[Elastoboy]

Newbe here! My project vessel (retirement present to myself) is a late sixties steel displacement, 84’ LOA, 72’ LWL, 19’ beam, 5’10” draught – Cruise 10 knots, VNE 12.8 knots.

2 x Gardner 8L3B with 3UC type 2 boxes – originally 230Hp @ 1180 rpm, very frugal on fuel! – now both are completely shot!

Looking for suggestions, options, your experiences for replacement with “modern” engines – Maintenance, availability, economy and possible weight savings are the selection criteria, up-front costs are secondary.

Cruising Caribbean & Eastern seaboard, about 600 hrs/year usage.

Hope you can point me in the right direction.

[FISHTIGUA]

Nothing wrong at all with newly rebuilt Gardners. My last boat had 2 ten years ago and are still working just fine, they drink no fuel and only need the oil changing so often.

Gardner Marine Diesel Engine Maintenance Services - HOME

A newer option may be Doosan. I've seen a few fitted to commercial trawlers and have heard very few complaints about them.

Doosan Engines

[Marmot]

I'll second that. Rebuild the Gardners and take great delight in them. But if you want to get rid of them let me know.

[K1W1]

Hi,

I will pitch in with my ideas to re build those old girls.

What do you mean by" totally shot"

If the big castings are ok and the cranks are still within spec there are so many after market parts to rebuild those things you would be mad to junk them.

You will not find another engine that is so simple and reliable anywhere.

If you are going to junk them and Marmot doesn't want them both I would like to know, One would look good in my Garden and I might be able to use it to saw bigger logs than I can now.

[Yachtjocky]

If those engines were the original ones in the 60's built boat they are just about run in now.

Seriously though if you want them rebuilt call Joe Duggan in Fort Lauderdale or Andy Bruce at Seaward Engineering in Glasgow, Scotland, both great on Gardners.

Those 8L3B's will start & run on one cylinder and as long as they have not "run away" and blown the block up you would be mad not to rebuild them as they will continue for many years

[Marmot]

Aw c'mon, those things are junk. It's past time to replace them with something smaller and lighter.

Just to make it easier, I am willing to help the OP remove them and I'll even haul them away.

[Yachtjocky]

can you hear those newly rebuilt engines purring away and then there is the smell of a good warm one. Those little brass control rods and those tranmissions bigger than those new Fiat 500's

[FISHTIGUA]

Originally Posted by Marmot

Aw c'mon, those things are junk. It's past time to replace them with something smaller and lighter.

Just to make it easier, I am willing to help the OP remove them and I'll even haul them away.

May I put it this way, in 3 years I spent more money and time servicing and repairing the tender's Yam 40hp 4-stroke outboard than I did the Gardners.

Enough said.

[Blair]

It was interesting at the Auckland International Boat Show recently to see boatbuilders and marine engineers crowding around a rebuilt Gardner 8cyl (all tikety boo, polished brass etc.) and almost drooling. I swear they all stroked it like lovers. I think it was only the naive owners and would be's who otherwise drooled at the horsepower ratings and comparative minor dimensions of the Cats, MANs etc.

However the most relevant illustration as to why you should retain the engines is the fact that Marmot and Kiwi would offer their left testicle to take them off you.

[rcrapps]

Location; Americas????
If your on the East coast, I pick them up for you. TRUST MEEEEEE.....

Mine were cut years ago, L & R are yours for the blocks.

Even if the cranks have some problems, Even if anything has some problems, FIX THEM.

Hopefully everybody has talked you into keeping them. Please start a new thread with plenty of pictures of them getting rebuilt and the final installation.

I have been with one Gardner many moons ago. Of all others since, I'd love to see more of those fine ole girls.

,Ralph

[Elastoboy]

To all, thank you for your inputs, it appears that there are many people "devoted" to Gardner engines. I do agree that they could be considered as works of art, but I really do need to save 32" in the overall engine room length and the iron lumps are way too long! Realistically it is my intention to remove the Gardners and completely rebuild them to "as new" specs - what else can a retired engineer do!!
So any thoughts on fitting a couple of de-rated C7 or cummins big sixes??

[Capt J]

With an 84' to push, you're really going to need de-rated 12 cylinders for the torque factor or large 6's. I forget the CAT model designation but I think they were 3506's that they normally used in purposes such as yours. Cummins also makes a big 6 that would be ideal for your purpose, I think it's a KTM 12 and they were normally around 600hp. Although it might be too much HP for your boat than you're looking for.

[david_japp]

Originally Posted by Elastoboy

To all, thank you for your inputs, it appears that there are many people "devoted" to Gardner engines. I do agree that they could be considered as works of art, but I really do need to save 32" in the overall engine room length and the iron lumps are way too long! Realistically it is my intention to remove the Gardners and completely rebuild them to "as new" specs - what else can a retired engineer do!!
So any thoughts on fitting a couple of de-rated C7 or cummins big sixes??

We are just completing the TOTAL rebuild of Alto volante (pka Tiky) a 1961 62ft steel FEADSHIP motoryacht (more on that in other posts ).

It was was, as I said previously, a TOTAL rebuild that has taken over 2 years and we have replaced literally everything on board from all the wiring to all the plumbing...new thruster, stabilizers, prop shafts. we fitted an entirely new interior and replaced 30mts of hull plating, a new teak deck and a new Pilot House. Unfortunately we also had to replace the lovely old MAN V12s cos they were seized and beyond hope ...and after a lot of research, guess what we fitted instead...GARDNERS!

We found a retired Gardner engineer and his son in the UK who bought two 40 year old 6LXB engines and took them completely apart and then rebuilt them. They are now real beauties that are "as new", suit the boat and will see me out.

At 84 ft and presumably with a displacement round bilged hull, you're never going to do more than around 12knts so you need slow revving engines with torque. Gardners are ideal for that and that's why so many big offshore fishing boats use them especially in the far east and Australia

re-engining is a major item and not to be undertaken lightly as you'll need to adjust if not rebuild the bearers and probabaly fit new shafts etc, to say nothing of the ventilation requirements ...you could probably save some space with modern gearboxes..

but my advice is to stick with the Gardners ...

[david_japp]

Originally Posted by david_japp

We are just completing the TOTAL rebuild of Alto volante (pka Tiky) a 1961 62ft steel FEADSHIP motoryacht (more on that in other posts ).

It was was, as I said previously, a TOTAL rebuild that has taken over 2 years and we have replaced literally everything on board from all the wiring to all the plumbing...new thruster, stabilizers, prop shafts. we fitted an entirely new interior and replaced 30mts of hull plating, a new teak deck and a new Pilot House. Unfortunately we also had to replace the lovely old MAN V12s cos they were seized and beyond hope ...and after a lot of research, guess what we fitted instead...GARDNERS!

We found a retired Gardner engineer and his son in the UK who bought two 40 year old 6LXB engines and took them completely apart and then rebuilt them. They are now real beauties that are "as new", suit the boat and will see me out.

At 84 ft and presumably with a displacement round bilged hull, you're never going to do more than around 12knts so you need slow revving engines with torque. Gardners are ideal for that and that's why so many big offshore fishing boats use them especially in the far east and Australia

re-engining is a major item and not to be undertaken lightly as you'll need to adjust if not rebuild the bearers and probabaly fit new shafts etc, to say nothing of the ventilation requirements ...you could probably save some space with modern gearboxes..

but my advice is to stick with the Gardners ...

some pics of my new Gardner 6LXB engines being rebuilt

[dennismc]

WOW !!! look at those long stroke con rods,,,yummy...