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10-05-2019, 09:13
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#16
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Columbia, SC
Boat: Sea Ray 270
Posts: 100
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Many good points already and and I will add a couple more.
Number 1 is reliability. The older and engine gets, no matter how well maintained, the more chance there is that something will break.If you have a new or completely rebuilt engine installed, then assuming proper maintenance, the likelihood of it failing is much less.
Number 2 would be cost to maintain. The older an engine gets, the more repairs that are needed, and if it is an older engine, the more costly the replacement parts (this point has been already covered).
I have an older Westerbeke 21. The parts to fix it are astronomical in cost buying from Westerbeke, compared to being able to buy from an alternate or non marine source. Fortunately I can do all of the repairs myself (so far) so my costs can be controlled somewhat. But soon it will have to go. I really don't trust it anymore. I have yet to decide on electric or a Beta diesel, but am leaning toward electric (unless I sell the boat first).
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10-05-2019, 09:20
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#17
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Tarpon Springs fl
Boat: Morgan 384/ 1982
Posts: 378
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Because they just dont have the money to do it right . Go to the bank get a credit line and buy a engine ! Your boat just deserves to be treated right !
Yeah go electric Than your just a day sailor ! IF you wish to travel now you need a generator !
If electric was the way to go Frank Buttler presedent of Catalina
would put them in all his boats !! He sells more boats than any one !!
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10-05-2019, 09:30
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Mid-Coast Maine
Boat: Brewer 12.8, 42'
Posts: 31
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
We replaced our Peugeot blocked Lehman because parts were simply unavailable for it. We couldn’t even get head gaskets. The Ford Lehman is well supported by American Diesal but the Peugeot blocked one is not.
We were spending winters in the Bahamas where service on any engine can be hard to find. However, the 75 hp Yanmar we installed was well supported parts wise.
Our 61 hp Lehman was running fine when we had it pulled but was beginning to smoke and leak a little oil. If we had been planning to stay in the US we’d have run it until it died. Being in a remote area with no hope of getting parts is one reason to pull a still running engine and replace it with a new one.
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10-05-2019, 09:31
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#19
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,087
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chotu
Assuming you have a working engine, a diesel engine, what is the point?
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It is your assumption that is misguided. People repower because even diesel engines have a limited duty cycle. Many people rebuild, if they can, however not all engines can be re-bored or re-sleeved. Sometimes the cost in parts and labor is so high that for a bit more you can install a new engine, rather than bandaiding a decades old engine. Sometimes parts become harder to come by.
OR. All these people are idiots and you hold special knowledge.
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10-05-2019, 09:44
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#20
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Portsmouth, UK
Boat: Westerly Conway 36ft
Posts: 961
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
My 35 year old Volvo ran fine but started leaking water from somewhere down between the (3 separate) cylinder blocks. My regular old mechanic basically refused to work on the problem, saying that he had no idea what he might find once he started stripping it down. Spare parts had become hard to get hold of & very expensive. Rebuild cost was going to be thousands & you still have an unwarranted engine with hard to obtain spare parts.
I replaced with a Beta 35 (marinised Kubota). No parts problem, 5 year warranty, problem sorted. Should see me out.
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10-05-2019, 09:54
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#21
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UMR mm 283 /winter in Kansas
Boat: Bayliner 3870 41' oal.
Posts: 945
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Last year I rebuilt the 32 year old Mitsubishi K3D on my Westerbeke 8.0 generator. The cost of a new generator far exceeded the cost of the rebuild. Probably $350.00 in parts and gaskets, $700.00 to have the head done by a shop and $500.00 to have a shop do the injectors and pump rebuilt. The gaskets and hard parts came from a tractor parts supplier and not Westerbeke, the valves, guides and seats came from Westerbeke because the shop used a westy dealer. I also replaced the bearing on the armature it was ready to fail. It starts and runs great again.
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10-05-2019, 10:04
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#22
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Wichita/Pensacola
Boat: Lagoon TPI 37'
Posts: 560
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Engines had over 10,000 hours from an owner that never did oil changes. Bilge was full of oil when we purchased boat. They were volvo/perkins (one engine was blue and the other was black) and parts were hard to find. Oh, and not one cylinder had more than 125 on a compression check. It was obvious the last owner had problems with the engines. We couldn't get them to run.
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10-05-2019, 10:08
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#23
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Raleigh, NC
Boat: S2 35C
Posts: 66
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Anybody with an aging Volvo Penta engine (like me) would be smart to repower. My 28HP VP is 32 years old. It runs OK for short coastal hops but I wouldn't trust it offshore.
The parts are OBSCENELY expensive! The splines on the input shaft of the tranny got stripped. VP wanted $3k for the shaft gear and $700 for the flywheel drive plate! Fortunately, I found a clever British fix for $700. The fuel pump gave out. You can't buy an exact replacement, but VP will sell you one that sorta fits for $315. I bought and electric one for $45. Anything else happens, I'm going BetaMarine.
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10-05-2019, 10:15
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#24
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 111
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Quote:
Originally Posted by geoffr
We replaced our old yanmar 3GMD for the following reasons: - GMD was raw water cooled and would cost more to overhaul than new
- YM30AE gave us more HP (29 vs 22)
- Quieter Engine
- Possibly better fuel economy (but I doubt it)
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I agree. I replace my Volve Penta with a Yanmar and no comparison as the Yanmar was cleaner, quieter, lighter, faster, and easier to maintain. I was happy I did it.
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10-05-2019, 10:15
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#25
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Slidell, La.
Boat: Morgan Classic 33
Posts: 2,845
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Economics...
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10-05-2019, 10:18
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#26
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,087
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Quote:
Originally Posted by River Cruiser
Last year I rebuilt the 32 year old Mitsubishi K3D on my Westerbeke 8.0 generator. The cost of a new generator far exceeded the cost of the rebuild. Probably $350.00 in parts and gaskets, $700.00 to have the head done by a shop and $500.00 to have a shop do the injectors and pump rebuilt. The gaskets and hard parts came from a tractor parts supplier and not Westerbeke, the valves, guides and seats came from Westerbeke because the shop used a westy dealer. I also replaced the bearing on the armature it was ready to fail. It starts and runs great again.
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If it were only $1,500 that would be one thing. Sometimes it's throwing good money after bad and eventually enough is enough. When I repowered, it was about $10K to fix, $15K to replace with a brand new engine with a warranty.
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10-05-2019, 10:28
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#27
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Norfolk
Boat: Sea Sprite 34
Posts: 450
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Quote:
Originally Posted by moseriw
SIMPLE: they are stupid.
Nothing can be better than an old tractor engine with big displacement and low rpms without scrap like turbos.
And it it worth to refurbish the engine even if it costs more than a new engine that works on 3000 rpm +++ instead of 1600 to 1800 rpm.
Assuming the same quality than the elder engines (which it is NOT) lifetime is cutted in half.
Nowadays the pray a lifetime of 8000 hrs. at max. Mine is a 1981 built and is as good as new. I asume 25.000 hrs. ++
The important thing! Change oil once a year in autumn - before the cold season.
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At work we have 3 and 4 cyl kubota based marine gensets....last one we swapped out had 31,000+hrs with nothing more than oil, fuel filter, a few alternators... was changed because of oil leaks...still ran! We have a few others the closing in on 20k hrs...no issues.
I think these Beta and others that are Kubota based will last a very long time with proper maintenance.
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10-05-2019, 12:16
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#28
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: 1989 Morgan-44CP
Posts: 171
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
I replaced my 4-108 in my 50 year old 41 Morgan that had appox 8k hrs. and leaked oil at a rate of a quart every 30-40 hrs. and had the seals replaced once only to start leaking again in less than 100 hrs.
I replaced it with a new Beta 43 and was a happy camper!
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10-05-2019, 12:22
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#29
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Rochester NY
Boat: Catalina 42
Posts: 83
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Watch the movie Captain Ron
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10-05-2019, 12:43
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#30
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Panama, Central America
Boat: CT 49, 1989
Posts: 969
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Re: Why do people replace diesel engines in a sailboat?
Quote:
Originally Posted by moseriw
SIMPLE: they are stupid.
Nothing can be better than an old tractor engine with big displacement and low rpms without scrap like turbos.
And it it worth to refurbish the engine even if it costs more than a new engine that works on 3000 rpm +++ instead of 1600 to 1800 rpm.
Assuming the same quality than the elder engines (which it is NOT) lifetime is cutted in half.
Nowadays the pray a lifetime of 8000 hrs. at max. Mine is a 1981 built and is as good as new. I asume 25.000 hrs. ++
The important thing! Change oil once a year in autumn - before the cold season.
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Wow, sounds like a strong opinion you got yourself there. Good luck with that.
Atleast now I realize how stupid I am replacing my old engine.
Thanks.
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