Perkins 4108 Engine.

[Ozric.]

I am currently looking at a boat with a Perkins 4108 engine.

 

The boat is circa 1989, 50ft trad stern, (i believe by Liverpool boats, although waiting for the vendor to call to confirm)

 

Are these engines any good?, are spare parts readily available/cheap?, or are they to be avoided as have too many ongoing/expensive issues.

 

Forgive me, i do not have the time to trawl through the endless forum pages at this time.

 

What warning signs should i look out for from the engine when taking her out/viewing?

 

Thank you in advance for the feedback.

 

*She has a Hurth gearbox*

Edited March 26, 2012 by Ozric.

[Ex- Member]

I am currently looking at a boat with a Perkins 4108 engine.

 

The boat is circa 1989, 50ft trad stern, (i believe by Liverpool boats, although waiting for the vendor to call to confirm)

 

Are these engines any good?, are spare parts readily available/cheap?, or are they to be avoided as have too many ongoing/expensive issues.

 

Forgive me, i do not have the time to trawl through the endless forum pages at this time.

 

What warning signs should i look out for from the engine when taking her out/viewing?

 

Thank you in advance for the feedback.

 

I have the same engine I think bought new in 2005

 

The forum here has some good info on it.

 

http://www.dieselenginetrader.com/diesel_talk/messageview.cfm?catid=19&threadid=282

 

 

[alan_fincher]

The Perkins 4-108 was used a fair amount, but nothing like as extensively as the BMC 1500 and 1800 diesels.

 

You don't see a huge number of boats come to market now that still have them, I think.

 

I'm sure someone will have a better idea about spares availability than I have, but I know that these days the firm DiPERK is the one usually quoted for Perkins parts, so you could have a conversation with them about parts for this particular engine.

 

Some possibly useful info Here

 

EDITED TO ADD:

 

I doubt you could buy these new in 2005, so rather suspect the motor Julyian has is going to be a different one ??

Edited March 26, 2012 by alan_fincher

[bargemast]

I have the same engine I think bought new in 2005

 

The forum here has some good info on it.

 

http://www.dieselenginetrader.com/diesel_talk/messageview.cfm?catid=19&threadid=282

 

 

The Perkins 4108 if I remember rightly is a 1.8 ltr engine, and Julian's is a much more recent Perkins of 2.5 ltr.

 

They were strong and reliable engines that replaced the 4107 series, but now they are a bit old, parts are available everywhere.

 

Peter.

[jelunga]

Both I and Keeping Up have this engine, called MC42 when marinised by Duffields. They are a smooth engine with a counterbalance shaft and well made in my view. Mine was new in 1991 and now has 8500 hrs on it. Smokes a little for a while when you give it welly after idling/ running at less that 1200 rpm ljght load.

Looking from the front I have a second alternatir mounted on the left. The clamp set screw for the belt adjustment arm is threaded into an aluminium casting. It stripped last year. Helicoiled it and still good.

I can agree with Diperk as a good source. The genuine Perkings filters are cheap enough from them.

[Ex- Member]

The Perkins 4108 if I remember rightly is a 1.8 ltr engine, and Julian's is a much more recent Perkins of 2.5 ltr.

 

They were strong and reliable engines that replaced the 4107 series, but now they are a bit old, parts are available everywhere.

 

Peter.

 

Hi Peter, Yeah you're right, the model No. on mine is very similar though, not on boat so can't check it out at the moment.

 

I Should have some photos of the rear cabin by the weekend, I'm there from Wednesday and hope make some progress. I'll post them on my boat build thread.

 

 

[mrsmelly]

I am currently looking at a boat with a Perkins 4108 engine.

 

The boat is circa 1989, 50ft trad stern, (i believe by Liverpool boats, although waiting for the vendor to call to confirm)

 

Are these engines any good?, are spare parts readily available/cheap?, or are they to be avoided as have too many ongoing/expensive issues.

 

Forgive me, i do not have the time to trawl through the endless forum pages at this time.

 

What warning signs should i look out for from the engine when taking her out/viewing?

 

Thank you in advance for the feedback.

 

*She has a Hurth gearbox*

 

A friend had one. Old fashioned and noisey a bit like the bmc but does the job and robust.

[soldthehouse]

The facts,

 

1 Old

2 Noisey

3 Ubiquitous once over

4 Will last forever if its been looked after

5 Great spares availability

6 low tech simple and made of stuff you can hammer grind and weld

[Ex- Member]

Hi Peter, Yeah you're right, the model No. on mine is very similar though, not on boat so can't check it out at the moment.

 

I Should have some photos of the rear cabin by the weekend, I'm there from Wednesday and hope make some progress. I'll post them on my boat build thread.

 

 

 

This is the same as mine according to model No. I posted this some years back on here, there is a discrepancy though in that this engine states 2.2 litre where I'm sure ours is a 2.5 maybe there is a 2.5 model but the main block is identical.

 

http://www.perkins.it/104-22co.pdf

[jelunga]

Where does the "noisy" come from?

We have been cruising through a semi built up area when a walker has asked it was an electric boat cos he couldnt hear an engine.

[mrsmelly]

Where does the "noisy" come from?

We have been cruising through a semi built up area when a walker has asked it was an electric boat cos he couldnt hear an engine.

 

Do you have oars ?

[steamraiser2]

The Perkins 4107 and 4108s are great engines and will last for years if serviced properly. Keep up the oil and filter changes and make sure that you use decent engine oil. Ensure that you keep the antifreeze strength up. They will crack cylinder heads or blow head gaskets if you let them overheat and are prone to leak off rail diesel leaks now and then. I would not hesitate over buying a boat with one in. Cheap bits, easy to get still. Best of all it's British and very well made!

[bargemast]

This is the same as mine according to model No. I posted this some years back on here, there is a discrepancy though in that this engine states 2.2 litre where I'm sure ours is a 2.5 maybe there is a 2.5 model but the main block is identical.

 

http://www.perkins.it/104-22co.pdf

 

 

Because under the photo on your blog where it said Perkins 2.5 , I wrote that yours was a 2.5, but as is written in the discription, it could very well be a 2.2 but the fact is that it's not a 4108, which has to rev much higher to get the 50hp, 4000n instead of 2800n.

 

The 2.2 has a bore of 84mm, and a stroke of 100mm, and a 4108 has a bore of 79.37mm, and a stroke of 88.90mm to get 1.76 liter.

 

Perkins engines in general are good sturdy and reliable engines, that are used for many industrial applications all over the world.

 

Looking forward to see the photos of your progress on the boat.

 

Peter.

[Ex- Member]

The Perkins 4107 and 4108s are great engines and will last for years if serviced properly. Keep up the oil and filter changes and make sure that you use decent engine oil. Ensure that you keep the antifreeze strength up. They will crack cylinder heads or blow head gaskets if you let them overheat and are prone to leak off rail diesel leaks now and then. I would not hesitate over buying a boat with one in. Cheap bits, easy to get still. Best of all it's British and very well made!

 

 

I would not hesitate over buying a boat with one in. Cheap bits, easy to get still. Best of all it's British and very well made!

 

 

We chose this engine primarily for those reasons, but cost as a bonus was around £1500 to 2k cheaper than the newer type engines Kubota etc. Nothing wrong with these until you need parts and servicing the costs of which seem extortionate to me. Simple engine easy maintenance works for me, I will agree not as quiet as some newer type, but chugg along on idle or just over merrily for hours not missing a beat.

[soldthehouse]

Where does the "noisy" come from?

We have been cruising through a semi built up area when a walker has asked it was an electric boat cos he couldnt hear an engine.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Rwev0_kys

[Jim Riley]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=g3Rwev0_kys

 

It goes quiet when you turn the volume down, why not try that?

 

too sunny for a coat!

[jelunga]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Rwev0_kys

Mine is slightly different without the Perkins on rhe header tank/ exhaust jacket thing. Mine is by polar. ( nont bi polar).

When all cased up and my hearing aids turned off it just purrs away.

[soldthehouse]

Mine is slightly different without the Perkins on rhe header tank/ exhaust jacket thing. Mine is by polar. ( nont bi polar).

When all cased up and my hearing aids turned off it just purrs away.

Yes its an unfair statement to say NOISEY without qualification. They will invariably be encased but in an open mounting such as an engine room you would need ear defenders

[Ex- Member]

Photo of ours if helpful to anyone.

 

 

100 Series 104-22

[soldthehouse]

Photo of ours if helpful to anyone.

 

 

100 Series 104-22

With respect your engine bears only a passing similarity to a 4108. Yours is radically altered and would be hard to find any similarities. They are in effect two compeletly different engines and yours is like a high speed 125 as against a Flying Sscotsman

[Ex- Member]

With respect your engine bears only a passing similarity to a 4108. Yours is radically altered and would be hard to find any similarities. They are in effect two compeletly different engines and yours is like a high speed 125 as against a Flying Sscotsman

 

It's a 104 not 4108

 

Bargemast noted earlier that I thought I had a 4108 but I actually have a 104, my mistake.

 

I posted just as a reference though and headed it 100 Series 104-22

 

Didn't mean to confuse.

 

 

[soldthehouse]

It's a 104 not 4108

 

Bargemast noted earlier that I thought I had a 4108 but I actually have a 104, my mistake.

 

I posted just as a reference though and headed it 100 Series 104-22

 

Didn't mean to confuse.

In all honesty your engine is a good modern equivalent and refined bringing it into the new millenium. They would have done it sooner only the old 4108 s soldiered on with all kinds of abuse so they didnt need to do anything. Eventually the 4108s started to dissapear by natural wastage and the inevitable "Export markets" which is a testament to any products endurance. A replacement design was inevitable and with emissions etc etc the likes of yours was born, so rather than graduated development a wholesale uprating was done overnight.

 

Hope that helps

[Keeping Up]

Both I and Keeping Up have this engine, called MC42 when marinised by Duffields. They are a smooth engine with a counterbalance shaft and well made in my view. Mine was new in 1991 and now has 8500 hrs on it. Smokes a little for a while when you give it welly after idling/ running at less that 1200 rpm ljght load.

Looking from the front I have a second alternatir mounted on the left. The clamp set screw for the belt adjustment arm is threaded into an aluminium casting. It stripped last year. Helicoiled it and still good.

I can agree with Diperk as a good source. The genuine Perkings filters are cheap enough from them.

 

Actually no, the MC42 is not a 4/108, it is a 104/19 which is a completely different engine.

[Ex- Member]

In all honesty your engine is a good modern equivalent and refined bringing it into the new millenium. They would have done it sooner only the old 4108 s soldiered on with all kinds of abuse so they didnt need to do anything. Eventually the 4108s started to dissapear by natural wastage and the inevitable "Export markets" which is a testament to any products endurance. A replacement design was inevitable and with emissions etc etc the likes of yours was born, so rather than graduated development a wholesale uprating was done overnight.

 

Hope that helps

 

Hi Soldthehouse

 

I did wonder weather the 4108 was it's predecessor, so that's good to know. I just like the simplicity it offers no frills gadgets or gizmos and possible longevity given the Perkins pedigree, I'll look after it, and it'll hopefully it'll give us good service through the years.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

[alan_fincher]

Actually no, the MC42 is not a 4/108, it is a 104/19 which is a completely different engine.

I'm glad someone said that, because I thought they were not the same thing at all, but didn't want to risk sticking my neck out!