After 11 years, Mitsubishi engines still going strong in Gulf

(COVINGTON, La.) — As proof of its commitment to providing the right products and the right service, engines that Laborde Products supplied over a decade ago are still going strong. When Laborde sales representative Kyle Bordelon was traveling down Louisiana Highway 1, he came across a very familiar vessel in the bayou. Put in service on Oct. 10, 2003, the Mitsubishi S6A3-Y1MPTA engines delivered to the boat's previous owner have over 30,000 hours and are still working hard.

The engines were originally supplied to Ed Grimm of Houston Marine Service for the vessel formerly known as HMS America before it was sold to Premier Tugs. The tugboat now named Mr. Landon may have changed owners but its engines are still the same. The boat is used mainly for transportation to oil fields from Texas to Florida. The S6A3-Y1MPTA engines are rated 483 hp at 1,840 rpm.

"I'm very satisfied with the engines. No complaints," said Tim Ronsonet, Premier Tugs co-owner. "I've never had a Mitsubishi engine before and I was a little scared when I first bought the boat. But after talking with a few people, I decided to purchase it and now I'm really glad I did. I would definitely recommend Mitsubishi."

"Ed Grimm's courage to try something new by choosing Mitsubishi engines in 2003 was a great decision," said Chris Cerullo, Laborde's marine sales manager. "We know Mitsubishi makes a high-quality product. It's certainly a testament to the engines and what can happen when the right products receive the right service and the right support."

Laborde Products is the largest Mitsubishi Marine distributor in North America with a far-reaching territory from Texas to Florida and New Orleans to Minneapolis. Excellent for the extremely heavy-duty tugboat and pushboat applications, Mitsubishi engines typically offer significantly larger displacement and more mass. Extremely easy to maintain, each cylinder has its own head and the engine has large inspection covers on the crankcase and oil pan. The other great advantage with Mitsubishi engines is that they are all EPA compliant, but with mechanical governors. No complex electronics are required to meet the emission standards.

Contact Laborde Products at 74257 Hwy 25, Covington, LA 70435. Phone: 985-892-0107; fax: 985-898-5824. ccerullo@labordeproducts.com; www.labordeproducts.com.

By Professional Mariner Staff