So You Think You Like Diesels

[spartonboat1]

So the vast majority of our Hatts have Diesel mains. In my case, the good ole in-line 6-71N's, non-turbos. I have been around them (6-71's), since the early 1960's, when I shipped out as deckhand on a 118' yacht on the Great Lakes; she had 4 6-71 engines, two each side, one fore, one aft. Dem' is screamin' Jimmies (GM's back then). When the engine room door was closed, but the porthole in it was open, we are talking major sucking wind, when we were at cruise speed. Finally, the reputation of the GM 6-71N's, is that they are long lived.

So I came across a 1995 Mercedes E300D, which is a 3.0L natural, non-turbo, engine model OM606, also a straight six; 134 romping HP. She had 254k Miles, so she has been over the road! But someone treated her very well. She came from Alexandria, VA, home to some of the highest income zip codes, as they say, and the excellent MB American Service Center. She has Zero rust, very good original paint, interior near perfect. There was an official MB body dust cover in the trunk, so she was covered when not in use. Runs like the proverbial top!

So I bought her! So far, so good. VG oil pressure, no blow by, doesn't smoke at start up or under power. Close to 30#'s at hot idle (700rpm), at/above 45# above 1,000 rpm, as all proper MB's oil pressures are, since the oil gauge pegs at 3 atmospheric bars, i.e. 45#'s.

Now we will see if the reputation of this engine to run up ridiculous miles holds true.

Maybe I will post photos, although this is a boat site, since this is a for fun post.

 

[oscarvan]

I grew up with 200 and 220 taxi's in Amsterdam..... I've seen 500, 750K.... Often the body rotted out and the engine was saved.

 

[Scarlett]

Bought my 300D new in 1978 (Ca. License plate 78benz) drove it for 350,000 miles with nothing but routine maintenance. It was a non turbo 5 cylinder motor that was built proof. John

 

[sgharford]

I had a 1985 380se sedan for some time, loved that car, complete with horse hair seat cushion filling - that Mercedes smell! At time I was looking at 300 model diesel, but local diesel mechanic told me they weren't true diesel blocks, used same aluminum blocks as gas engine, and recommended against it so I wound up with the gasser 380. Wasn't terribly impressed with acceleration of the diesel I test drove at time, but these were old used ones I was test driving shortly after I got out of college some 25 years ago.

 

[jim rosenthal]

The engine you have is the later one with an alloy block; they are good engines, but not as durable as the OM 617 five-cylinder ones which would run basically forever. If you keep the maintenance up and use OEM filters (Mann or Mahle) it should run a long time. The Alexandria MB shop is pretty good. They ought to be for what they charge. Have fun with it, they are nice old bangers. Not fast, but will run well for a long time.

 

[Scarlett]

That 300D I had had a really low first gear that you activated by stomping down on the gas pedal to the floor. You could climb almost anything in that gear. My driveway at the time was very steep and I needed it to get up. We always said we were glad it never snowed where we lived or we would never get up that drive in the snow. John

 

[JustMike]

Diesel is safer than gasoline. For one reason or another, the fear of a gasoline explosion (which happens very rarely, but happened several times thirty years ago in a rather spectacular form) continues to exist. The facts say that the gasoline engine is completely safe and you are much more likely to die in a plane crash than in burning gasoline. I agree that gasoline engines are a danger in terms of carbon monoxide, but it mainly comes from gasoline-electric generators.

 

[oscarvan]

Diesel is safer than gasoline. For one reason or another, the fear of a gasoline explosion (which happens very rarely, but happened several times thirty years ago in a rather spectacular form) continues to exist. The facts say that the gasoline engine is completely safe and you are much more likely to die in a plane crash than in burning gasoline. I agree that gasoline engines are a danger in terms of carbon monoxide, but it mainly comes from gasoline-electric generators.

Mothersday......199something.... Friends of ours in their 38-ish Searay. Tied many deep at Shooters on the Cuyahoga, Cleveland. Mom, dad, the 4 year old, Grandma and Grandpa. Someone hit the starter on the generator..... The baby survived but was without family the next second.

Boats do not vent gases heavier than air. Things leak. I haven't operated a (newer) gasser so I am assuming that there are now sniffers that disable EVERYTHING and that no one will install anything that's not marine grade EVER down there and that nothing will ever spark at the same time that something leaked.

Yes the odds are small.

No gas plumbing on my boat. A few cans for the dink in a vented compartment. That's it.

And, I'll take my odds on the airplane. After all, I'm driving.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I wonder if EFI gasoline engines are safer than the older ones with carburetors? Just asking- I've no idea. I will say that I feel safer on a diesel boat than a gas boat. Diesel is less volatile and seems less risky than gasoline.

 

[tomrealest]

Had an '82 300D Turbo was strong. Replaced it with an '84 300D Turbo which I am disappointed in because it is not as strong as the 82. Runs like a top and will probably out live me.

 

[madhatter1]

It's not the engine, it's the fuel leaking. When I had gas it was a ritual to pull the hatch up and use my nose to see if it was safe to start after running blowers. I was so scared from stories told about BOOM that I did this 95% of the time. Then after diesel conversion in 98 I saw some stories in the news (back when news was real, sorry couldn't resist) I realized this $hit is real! Glad I kept safe.

There was a real bad one at an island off Apollo Beach some years back. Almost exact same story as Oscar told. Horrible.


For those with gas it can be safe with precautions, safety procedures, and most important common sense. Don't just turn the key or start the genset.

 

[spartonboat1]

It's not the engine, it's the fuel leaking. When I had gas it was a ritual to pull the hatch up and use my nose to see if it was safe to start after running blowers. I was so scared from stories told about BOOM that I did this 95% of the time. Then after diesel conversion in 98 I saw some stories in the news (back when news was real, sorry couldn't resist) I realized this $hit is real! Glad I kept safe.

There was a real bad one at an island off Apollo Beach some years back. Almost exact same story as Oscar told. Horrible.


For those with gas it can be safe with precautions, safety procedures, and most important common sense. Don't just turn the key or start the genset.

From what I understand, never tried it mind you, you can drop lit match into a pool of diesel fuel, and the match will extinguish. The gasoline- probably will flash from the fumes, before the match hits the gasoline, plus subsequent fire and maybe explosion.

The formerly highly questionable Hatt dealer (years ago, much better now), on the East side of the state in N. MI, changed out all my fuel and lube lines. This was at the recommendation of their triple ABYC tech, from their good shop, on the W. Side of N MI. Well, one of the lube lines was leaking from the stbd engine and diesel fuel was leaking into the bunker, under the engine. Probably 2-3 gals. This was about 10-12 years ago.

I managed to contribute to my difficulties, by allowing myself to run low on fuel. Ergo, I run out of fuel about 2 miles from the fuel dock. As my then 5yoa grandson asked, as he peered out of the aft cable porthole- where's the dock? That was when the engines stopped, out of fuel. He knew that the engines only stopped, when at the dock; oh, and when G'pa runs out of fuel.


So while the fuel in the bunker would have got us to the dock, that was no excuse. P.s., since then we always ensure we have the 20% reserve, which is 75 gals, per our 375 gal capacity. Yes, it was very embarrassing, but to make matters worse, the Hatt yard's incompetent manager, long gone, bore no responsibility for the leaking line, and only called me out in front of other for running out of fuel; minus the part about dumping fuel in the bunker, thank's to him. I'll stop here....