Cummins and CATs Scheduled Maintenance Checklist – Where to find?

[Alex F]

I’m having a hard time finding good info on Scheduled Maintenance Checklist for diesel engines Cummins and CATs. I’ve searched boatdiesel site but other than CATs manual didn’t find anything.

I would appreciate if someone could share the source for this.

Alex.

 

[alnav]

A place to get Cummins info is https://qsol.cummins.com. This is a repository for virtually all Cummins-produced documentation. For maintenance there are schedules as well as detailed procedures for each activity. There is a limited amount of info available for free and manuals are available for sale. For $100 you can get an annual subscription that provides access to all content for up to 5 different Engine Serial Numbers (ESN) including Onan generators. The ESN content is semi-tailored to the engine series including all manuals, part cross-references and bulletins. I joined with buddies who had different engines so each got access to his own content. It's intentionally difficult to download complete sets of documentation but each procedure can be printed enabling the build-up of a pretty complete notebook of often-used procedures over the year of the subscription, ponying up the $100 for more than one year is not something we wanted to do but the first year was well worth the price.

 

[Alex F]

Al,

Thanks for the link. At least that explains why I couldn't find much on the web for free.

 

[Four Suns]

I have a couple of the print manuals as well... they are fairly detailed... not really a "check list" per se...

 

[ImpulseIII]

I thought diesels didn't need maintenance....

 

[Alex F]

I thought diesels didn't need maintenance....

Frank, it's sounds like you just paying $5K-$7K or whatever for storage and shrinkwrap....:lol: ....just kidding.But, man it's good to be in position just to write a check and tell the service manager to do whatever is necessary. I just happen to be part of DIY crowd who needs the detailed list.

I have a couple of the print manuals as well... they are fairly detailed... not really a "check list" per se...

Gary,
So far this is what I could find, are there lots of things missing at the highlevel:

Check
----------------------------------------------------------
Oil level (engine and generator set)
Coolant level (engine and generator set)
Marine gear oil level
Zinc plugs (every 3 months or 50 hours)

Record
----------------------------------------------
Coolant operating temperature
Oil pressure
Operating hours


Clean
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raw water strainer


This schedule is based on maintenance schedule bulletin 3666022-02, page 2-3. To be carried out every 12 months or 250 hours whichever comes first.

Check
------------------
Belt tension
Belt
Raw water pump and impeller
Battery & wiring
Hoses & clamps for tightness & condition
Zinc plug(s)l
Air cleaner & air system
Marine gear oil level 2
Generator set brushes (if applicable)

Adjust
---------------------------------
Valve lash and/or injectors
Change
Engine oil
Engine oil filter
Fuel filter
Fuel water separator element
Coolant filter (if fitted)
Flush cooling system & heat exchanger 3
Change coolant 4

Clean
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raw water strainer Generator assembly (if applicable)
1. Depending upon the quality of electrical bonding and water conditions, increased maintenance may be necessary.
2. Change marine gear oil at 250 hours or 12 months then every 2 years or 1000 hours thereafter.
3. Flush cooling system and clean heat exchanger every 2 years and refill cooling system with TEC50.
4. Adjust valve lash every 1000 hours of 2 years.
Interval -500 hours or 1 year whichever comes first.

Check
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Repeat Daily, 125 and 250 hour checks
Check sea water pump
Check/correct belt tensioner
Check batteries
Check/replace drive belts
Check air cleaner element
Check engine mounting bolts
Check vibration isolators

Change
-----------------------------------------
Flush aftercooler
Flush gear oil cooler
Flush heat exchanger

 

[ImpulseIII]

Alex, That was tongue in cheek......I do all my own winterization and whatever else I think I can safely accomplish. You movin' up ?

 

[Alex F]

Yeah Frank, at least that's the plan.

Can you recommend a source for a checklist? I think you have CATs. I'll take that one as well, since I'm not 100% sure yet what my next boat will have.

 

[fwebster]

The Cat service interval is in the Cat owners and operators manual.

I posted this some time ago on CSR and I have it now in a PDF file, but I don't have time to figure out how to post it here. You can either search for it or I'll email it to you.

Generally, it is going to boil down to changing the oil and filter, changing the fuel filters and changing the zincs every year for a pleasure boater. There is some other stuff you'll also have to do like wash the breather elements and change the transmission fluid. My annual maintenance is 1 good day and about $200 in cost.

Impellers are good for 200 hours, unless you do something stupid. The heat exchangers will need cleaning about every 5 years. The overheads (valves and injector timing) MUST be reset at 250 hours..not every 250 hours; at 250 hours. Aftercoolers and turbos need to be checked every 1000 hours.

 

[Alex F]

Wow, $200 and one day it's a dream. Frank, I would appreciate if you could email me the pdf.

Thanks,
Alex.

 

[Four Suns]

Well... The "typical" annual maintenance on the DIY side of my engines (including genny) is about $1100/year for parts...

Oil - $400 (20 gallons of Valvoline 15w40 Premium Blue)
Filters - $300 (Ordered from Ryder Fleet Products... Fleetguard stuff.. Racor stuff... Kabuta stuff for genny)
Impellers - $300 (If I have to "inspect" them... I replace them)
Zincs - $60

Doing other misc stuff can add $200 (clamps, hoses, filter cleaning kits, test strips, etc)

Some of the "off year" stuff can add another $1000 or so (Rydlyme flushing, coolant change, water pumps, thermostats, etc.)...

If you amortize the stuff... I would guess its $1500-$1800/year in parts if you DIY... but this is on my QSM11 engines...

 

[Four Suns]

Opps... Zincs are more like $240/year.... $60 per change but I have to change them every 3 months.

 

[Turtlesboat]

I spent way more than $200 for my maint. I think the oil alone was $300. zincs are like $200 (engines and running gear). I spend like $200 on pink (blue). I'm way way above $200. If you're talking about a new to you boat... you're talking into the thousands to bring her up to snuff.

 

[fwebster]

OK.........I pay $59/ 5 gal pail for oil........thats $170 for oil and the filters were $54 for 2 Cat 1R-750 fuel filters and 2 Cat 1R-714 oil filters........i re-load my own zincs and only buy the annode @$1.53 ea from a local parts house. I need 11 of then so that is $17.

Ooops............I was wrong and understated my annual cost. It is $241 and not $200......my mistake.



and, what the hell is pink?............we don't use anything like that down here where we boat all year.


but, Mike is very correct. Even if you are told a boat has been perfectly maintained, unless you have a detailed service log showing the service, the date and the hours, you really don't know. Catching up a missed overhead adjustment runs about $1000; changing the Cat ELC every 5 years is about $500, cleaning the heat exchangers is about $1500, replacing the sea water pumps runs about $2000, etc., etc. How you factor those costs into an annualized budget cannot be done until you identify what needs to be done and what schedule each was on when you bought the boat............have you bought a boat yet?

 

[Alex F]

Thanks guys, all of the info you provide helps a lot.

...........have you bought a boat yet?

No Frank, not yet. But, I saw one we totally loved. However, it'll bo no deal as our numbers are way off. BTW, this was an example of a discussion we had in the other thread regarding the methods. So, in this case my preliminary email exchanges and phone conversations with the broker were right on the money. Our presents at the boat hasn't change a bit in terms of negotiation. In fact, I was under the impression that were closer than what I've learned while being physically in fornt of the broker and expressing our interest. So, we basically wrote it off to one of those cases (as you said earlier) when they make you love it and then say "oh no trade is not good" or give you way too low offer. No big deal, we simply move on to the next one.

 

[Turtlesboat]

My transom zinc alone is about $60. I need to move to FL for some of that $59/5 gallon oil. Hell, CAT charges $3/mile plus time just to come to your boat. The northeast sucks for getting stuff done on your boat. The damn CAT after cooler zinc o-rings cost me $15. Impellers were like...$125. Westerbeke wants $70 for the piece of rubber impeller. (shhhh, I found them for $20). $800 to remove and clean an after cooler. SS hose clamps cost a fortune. Put it this way... I got $200 in west marine coupons this year for all the money I spent.

 

[Greg]

After reading all this I don't even want to total up what I spend in a year. This year I have two oil changes, two impeller changes, fuel filters, racors, several oil changes on the genny, zincs, and probably stuff I am forgetting.

Then on top of regular maintenance I did a bunch of work on the genny (new heat exchanger, fuel lines, coolant hoses, water pump, etc). Replaced starboard shaft seal, had to haul the boat for that one. I got a new EZ2CY bridge enclosure, new bridge PC, new upholstery for bridge and cockpit seating, new antenna, WiFi router, and probably a bunch of stuff I am forgetting.

Plus the maintenance for the dinghy. I paid to have that one done though, I still haven't had a chance to research how to do everything on it. I do have a big box of parts to do it though, maybe next year.

Alex, what kind of boat are you thinking about getting?

 

[Four Suns]

My generator annual maintenance parts costs more than Frank's 450...

The on-engine Onan OEM fuel and oil filters are about $70 for the pair... Racor filter is $10... Oil is $20... Impeller is $50... zinc ($3 but changed 4X/year)

I can usually sqweek out a year on an impeller... but do 2 oil/filter changes a year on it (every 100 hours)

Total - ~$270/year

We need to talk to Frank W's wife... I think he's in denial...

 

[searay40dad]

After reading all this I don't even want to total up what I spend in a year. This year I have two oil changes, two impeller changes,

Taz, 2 impeller changes each ? how many hours do you put on the boat?

 

[fwebster]

The question was about Caterpillar or Cummins maintenance. He did not ask about generators or Racors...........this is Alex; he's very precise, you know.

But if I add my Westerbeke and Racors to the list it grows by: Westerbeke oil $13, Westerbeke filters $22, and Racors for the mains and generator ....4 @ $7.68 + 1@ $6.80. So including the Westerbeke and Racors adds $73/ year based on 100 hours for the generator.

So, big guy, if anyone is in denial it is you guys who think that maintaining Caterpillar engines costs the same as keeping up Cummins/Onan rigs.

So lets see.......maintaining my engines and generator costs me about what I spent this week in replacing a modem, a router, a gaggle of cables, all so I can "stay connected". I left out the Rosetta Stone language course on speaking Hindu so I could make out what the Linksys tech service guy was telling me. When I figured out he was asking me for $40 so I could hear his solution in an incomprehensible accent I hung up and went to the store and bought a competitors router...even I can understand the geriatric checkout ladies at Walmart.