Caterpillar Inc.

Cat® Marine Power

Engine Advice
187-P-2-004-97 (articles/compass/aug97.doc)

Special and Exclusive to Compass Publications

HEADLINE: Engine Advice

BYLINE: By David O. Ahrens

Commercial Marine Manager
Caterpillar Engine Products Division

Q: Why do I need to replace my engine’s thermostat?

A: An engine’s thermostat (or “temperature regulator”) regulates the jacket water

temperature to keep the engine running at a normal operating temperature, usually around

185 degrees F.

If the jacket water becomes too hot, the thermostat “opens” to allow cold water in

from either the keel cooler or heat exchanger. When the jacket water returns to a normal

operating temperature, the thermostat “closes” to keep the cold water out. An old or

deteriorating thermostat, however, may not recognize when to close off the cold water

and subsequently overcool the engine. Overcooling can damage an engine as much as

overheating because the parts don’t expand properly, and the engine is allowed to run

under any load at substandard temperatures.

The biggest problem associated with running too cool is excessive carbon buildup

around valve guides and behind piston rings. Other problems include combustion

contaminants in the oil and the presence of sulfuric acid, which can attack the rings and
valve guides. This can cause excessive wear and shorten the lives of these parts by up to

80 percent.

To get the most out of your engine, change your thermostats annually as part of

your routine maintenance schedule. You can also determine thermostat wear by

monitoring the coolant temperature under load. If it’s running below 185 degrees F,

change your thermostats. (Caterpillar engines usually have two or four thermostats per

engine. If one fails, change all of them.) The advantages to a regular thermostat

changeout is increased fuel efficiency, longer life between overhauls and increased

engine performance.

Q: What do you think about the use of synthetic oils in marine applications?

A: Synthetic base stock oils generally outperform non-synthetic oils in two areas:

improved oil viscosity in low operating temperatures and improved resistance to

oxidation in high operating or ambient temperatures. Oxidation occurs when oil

molecules combine with oxygen. Heat from the engine acts as a catalyst for oxidation,

causing the oil to thicken, lose its lubrication characteristics and its ability to resist wear

and corrosion.

Some synthetic oils have a characteristic that enhances the useful service life of

the oil, which can help lengthen oil service intervals. Caterpillar doesn’t recommend

automatically extending oil change intervals for any oil, including synthetic base stock

oils. Oil change intervals should only be adjusted through an oil analysis program that

includes oil condition and wear metals analysis, trend analysis, fuel consumption and oil

consumption. The extra benefits found in synthetic oils are reflected in the price --

synthetic oils are typically two to four times more expensive than non-synthetic oils.
 Got a question for Dave about the marine industry? If so, we’d like to hear from

you. Call us at 1-800-321-7332.

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