hi sorry to but in on this i am having a lot of trouble identifying my cat 3208t marine engine . no data tags on rockers .i can not find a stamped no on the block . is there a number on the injector pump? can not find tags . can anybody on hear help thanks Ricky
Hi, Ricky. I copied your post here, to its own thread, so that hopefully it'll get a little more attention and somebody will be able to help you out. While we have forestry, agricultural, transportation forums, etc., we don't really have one for marine applications, so this is probably the best place to ask. And welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums.
Thanks Ricky
Hi Ricky, The engine identification tag is usually located near the front of the engine on the raised area of the cylinder block in front of the fuel pump. Hopefully that helps a little.
Is the engine hooked up to a Cat Marine transmission..? If so then does the transmission have a Serial Number plate because, guess what, it's the same as the engine Serial Number .......... Try RH side of block at rear next to flywheel housing or LH side of block at front next to gear group housing for Serial Numbers. Even if you can't find a plate the Serial Number was generally hand-stamped on the block before the S/N plate was fixed in position. Look for the remains of 2 hollow rivets about maybe 2-3" apart, that's what would have fixed the plate in place. Fingers crossed you will find a number. It should be either 1Zxxxx or 75Vxxxx, those were the 2 serial Number prefixes for a 3208 Marine engine.
Hi thanks for the info i still cannot fi any no or data the only no i can find is on the injector pump 9n375702211998 ? thanks ricky
9N-3757 is a genuine number. However it is used on 8 different engine arrangements, we just need to identify which one. Does the engine have a turbo..? You want to try posting some photos of the engine..?
this is the setup thanks Ricky
Right - the fact it has a turbo has straight away reduced the possibilities from 8 to 4 (the other 4 options were naturally aspirated engines)................. Let's see if we can reduce the odds a bit more. In your photo IMG_3377 I can see a Part Number cast on to the turbo compressor housing. What is that number, 8N1069 or 9Y7758..?
Hi its 8N1069 thanks Ricky
Good man. That means the Turbo Gp is an 8N-0582 and reduces the engine arrangement options from 4 to 2. Both are 75V-prefix: - 8N-0529 which was built from 75V4283-75V5249. 8N-2543 which was built from 75V5250-75V7344. OK, what identifies it is the expansion tank for the cooling system - see diagram below. One engine arrangement has it, the other engine does not. Your engine does, it's clearly visible on at least 3 of your photos. Therefore it is my considered opinion that your engine is Arrangement Number 8N-2543 and has a Serial Number somewhere between 75V05250 and 75V07344. That should be sufficient to get parts and service information for it which I assume is your aim.
sorry i gave you the wrong no. this is the number from tag just found on the turbo. numbers on tag are 8N10 8 8N1728 can not se the 5th number so left a space thanks Ricky
No worries, and it makes no difference. I was not asking about the turbo Part Number itself but actually about the number cast into the turbo compressor housing. I could see it on your photo - it sticks out like a sore thumb. The compressor housing alone is 8N-1069. Your tag carries the Part Number 8N-1068 which is the complete Turbo. 8N-1068 in turn is then part of the 8N-0582 Turbo Group that I mentioned above. All the data I gave in post #13 above is therefore still correct.
Hi ok this is the number on the turbo housing 680 587 300 DU cleaned the paint from tag and no is 8N1068 thanks Ricky
Hi i don't know the bhp of the engines . this is the reason of this identification . the boats were built 1980 to 85 .this one is 1980. the bhp rating in that year was 260 hp- 320 hp. if it is 260 bhp i want to raise it to 320 . if i can get id number or AR no this is a reference point for me. thanks Ricky
OK, I'll need to do some digging tomorrow morning in another resource.
thanks for your time. really appreciated Ricky
That's a big azz turbo for a 3208, I'm guessing upper end of the scale. CAT service manager once told me the 3208 was able to put out up to 425hp. I responded "Not with me standing anywhere near it!"
It's amazing what you can get out of an engine if you cram enough air and fuel into it....... Case in point. We have Cat 3516 machine engines generally rated around 2000 BHP, the same basic engine in our emergency generator sets is rated at 3750 BHP.
Question for you. What maximum RPM does it run at..?
Hi i think 3000 or so no more thanks Ricky
Years ago I saw a marine 3208 that was 500hp, Cat supplied.
You need to be more accurate than that I'm afraid. To make it easier I'll give you 3 options, 2400, 2600, & 2800. Which one is it..?
Hi i got this from a boat part plaice in the uk today can not make it out ? pos help to you ? thanks ricky 3208 MARINE ENGINE Media Number - SEBP1297-07 | Updated - 06/10/2001 Publication Date - 01/02/1992 | Date 1W5070 ENGINE AR-PART 2 OF 2 194 BRAKE KW (260 BHP) AT 2900 RPM S/N 1Z1318-UP ENTIRE GROUP Ref. Qty. NPRNote Grp NPR INDIVIDUAL PARTS PartNo. 1W-5070 Part No. 1N-3498 6N-4151 1W-1051 7C-3114 1W-4886 8N-0761 9N-3654 8N-0585 9N-3610 8N-1151 1W-1893 8N-0588 2W-8470 PartName ENGINE AR Req. Part Name Qty. COOLING SYSTEM Ref. Qty. NPR Note NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y 1 OIL COOLER GROUP 1 EXPANSION TANK GROUP HEAT EXCHANGER GROUP- SEA WATER 1 1 HEAT EXCHANGER GROUP S/N 1Z1318-16607 S/N 16608-UP MARINE GEAR OIL COOLER GROUP 1 1 WATER LINES GROUP 1 WATER PUMP GROUP INTAKE AND EXHAUST SYSTEM 1 AIR LINES GROUP 1 INLET MANIFOLD GROUP 1 PCV VALVE GROUP 1 TURBOCHARGER GROUP WATERCOOLED EXHAUST MANIFOLD GROUP S/N 1Z1318-4500 WATERCOOLED EXHAUST MANIFOLD GROUP S/N 1Z4501-UP FUEL SYSTEM AND GOVERNOR CONTROL GP-GOVERNOR 1 1 NPR Y 4N-9399 1  NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y NPR Y Key: Y - SEPARATE ILLUSTRATION 6N-3178 1 6N-3924 1 7C-9384 1 9N-3880 1 7W-1998 1 4N-4314 1 9L-6925 1 9N-3757 1 9Y-0491 1 9N-3607 1 7C-1641 1 FUEL FILTER GROUP FUEL FILTER LINES GP S/N 1Z1318-10885 FUEL FILTER LINES GP S/N 1Z10886-UP LINES GP-FUEL INJECTION S/N 1Z1318-11400 LINES GP-FUEL INJECTION S/N 1Z11401-UP FUEL PRIMING PUMP GROUP FUEL SYSTEM FASTENER GROUP PUMP GP-GOVERNOR & FUEL INJECTION S/N 1Z1318-11400 PUMP GP-GOVERNOR & FUEL INJECTION S/N 1Z11401-UP GOVERNOR AND FUEL PUMP DRIVE GROUP S/N 1Z1318-5949 GOVERNOR & FUEL PUMP DRIVE GROUP S/N 1Z5950-UP NOTE: REFER TO INDEX FOR PAGE LOCATION
What does the info above refer to, your particular engine..?
Hi no this is info a local cat marine shop gave me this morning he said pump group 8n3757 turbo group 8n1068 can be 2 serial types 75V6 O1Z . the pump is set for 260 hp @ 2900 with that no 9n3757 he said that is indisputable he said turbo numbers i have could be for several hp ratings? he also said 75v6 260 bhp revs to 2800 and that 01Z revs to 2900 then he said that is all the time he can waist on this printed the data sheet for me and that is that i still am non the wiser in to witch my motor is ? thanks Ricky
I've looked again at the information I have available. Your man is correct, there is a very small range of 01Z-prefix motors that use the 8N-1068 turbo group. Specifically 01Z00831-01Z01400, so less than 600 engines total, only a small part of which would be this specific arrangement. The engines in question are Arrangement Number 1W-5070 and are rated at 260BHP @ 2900RPM. The kicker as to which engine you've got (01Z or 75V) is down what RPM will it rev out to, which brings me back to my question in post #24.
I've been digging again and found a Service Article from years ago relating to a change in the position of the engine Data Plate on 3208 Marine Engines. Fortunately it shows both the old and new locations. Old location at the rear of the engine. According to this article even if the Data Plate has been moved to the new location the engine S/N should still be stamped right in the centre of the cylinder block above the flywheel housing. To give you a better idea of location the component you can see in the top RH corner of the photo is the RH cylinder head. Because this number is hand-stamped you may have to go scraping paint off the cylinder block to find it. New Data Plate location on the front upper LH side of the engine right next the fuel injector pump. You can see the end of the valve cover in the bottom RH of the photo and the injector pump in the top RH.
Hi this is good news .i will look at weekend and let you know what i fined . again thank you for you time Ricardo
Back in the 80s when I worked for cat dealer on these things was a lot of 425hp 3208s in marine applications. Thing about boats is, you only needed that horsepower for 5 minutes to get you up on your keel and planning over the water. After that you did,t need all the hp and the governor just cuts it back to all you need to keep planning at full rpm. WHEN looked after with religious maintence and water inhibitors and oil changes a lot earlier than cat recommended. ie 125 or 200 hrs max. The 3208 went very well. problem in my opinion was a 10 litre 200hp engine with 13 litres of oil vs a 3306 with similar displacement [636 and 638 cubic inchs] and hp with 27 litres of oil. Saw with my own eyes a 210hp 3208 in a truck pull 65000kg up a 10% grade with the driver skiteing he never took the cobwebs of granddaddy low gear. this was a overloaded exception. But were a lot in trucks in NZ in the early 80s pulling trailers in our hilly country with 39000kg. On a dyno a good one would boogy to 3000rpm hi idle, 215 hp @2800rpm full load and still pull like a schoolboy at 1400rpm @ 500lb/ft torque.
Hi .Found the numbers on the engines on the rear of the head . you were right. the no on engine. 75v6174 75v6152 AR on both 8n2543 is it potable to get the yeah and bhp of the motors ? my local shop can not go back to the 75v years Thanks Ricky
Phew. Glad to know I was right on the 75V S/N prefix ...... I had chased the 01X option down what I appeared to be a blind alley and had given up on it. I'm working on getting the information you are looking for, it's not available on any system to which I have access. Give me a few days because it's being done for me as a favour by a source.
Can we see the rest of the boat. I've been itching for one lately.
I have a dodge pickup that makes 869hp out of a little 5.9l
Beautiful cocaine smuggler. I noticed red fuel in your racors, what's the story there?
Hi the red diesel is agricultural and fishing hear in the UK less tax thanks Ricky
You can burn this type of fuel in a pleasure boat legally? In Greece our fishing fuel is called MFO, very crude form of diesel. Black in color and needs to be heated to about 60*C to flow through filters. Prices a liter when I left Greece last week were 1.45€ on road/.87€ heating or off-road/.45€ MFO.
Uk road £1,30 red £.80
Is your boat registered as a commercial vessel?
no . i am restoring it and it is on dry standing so running and testing isn't a problem when i put back in wet the price is back to £130 not worth the risk to run tax free
You're referring to HFO (Aka Bunker Oil). These engines use diesel, it's just not as heavily taxed as the diesel fuel used in road vehicles and the only difference between the two is the red dye. It was a few years ago that the use of red diesel in pleasure craft was stopped due to EU fuel tax "harmonization".................
I agree, we run MFO in our 17m fishing vessel with a single 3406B Cat, and run green fuel in our 34' yacht.
What I'm referring to is not as viscous as HFO, that is used in bulk carriers, tankers, and other very high hp applications. Maybe the stuff I'm used to is more like a no. 4 fuel.
Roger. Just when you said "Black in color and needs to be heated to about 60*C to flow through filters" it sounded to me like HFO. In my experience that's exactly what has to be done to HFO to pump it, then of course it has to be heated to about 120-130*C before it hits the fuel injectors in order to have the same viscosity as diesel.
It has to get heated again? I was under the impression fuel oil comes from the fuel bunker to the day tank where it is heated to about 150* using a generators coolant, then it is passed through a filter block to the main where it gets filtered again, then goes to the pump.
In the US we can run untaxed red fuel in marine applications, just not in on-highway vehicles required to have a license tag.
Hi. found out that the engines were sold to the boat manufacture Cigarette in 1980 by a cat dealer in Miami Florida ** Pantropic ** i will mail them to se if they still have original engine data . good to se original engines still in boat after all that time
HFO/FFO (aka #6 bunker fuel) has to be heated to a minimum of 60*C simply to move it around. If you're using an engine that is started from cold using diesel (most are) then switched to HFO when the engine gets up to temperature then the heated HFO has to be exactly the same viscosity as diesel in order to use the same fuel injectors. That in my experience involves heating the HFO to a final temperature of around 120-130*C. Usually the fuel goes through plate heaters fed by hot water/steam from heat exchangers built into the engine exhausts. The amount of heat applied to the fuel is controlled by a viscometer to keep the viscosity in the same range as diesel.
Ricardo, Finally got the details. Both engines are rated 260BHP @ 2800RPM. Strangely enough they were not painted Cat yellow when they were originally sold but a colour known as "Marine Buff", a kind of sandy light brown - so someone's had the paint pot out.
This is like a darn mystery novel, which I would never read. But I love this, good work their Nige my hats off to you
Believe it or not but the original bill of sale from the factory to the dealer who supplied the engines to the boat building company dated 25th March 1980 is still in the factory files almost 35 years later....................
Hi this is good news . once again thanks for all your help . i wonder if i could turn the fuel settings up and get them up to 300 hp?
By the way that was me with the paint pot i think it looks better ?
I knew that was going to be your next question. Sorry but you need a fuel injection specialist for that. The first thing to find out is if the 300BHP specification uses the same fuel injectors, turbos, and rod/piston group (same compression ratio in other words) as your current engines. if the answer to all those questions is yes then all it needs is the fuel settings cranked up to correspond with the 300BHP Performance Specification. If you can find someone with access to the fuel setting information, Performance Specification 0T-3069 for a 3208 Marine diesel produces 300.4 BHP @ 2800RPM. Performance Specifications 0T-7473 & 0T-5779 produce 319.8 BHP @ 2800RPM. All of the above Performance Specifications are using the same 1W-5900 engine arrangement, so it's obviously a case of simply "turning the wick up" (or down) between them. There are also versions of 1W-5900 that can be set to produce 260 BHP @ 2800, so the chances of being able to change the BHP simply by altering the fuel settings on your engine appear on the face of it to be good. I guess the key is to discover what the physical differences are (if any) between 1W-5900 and 8N-2543 Engine Arrangements just to confirm that it's all down to how the injection pump is set.
Yair . . . Cat offered a five minute rating of 435hp @2800 back in '82. We looked at them for our hovercraft application but Cat were iffy on the warranty so we gave them a miss and went with Deutz. Cheers.
Scrub, what you're talking about is known as an "E" High Performance (aka racing) rating. A "D" rating is classed Intermittent Duty, the marine equivalent of a standby 1-hour rating generator set. A "C" rating is Maximum Continuous power. The highest "C" rating for a 3208 Marine engine is 315 BHP, so the OP's engines should be OK @ 275 or 300 - although I wouldn't want to pay the fuel bill running at full noise for any length of time. The highest "E" rating for the same model is 450 BHP.
Great info from a very intelligent guy! Hats off to you Nige!
Yair . . . Gotcha Nige . . . I knew Johnson and Towers had a 450 hp version but didn't know Cat offered the same. When these engines first came out they were known here as "cardboard Caterpillars" due to their (perceived) throw away construction but, in my experience, with conservative ratings they held up pretty well. There were couple we serviced in a Game Boat that used to slip over from Hawaii for the Cairns marlin season that got rings, and a roughen up at ten thousand hours for survey but didn't really need them . . . another 8700 hour a year gen. set in a trawler was up over 40,000 with minimal blow-by and running strong. I think D6 Merv is right on the money when he mentioned oil capacity and filtration. Quite by coincidence these engines had extra oil tanks, centrifugals and luberfiners as well as the standard marine/genset crossovers. Cheers.
Scrub, the urban myth in the offshore oil industry in UK was that when a 3208 genset came to the end of its life the accepted form of replacement was to gas axe a hole in the floor, and let it drop into the sea........... Then after welding a plate over the hole you dropped a replacement set into position. it's always the same with a marine application. You know damn well they're not going to get looked after so you do fit everything that can possibly be fitted to increase the engine oil & the oil filtration capacity. So long as they are small enough centrifuges for filtering engine oil on a marine diesel are the dog's bollox ..........
Burial at sea, the British and their naval traditions, lol. :salute
Better than the other suggestion regarding their usefulness which directly compared them to a boat anchor .............
Agreed. Were the generator ends Lucas electrics? Sorry, couldn't resist.....
Yair . . . Nige I suppose it depends on the fishery. Back in the 70's prawn boats in Northern Australia were working in a remote hot environment and, for the most part, maintenance and service of company vessels was pretty much spot on. It was very very expensive if something broke and after due consideration one of our clients specified 3408's for main engines because they would (just) fit in a DC3. There is quite a story about how I know that . . . remember how the early 3408's had some iffy crankshafts? The 3406 auxilliarys were expected to and did 50,000 hours with just a few hours shut down for fresh injectors and a valve lash check each Christmas. Cheers.
Wow, 50,000hr! What's the most hours you have seen for a marine/genset?
Yair . . . CaptainAnalyzer . There were some Gardners that did a lot of hours but the longest run I know of was from an HR4 air-cooled Lister that ran the weather station on Willis Island. It ran unattended except for yearly checks and did 110,000 hours before being replaced. Listers in Brisbane were going to put a saw through it and do an advertising promotion showing the lack of wear but I prevailed upon them to rebuild it and I bought it to run our first workshop in Karumba. Cheers.
I've seen ~85,000hr or so on a set of 3412's in a Greek ferry from 1977.
Cat 3208 marine 01z19XXX and 01z26350 books Hi, Do you have the service/workshop/assembly/disassembly manual for the caterpillar 3208 marine? Thanks
Try here. Simply put in your complete Serial Number to get the correct manual. https://servicemanualpro.com/?page=Products&searchbox=01Z19000
Sorry, i meant for free...
You are joking, right.....?
Cat 3208 marine manuals 01z UP Email me for the free manuals: [email protected]
I also have the same engine and the same problem with finding what model I have and what hp. I need the info to put a prop on my boat. It has a twin disk 2 to 1. Did you ever figure it out?
I also have the same engine and the same problem with finding what model I have and what hp. I need the info to put a prop on my boat. It has a twin disk 2 to 1
We're they on the heads or the block. I'm looking for mine also. My motor looks like the ones you have.
This thread is 8 years old. It’s unlikely that the OP is still around. Take a close look at Post #29 back in on Page 2. In it is information & photos regarding two possible locations of where to find the Serial Number on your engine.
How do you decifer the dates mfg out of the serial number.
Simple answer - you don't. Only by plugging the Serial Number into the Cat factory parts & service system will reveal the date of manufacture. Being honest the Serial Number is less important than the Arrangement Number, because the Arrgt # will tell how the engine is configured and the BHP/torque ratings. From your original question that is what you are after in order to correctly size a propeller for it IIRC.
While you are looking for engine Serial Numbers or whatever take a close look at the fuel injector pump. Does it have a Part Number tag on it anywhere.?
Forgot - and the turbo...........
I managed to find the publication again. For reference it's Engine News SEBD9099. Here are the photos blown up further than in Post #29. The first photo is taken looking down from above on the front end of the engine. Those are the pulleys for the fan/alternator/whatever belts on the left. In the top RH corner is the fuel injection pump and the Serial Number plate is mounted on a narrow flange on the back side of the front housing directly in front of the FIP as indicated by the red rectangle.
The second photo is taken from the back side of the engine looking forwards. That is the RH cylinder head in the top RH corner of the photo. If there is no plate on the back side of the block directly under the RH cylinder head (red rectangle) then look in the centre of the Vee and slightly higher to find a Serial Number stamped into the block (blue rectangle). If you go looking for the stamped number you may have to take some paint remover to be able to see it.
Hi all, Ive recently acquired a new second hand 3208T to replace my old NA and came across this thread as I am having the same issue as alot of others. I must say thanks for the info Nige you are a wealth of knowledge and have given me enough info to work out my serial number. If you would be willing could I also ask for some info on my engine primarily hp rating, max revs, man. date etc for my general knowledge but also for any re-pitching that may be required of my prop. The block serial no. is: 01Z01455 Fuel pump is: 4N565-12 (the 12 is larger and within a recessed circle) Turbo: Cannot see what appears to be any Cat parts. It has a a tag from a turbo mob in my city, Perth Australia so I will seek details off them
I looked a bit deeper for the plate. It was really hidden in there. I found the arrangement? Number (cannot read the first part as its hidden): IW5070
1W-5070 Arrangement specification is 260 BHP @ 2900 RPM. NOTE: I say "specification" guardedly because who knows who did what to it over the years, but that's what the spec says, and that's all I have to go on. 1W-5070 Arrangement corresponds to Test Spec 0T-5739 (attached). As I said above the numbers in that spec assume that the engine is still in the original "as-built" condition.
To be sure, we need to find the test spec. It should be stamped on the fuel pump somewhere. It should hopefully be 0T5739. If the pump isn't original, it may start with 0T, 1T or 2T. These are the possibilities for your 1W5070 arrangement.
Nige is faster at typing than me....
The original Cat turbo was a 9Y-7756. Ask them how their rebuilt turbo compares to that, if they can tell you.
It's getting harder. Since the "systems upgrade" a couple of years ago finding info on older kit like this isn't anywhere near as easy as it used to be. A bit like nostalgia I suppose......
It would be worthwhile finding the Test Spec number on the fuel pump just for confirmation.
Wow thank you both for the speedy responses. Only thing I not is the arrangement no. is very much a capital i and not a 1. It is very defined. I would take a picture but access is terrible. Not sure if that makes a difference. Same again on the fuel pump visual access is very hard there may be something in the valley but it is impossible to tell.
It doesn’t matter because whatever it looks like according to the system and to protocol it’s a “1”. All Part Numbers from that era were in the format NL-NNNN (the dash is somewhat optional) where N is a number and L is a letter, so 1W-5070 it is then.