Rubber Soft Mounts News

The Savannah Pilots Association have been operating their 57 by 16 aluminum pilot boat since 1984. Built at Louisiana's Breaux Bay Craft the boat has served them well. When they recently decided to replace the boat's engines they chose a pair of Cummins KTA19 M4 engines producing 700 HP each at 2100 RPM in a medium continuous duty rating. The change out of engines presented some unique challenges. The Cummins engines are narrower, but longer and taller than those being replaced so that it was necessary to lower the front of the engine beds by eleven inches and fabricate inverted mounts for the rear of the engines and the gears in order to retain the 14 degree shaft angle. At the same time the switch from a spring-type engine mount to rubber soft mounts added to the challenge.