Repowering

[noelex 77]

I have just discovered water in the oil of my Nanni 5.280 62hp engine. The engine still runs fine in fact the only clue was a slight misfire on one cylinder on starting. I have changed the oil, but it is a problem that obviously needs fixing immediately (I assume it’s a blown head gasket). My preference would be to fit a new engine as it has 3500 hours and I had a similar problem with my 12v generator it was rebuilt but shortly after it developed an unrelated problem with the high pressure fuel pump fixing both of these problems would have just about covered the cost of a new generator. It is also difficult to get quality work done in a foreign country, particularly with an engine rebuild where you cannot supervise all the work.
So I need a new engine, but Croatia is not the ideal place to have this work done. So my questions
Any idea how long the existing engine will run?
Any recommendations for mechanics in Croatia?
Would I perhaps instead be better to sail to the east cost of Italy or down to Grease?
Thanks John

[Alan Wheeler]

How long will it run is as easy to answer as the rest of your questions. Sorry, all I can tell you is that the longer you run it, the more damage you will cause and the harder it will become to start. That could answer your question of traveling, it may not be trust worthy enough to get you some distance.

[donradcliffe]

Unless you were in bad weather and got some water up the exhaust, you probably do have a blown head gasket. If your preference is to replace the engine and you don't want to do it in Croatia (language and customs difficulties), you could try adding some commericial sealant to the coolant, like Steel Seal

The sealant should be available in an automotive shop in Croatia. You will have to watch the coolant level to keep from overheating, but you could proabably get the engine to run through the season and make the repowering a winter project.

If you plan on keeping the engine, better to replace the head gasket sooner than later, as water in the oil will accelerate the wear.

[noelex 77]

Hi everyone
Thanks for all the detailed replies. At the moment I am making phone calls and measuring the engine space to see what my options are. It is a busy time for mechanics here and many are fixing the large number of yachts in the charter fleets. The marinas are expensive and full with no space on the weekend. So I am anchored in a bay close to Split hoping the anchor doesn't drag.When the wind drops off a bit I will go into Split and see if I can get some Speedseal and more engine oil.

Thanks John