Westerbeke Diesel Engines

[Islandmike]

Anyone have any comments on Westerbeke Diesel Engines, particularly the Westerbeke 64A. I would be interested in any comments good or bad.

Mike

S/V Tivole

[never monday]

Great engine it's just a derated 82. So you can infer from that it WAY overbuilt. Unless you have something larger than a 50' sail or 40' trawler it's over kill.

[Euro Cruiser]

Hi, Mike...

I repowered with a 71C 3 years ago and then sailed to Europe; I've been very pleased with the engine which, due mostly to canals, now has 1,000 hrs on it & has had zero problems. The newer models have been thoughtfully upgraded (e.g. self-bleeding fuel systems) and you can order double pulleys for belted auxiliaries. The parts are frightfully expensive but I find my local dealer and mechanics are well versed in sourcing parts from the original manufacturers (e.g. Sherwood for water pump">raw water pump parts). Before deciding on an engine, I got a lot of help on specifics from the distributor (Mack Boring in Miami; quite helpful) and also by using the Westerbeke on-line technical support service.

The hp ratings on these engines - and probably others - are influenced by the EPA emissions standards they must now meet. My 71C is the same displacement and a very similar block design from the same mfgr. as their earlier W58. To meet the the EPA standard, they worked with Mazda to rate the max rpm higher (3600 vs. 3000) and the higher hp rating is a byproduct. Consequently, while it might seem that these engines are more powerful than you need, in a practical sense they probably are not. E.g. I would not want to live with the noise or fuel burn rate of my engine at 3000 rpm, let alone higher. (Diesel in Europe BTW is $5/US gal almost everywhere). When choosing the engine, I instead looked at the shaft hp I needed & the fuel burn rate I could live with, and it turned out to be the engine I was interested in with the geometry that fit my engine bed.

Jack

[irwinsailor]

I have a 2003 Westerbeke 90A four and I am happy with it so far.