How many original Cummins/Mercruisers still running?

NorthernFocus

NorthernFocus

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 29, 2014
Messages
1,349
Location
Alaska
Website
www.northernfocusphotography.com
Fluid Motion Model
R-25 Classic
Hull Identification Number
FMLT25910808
Vessel Name
Divine Focus
We're still running the original 2008/9 CMD 150 supplied with the boat. I was wondering how others have faired with these engines. We're at about 2700 hrs on this one. Most of the wear and tear on ours occurred in the first 400 hrs before we bought it in late 2014. Since then it's been operated 90+ percent of the time at "hull speed" with a couple hours of "cruising rpm" run to the dock at end of each trip. The engine has been pretty darn reliable once we figured out the infamous difficult starting issues in our first season with the boat. We're trying to decide whether we preemptively repower or push the envelope. Would like to hear about any other high hour engines out there and/or repowers.
 
NorthernFocus said:
We're still running the original 2008/9 CMD 150 supplied with the boat. I was wondering how others have faired with these engines. We're at about 2700 hrs on this one. Most of the wear and tear on ours occurred in the first 400 hrs before we bought it in late 2014. Since then it's been operated 90+ percent of the time at "hull speed" with a couple hours of "cruising rpm" run to the dock at end of each trip. The engine has been pretty darn reliable once we figured out the infamous difficult starting issues in our first season with the boat. We're trying to decide whether we preemptively repower or push the envelope. Would like to hear about any other high hour engines out there and/or repowers.
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We bought our 2009 25-classic with a new Cummins 150 recently installed by previous owner. The original Cummins 130 was running fine but had 4000 hours on it, many of those were trolling speed. PO replaced it preemptively.
 
bartmac said:
We bought our 2009 25-classic with a new Cummins 150 recently installed by previous owner. The original Cummins 130 was running fine but had 4000 hours on it, many of those were trolling speed. PO replaced it preemptively.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that feedback. Maybe we're jumping the gun worrying about this one. Did the PO install a new or re-conditioned 150? How many hours do you have on it?
 
NorthernFocus said:
We're still running the original 2008/9 CMD 150 supplied with the boat. I was wondering how others have faired with these engines. We're at about 2700 hrs on this one. Most of the wear and tear on ours occurred in the first 400 hrs before we bought it in late 2014. Since then it's been operated 90+ percent of the time at "hull speed" with a couple hours of "cruising rpm" run to the dock at end of each trip. The engine has been pretty darn reliable once we figured out the infamous difficult starting issues in our first season with the boat. We're trying to decide whether we preemptively repower or push the envelope. Would like to hear about any other high hour engines out there and/or repowers.
Click to expand...
Our 2008 R25 had a 150hp from factory , that was replaced by pervious owner with a 130hp , that after a few years of neglect by the second owner failed shortly after I purchased it, lucky me … and I replaced with a betamarine. I suspect the boat had 1500 - 2000 hours on original engine and then less than 200 on second but it was junk with failing seals and blow by when I pulled it.
 
Seakr25 said:
Our 2008 R25 had a 150hp from factory , that was replaced by pervious owner with a 130hp , that after a few years of neglect by the second owner failed shortly after I purchased it, lucky me … and I replaced with a betamarine. I suspect the boat had 1500 - 2000 hours on original engine and then less than 200 on second but it was junk with failing seals and blow by when I pulled it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback. I'm convinced that the biggest problem with most of these small diesel marine conversions is that people don't understand(or bother to read the manual) that these engines are designed/intended to be operated continuously at no more than 80 percent of full hp. An engine with so few hours and suffering what you describe was likely not broken in properly and/or operated continuously at WOT.
 
NorthernFocus said:
Thanks for that feedback. Maybe we're jumping the gun worrying about this one. Did the PO install a new or re-conditioned 150? How many hours do you have on it?
Click to expand...
The PO installed a new 150 in mid-2021. He's used to running heavy equipment and felt that having the engine running slow for so many hours was bad and that he could foresee problems that hadn't happened yet...just as bad as running too fast. Since buying this 2009 R-25 in late 2021 we've been busy doing other stuff and have only put about 300 hrs on the 150 so total less than 400. Just came back from a 2-week trip, no issues, and we hope it'll be that way for many, many more hours.
 
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