Repowering in Mexico?

[RedHerring]

One day in the not so distant future I'll have to do something about my old Yanmar 2GM20. A mechanic in Vancouver told me that at $100/hour shop rates rebuilding is downright stupid, and re-powering with a 2YM15 will cost me something like $20k, including $10k for the engine itself.

The diesel is raw water cooled, has unknown hours (not that many), parked in a river for the last 11 years, so nowhere near as rusty as it should have been by now, had a head overhaul 3 years ago.

According to the plan, this boat should end up in the Sea of Cortez some time in the next couple of years (via California). There is a pretty good chance that the engine will actually hold up for the next few years. The only problem with it now is increased oil consumption - I have to add oil every 3-4 days when cruising.

I could also do most of the rebuild myself, although when I'm working, my hourly rate is comparable.

If you were me, would you:

* bite the bullet and pay 20k for repower
* bite the bullet and pay whatever it takes to overhaul whatever needs to be overhauled to give this diesel another 10 years of useful life?
* wait until the boat is in a region where labor is cheaper, and mechanics are more used to fixing things, rather than replacing them outright?
* do something else to make the repowering exercise noticeably cheaper than 20k?
* Run the boat until the engine dies, then sink her and buy another?
* Plan to just go engineless
* ???

[MVNoPlans]

Enjoy her as is and maybe pick up a rebuilt two stroke 15hp longshaft ob just in case and have the mount on the stern ready

[RedHerring]

That's an interesting thought but doesn't sound like a long-term plan.

[deblen]

Some thoughts.
If it is burning a bit of oil now,the re-build may be sooner than you state.
Burning oil-usually valve seals or piston rings.
Leaking oil-usually visible.
Noted that head was off 3 yrs ago-valve seals should be ok,if job was proper.
Check compression.If low or uneven,remove head.You can now measure cyl bore & check for ridge.You can also replace valve seals.
If you feel capable & have time- Remove whole eng. & take it somewhere warm.Good winter project.

If you can't fix it before you go south,I suggest you buy the re-build parts & gaskets & take them with you.That will eliminate concerns over getting parts in a remote area.You will have the option to hire a local mech.,or do it yourself-at least you have parts.
Cheers/Len

[RedHerring]

Compression is almost like new, and the oil is burning, not leaking. Which says "worn out rings" to me. Point taken on ordering the rebuild kit before heading south.

Is there any method to finding a new 2YM15 for much less than the list price? Like, I don't know, boat shows, Xmas sale, a fishing village chandlery in Nova Scotia, marrying my daughter to a Yanmar dealer?

One thing I have is time - can wait for the right opportunity.

[TJ D]

Hi Red,

You can absolutely repower down there, but there are a couple of things to consider.

First, availability of parts is a little spotty, and getting them down from the US isn't always all that easy. If you're going to be heading to the sea of Cortez, probably your best bet is to do the repower in San Carlos/Guaymas. You can drive up and get your parts/new engine and bring it down yourself. Your import permit allows this, just make sure that you get a note from customs confirming that you're replacing/repairing the engine that is listed on the permit. So, when you fill out that paperwork for your TIP, make sure that you get the serial number right.

If you prefer to get parts shipped down, use a freight forwarder who will bring the parts across the border and put them on a Mexican trucking line. Definitely don't have them UPS'd or the like from the US. You might never see them.

Second, the quality of the mechanics varies widely down there. Just make sure that you ask around with the local cruisers when you're ready to do the job. It sounds like you have some pretty good mechanical aptitude too, so that helps a lot. They generally have different standards down there about what's ok for installations/repairs. We've seen some pretty spectacular jury-rigged stuff over the years, which the locals consider to be a perfectly acceptable long-term repair...

The point is that you need to personally be there to supervise the work.

So, just my two cents, based on many years there, you should be just fine to run her into the ground and take care of it down south. We've done lots of work in Mexico and have generally been pretty satisfied, but I ALWAYS watched the guys like a hawk. That's very important to remember. If you've got the time to do that, you're in good shape.

Enjoy!

TJ

[goat]

Check the prices of these guys while you're at it. http://www.betamarinecanada.com/engines2.html

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[JPA Cate]

Red Herring,

If you're the sort of guy who likes to be conservative with his bucks, don't go and repower with an engine that requires electronics to enable it for starting. Seriously, mate, go and look at marinized tractor engines before you put your cruising life in control of an electronics box. Way better to avoid if possible.

And, if all you're doing is burning too much oil, why not tear the sucker down, and replace the rings and see what happens?

Ann

[Terra Nova]

On eBay, a client found a Yanmar 2GM with a complete rebuild from a Yanmar Gold dealer, for $3500.

At least do an overhaul before departing.

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by RedHerring

Compression is almost like new, and the oil is burning, not leaking. Which says "worn out rings" to me. Point taken on ordering the rebuild kit before heading south.

Is there any method to finding a new 2YM15 for much less than the list price? Like, I don't know, boat shows, Xmas sale, a fishing village chandlery in Nova Scotia, marrying my daughter to a Yanmar dealer?

One thing I have is time - can wait for the right opportunity.

Often a wet compression test following a normal compression test will highlight whether the problem is rings or head.

If your compression is good then the problem may be in the oil control rings. (assuming no top end issues) An overheat is often the cause of oil contol ring degradation.

You could try changing oil or viscosity rating. Hint stay away from anything synthetic when trying to reduce oil consumption.. The synthetics are designed to lower friction, to improve economy, and improve emissions. All of which are the opposite of what you want when trying to reduce oil consumption.

You can also get an oil analysis. This will tell you if you are getting blowby past the rings into the oil (compression rings).

If you're getting a lot of blowby the dilution of your oil with fuel may exacerbate your oil consumption through oil thinning.

The root cause can often be reliably predicted by adding the test results to discount or confirm your suspicions.

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[Terra Nova]

left--good post