Engine Hours

Is it possible for a mechanic to tell how many engine hours are on an engine w/o an hour guage?

Re: Engine Hours

I bought a boat last year and wasnt able to tell the hours, because of nothing to refer to.

Re: Engine Hours

nope

I have bought my current boat in 1995 and really could not give a guess

Now in the last two years with my fancy GPS i can tell you everthing ,hours,miles,gallons of gas ,ect


Records of the matiance done would be far more inportant to me than numbers on a meter



Tommays

Re: Engine Hours

a compression check is a good way to check the amount of wear on an engin

Re: Engine Hours

Some engines have that capability, most do not. It's a pretty good guess that any 1995 would not.

Re: Engine Hours

So I would pretty much rely on the previous owners word considering the total hours then?

Re: Engine Hours

WanabeBoater said:

So I would pretty much rely on the previous owners word considering the total hours then?

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for hours, pretty much. for wear, no.

low hours aren't everything. there can be too low as in not used enough. there can be low hours but still torn up, like a rental.

a compression guage is a good thing to own.

Re: Engine Hours

I see in your profile you have a 5.7, but what year? What ignition system? EFI, or carbed?

Re: Engine Hours

my '02 yamaha 4-stroke outboard will tell hours, rpm, etc when connected to the proper gauge. you didn't state what engine you have.

Re: Engine Hours

An hour meter is so easy and inexpensive to install, I just don't understand why so many boats don't have them. As mentioned, most modern 4-strokes can be plugged into a computer and the hours will show up, but why not have that info on your dash all the time?

Re: Engine Hours

When I see a boat without an hour meter, I wonder what gauge took its place in the dash, especially a boat that should have had one.

I own many engines on my farm and every one has an hour meter. In my opinion, it is a necessity for maintenance.

The lack of an hour meter, on any engine, has always been a mystery to me.

Grits

Re: Engine Hours

Motor one has good even compression all the way around and runs well. Motor two idles roughly and the compression varies 15 psi between cylinders. Which motor has fewer hours?

Engine hours and rpm data verified via the on-board computer are useful tools but the hour meters are a useless indication of condition or usage. Most hour meters are hooked up to the ignition so someone leaving the key on over night will add hours to the meter which doesn?t exist.

Re: Engine Hours

Dingbat is on target. Hour meters will run when the engine is not running. Hour meters cannot tell you anything about abuse or let you know if the engine has gotten hot; however, it will tell you if the engine has very high use. As I mentioned above, I think a lot of hour meters with high hours are in the trash can.

Grits

Re: Engine Hours

If the engine has a crankcase, having the oil analyzed can tell you a lot. We have it done periodically on diesels.

Grits

Re: Engine Hours

Grits said:

If the engine has a crankcase, having the oil analyzed can tell you a lot. We have it done periodically on diesels.

Grits

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I've always wanted to do that? How is it done and where is a good place to send it too?

Re: Engine Hours

You can look up Blackstone Labs. Most people will overestimate their hours if they don't have a meter. I have always had hour meters on my boats and I suprise myself with how few hours I put on my boats each year. And I use my boats a lot. On my skiboat, my hour meter will not run unless it sees 300 rpm on the tach.

Re: Engine Hours

As far as oil analysis, we have it done thought some of our dealers. Our big trucks are done by MHC Leasing from whom they are leased.

Do a search on the web and I am sure you will find someone in your area. It is very common for big diesels.

As far as hour meters go, some will not run at idle or they will slow down. Others will go full bore.

I agree with overestimating the hours put on boats. I has just started fooling with power boats but I find it is true on ATV's. I also find the same thing on the portable forklifts we use.

If you all are wondering why I deal with all this stuff, I am a farmer. I raise turf and rice.

Back to oil analysis, If I were buying a boat with an inboard or a four stroke outboard, I think I would have it done. It is not expensive and can tell you whole lot. Combine analysing the oil and a compression test would eliminate a lot if future problems. If they both checked out good, you most likely have a pretty good motor. Crank case oil analysis would be the first thing I would do if the boat had a diesel(s). They can spend a whole lot of money in a big hurry.

I never though about it but you could probably have the oil in the lower unit analysed for an excessive amount of metal and/or moisture. It sure would be worth talking to someone about because I bet they could detect corrosion. I will see what I can find out next week. I have several sources of information.

Sorry my post is long and rambling. It has been a very long day.

Good Luck,

Grits

Re: Engine Hours

Oil analysis is commonly is done on large diesels with every oil change. To the best of my knowledge, most all large trucking companies have that practice. I would think the larger and more expensive the engine, the more common it is. To the best of my recollection, the cost is less than twenty bucks.

Grits

Re: Engine Hours

I agree with compression testing and oil analysis and I agree that hour meters are only an indication to how long the motor may have been running, weather hard or cruising. But with all the gadgets and misc things added here and there on the boat, why not add one more necessity regardless of the contridiction...It makes the owner and new owner (if used) feel more comfortable when performing maintenance or purchasing a boat.

Re: Engine Hours

I am with you about an hour meter. We have them on everything. It is a must for maintenance. It also gives everyone a piece of mine. In my opinion, most people are honest. I do think when one breaks, most people ignore it. There are many boat owners that are not that mechanically inclined. Could you imagine owning an airplane without an hour meter?

I even put an hour meter on my air compressor in my shop. Not my farm shop but mine that I do fun stuff in. As mentioned above, it does not run near as much as one would think. I would think that I would put at least one hundred hours a year on my compressor. In reality, it is less than half that. I like gadgets and that and an hour meter is one I like.

Grits




Grits