How many hours can I expect my Westerbeke or Universal product to last?
Westerbeke and Universal engines and generators are well known for long service life however it is difficult to pre-determine how long they will run. It is not uncommon to hear that generator sets and engines have run up to 10,000 hours with no major repairs. As a point of reference, an engine running at 1,800 RPM equals approximately 40 MPH. Therefore 100 hours equals 4,000 hours. 1,000 hours equals 40,000 miles and 5,000 hours equals 200,000 miles. Keep in mind that the environment the unit operates in, salt water verses fresh water, as well as the maintenance performed and the operation characteristics, will very much have an effect on the life of the unit. Also time takes its toll on the overall condition of the unit. A twenty year old engine with low hours is likely to have more problems than the same engine with many hours of operation. We recommend performing a compression test to determine the status of the engine. If the compression is within the service limits and the unit is
