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  1. #1

    3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    Howdy all... just took our 'new to us' 63' Hatteras MY home from Long Island to Boston. After about 24 hours of travel at about 10-11 kts, we boosted the speed to 15 kts (wow). Well, shortly after (minutes) I looked out the back & saw white smoke and went aft - it was VERY oily smelling.

    We shut down the engine & checked the lube oil dipstick - almost empty. Once the engine cooled down we checked the coolant & it was ok/normal, not empty, not frothy, and the lube oil was also ok/normal, not frothy.

    Had a engine tech down & the turbo was seized.... took the turbo off and clank clank... metal bits inside... not just bits - parts of 3 valves!broken valves.jpg so obviously we're stuck for a while... best case, we hope we can pull the head (1 of 4) & check the cylinder for damage, piston & piston shaft.

    my real question - how/why would a valve break apart and HOW would it get through the valve hole/opening & end up in the turbo?!

    Sad in Boston...

  2. Re: 3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    Do you know if the the new to you engines had been tuned up within the past year? If not, after the head and turbo (at the minimum) are replaced, be sure to have the rest of the valves and injectors adjusted. Excess clearance will cause such a failure. So will being over-propped, causing excessively high exhaust temperatures at what should be cruising RPM..
    The pieces of the valve head will have no trouble working themselves out either through the now unobstructed exhaust port or through the piston crown - or both. If the valve keepers release, the valve stem can drop down into the cylinder too. They will trash the turbo and piston instantly, in the blink of an eye.
    Last edited by kelpy; 07-19-2019 at 09:40 PM.

  3. #3

    Re: 3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    Quote Originally Posted by WalterHope View Post
    Howdy all... just took our 'new to us' 63' Hatteras MY home from Long Island to Boston. After about 24 hours of travel at about 10-11 kts, we boosted the speed to 15 kts (wow). Well, shortly after (minutes) I looked out the back & saw white smoke and went aft - it was VERY oily smelling.

    We shut down the engine & checked the lube oil dipstick - almost empty. Once the engine cooled down we checked the coolant & it was ok/normal, not empty, not frothy, and the lube oil was also ok/normal, not frothy.

    Had a engine tech down & the turbo was seized.... took the turbo off and clank clank... metal bits inside... not just bits - parts of 3 valves!Attachment 33276 so obviously we're stuck for a while... best case, we hope we can pull the head (1 of 4) & check the cylinder for damage, piston & piston shaft.

    my real question - how/why would a valve break apart and HOW would it get through the valve hole/opening & end up in the turbo?!

    Sad in Boston...
    We have the same boat, and the same engines. Our heads came from the factory with "U" valves, instead of the more robust "J" valves found on most of the high horsepower turbos. The physics of how valve pieces would up in the turbo are pretty simple.. the valve stem or spring breaks, keeper drops, drops the valve into the combustion chamber, where it us crushed, and out the exhaust, which is normally just hot exhaust gas that drives a turbine which powers intake suction on the other side.. but in you case, the hot exhaust gas came with a bonus... why it happens.. metal fatigue over time, excess heat caused by mis-adjusted valves, running the engine too hot and other reasons... but it's bad news. Cheap route is to replace the cylinder kit effected, rework the head, new turbo...2,500 rebuilt head, 1,200 new turbo, possibly 1,200 rebuilt blower, 400 cylinder kit...lots of labor... or 35k to 40k for complete engine rebuild. IMHO
    Last edited by dottieshusband; 07-20-2019 at 12:58 PM.

  4. #4

    Re: 3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    PS, your post says 1 of 4 heads.. the 12v71 only has 2 heads, the 16v71 has 4 heads. The biggest pain in a repair like yours is the weight of the head. 237 lbs!

  5. #5

    Re: 3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    PS, this is a jib crane. It will be your best friend during your repair. It makes pulling the heavy components manageable. If the engine tech told you 4 heads after looking at your engine, I'd get a second opinion.
    Attached Images

  6. #6

    Re: 3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    looks like a jib crane will be our friend. the note of 4 heads was my comment, not our engine guys.

  7. #7

    Re: 3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    Quote Originally Posted by WalterHope View Post
    looks like a jib crane will be our friend. the note of 4 heads was my comment, not our engine guys.
    Don't know how involved you want to be in the repair, but I highly recommend Powerline Components. They specialize in 2 stroke DD parts. Reliable Industries is also a great resource, as well as Diesel Parts Direct , and Dieselpro. Keep us posted as I'm curious as to why multiple valves dropped. Looked like 3 in the picture. 1 cylinder dropping multiple valves, multiple cylinders dropping 1 valve? Inquiring minds want to know!

  8. #8

    Re: 3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    FWIW, I got brand new Turbos, with no core charge, from HD Kits, Garret 407370-5009 5103838 for $1575 each including shipping, and if you decide to go the rebuild route, Avenger (Derek), has a shop, East Coast Diesel, that rebuilds them. He's on this forum. A Hatteras owner and a great guy.
    Last edited by dottieshusband; 07-22-2019 at 04:14 PM.

  9. #9

    Re: 3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    Most unfortunate experience. My condolences.
    I installed pyrometers from Seaboard marine after a similar experience. High exhaust temperature was to blame in my case. I watch the pyrometers like a hawk now.

    https://www.sbmar.com/product/smx-ma...yro-gauge-kit/
    Jim
    Cranston, Rhode Island
    1989 41c Hull# 881

  10. #10

    Re: 3500 Hrs on 12V71's & valves ended up

    Where do you find information on appropriate EGT (after the turbo) for particular models of diesels? I've been told that 900-950 is a good target temp, but I would think it varies by the make and model of the engine.

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