Diesel Outboards in USA

[tbodine88]

I want a Diesel outboard under 50 hp on my next boat. Does anyone know of a stateside supplier or at least one that is in the Americas?


this statement on alibaba is interesting:
There are 1,614 diesel outboard motor suppliers, mainly located in Asia. The top supplying countries are China (Mainland), United States, and Brazil,
which supply 92%, 1%, and 1% of diesel outboard motor respectively.

They are made by an Australian company Klaxon.

There are Yanmars advertised from Lithuania.

thanks

[Pete7]

I thought the Yanmars are about 36hp but a huge weight for a small yacht.

Ruggerini used to make a 15hp single cylinder diesel but haven't seen one for a while and trying to get spare out of Italy will be a nightmare.

Pete

[a64pilot]

In the US there are military spark ignition engines that have been modified to run off of specifically jet fuel, but will run off of Diesel as well.
I assume they don’t pass or haven’t been tested for emissions and therefore are not sold to the public.
However it effectively deals with the weight issue.
Lycoming also builds a drone motor that is spark ignition, modified to run off of Diesel / Jet.

Maybe it’s coming?

[VBsail]

In the US there are military spark ignition engines that have been modified to run off of specifically jet fuel, but will run off of Diesel as well.

Parsun list kerosene outboards. 9.9. 15, & 40hp in up to 25" shafts. They have US dealers.



Kerosene outboards-PARSUN commercial outboard engine for fishing man

[a64pilot]

Way back in the day, I believe kerosene was also known as tractor gas, farm tractors were first started on gasoline, then after warming up, switched to kerosene

[john61ct]

Way expensive isn't it?

[denverd0n]

Not sure I see the advantage of a kerosene outboard for an American. Can they be converted to diesel relatively easily?

[blueprint_33]

Check https://www.yanmarmarine.com/dtorque/
They market worldwide the German development of a 2-cyl diesel eigine. To my knowledge this the only engine left, bitterly sought after by all the cruise ships for their zodiacs. They don’t want to deal with petrol below deck.

[john61ct]

Yes I meant the price of the fuel

[blueprint_33]

Depending of the spec for Kero in the us you should be able to run pretty much any simple Diesel engine in kero. However it is less efficient.

[john61ct]

I thought the lack of lubrication was a problem

[oleman]

Basically the California boating market is so large that the State can dictate engine selections to the rest of the Nation. Actually during the OBAMA administration they were the driving force behind the US EPA. They essentially outlawed all small (and sales volume) diesel engines for any purpose there, and so goes the USA. I expect INDIA has diesel outboards, years ago when I lived in California, they had them, crude old machines that worked!

[Rough Magic]

Diesel outboards were not outlawed in California. They are required to meet the same air standards as gasoline. No manufacturer has, until Yanmar, bothered to build any. Weight, vibration, noise, and stink are what keep recreational boaters from demanding them, not the US EPA, who must certify them.

Yanmar plans to have their dtorque diesels for sale in the US sometime next year.

[Whisper Cappy]

There are currently 2 diesel outboard companies marketing U.S. EPA Tier III engines and 1 that has an outboard not yet U.S. EPA Tier III certified.

OXE - 125 and 150 on market with plans to 300 horsepower.
Cox - 300 horsepower on market with plans for higher horsepower.
Yanmar - 50 hp- Dtorque111, with plans to 100 hp, that hopefully will be EPA Tier III by early 2020. This engine is available globally except in the US and territories.

Lots of information on the internet of these 3 companies and engines.

The Yanmar 27 and 36 horsepower diesel outboards are no longer available.

Hope this helps!

[oleman]

Originally Posted by Rough Magic

Diesel outboards were not outlawed in California. They are required to meet the same air standards as gasoline. No manufacturer has, until Yanmar, bothered to build any. Weight, vibration, noise, and stink are what keep recreational boaters from demanding them, not the US EPA, who must certify them.

Yanmar plans to have their dtorque diesels for sale in the US sometime next year.

Passing laws that require adding costly price prohibitive computer controlled single rail technology or other mods, to a very low volume engine is the same as banning the engine.