Your Luck with Cross-Referencing Non-Marine Diesel Parts Any Better than Mine?

[Jetexas]

If any of you have participated in any of my other threads, you know I'm trying to revive a 1984 Westerbeke 10 Two diesel, which has basically just sat for 10 years. Having worked with automotive engines for a long time, I'm finding this little diesel especially frustrating because in the automotive world you have readily available parts cross-reference books and quite the supply of salvage parts and rebuild kits.

Ford actually publishes a huge book of interchangeable parts between model years and brands since it has shared parts with Mazda, Volvo, Jag, etc. over the years. In the marine world it seems there's no such resource, which further limits the supply of salvage parts available. I've found one guy on ebay who can cross-reference Westerbeke parts to Mitsubishi using the casting numbers, but I feel bad that I keep emailing him and haven't purchased anything from him.

Model numbers and parts interchangeability are in no way proprietary information. If it was, your local auto parts store wouldn't be able to pull up what type of alternator your car needs on their computers. From what I can tell, the various marine diesel dealers are A)way behind on the technology front and still manually looking everything up in a book when you call, and B) just have no interest in making this information available because they'd have to make their prices more competetive. (I guess I should say this is only for the small engine end of spectrum because I have found cross-reference charts and rebuild kits for larger diesels, just nothing for the small 20hp and under marine diesels.)

I still have my fingers crossed that the W10Two will sputter to life this weekend, but I've been researching contingency plans if it does not. I found that the Mitsubishi L2E is the same block as the Westerbeke 12C Two, but the Mitsubishi is available for $1500 while the Westerbeke is $6300.

Even if I have to buy an exhaust manifold and a heat exchanger to convert the L2E to marine cooling, I still end up around $2000 ahead. However, I still have questions as to whether the wiring will plug into my control panel, will the mounts fit, will the 10Two transmission bolt up to the L2E, etc.

I see people all the time mentioning you can just buy John Deere parts for Yanmar, Mitsubishi parts for Westerbeke, or Kubota parts for Beta Marine, but my question is, how many of you are actually doing this, and how successful has it been? What types of parts are you buying?

Aside from the starter, alternator, and cooling system, what is "marinized" in a marine engine?

Aside from marinedieseldirect.com, is there another good parts supplier web site?

Is there anything like Performance Automotive Warehouse (pawinc.com) that sells rebuild kits and parts for these small diesels?

[Sailmonkey]

We've got a phasor, kubota engine with the phasor marinization. On the block is the engine type. With this I can go to any kubota tractor dealer and get a starter, waterpump, fuel pump.....etc. But you're right, the guys that put togeter the "marine" parts (raw water, heat exchanger, tranny adapter plate) jealously guard the original parts x-reference. I've already figured out who made most of the attached bits and now I go around Phasor for them, but if the heat exchanger goes south, I'm still stuck as I suspect the manufacturing run was just for them.

[Maddog]

Try these guys. never ordered from them, but I plan to.

Boatman's iNet Marine - Over 60,000 Boat Parts!

[r.furborough]

Sailmonkey,

There is an alternate to the Phasor HE, they copied the Beta Marine HE and a direct replacement may be possible, at worst case you hay also have to replace the thermostat housing and/or the exhaust elbow.