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Can someone please help me figure what this engine application is?
- Thread starter MattR
- Start date
OzDozer
Senior Member
03Z makes it a pretty standard turbocharged 250HP industrial/automotive application engine. The 03Z was never fitted to any item of Cat equipment.
Filters may be different between engines, depending on the brand of equipment it came out of.
One of the best articles I've seen written about these engines is by Roy Berndt, an engine reconditioning guru. The article came from a copy of Engine Rebuilder magazine.
Roy runs through the entire history of the 3208, from it's inception in 1967 in medium duty Ford trucks as the 1100 series, and goes into great detail explaining all the design differences over the years, and what you need to look for, if you want to start swapping components and engines around.
www.scribd.com
Filters may be different between engines, depending on the brand of equipment it came out of.
One of the best articles I've seen written about these engines is by Roy Berndt, an engine reconditioning guru. The article came from a copy of Engine Rebuilder magazine.
Roy runs through the entire history of the 3208, from it's inception in 1967 in medium duty Ford trucks as the 1100 series, and goes into great detail explaining all the design differences over the years, and what you need to look for, if you want to start swapping components and engines around.
Rebuilding The Cat 3208 Diesel | PDF
Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site.
OzDozer
Senior Member
The 03Z 3208 is actually a genset/industrial engine, but the HP rating and full load RPM is the same as the automotive application.
However, automotive engine applications usually have quite a number of alloy lightweight components, typically such as oil pan, flywheel housing, and numerous other castings.
So to convert it to truck use, you'd have to examine the physical differences in these components with the truck engine you want to replace, and swap them accordingly, to keep the weight down.
However, automotive engine applications usually have quite a number of alloy lightweight components, typically such as oil pan, flywheel housing, and numerous other castings.
So to convert it to truck use, you'd have to examine the physical differences in these components with the truck engine you want to replace, and swap them accordingly, to keep the weight down.
Nige
Senior Member
Sent you something. Check your messages.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
It doesn't show the complete article but is very detailed. It is interesting that Cat did make 3 ring pistons for some turbo engines but never for NA engines. The biggest difference seems to be the turbo pistons recess is slightly bigger. I wonder if an IP was turned up or it was a higher HP NA engine, the Cat 3 ring pistons could be used without issues? I'm also thinking it might be possible with 3204's which are half a 3208. Nice to know the crankshaft's are very stout.03Z makes it a pretty standard turbocharged 250HP industrial/automotive application engine. The 03Z was never fitted to any item of Cat equipment.
Filters may be different between engines, depending on the brand of equipment it came out of.
One of the best articles I've seen written about these engines is by Roy Berndt, an engine reconditioning guru. The article came from a copy of Engine Rebuilder magazine.
Roy runs through the entire history of the 3208, from it's inception in 1967 in medium duty Ford trucks as the 1100 series, and goes into great detail explaining all the design differences over the years, and what you need to look for, if you want to start swapping components and engines around.
Rebuilding The Cat 3208 Diesel | PDF
Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site.
There is a lot of debate on whether the 3200 series engines are considered good reliable engines or are best to avoid. I've been told by a shop that does a lot of rebuilds the NA engines are much better and last longer because they are lower HP to displacement. The turbos in applications like a 953 are common for more frequent rebuilds because Cat was trying to squeeze the most HP possible out of the displacement. Another shop I talked to disagreed with the negative opinion of 3208's and a guy I knew that dug pipeline said the 3208 was better in a truck application and poor as a constant high speed engine in a 225 excavator. Curious what owners of 3208's/3204's have experienced as far as reliability?
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Having computer problems but i often wonder about groups of people and what they have to say and there experience with stuff. Did they really have problems or just didnt like the engine color or something happen unrelated that made them thing it wasnt good.
OzDozer
Senior Member
The 3208 started off as a throwaway engine built for Ford, then Cat decided to start selling it to other manufacturers, and then using it in Cat equipment, too.
The early 1100 series gave a lot of trouble, their oil pumps would cavitate when cold because the oil suction lines were too small. The water pumps gave trouble, the wrist pin bushings were a constant problem - and every owner/user thought they were a heavy-duty engine.
Cat made it clear they were a 5000 hr engine and designed for trucks hauling a maximum of 70,000lbs.
But of course, people wanted them in their tractors, lugging away endlessly for hours - they wanted to haul big loads on their semis, so they loaded them to the max.
But when Cat started installing them in their own equipment and their problems started coming back on Cat, Cat set about a major redesign and strengthening. That was about 1981.
The redesign made them a much more reliable engine - but they still had the mud attached to their name from the earlier years. So, a lot of people just reckoned they were rubbish - especially when they found out most had only two rings, and they all had parent bores and no replaceable valve guides.
But as a medium duty engine, they're just fine. Use them for what they were designed for, light to medium duty work, and they provide quite satisfactory service. They were good on fuel.
The early 1100 series gave a lot of trouble, their oil pumps would cavitate when cold because the oil suction lines were too small. The water pumps gave trouble, the wrist pin bushings were a constant problem - and every owner/user thought they were a heavy-duty engine.
Cat made it clear they were a 5000 hr engine and designed for trucks hauling a maximum of 70,000lbs.
But of course, people wanted them in their tractors, lugging away endlessly for hours - they wanted to haul big loads on their semis, so they loaded them to the max.
But when Cat started installing them in their own equipment and their problems started coming back on Cat, Cat set about a major redesign and strengthening. That was about 1981.
The redesign made them a much more reliable engine - but they still had the mud attached to their name from the earlier years. So, a lot of people just reckoned they were rubbish - especially when they found out most had only two rings, and they all had parent bores and no replaceable valve guides.
But as a medium duty engine, they're just fine. Use them for what they were designed for, light to medium duty work, and they provide quite satisfactory service. They were good on fuel.
cfherrman
Senior Member
They are alright, have kinda small bearings, but there is a lot of used engines out there.
Compare it to a 7-8L and they do just fine.
Compare it to a 7-8L and they do just fine.