How do you select an engine

Tier 1 to 4

Once you select your engine it must come up to emmission regulations. John Deere engines which are popular with boat designers are available in tier 1 to 4 depending on version. Which tier applies. Perhaps a tier 4 is a 45 year old out of production model which would have spares made for it but can't be manufactured and fitted to a new boat because it does not come up to modern emmission standards.

 

You have whatever options are available to you depending on local regulations.
Full electronic models seem to meet tier more easily but are not popular here with fishermen, a few Cummins electronics boxes have fried and left them dead in the water footing a large bill for a replacement. An electronically controlled engine makes them nervous operating close to a hostile lee shore.

Manufacturers could give some redundancy there with an easily swapped cheap control module.

Within the fully mechanical engines the Teir level changes depending on which turbo option is fitted. With the JD engines there are 3, from memory.

 

Getting back to the original post. the reason the same motors were rated at different Hp and rpm is related to how much fuel they will burn and that has to do with the chip that contols the fuel pump. one gal/hr fuel burn =20hp. Now that the modern motors are controled by electronics not mechanical the same motor with different control chips can be set for different hp and rpm ratings and most new motors are offered that way. If you buy the highest rated of the three you can do the same thing with the throttle. More fuel more Hp. Now you know engine life is measure in fuel burn not Hrs-repeat not hours of use, so if you use less of the engines hp and burn less fuel doing so the motor will last longer. So if you want a generator that will run full time all day a M1 ratting you get a big motor (voume) and run it with a low fuel burn so that it will last same for a commercial boat application with wide open throttle most of the day.

 

My fireman son in law explained to me engines could be chipped to suit different ambient conditions for different countries. when I showed him engine specs he said he thought they would be chipped to produce the graphed results. thanks for the confirmation. Unless you are operating a commercial boat insured for passengers I expect most customers would go for the full power version

I suspect that fishermen and everyone else will eventually have to put up with electronically controlled and turbocharged engines. I must say

1 Properly designed and fitted electronic controls are very very reliable.
2. Early jet engines (centrifugal flow types) having been around since 1945ish. They were bases on aircraft turbo chargers which were around in the late 1930's. Therefore there is little to be feared from a turbocharged engine which is a proven reliable technology.

 

Chips !!These day they control everything !!!

Yip we in the age of chips controll just about everything . Most all car engines are derated a percentage to keep a few horses in reserve . just about everything you look at these days has a magic box to tell the motor what i can do and when and how .
example . we had a 36 foot boat in our workshop with twin stern drives and after all the seals and units were services and we back in the water it was struggling to get on the plan after trying everything the volvo agent was called and after plugging in his lap top found the specs had been changed during the time we had it in our shop . one of the smart *** service young guys had played with it . so reset to better than new and un plugged the lap top and away it went better than before . The magic box controls everything ,its just like your heart !!
so if your car need a little more get up and go get the chip reset and get a new lease of life .

 

Engine Tier Levels are related to emissions. I have just purchased a pair of John Deere 6068's in USA. They were the last of the Tier 2 available. From 1 Jan you have to buy Tier 3 in USA.

I wish I had been doing the re-power in Australia. I could have fitted Tier 1's, as there aren't the emission regs. to comply with at present. The Tier 1's have mechanical injectors. The Tier 2's have some electronics and are a bit more expensive. The Tier 3's are high pressure common rail, fully electronic, four valves per cylinder and are a lot more money.

 

Is it true that the electronic injectors must be service every 100 hours ? or is this only for high output engines.

 

you've missed a zero or 2

 

Opps...that was supposed to be 1000 hours

 

We knew that!!!

 

For folks with cash flow problems some times it pays to find out who actually made the engine , and either go keel cooled dry stack, or simply marinize it your self.

A rattle can of the right color can make it a Deere, or ?????