A new 8.3 L engine in the Cummins MerCruiser Quantum family of marine diesels made its world debut at the International Boat Show in London earlier this year. Aimed at both the pleasure and commercial marine markets, the QSC8.3 diesel went into production in April 2004 with two power ratings: 540 hp at 2600 rpm and 490 hp at 2500 rpm.
Cummins Inc. and MerCruiser Diesel formed a joint venture just over a year ago. Based in Charleston, S.C., the new company, Cummins MerCruiser Diesel (CMD), offers major synergies for both partners according to Gary Dickman, vice-president worldwide marketing and sales. "Cummins gains greater production volumes in a marine market that in recent years has been contracting with fewer and fewer players," he noted. "As far as MerCruiser is concerned, the move facilitates and accelerates its entry into the diesel market.
"In the U.S. particularly, boat owners are increasingly turning to diesel for economy and safety. The joint venture covers engines from 1.7 to 15 L."
The Quantum engine family derives from the Cummins QSM11 launched in the late 1990s. This was the first electronic engine for Cummins Marine and proved a major success. Since then, three fully electronic marine engines have been launched by the new company--the QSB5.9-380, the QSL9 in 2003 and the latest QSC8.3. All three of these new engines are fully compliant with the stringent EPA Tier 2 emissions regulations for commercial diesel engines that took effect in January 2004. In addition, they will be IMO certified.
The newest Quantum engines use a high-pressure common rail system designed to improve fuel economy, reduce idle noise and reduce smoke and odor. CMD engineers point out that common rail has significantly reduced white smoke levels on start-up without the aid of air heaters. The QSC8.3-540 rating offers a 15% power increase over the 480C-E. A combination of a Holset wastegated turbocharger, 24-valve cylinder head and high efficiency aftercoller allows a boat to accelerate quickly upon plane, the company said.
The new engine has a number of features to aid installation and maintenance. The turbocharger location has been raised to simplify exhaust connections. Fuel and lube oil filter locations have been made more accessible and front engine mounts have been redesigned to allow multiple choices for front engine mount locations. The coolant tilter has been eliminated on the new QSC8.3 by using a specially formulated Fleetguard Compleat coolant.
To enhance engine life, gallery-cooled alloy pistons haw been used, along with a high-temperature alloy cylinder head. The block has also been strengthened to cope with higher cylinder pressures. Other features include high-temperature intake and exhaust valves and valve seats; fuel cooling for the engine control module (ECM) to avoid overheating; a water-in-fuel sensor that ties directly into the engine protection system; a low coolant alarm; and a more efficient aftercooler to reduce intake temperatures and enhance power cylinder life.
In most of the seawater plumbing, stainless steel tubes have replaced hoses; and seawater leaks are minimized by using O-ring seal connections instead of hose clamps.
One of the major innovations on the new QSC8.3 is the application of the company's SmartCraft multiplexing control and communications system. This uses a datalink and significantly reduces the amount of wiring in the engine room and at the helm. It avoids the use of bulky wiring harnesses, simplifying installation and maintenance. More importantly, SmartCraft opens up possibilities, effectively extending centralized control to other boat systems like fuel tank levels, GPS, steering (rudder position), water depth and temperature.
Dickman said that after just over 20 months of operation, Cummins MerCruiser Diesel had met all its output and sales targets. It was continuing to invest in its Marine Technical Center in Charleston, which houses 18 test cells and is near the CMD manufacturing facility and worldwide headquarters. Currently, engines for the joint venture are manufactured at Cummins' Darlington plants hi the U.K., as well as at sites in the U.S., Italy and Poland.
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