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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Re: Cat 3208's on Ebay
Posted By: Jeff In Response To: Re: Cat 3208's on Ebay (Harry)
Date: Wednesday, 15 March 2006, at 7:05 a.m.
Hello Harry: According to Cat specs, the 3208N weighs 1800 pounds without gear. I had twin disc MG 506 gears which weighed 240 pounds each. If I had another 3208N installation to do in B 31, I'd go with 110 pound ZF gears to save weight, 260 pounds total saved. Access to the outboard and front of the engines was not too bad, though still much tighter than modern I-6 diesels, as I could lay in that outboard shelf to replace alternators and water pumps, as well as an oil cooler. It is vital to be able to lay in this shelf with the V-8 Cat installation to access the front of the engines, so plan accordingly when installing (I'm 5'8"/160 pounds). With these heavier diesel engines, I think some additional stringer beefing prior to installation is a very good idea. This naturally aspirated engine is very hardy indeed with less required maintenance as compared to smaller, lighter turbo and after-cooled engines, which, imaginary or not, gave me great peace of mind 60+ NM from home. I changed air filters after every 3 or 4 trips max and changed oil every 100 hours. One piece of advice I'd offer with any 3208 Cat engine is to keep those valves adjusted. I had 1 3/8" shafts and swung Nibral 19 x 19 wheels with light cup. A fully loaded cruise offshore with 4 men would be about 20-21 loran/GPS knots in the morning and 21-22 knots home (2650-2700). My boat was light, bimini+enclosure only, and I worked to keep her light and she topped at 23.5 knots (2850) or so. This engine/boat combination is VERY weight sensitive with regard to boat speed (And I liked faster) but the ride was much better and the natural Cats were indeed much more quiet vs. other TA installations. She is a VERY wet boat with all that weight sitting low in the water but the better ride vs. lighter B 31s was worth it for me. Others may disagree, but I think maintained Cats 3208N will likely rust out before wearing out in a B 31 pleasure installation. I hope I gave a good overview of this engine in B31, I really liked and enjoyed fishing it through the years. Modern technology has given us lighter and smaller diesels that fit very nicely in B 31s, and the older 3208N provides much for the owner not fixated totally on speed over the long haul. If I missed anything, please let me know. Best of luck to you in whatever direction you choose to go with your Bertram 31. Jeff
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