# When Is a Motor Too Big? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [April 19, 2016, 6:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077 "2016-04-19T06:29:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/21 "2016-04-20T19:25:05Z")
Either that, or the truck carrying it is really, really small. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/22 "2016-04-20T19:30:10Z")
It looks like a 40,000 HP marine diesel. Could be a Sultzer, a German Mann or a Danish B&W. The injectors on those babies look like large whisky bottles. A single cylinder head costs $70,000US. A tanker or container ship would have such an engine. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/23 "2016-04-21T00:34:13Z")
It ain’t too big if you plan on building a cruise ship… ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/24 "2016-04-21T01:08:07Z")
I’ve always wondered how they get those things through the doors of ships. ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/25 "2016-04-21T01:19:05Z")
Build the ship around the engine, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/26 "2016-04-21T01:32:28Z")
Shipyards have massive cranes. The engine would be lifted up by overhead cranes and lowered in the engine room of the ship before the top superstructure was put in place. The bottom structure of the ship has to support the engine so that part at last would be finished. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/27 "2016-04-21T01:39:15Z")
Those container ships (and most others) are now built in huge sections, then assembled with those big cranes. So the engine would go in pretty early. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/28 "2016-04-21T01:48:59Z")
A long while back I read a piece on that huge engine . . I think it has a V8 truck engine ( or similar ) on it . .as a STARTER ! ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/29 "2016-04-21T02:00:50Z")
Could be the SR-71. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/30 "2016-04-21T02:14:08Z")
Stuffing a giant engine into a tiny car is one of cardom’s oldest ways of going faster. Diesel-engine manufacturer Cummins took things to the extreme by grafting a QSK78 engine onto an original Austin Mini. There wasn’t really much stuffing involved, since the big, red mill just hangs out in the new engine “bay” in back. But we admire the effort and the mid-enginedness. ![](http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Cummins-Mini-440x268.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/31 "2016-04-21T03:37:48Z")
@“ken green” They don’t need a starter. They have solenoid activated valves so they just open an intake and squirt in a little Naval distillate or diesel and spark it off. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/32 "2016-04-21T05:50:38Z")
That image I posted is of the 6 cylinder variant of the Wärtsilä RT-flex96C. I edited in a better photo. The biggest 14 cylinder version puts out 109,000 horsepower. > **[This is what 109,000 horse power looks like - meet the biggest engine in the...](https://www.zmescience.com/science/biggest-most-poweful-engine-world/)** > > This jaw dropper is the Wärtsilä RT-flex96C, the world’s largest and most powerful diesel engine in the world today. ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 10:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/33 "2016-04-21T10:38:06Z")
^Yeah, that’s totally too big to help you cheat at the Tour de France! ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/34 "2016-04-21T17:55:01Z")
@circuitsmith Thanks for the update. I had not thought of Wartsila, and the largest engine I’ve dealt with so far in fleet management had “only” 60,000 HP. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/35 "2016-04-21T18:20:01Z")
True Joe, but it’s perfect for the Tour de Atlantic! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/36 "2016-04-22T18:31:39Z")
@Docnick 6 / 14 \* 109 = ~47,000 HP, so the 6 cylinder one could have been in your range. I guess weight wasn’t much of a concern in their design since they double as ballast. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/37 "2016-04-22T19:23:10Z")
When you’re in the middle of the Atlantic, robustness is more important than weight! ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/38 "2016-04-22T20:33:35Z")
These engines are very low speed, about 100 Rpm; the inertia precludes higher speeds. They are extremely reliable and can run on any number of cylinders. The fuel is normally pre-heated bunker or other heavy residual oil that sells at cut rate prices. Tightening environmental rules are gradually phasing out this dirty fuel. ---
**Author:** ![kmccune](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/kmccune/32/1237_2.png) [@kmccune](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kmccune)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/39 "2016-04-23T17:37:59Z")
These things emit as much pollution as several thousand new autos and trucks. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077/40 "2016-04-23T18:21:13Z")
Carnival Cruise Lines stopped visiting Baltimore for about a year and a half because new rules outlawed using bunker fuel oil within US waters. In many cases, the solution was to use two fuel supplies: one that is clean enough to operate inside US waters and the other (bunker fuel oil) for the open ocean. Since Baltimore is so far inland and accessed on a long route up the Chesapeake Bay, Carnival decided to leave. It was decided later to refit the Pride with enhanced pollution controls durng ship repairs and the Pride uses Blatimore as its home port again. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-is-a-motor-too-big/93077.md?page=3)