I was thinking about dropping this engine in my1980 300 wagon, what do ya all think, is it feasible?

http://www.bath.ac.uk/~ccsshb/12cyl/

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'73 VW camper
'80 300td wagon

Nope, you would have to find a hydropnumatic pump for it

Holy ****! How much does it cost to change the oil in that monster? Can you arrange a field trip so we can watch one run?

i'm puzzled as to why they prefer single engine and screws. Wouldn't two engines give a greater degree of security in the middle of the Pacific?

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Kerry, while I'm hardly an expert in such things, I did spend quite a few years at sea working on boats from 169' to 306', and each of these had single engine-screw setups. I suspect this design is derived from the need for space. The last fishing boat I worked on had a 16 cyl. Wartsila diesel. I think most engines are centrally located, so tanks (w/ fuel or h20) can be placed on either side of the engine room to assist in trimming the vessel.

Keep in mind that most of these diesel engines are pretty fool-proof. Cooling and lubrication systems have multiple redundancies built into them, so problems are typically rare, but....when they do show up, you'd best not be close to shore.

One fishing boat I worked on had a problem (prior to my employment) in which the engine stopped running for over 17 hours, in the Gulf of Alaska--in the dead of Winter!! Turns out the workers at drydock left a rag in the main fuel tank, clogging the fuel screen--they seriously considered abandoning ship near the end...

BTW: I think those pictures are taken in Korea, not Japan.

What kind of transmissions do those diesels have? I remember looking at a WWII tugboat which is a National Monument of some kind. It was direct drive and the engine had to be stopped and started in the opposite direction in order to reverse.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Ya, I've heard of that forward and reversing engine concept--very weird...I've heard that could get real dicey when entering a harbor, and the engine decided not to re-start after switching from forward or reverse.

IIRC, all these engines I dealt with were mated to a standard forward-neutral-reverse gearbox, with a shaft speed reduction gear drive, and a variable pitch prop.

Oh, and I don't remember changing the oil in these units either. We had multiple centrifuges to remove impurities from the oil. We used centrifuges to filter the fuel too, rather than relying on cartridge type filters.

On one boat I did a brief stint as an Assistant Engineer. The Chief Engineer was Japanese and spoke no English. All our engine room literature for the engine, boiler, chillers, generators, etc. were written in Norwegian....we ended up losing refrigeration on that trip--it was great fun. Kinda like the Tower of Babel, only more surreal.

Here's more from an earlier thread...

Biggest, baddest diesel engine you've ever seen

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

oops, posted a couple months too late,
william

__________________
'73 VW camper
'80 300td wagon

Hi William.

Better reinforce those shocks,might just need it.
Bilstein HD's?

Oh,a bigger gastank might be a good idea,too.


Louis.