![]() ![]() Consequently, there are no corrosion inhibitors in the coolant and cooling system corrosion is a major issue. The engine is in a boat, which means it usually relies on the surrounding water for coolant. The operating environment for marine engines is also entirely different. That’s the equivalent of a car engine needing an overhaul every 12,000 to 15,000 miles! An engine (or pair of engines) in a big offshore boat, on the other hand, might go 200 to 250 hours before they need work. An engine in a pleasure boat might go six or eight seasons before it needs to be rebuilt. A performance boat might spend 5 percent of its time idling, and 95 percent of its running time at wide open throttle at speeds as high as 8,000 rpm.īecause of these loads, marine engines don’t last like automotive engines. The typical marine engine in a pleasure boat might spend 10 percent of its time idling, maybe 60 percent of its running time at cruising speed (4,000 rpm), and maybe 10 to 30 percent of its time running at wide open throttle (5,500 to 6,500 rpm). Stern drives typically have 1:1 gear ratios, so the engine has to pull much harder compared to an automotive engine that has gear reduction in the transmission, and addition gear reduction in the differential. It’s like permanently hooking up a heavy trailer behind your car or truck and driving around in 4th gear. Marine engines work a lot harder than automotive engines, experiencing much higher loads. Though a marine engine would seem to be pretty much the same thing as an engine for a car or a truck, marine engines are a different breed of motor according to those who build them. Fuel injection is used on 80 to 90 percent of these engines, and many are running custom marine camshafts that alter the firing order between cylinders 4 and 7 to smooth out the idle characteristics of the engine. Many of these engines are also supercharged or turbocharged and develop upwards of 1,200 hp on pump gas (93 octane). Many of the engines that are find their way into offshore performance boats are monsters with 600 or more cubic inches of displacement. The boats are also getting bigger (and heavier), and that means a need for even larger and more powerful engines. The big boys who have big bucks to spend on their toys are spending more and more every year to be a little faster than the next guy. Those who cater to this niche also say that the high end of the marine engine market seems to be absolutely recession-proof. Many of these people are into serious power boating and think nothing of spending $20,000 to $80,000 or more on a serious, high performance big block marine engine – and some of these boats run two engines! As one marine engine builder said, “There are a lot of million dollar boats on the water these days.” These are the people who have the disposable income to buy boats, and more importantly marine engines. Over the next decade, more people will be entering the 40-and-older group. Even so, the market appears to be growing and poised for even more growth in the years ahead.Īccording to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, over 72 million people own some kind of a motorized boat or watercraft. Some rebuilders estimate the size of the marine engine market to be fairly small, perhaps less than 130,000 engines per year, including all types of inboard and outboard engines. The marine engine market is relatively healthy, though highly competitive.
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