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      12-12-2012, 10:33 AM   #29
BMRLVR
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Drives: 2011 E90 M3,1994 Euro E36 M3/4
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

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Quote:
Originally Posted by crabman View Post
Yeah, throttle response isn't an issue with wheel boats because you're turning a wheel which slips and when boat handling you are always dialing in throttle or switching into reverse/forward well in advance of the boat doing either. The quicker power ramp is huge with tugs though. In fishing boats where boat handling isn't your business and serves only to get lines on/off the dock this isn't an advantage that would ever outweigh efficiency and these found their way there due to their ability to adapt to a low speed shaft/CP setup.

We're all kind of curious to see what kind of packs we'll be getting from Cat. The GE packs tended to be pretty reliable and the price was right. Hopefully that will continue going forward. BTW the price of fuel has now reached a point where repowering has reached payoff for us and EMD is looking to get their new electronic motors out on the water. We may be moving to one of these depending on what incentives they are willing to put up on the table. For us a huge factor is only NC has a presence in Dutch Harbor and throughout Alaska have more support available to throw at an engine than anyone else. Not a small consideration when every day by the dock represents 50k lost dollars and you're down waiting for someone like you to fly in.

Throttle response is definitely not a great concern in fishing boats, but is definitely of the utmost importance in a tug!!!

If I were you, I'd look to see what the cost and dealer support would be like if you repowered your boat with an MTU engine. In my experience the MTU's make the most hours between rebuilds and are the easiest to repair. They have a basically bulletproof fuel system that has been proven for 15 years now and was high pressure common rail years before anyone else even knew what high pressure common rail was! Also, MTU has a good dealer network through North America since MTU and Detroit Diesel has been the same company since 2000.

Cat engines are the worst my company has when it comes to making their benchmark hours. The 3500 series engines that power our trucks require rebuild at 9000 hours on average (compared to 20,000+ from MTU and Cummins), and along with that, they are much more difficult to repair and Cat parts are BIG DOLLARS$$$$. Cat does have a new engine called the C175 but it too is having some teething problems with it's fuel system however if you keep your fuel system clean and buy fuel from a reputable distributor it seems to be ok. The best thing about the C175 is that in our testing of it, it makes big power and torque! Cat also owns MAK which makes large displacement marine engines but I have no exposure to them and can't comment on their reliability or ease of maintenance.

Cummins is another option for you, for us they are very good, regularly making their benchmark hours, however compared to the MTU's they are not as easy to work on and don't stand up quite as well. Cummins does have a very good dealer support network though!!!

Best of luck finding the right engine to re-power your boat. Please keep in touch and let me know how you make out when you take the plunge, also I will help any way I can with technical stuff!

P.S.: Being as I am originally from Newfoundland and that many of my family members were fisherman, I have a soft spot in my heart for fisherman and the sea! The fishing industry is where both sides of my family came from and I am proud of my heritage!!!
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2011 E90 M3 ZCP - Individual Moonstone/Individual Amarone Extended/Individual Piano Black With Inlay:LINK!!!
1994 Euro E36 M3 Sedan - Daytona Violet/Mulberry:LINK!!!

Last edited by BMRLVR; 12-12-2012 at 10:59 AM..
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