Can anyone help with the fuel burn specifications for the C32 and 3512C Caterpillar engines. I am trying to find out when I should overhaul, period is after ??? fuel is burnt or X hours. Cummins had a spec on the QSK60 engine that was approximately 1 million US gallons (This was obviously a guideline). I know there is the load factor to take into account if I go by hours. Currently I am achieving 20 000 hrs and the oil samples are still looking healthy.
I have figures somewhere for the 3512. It's in gallons or litres of fuel burnedbut I dont have access to the numbers right now. However be warned that if your load factors are low if you go too far on hours trying to reach your fuel burn target the overhaul could get expensive in that you end up replacing high dollar parts like camshafts and gear trains that should go two lives but you've taken them so far on their first life that they are not fit to go again. The C32 depends on application. Remember it's just an updated 3412 and it is nowhere near as durable or long-living as a 3500 engine. I may have figures for C-series but again I'm not in a position to dig them out right now.
engine life Thank you. I found some data on the Genset versions of the engines which are indications, although they have stable loads factors. They are based on 60% where my engines are in the haul trucks so my load factor in this case is slightly lower. We don't have a large gradient but we do have a long haul. My 785D engines will be changed out between 20 000 hrs and 22 000 hrs, my 777F engines will be about the same. This will be regardless on fuel burn. The engine itself is not my concern, it is all of the hang-on parts. I am seeing issues with injectors, turbos and the like.
Are you working with ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD)..? If you are then you should be changing injectors and turbos at mid-life if you intend full life to be 20-22k hours. To be honest based on personal experience I think that number on a C32 in a 777F is inviting disaster, on a 785D it should be fine, especially if you're not interested in the rebuilding process. I would go no more than 16-18k on a 777F. It would be interesting to see your Load Factor numbers. That would give me a better idea. One time a customer of mine decided to see how far they could get a 3516 in a loader. It was finally pulled with just under 32k hours, however......... When it came to the rebuild it needed a crank, 2 camshafts, and both front and rear gear trains replaced. An expensive overhaul for a first life where all those items would be expected to be fit for a 2nd life.
Nige, I see what you are getting at with a 32k hour engine, but at 32k hours regardless if it was the first or second overhaul, those components would likely have to be replaced anyways,(well minus the crank I'd think), so realistically, as risky as it is letting it go that long, it probably did cost less per hour than having it done at 15k or so and then again at 32k, barring downtime for head gaskets or minor issues weren't cropping up left and right. Having said that, no way I would let a frontline production machine go that long either.
Ben, the recommendation for that particular engine application was around 25k hours depending on fuel burn. At that number of hours I could have pretty well guaranteed that all the high dollar parts would have gone again for a 2nd life. So the extra 7k turned out really expensive. For a truck with much higher fuel burn rates the houre to overhaul are correspondingly lower. Typically a 3516 in a 789 I would be looking at 16-18k to overhaul, maybe a hair more. As I said before a lot depends on how much fuel has gone through the engine in that time.
I never realized 3500s would go so long, but my only experience around them is in the oilsands where I felt they were pushed pretty hard and didn't seem to last the hours I thought they should, but thought it was the norm! Everything up there is pushed to and beyond the limit so really I shouldnt be surprised of engine life outside alberta.