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I have a Pathfinder 50 in our IF36 and it has run very good for us, but you do have to stay on top of the regular maintenance to have a trouble free experience...I guess you could say that about any engine though.
Pathfinder engines were used on many different boats in the 70s and 80s, but for some reason fell out of favor to other engines. About half of the IF36s still sailing after about 30 years still have their original engines (mine included), and the other slightly older IF36s are still running their original Perkins engines. There are a smaller amount of IF36s that re-powered after their engines failed with newer type engines, but only a small percentage compared to the rest of the fleet. There are newer, more updated versions of the Pathfinder made these days, and if I had to re-power I would probably go with the newer versions.
Parts are really not that difficult to get in my experience. The reality of finding a VW diesel mechanic in many foreign ports is not all that hard, considering how widely distributed VWs are around the world.
I would not be afraid to use a Pathfinder, just because it's not the 'in' engine today.
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