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Topic: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace (Read 795 times) previous topic - next topic

Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Looking to replace or rebuild cat 3208t 300 horsepower at a price that is worth it in a 1987 grand villa. Coach in excellent shape in and out but just doesn't seem worth the cost to replace or rebuild.  I have just travelled across canada and now heading down the east coast of USA and then across to California  If someone has any ideas about somewhere on my travels to do something I am open to recommendations. Can alter travel routes if someone has info
John Gilbraitte
1990 Grand Villa

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #1 –
Check with Clark Power Equipment in Raleigh NC if you're going that way. They told me they've done many in frame rebuilds of two cycle Detroit Diesels for under $5000 total cost with all parts and labor included... I know that's not the engine you have but they may do Caterpillars too, or maybe they'd transplant another engine similar to yours... If you're going through Page AZ check with AZ Welding Equipment, which is also another two cycle Detroit Diesel rebuilder but I'm pretty sure they do other engines and they do  excellent  work inexpensively, but they're a very small shop and may not be the fastest.
Scott Cook
1991 U300 36' 6V92TA
Old Town Penobscot 16
1984 Honda VF1100C (V65 Magna)

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #2 –
Quote from: johng –
Looking to replace or rebuild.  Can alter travel routes if someone has info

What's the deal with you guys blowing up our beloved CATs?  Second thread this month! This forum has many questions, and a few answers. What is going on to make you think you need a fresh CAT?  :-\
1993 U-240 "La Villa Grande"..CAT 3116 w/ Pacbrake PRXB...Allison 3060 6-speed..
Previous: 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel, 1979 Airstream 280 turbo diesel
                                      Build # 4297
                                      PNW natives
                      Home base:  'Cactus Hug' (Ajo, Arizona)
                        DW Judy & Chet the wonder dog
                        Full-Timers 'Sailing the asphalt sea'

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #3 –
If you can make it that far just keep putting oil in,try a higher weight,like the Donald says,"what have you got to lose".
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #4 –
What is wrong with the Cat.
The selected media item is not currently available.Bill&Doris 97 U270 36'
University of Parris Island Class of 66
Semper Fi  Build# 5174 MC#17094

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #5 –
Cat 3208's were used in thousands of busses and farm tractors.  Now in California they are forbidden to be sold or rebuilt by the Smog Agency known as CARB.  The result is bordering Cat Dealers have a glut of new and rebuilt engines plus tons of parts.  I would suggest anyone needing a 3208 to do searches of Cat Dealers and start emailing them for prices.  Another source is to use nation wide searches of Craigslist, outside of Seattle a school district gave away new 3208's by the "pound".
1988  40' Grand Villa Cat 3208t

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #6 –
Quote from: John44 –
If you can make it that far just keep putting oil in,try a higher weight,like the Donald says,"what have you got to lose".
I would assume, like the other thread, that ALL he is doing is burning oil, however, a few of us would appreciate the mileage and frequency of oil changes/filters.
1993 U-240 "La Villa Grande"..CAT 3116 w/ Pacbrake PRXB...Allison 3060 6-speed..
Previous: 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel, 1979 Airstream 280 turbo diesel
                                      Build # 4297
                                      PNW natives
                      Home base:  'Cactus Hug' (Ajo, Arizona)
                        DW Judy & Chet the wonder dog
                        Full-Timers 'Sailing the asphalt sea'

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #7 –
Mike,

The Caterpillar 3208 is COMPLETELY different than the 3116 and 3126.  It is a full generation older, and a large displacement V8 vs your Inline 6.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #8 –
Determine if you can just have the head rebuilt,generally you go thru 2 heads for every low end rebuild.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #9 –
Quote from: johng –
Looking to replace or rebuild cat 3208t 300 horsepower at a price that is worth it in a 1987 grand villa. Coach in excellent shape in and out but just doesn't seem worth the cost to replace or rebuild.  I have just travelled across canada and now heading down the east coast of USA and then across to California  If someone has any ideas about somewhere on my travels to do something I am open to recommendations. Can alter travel routes if someone has info

Check this place out.  I ran into this place while surfing the web today.  Used RV parts.
http://rvchassisparts.visonerv.com/cgi-bin/f/caterpillardieselmotors.pl?

John M.
John & Carm Morales

"We travel not to go anywhere, but to just go.  We travel for travel's sake.  Our great desire is to move."

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #10 –
I have a 3208T 300hp marine core that I am willing to sell at a reasonable price.  It was a running take out and may be ok as is, but I would sell as a rebuild able core for about  3k.  Water cooled turbo and water cooled exhaust manifolds included.
Current coach 1996 U320 40'
Previous coach, 1990 36' U280

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #11 –
We used to call the 3208 a throwaway. It is not the same quality of other Cat engines. They often smoke quite a bit until run for a couple of minutes. They were used in a lot of equipment and they can use quite a bit of oil and still keep going.
Peter and Frieda Morin
1999 36ft. U320 Foretravel
Build # 5436
1998 Suzuki Sidekick Sport

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #12 –
What are the symptoms, and how many miles and engine hours? In other words why do you think it needs replaced? Could be something simple such a sticking thermostat that can cause issues.
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #13 –
Okay more info. 156000 miles. Regular oil changes. ever since I owned it plus the owner before it has used one gallon of oil every thousand miles (quart every 250 miles). Burns blue for 10 minutes when started then clears up. No visible sign of burning oil after that. Now it is leaking oil around the rear seal by transmission. This has to be fixed as it leaks enough to leave drips when I stop after traveling to probably make rv park owners unhappy. I can live with it and probably keep driving to wherever I need to go to have it fixed.  The decision is to either get the oil seal fixed or to use the cost that it would cost towards a rebuild or replace. It has 4100 hours on present motor
John Gilbraitte
1990 Grand Villa

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #14 –
Will you be doing some of the work yourself? What is worth it for you may not be worth it for someone else.You may get by with
just replacing the heads.To replace the seal you have to seperate the eng and trans.What shape is the rest of the coach?

If your not going to do any work yourself then you may be better off with a rebuilt engine.Find out exactly what the problem is
and go from there,we can speculate with suggestions but only you can get it diagnosed.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #15 –
Make sure it is the rear main seal. Oil travels downhill and the 3208 had a problem on the top rear that leaked oil. It has been a long time since I worked on them so memory is dim, I think it had to do with the turbo oil feed not sure. I am sure it was a gasket and that is was top left rear looking from the damper. It would leak onto the bell housing and migrate to the bottom.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Cat 3208t 300 rebuild or replace

Reply #16 –
Waters Equipment in Maryville TN is an excellent engine shop which will also do any chassis or transmission work. They are experts on the older mechanical engines and have done a stellar job keeping my 8.2 detroit going strong for many years. If your ever in the area they are the ones to call.  865-982-6256 speak to Ben in service.

http://www.watersequipment.com
James Holder
'83 3500 FTX ORED LIMITED