Primarily focused on building diesel and industrial-scale engines, Cat makes them for individuals and businesses that need powerful engines that work. They’re relied upon by people from all walks of life, including do-it-yourself builders and larger corporations in varied areas of industry.
They’re one of the most recognizable engine brands, though the logo isn’t the only reason for this. Cat builds several engines that differ based on configuration, exhaust stroke, tank capacity, and a whole lot more.
Below are the Cat engines sold to consumers. If you’ve been on the hunt for a durable engine that doesn’t age rapidly, you’ll want to check them out.
The Cat 3116
The Caterpillar 3116 Diesel Engine is turbo-powered and capable of performing to its maximum capacity for boats and other marine forms of transportation. Fitting more than one fuel injector group, it’s commonly used as a singular engine, though some boaters find it useful for some truck engines and heavy machinery.
Other Cat engines like the 3126 borrowed heavily from its design. You’ll manage over 300 horsepower with the 2,800 rpm version. You can try it out with other transmissions made by the company, giving you a wide margin in acceleration power and speed. It has a counter-clockwise flywheel rotation and a holding limit of 7.4 gallons for the cooling tank capacity.
It’s important to know that the range of horsepower can change according to what you’re using the engine on. Using a displacement hull, for example, could change the horsepower to a little over 200 and the rpm to 2400 when you don’t alter the boat’s throttle. It’s a turbocharged inline-6 with five strokes.
The 3116’s total weight is approximately 1,500 pounds, giving it an average of 4.2 pounds for its horsepower. The 3116 is also suitable for generators and medium-duty trucks.
The Cat 3408
For lovers of internal combustion engines, the 3408 can produce lots of power. There are eight cylinders, which help to provide up to 520 horsepower.
When using it to double as a generator, you’ll get about 266 kilowatts of electricity. While its specification looks good on paper, Cat 3408’s selling point is durability. It’ll last you for many years with little performance reduction.
Overall, you’ll get 16,000 hours for operation with general maintenance. Another marine engine, making changes every so often, shouldn’t be complex, considering that factory parts for Cat are easy to find. Torque is 2000 pounds per foot with a displacement of 18 liters.
The Cat C7
There was a lot of hype about the Cat C7 when it was first released. Did it live up to the standards that were placed on it?
Its emissions sure did, pushing out clean air instead of dirty pollutants. This is all controlled electronically by a built-in computer within the engine. Additionally, it meets the emissions standards to drive it in Europe as well.
There’s no shortage of auto companies making engines, with Cat also being recognizable to people that know midsize trucks. It’s usually outfitted for them. It’s the last diesel engine produced by Cat for vehicles of this size. Still, it manages to push out 300 horsepower with 2,200 maximum rpm. Its weight is about 1,290 pounds, which may contribute to driving HP down to 225.
The Cat C15
Performance-wise, some trucks have better compatibility with engines. If you have a transmission with a limited number of gears, you should try out the Cat C15. It operates with 2,100 rpm and a cap of 625 horsepower. This is a trucker’s engine, one with a good warranty and excellent fuel economy.
The C15 first retailed in 1999 as an upgrade from the Cat 3406E. The result is an engine with fewer parts making up the entirety of the engine. You would notice some similarities if evaluating them together, but things like fewer potential leaks and better protection for extended gasket wear can be seen some time after purchase.
Summary
Cats aren’t limited to the engines listed above. There’s the C16, C3126, and C9. Together, they rank high for people needing heavy-duty engines that age longer than standard boating and vehicle engines. They’re easy to keep up with, thanks to the number of OEM parts Cat builds for them all.
AUTHOR NAME : ALISON LURIE
