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Old 03-03-2020, 09:16   #1
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Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

Getting contradictory advice from Yanmar, independent technicians, etc....Getting ready for a trip to Exumas and need to resolve quickly.

My boat is an Oceanis 400, 1996, with a Yanmar 4JH2E. Previous owner was a tech fanatic, and had set up an interface for engine info (water temp, oil pressure and tach) to feed into a Lowrance GPS. That interface is failing, and Im inclined to go back to real instruments (i.e. dials).

Looking online there's a bunch of panels, including Yanmar panels - in the case of Yanmar, there's type C, Type B among others. The issue is apparently whether the senders on the engine will be compatible with the panel to wire direct. I can buy one of these panels for around $500, but the Yanmar people say it'll end up costing over $2K by the time I replace senders, rewire harnesses, etc, etc, and amount I can't afford and doesn't make sense for a 24 year old boat.

As you can tell by now, I'm no expert, but I am facing the question of:

1.Is it better to keep the setup as is (i.e replace the interface)?, or, follow my KISS instinct which is to go back to traditional instruments, and if so
2.How do I pick the panel that will provide me be the most cost-effective solution?

Thanks for any useful input.
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Old 03-03-2020, 09:29   #2
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

You don’t sound inclined to keep the electronic interface.

If it were me, I’d build a panel myself from scratch and change the ya mat senders as required to interface with the gauges.

I’d bet you can build one for less than $500.
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Old 03-03-2020, 09:35   #3
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

I bet you can beat Sailmonkey's bet.

A tachometer, oil pressure gauge, and water temperature gauge are dirt cheap at an auto parts store or off Amazon. The tach runs off the Alternator, so no sender expense. Oil pressure and water temperature senders are also cheap, since they are just variable resisters. A varnished piece of 1/4" plywood makes a good panel, with space for the ignition switch as well.
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Old 03-03-2020, 09:43   #4
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

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Originally Posted by tkeithlu View Post
I bet you can beat Sailmonkey's bet.

A tachometer, oil pressure gauge, and water temperature gauge are dirt cheap at an auto parts store or off Amazon. The tach runs off the Alternator, so no sender expense. Oil pressure and water temperature senders are also cheap, since they are just variable resisters. A varnished piece of 1/4" plywood makes a good panel, with space for the ignition switch as well.


Oh, guaranteed you can build one for likely less than $100.....but using good quality gauges on a starboard face will get near $300-400.
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Old 03-03-2020, 09:49   #5
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

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I can buy one of these panels for around $500, but the Yanmar people say it'll end up costing over $2K by the time I replace senders, rewire harnesses, etc, etc,
Have you determined where it is failing? What leads you to believe you need to replace the senders and not just replace/recreate the panel?
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Old 03-03-2020, 09:50   #6
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

I believe the tach run off a sensor on the back of the engine, not the alternator. It's about $100.
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Old 03-03-2020, 10:18   #7
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

I just priced out the components on Amazon for about $125. That included a digital tach that also records engine hours. I have one of those, plus a big analog gauge. The digital tach is more accurate that the analog, and having engine hours governs oil changes; I record engine time in the log.
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Old 03-03-2020, 11:46   #8
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

Thanks gents for the input! I want to install something reasonably professional since it will be mounted on the binnacle; I don't mind paying up to $500. Just don't want to spend thousands on what should be pretty basic (or hundreds of hours on trial and error). Guess I'll have to dive in and do the research....
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Old 03-03-2020, 11:58   #9
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC10K-Eng...-/283466301537
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Old 03-03-2020, 12:17   #10
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

Quote:
Originally Posted by tkeithlu View Post
I bet you can beat Sailmonkey's bet.

A tachometer, oil pressure gauge, and water temperature gauge are dirt cheap at an auto parts store or off Amazon. The tach runs off the Alternator, so no sender expense. Oil pressure and water temperature senders are also cheap, since they are just variable resisters. A varnished piece of 1/4" plywood makes a good panel, with space for the ignition switch as well.
Tach runs off a pickup on the flywheel not the alternator on a 4JH2E . Just get one of the prebuild panels from ebay. a B panel isn't too expensive.
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Old 03-03-2020, 12:23   #11
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

Thanks, PCMM (and others). What is the difference between A, B and C panels?
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Old 03-03-2020, 16:13   #12
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

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Thanks, PCMM (and others). What is the difference between A, B and C panels?
B panel has Tach, and idiot lights only.
C panel has Tach, water temp, Oil pressure and idiot lights

Also be ware that there are 2 style of Yanmar wiring harness connectors. The Older round ones and the newer automotive style sqaurish plugs. If you look on ebay you will see the OLD B panels that are typically black and flat and the newer B panels that are a light grey with rounded surfaces.

the sensors are a euro "spec" resistance so regular off the shelf North american gauges will be a bitt inaccurate.. and the threads are all BSP not NPT .
there is of course nothing stoping you from swaping out the sensors to a NA spec.

I believe the A panel is even more basic (no tach)
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Old 03-03-2020, 17:30   #13
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

You are really better off fixing the existing electronic interface.

If not, first you need to figure out what sensors you currently have, the PO most likely replaces the originals. Then you need to find a display gauge (there are some really cool ones on Amazon that can show up to four gauges in a touch screen, water proof, etc.). Lastly, go the $2,000 route although most likely it will cost you less.

Replacing the sensors is not straightforward because the threads are different and you need to get the right adapters, etc.
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Old 03-03-2020, 23:12   #14
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

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I believe the tach run off a sensor on the back of the engine, not the alternator. It's about $100.
Yep, I think it's a magnetic reluctance device which counts the teeth on the ring gear.

Never seen the yanmar circuit but it screws into the side of the bell housing and probably feeds the pulses to a schmidt trigger to give them a squarer definition and consistent voltage peak then then a frequency to voltage converter then an analogue gauge. I built one once using a TI LM2914 chip although it was not for a Yanmar engine.
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Old 04-03-2020, 03:03   #15
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Re: Help with Yanmar Engine Panel replacement

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Dylancs.





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