3196 Cat questions

So, I have a boat I will be seeing in a few days under contract, but have been doing a bit of research. I found a Grand Alaskan owner in the Seattle area who has the same boat with 3196, and his only complaint is he does not need that much HP. But doing a little google research on here, and other diesel forum sites, it appears that was a bad engine due to all of the known issues that have been published, and lawsuits that were launched to remedy the issues.

What really got my attention today is that a well known and highly regarded Cat technician I spoke with said he would not survey them because he did not want the liability. That raised a few flags to say the least.

My question is what has been your real world experience with these? I'm sure someone on here has run these. The boat in question had around 2500 hours or so on the original motors prior to rebuild so one would think these at least where ok, but let me post what the broker has said in the sales description-it now has about 240 hours on the rebuild:


Owners Note:

When purchasing this vessel in early 2021 we retained the services of a Caterpillar factory trained and certified technician. The engines ran great but a check of the factory records revealed that when the engines were new a factory recall to upgrade the after coolers was missed by the owner. A careful examination revealed minor pitting. As a result, the seller agreed to a COMPLETE Caterpillar rebuild of both engines. All work was done by our Caterpillar certified technician using ALL Caterpillar parts.

Work included:

• New upgraded after cooler assemblies
• New factory built complete head assemblies (head, valves etc)
• New factory built complete cylinder assemblies (sleeves, pistons, rods etc)

In addition, while the engines were disassembled we decided to also:

• Replace all injectors with new Caterpillar injectors
• Have all heat exchangers removed, cleaned and reinstalled
• Have both raw water pumps rebuilt
• Replace hoses and belts

The bottom line: With the exception of the after coolers, none of this work was actually required. However, new owners going forward will have peace of mind knowing that both engines are as close to factory fresh as possible. It's reasonable to expect many years of reliable service.


Below are a few the negative comments I found from the web:

These engines were the engines that soured the relationship between Cat and Sea Ray. They like to eat ECM's too.

I'd walk the other way, unless you can get extremely detailed service records that prove the engines were very well cared for. There are a number of the engines still in service that are running strong, but unless you have proof they were not mistreated historically, too many variables to be comfortable with.

CAT really, really mishandled the design flaw with the 3196 aftercooler leading to the class action and many unhappy customers. Once they "fixed" the issue and rebranded the engine to C12 it enjoyed a successful run in CAT's lineup until CAT basically gave up on the smaller displacement segment and began licensing engines from other manufacturers.

This is the cat that had problems. HOWEVER: Cat fixed them. All you need to do is make sure that yours got the upgraded parts. Have a Cat rep run the serial numbers and the sequence numbers. Make sure you are not buying one that has the dreaded aftercooler issues.

Run, Run away fast. Cat fixed the intercooler problem, they never addressed the issues with the block, oiling system etc. I had the displeasure of dealing with these engines when i worked for Cat.

I always think the sound of these at manouvering revs are not unlike the 'old' 125 trains pulling out of Paddington.

The CAT 3196's were not good motors though, vibration problems. Resale is tough
Watch those 3196's closely, do not be afraid to check your oils twice a year looking for sodium increase.

What temp do you run at cruise I'm about to purchase a searay 480 motor yacht with 3196's they are running at 200 at 2100 rpms diesel mechanic says they should be at 185

Anyway, I know I can over think anything to the point of paralysis. Any real world experience with these would be appreciated. Thank you.

Thanks guys, all good advice. I agree with the sentiment on the resale, but boy oh boy, now is the wrong time to buy if you are a value buyer. A broker called me about a 70 Outer Reef with 125 hours on rebuilds, I think it was an 09 model. It's in Stuart as well, so I thought I would look at it when I am there next week. Nope, under contract in a day.

I like digging into the history of these boats. I found an owner in Seattle who has owned one of these for about three years. He just sent me an impressive video in 8 to 12 foot seas, with with windshields being hammered with spray. I asked him what he did not like about his GA, and he said that he didn't need the large engine and wished they were smaller.

I also found a broker who was there when Gary Oviatt was building these. She told me a funny story about Art DeFever after I asked her about the 3196s. They were sea trialing in Tiawan with Art DeFever, and the surveyor said let's pin em. The Grand Alaskan was cursing along at 17 knots and she looked at Art and said I bet you didn't expect that. He said no, but it sure is fun!