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Baja Engine knocking making lots of bad noises

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
We knew it would happen eventually, but yesterday was the day. The engine in the baja is done. Boat mechanic said we are best off replacing it rather than rebuilding, and I tend to agree.

We got 1787 hours out of the ole 454, pretty darn good. Better than most. So now I'm engine shopping and boat shopping. I'd really like to get a Sunsation MCOB (Mid Cabin Open Bow). There are a few of the MCOB Sunsations out there but boy are they expensive.
 

Jim_S

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
First the RTV and a few days later the Baja.

Doc, if it weren't for bad luck you wouldn't have any luck at all. :w00t2:
 

mla2ofus

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Feel for ya, Doc! But 1787 hrs x 60 mph = 107,000 miles. Not high mileage for a 454.
Mike
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Feel for ya, Doc! But 1787 hrs x 60 mph = 107,000 miles. Not high mileage for a 454.
Mike

Doc,

I would have used 45 mph as an average for cars/tucks, and the result would have been worse than 107,000 miles....

Maybe marine duty is the reason? Still not very long however...

I know the feeling of replacing something like this jst when you don't expect it. It sucks....

As a side note, I tore down the top end of a JD lawnmower engine the dealership told the owner was done. They said the govenor was broken and the over revving had bent a valve.

Turns out the throttle butterfly screws had came out, and the butterfly was on top of the intake valve holding it open slightly. No compression at all. The govenor is just fine. With out a throttle blade it was wide open ALL the time. So now it looks like the $800 they wanted to sell the engine for, turns into 2 brass throttle blade screws and a set of gaskets....:biggrin: But if the owner had not gotten a second opinion, Me, they would have probably sold the guy a new engine...:glare:

Regards, Kirk
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Average life for a marine engine is 1000 hours. 1500 hours is considered good and 2500 is GREAT.

Marine duty is way harder on the engine than what we do with cars so miles don't mean a whole lot. I would put the average mph closer to 35. My RPM is at 2800 to go 35mph. To run 55 I'm at 4400 RPM. The newer boats have computers that will report how many hours the engine was run in each RPM range. Very handy when boat shopping. I'll share one of the reports when I come across it again.

It's been said to compare a marine engine to a car, would be like a car always driving up a 30 degree hill, and never getting to the top. Every time you start up and go you are driving further up that 30 degree hill. That 'hill' takes a toll on the engine and causes us to run the marine engine at higher RPM's for longer periods than any car is usually run.
 

mla2ofus

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'll say the dealership had a very incompetent mechanic or they are unscrupulous. If it would run all it would have taken was manual control of the throttle shaft to figure out it was a carb problem.
Mike
 

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
Average life for a marine engine is 1000 hours. 1500 hours is considered good and 2500 is GREAT.

Marine duty is way harder on the engine than what we do with cars so miles don't mean a whole lot.

LOL, I'd have to agree. I'd be in jail if I nailed the throttle to my car to the floor every time I got in it and sometimes held it there for an hour or so, while pulling a trailer (to add to the drag like water does).
 
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