opinions re cat 3126 motors

[Toronto]

Friend is wondering how to check if CAT has issued any recall notices on this motor type.
Can he just inquire to CAT with the VIN numbers?
Any other ideas.
Trying to avoid future headaches.
Any help appreciated
Do these as Detroits require any special oil types?

Toronto

[Boatsb]

A good cat dealer will get you the engines history if available too.

[jim rosenthal]

They do require special oil- it's actually a Mobil product, I think, with some additives deleted. It's called Special Application Engine Oil, and comes in 30wt.

Caterpillar had a lot of problems with these engines- porous blocks, cracks in the blocks, etc. If I recall right, there were a batch of bad castings and the problems came from them. They had to replace a lot of engines. Their reputation suffered a great deal from these models, especially since their previous engines had really been very reliable. Cat took a major hit on these.

You COULD argue that this many years on, the problems with the 3126s, and also the 3176 and 3196 engines were so far in the past that all the bad ones have been replaced or have given up the ghost. I'm not sure. I would not buy a boat with any of those engines unless it was so cheap to buy that I could include the cost of a repower with the equivalent Cummins.

I would certainly get the world's meanest and most meticulous engine surveyor on the case if I were looking at a boat with any of those engines in it.

[Toronto]

Thank you so much for the help.
Now we know how to get started.
Its 20 years down the road, low hours,
wonder if Cat will help.
Toronto

[SeaEric]

I would certainly get the world's meanest and most meticulous engine surveyor on the case if I were looked at a boat with any of those engines in it.

That would be Tim Caruso from Stuart, FL. He is the Cat guru. http://www.catenginesurveyor.com/

[Toolsntoys]

I have a 2000 cruisers 4270 that has these engines. The previous owner stated that cat had replaced the engines a year or so after the boat was new. I have owned it for 9 years now and never had one mechanical issue with them. No smoke nothing not even a drip of oil. They run awesome.

[SKYCHENEY]

The serial numbers will tell if they are the French blocks. If they are not, then you are probably fine with them.

[rmatt]

Call your local Cat dealer. Give them the Serial number and arrangement number and the should be
able to tell you everything that has been done to the engines by a Cat dealer. The soft blocks mentioned earlier typically showed up under 300 hours.
Not all faps blocks were soft but alll the soft blocks were faps. There were some cylinder head issues with some engine but not across
the board. These engines are probably way out of warranty so I would expect no help from Cat.
Cll the Cat dealer and go from there.