Ran my old dredge pump 17 years straight before the first rebuild blew my mind

Hit 8,000 hours on the meter last Tuesday and that old Murphy diesel still pulls like the day we dropped it in, how many of you guys track your hours that close?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah_brown2d ago

Did you ever have to tear into that Murphy at all or did she just keep chugging? I had a buddy who ran a 6-71 Detroit in a dredge for a good 15 years without so much as a head gasket. He said the only reason he finally pulled it was because the pump housing cracked, not the engine. Motor still ran like a top, he sold it to a farmer who used it for irrigation another 5 years at least. Makes you wonder if they overengineered those old diesels because nobody builds them that tough anymore.

ninah102d ago

Did you ever notice how those old Murphys just seem to get stronger the more hours you pile on? I've got a 3-71 in my irrigation pump that's been running since '82, and I swear it actually sounds smoother now than when I first bought it used. Last time I checked the hour meter it was at 11,400, and the only thing I've done is change the oil and put in one set of injectors about ten years back. Makes you wonder if they built them with some kind of magic or just a whole lot of good old-fashioned steel.