Sabre 28 Repower

[Iain]

I am looking to remove my Atomic 4 and replace it with a new Diesel. Any thoughts on which engine (including size) would be the best replacement for the Sabre 28+atomic 4? Universal, yanmar, westerbeke, betamarine?

Any recomendations on where to go to get a good deal? Do I have to wait for a boat show to get discounted prices?

Has anyone repowerd the Sabre 28?.

[never monday]

Universal M3-20. Yanmars are too big to do the job without rebuilding the beds. I won't comment on Beta. Westerbeke also is a bit on the large size.
That boat doesn'
t require alot of power to move it so 20hp should be just right.

[Pura Vida]

My boat had the AtomBomb to Yanmar 2GMF conversion already completed when I bought it. Other than the large angle iron between the beds and the motor mounts what else needs to be done? Or it that a Sabre specific requirement.
In any case the motor pushed the boat at hull speed without too much trouble.

[never monday]

PV,
Your Yanmar is only 13hp to boot.
Most often the AT4 was mountd directly to the stringers. This caused the inside dimension of the stringers to be <11". The KM2/GM/YM bell housing is 12" dia. once you factor shaft alignment and needed drop of the engine, the bell housing won't fit between the stringers.

[Pura Vida]

Pat,
Thanks, yea, she's a little motor but she sure is a sweet running old girl. I'll take a look at the bell housing the next time I'm down. I've never compared my install and the install on the A4s in the fleet. That will be interesting. Not too long ago a member of the class up in Quebec put a 3YM in his boat. He's bound for the Bahamas and wanted the extra ponies but frankly I think it might be overkill on a boat around 6000 pounds. I don't know how much surgery he had to do.

Reflecting on it, I would guess that the C&C27 and Sabre 28 have more in common than they have differences. One advantage of my motor is that it is roughly 100 lbs lighter than the A4, but frankly if I had an A4 I would seriously consider keeping it for simple marina work.

pv

[Pura Vida]

Pat,
Thanks, yea, she's a little motor but she sure is a sweet running old girl. I'll take a look at the bell housing the next time I'm down. I've never compared my install and the install on the A4s in the fleet. That will be interesting. Not too long ago a member of the class up in Quebec put a 3YM in his boat. He's bound for the Bahamas and wanted the extra ponies but frankly I think it might be overkill on a boat around 6000 pounds. I don't know how much surgery he had to do.

Reflecting on it, I would guess that the C&C27 and Sabre 28 have more in common than they have differences. One advantage of my motor is that it is roughly 100 lbs lighter than the A4, but frankly if I had an A4 I would seriously consider keeping it for simple marina work.

pv

[GordMay]

You might contact:
Sabre Technical Support:
Technical Support for Sabre yachts built by Sabre Yachts in Maine, USA
Sabre Corporation
Hawthorne Road, Box 134 South Casco, ME 04077
Tel: 207.655.3831
Fax: 207.655.5050

Sabre Yacht Owners Associations:
http://www.sabreyachts.com/pdf/owners_associations.pdf

howie@midmaine.com wrote at Tartan Owners Forums :
”We recently did a repower of a Sabre 28 with a rebuilt A-4 from Moyer. It was a good package and ran great. But if you do the math and want to run a high output alternator for charging batteries, the A-4 will be running with it's little tongue dragging on the ground and with little or no reserve. Admittedly, the diesel repower was a challenge, but I'd do it again for the 34C.”
howie@midmaine.com

[rtbates]

In one, if not several, of the mags I read I've come across an ad from a company that advertises a direct replacement diesel for the Atomic 4. Can't come close to remembering the name, but I'm sure an internet search will yield the answer.

good luck

[never monday]

Originally Posted by rtbates

In one, if not several, of the mags I read I've come across an ad from a company that advertises a direct replacement diesel for the Atomic 4. Can't come close to remembering the name, but I'm sure an internet search will yield the answer.

good luck

Both Universal and Beta offer such engines.

[Sabre Rich]

I have a 1979 Sabre 28. Volvo Penta 13hp Engine is tired. Yard wants $5K to replace it with a rebuild.
Has anyone done an outboard conversion?
The Volvo is ok at low RPM around the harbor, but I don't trust it, if it is needed on a long trip.

Sabre Rich

[redhead78]

Ian, I like the beta, 14 hp perfect for you. I believe, my beta was shipped from NC, somewhere by you. Great dealer support, smaller lighter, quiet, I have mine 2 yrs and love it. My best friend has a sabre 28, he pulled his volvo MD13, had cooling issues, cleaned it up and its great. Its like buying a car, look around, ask questions, and make your decision. Are you doing this job yourself? Red

[sneuman]

A decade later, and suddenly this thread is potentially relevant to me. I'd be interested in hearing from others who have tackled a repower of a boat similar in size with something like a Beta 14. I'm certainly no expert, but I feel like I'm competent when it comes to diesels, having battled a few in my day. How difficult is the repower? It doesn't look overly so to me.

[sneuman]

bump.

[Engine man]

Hello - I have repowered two Sabre 28s. One had the old A4, the other a Volvo MD7A. We installed a new Beta 14, with excellent results. Contact me with any questions. Joe


QUOTE=sneuman;3628766]A decade later, and suddenly this thread is potentially relevant to me. I'd be interested in hearing from others who have tackled a repower of a boat similar in size with something like a Beta 14. I'm certainly no expert, but I feel like I'm competent when it comes to diesels, having battled a few in my day. How difficult is the repower? It doesn't look overly so to me.[/QUOTE]

[Engine man]

The old Volvo MD6 and MD7 series engines were "state of the art" engines several decades ago, but modern diesel technology has GREATLY IMPROVED since then. New diesels are lighter, quieter, MUCH smoother running with minimal exhaust emissions, and are more fuel efficient than the old technology "rock crusher" Volvo engines.

For example, the MD6 and MD7 engines weigh 385 pounds each, and are raw water cooled. The Beta 14 weighs 195 pounds, and is fresh water cooled. Both engines produce about the same amount of horsepower.

We repowered a Sabre 28 by removing the old MD7A Volvo, and installing a new Beta 14. Sabre built the boat with the prop shaft offset to starb'd, as the Volvo used a left hand rotating prop. The Beta 14 uses a right hand prop. A two blade, 13 " diameter x 9 pitch, fixed blade prop, with large blade area, was ordered. The boat owner remarked that boat performance while docking had not changed, and propwalk was negligible.

The Beta 14 can be ordered with a different transmission that would allow the use of a left hand prop, if desired, though we believe it is not needed. Joe

Originally Posted by sneuman

A decade later, and suddenly this thread is potentially relevant to me. I'd be interested in hearing from others who have tackled a repower of a boat similar in size with something like a Beta 14. I'm certainly no expert, but I feel like I'm competent when it comes to diesels, having battled a few in my day. How difficult is the repower? It doesn't look overly so to me.