Pulled two 4-53t's out and away from anything labeled "marine". Had a diesel farm tractor shop recommended to me and found parts thru a engine machine shop rather that thru Detroit. Took them to the shop during the winter when he was hungry and saved a bunch. Total for rebuild incl kits, injectors, rebuilt turbos (less heads and cranks, they were OK) was under $7k. So had I gone w/ the "professionals" @ $4k/hole I'd be kicking myself.
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Thread: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
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07-22-2010 07:26 PM #11
Re: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
Last edited by CDB101; 07-22-2010 at 07:29 PM.
Chad
1970 36C
Catawba Island, OH
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Re: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
I have overhauled my 6V53s twice over the years. The last time was was about 8 years ago. I recall that the parts about $5k per engine. I have no first hand information, but I have heard that some 8V53 parts like heads and exhaust manifolds are harder to come by than 6V53 parts. I bought new casting heads with rebuilt valves gear for under $900 each (with core) from DDC when I did my last overhaul. I don't know that new 8V53 heads are available at any price.
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07-23-2010 08:18 AM #13
Re: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
8V53's have no turbos and are simpler engines than most other detroits because of that. If the heads are good I have been told $5k from a shop a few years ago. I would be surprised if they could not be done today for less than 9 or 10K. Haul them over to a real diesel shop that does industrial and truck rebuilds and see what they say.
Scott
41C117 "Hattatude"
Port Canaveral Florida.
Marine Electronics and Electrical Products Distributor.
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Re: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
The 8v53 blowers are extremely hard to find. There is a bearing that has is no longer made. The replacement is close but I if I remember correctly it needs an oil hole drilled very carefully into it.
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07-26-2010 05:35 PM #15
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Re: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
We did ours about 3 years ago. Did them ourselves, you can find a shop to overhaul them very reasonable. There are still a lot of Detroit 2 stroke mechanics out there, parts are cheap, and they are old reliable technology. Find you a good diesel truck shop and they will do it in their sleep. If you want to go the marine route, look for a tug boat company in the area and go talk to their shop guy. He will give you some ideas. The 8v53's are good engines and should not cost an arm and a leg to overhaul. If you want take outs I know there were a couple on the craigslist San Antonio, TX a few weeks back. Also look in Boats & Harbors (classified newspaper) for takeouts or rebuilds.
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07-26-2010 05:47 PM #16
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Re: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
Here is a place for some harder to find parts:
http://www.dieselpro.com/8v53natural.aspx
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07-27-2010 11:31 AM #17
Senior Member
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Re: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
If you've read other discussions here on 'rebuilds', you'll find the cost estimates vary dramatically..because some just quote a cylinder kit overhaul...pistons,rings, maybe sleeves, maybe not, valves...others include rebuild of water pumps, replacement injectors, main bearings, blowers, heads, new hoses, and on and on.
If you run your engines 100 or so hours annually (typical recreational time where winter stops boating for part of the year) a thorough rebuild can often be postponed a LOOOOOOG time....so what if you have a little smoke underway....and when you do it, likely a cylinder kit overhaul (cheap) will be good for another 15 or 20 years....but if you run a thousand hours annualy,for example, once the engine is disassembled it probably makes sense to do a more complete "rebuild" because you do not want to have to pay for all the disassembly, reassembly and testing a year or two down the road....
When I bought my former 1972 48ft YF with 871TI's I had both engines disassembled and checked out in detail by the mechanics who did the survey...they found scored liners in the port engine, not previously diagnosed, so naturally I had the sleeves replaced and cylinder kit overhaul....both engines had all water hoses replaced, no tranny oil lines, and heat exchangers and intercoolers tested and acid cleaned...one intercooler (of four) had a tiny leak, it was replaced....that was $1,000 alone in 1999. Neither engine smoked exept at cold start so we decided not to touch the 16 injectors....after 11 years and around 1500 or 1600 hours, both engines were just fine....except for raw water pump rebuilds along the way....
Mose recreational users on this forum, myself included, spend far too much time worrying about rebuilding these old Detroits....and probably not enough time running their engines and enjoying their boats...Last edited by REBrueckner; 07-27-2010 at 11:40 AM.
Rob Brueckner
former 1972 48ft YF, 'Lazy Days'
Boating isn't a matter of life and death: it's more important than that.
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07-28-2010 11:08 AM #18
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Re: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
Amen
J Dickson
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07-28-2010 12:45 PM #19
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Re: Detroit Diesel Rebuild
Mine needed overhauling for sure.