about 40 miles offshore.
1200 hours is probably an acceptable lifetime for any 4-stroke inboard boat engine. Even if Yamahas have a shorter lifespan than other engines which they dont Im sure there is far less other crap to worry about than any IO out there. Multiply the amount of hours on your engine by 60.
Use the number you come up with to estimate how many miles are on your engine. For example 1235 hours on an engine equates to approximately 74100 miles. Engine oil-life monitors that track engine hours rather than mileage take into account idling time rpm and other factors that aren.
Inspect the engine for an installed hour meter. The meter can usually be found above the engine or somewhere around the steering area of the boat. The numbers on the meter show how many hours the engine has been in use.
If there is no hour meter one should be installed by a marine mechanic. An engine block that has been heated-cooled heated-cooled heated-cooled sucesfully many times Like a old MOPAR Big-Block in a metro PD carThats a seasoned block made for great builders. It wasnt the total miles that made them sought-after builders it was the seasoning of the block lent to more stability as it had more cycles.
In this video we address the misconception of engine hours on a used inboard towboatFor a more in-depth reading of comparing boat hours to miles on a car.