CAT C32 1650 hp RXB... heat exchanger plates

Bought set of C32 1650 hp's from a CAT dealer. One new, 0 hours, one used, about 1000 hours. One engine has 6 fewer plates in heat exchanger and runs 5 to 7 degrees hotter than the other engine. CAT requiring me to add plates to one heat exchanger to establish warranty.

Anyone have a complete heat exchanger for sale or the following parts?

qty 3 – p/n 130-6046 Plate
qty 3 – p/n 130-6047 Plate
qty 10 – p/n 237-3898 spacer

Thanks,
Charley

The selling Cat dealer told me both engines would be available for Cat warranty. No mention of heat exchanger plate differences and nobody noticed until sea trial showed starboard engine running 5 to 7 deg F warmer than port side (187 versus 181 at cruise rpm), then Cat warranty inspection/sea trial mechanic noticed different thickness/number of plates between engines and the Cat warranty sales guy is requiring correction before warranty is granted. Everything else checked out fine.

Selling Cat dealer is not the same Cat dealer doing warranty inspection/sea trial. Selling Cat dealer says he gave me such a great deal on engines that there is no money left in the deal to pay for heat exchanger plate addition - says I am on my own and to just buck up the money and get the warranties in place. Selling dealer also assures me that nobody ever took any plates out of the heat exchanger and that the differences must be due to original Cat differences between the two engines, as they are 181 apart in serial number but both below 2728.

I feel someone on the Cat side should help me out with this as they were sold as ready to install and eligible for warranty if I pay for the warranty, but I don't want to raise a huge stink and hurt relationships or my opportunity to get warranty on both engines.

Best option for me is to find the parts or an entire heat exchanger as a spare and rob the parts from it, hopefully at a reasonable price. I'm the owner/operator and it's a higher-end charter boat so I appreciate any help you guys can offer.

The boat is overpowered so my cruise rpms are low which may help explain the low temps. At 1450 rpm she's 28 knots and 45% load. At 1600 rpm she's 32 knots and 46% load. At 1800 rpm she's 38 knots and 50% load. WOT is around 2350 rpm and 47+ knots and 99-100% load. All are with full fuel and water, and this does not vary much regardless of number of people or gear/fish/ice on board. She is 57 feet and weighs around 55,000 lb in this configuration.

At long-term WOT during the sea trial (a fairly anxious time period for me at that speed and engine rpm) I think the starboard engine was around 207-208 deg F and warranty sales guy said they want to see it under 200 for Cat Advantage warranty, which is where port engine was.

I understand your position on what you say the numbers should be but they are selling me the warranty and I'm passing along what they are telling me. It makes sense you would want the two heat exchangers to have the same number or plates so the engines run the same temps theoretically assuming all other things equal (cooler cleanliness, etc.), but it seems inappropriate that I have to pay to fix Cat's factory configuration differences to get their warranty.

It is their Commercial warranty, so perhaps that is what they are basing their 200 degrees on...?

It's a 57 Island Boat Works - the 8th one since 1987 and the 20th hull of all sizes up to 65 feet. I bought the company out of bankruptcy a couple years ago and this is the first one finished under my ownership and supervision. I am using this one as my personal charter boat for now and hoping to get some more builds in the future. I'm an aeronautical engineer with 23 years of aviation engineering and accident investigation (NTSB) experience and a lifetime of offshore fishing and boat addiction. So the boat has some unique aviation-inspired drag reduction features that contribute to the efficiency and speed.

It's your typical Carolina-style offshore fishing boat. See attached pics.