Cashbuyer
Well-Known Member
Tempted by fairline Turbo 36 with two BMW diesels. Of course, the price is favourable due to engine make. How are the beemer engines rated in terms of reliability, parts availability etc?
BMW Diesels -Avoid?
- Thread starter Cashbuyer
- Start date
Tempted by fairline Turbo 36 with two BMW diesels. Of course, the price is favourable due to engine make. How are the beemer engines rated in terms of reliability, parts availability etc?
Kawasaki
Well-Known Member
What year is the boat?
[2068]
...
Whatever year it is, it's still going to be a BMW marine disaster.
If not now, then later.
Main problem is that that BMW pulled out of the market before they started, so the spares/service/repair situation is interesting.
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Kawasaki
Well-Known Member
Peeps think 'BMW' and all sorts of good things and reliability etc etc.
Be it cars motorcycles boats etc.
'Cashbuyer' the Op, talks about a Fairline 36 with 2 'BMW' 's attached therein.
I am not an expert on Fairlines by a long chalk.
But I do know from experience about the History of 'BMW' marked engines in the boating world.
I share your concern, Flower Power as to the parts prob and all that.
I believe there is a firm in the UK that can handle the parts however.
My question to the OP regarding the year of the of the boat was to establish if the engines where of the 'VM' type 'BMW' s which we all know are not actually 'BMW' but VM based products.
Be it cars motorcycles boats etc.
'Cashbuyer' the Op, talks about a Fairline 36 with 2 'BMW' 's attached therein.
I am not an expert on Fairlines by a long chalk.
But I do know from experience about the History of 'BMW' marked engines in the boating world.
I share your concern, Flower Power as to the parts prob and all that.
I believe there is a firm in the UK that can handle the parts however.
My question to the OP regarding the year of the of the boat was to establish if the engines where of the 'VM' type 'BMW' s which we all know are not actually 'BMW' but VM based products.
Bandit
Well-Known Member
I had a pair of VM/BMW/Mercrap 180's in a boat , installation circa 1988? a nightmare.
I had a Sedan 36 same hull as the Turbo an excellent hull and a good sea boat but unless its a song and you can afford to re power it I would walk.
I had a Sedan 36 same hull as the Turbo an excellent hull and a good sea boat but unless its a song and you can afford to re power it I would walk.
ccscott49
Well-Known Member
VM diesels, a nighmare, whether badged Mercrap, BMW or even in a range rover, they always sound like a brixham trawler and are a **** to work on with their seperate heads and shims/spacers, oil lines etc, basically Yuck!! IMHO of course.
aquapower
Well-Known Member
I would steer well clear, I would think thats well under powered and they wont last long before a major failure occurs.
If you decide to go ahead then be prepared for the expence of a re-power at some point.
Parts are available from PH Marine www.phmarine.co.uk/ Peter is very helpfull and may be worth a call for advise first.
If you decide to go ahead then be prepared for the expence of a re-power at some point.
Parts are available from PH Marine www.phmarine.co.uk/ Peter is very helpfull and may be worth a call for advise first.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Not just the money either,a repower will take time and energy.Lots of T36 around at moment,they are thirsty beasts and owners used to 10p a litre for most of their boating lives are just not going anywhere now at ten times that,so several around on sale.If you really want that particular boat bid a rock bottom price and then knock of £15k for a repower.
Loads out there with a more "mature class of boater owner"
,who had the funds to maintain these boats properly over the years.A cracking boat if you can afford to run it.
Loads out there with a more "mature class of boater owner"
,who had the funds to maintain these boats properly over the years.A cracking boat if you can afford to run it.aquapower
Well-Known Member
15k to re power, you would struggle to do one for that
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Explain that? Why are T36s any more thirsty than any other 36 footer of that era? I owned a T36 many years ago with TAMD60C 255hp engines and it easily achieved 1mpg+ @ 20kts which, considering that the T36 is the best part of 40ft LOA, stands comparison with the fuel efficiency of modern 40ft shaftdrive flybridge boats.
I would think that a cheap T36 with BMW diesels would make a good repower project providing its cheap enough in the first place. A T36 is a fab sea boat, has loads of internal accomodation and is a bit of a classic in the making IMHO so a repower would be worth considering, I'd say
neale
Well-Known Member
At least without outdrives you'll only have half the problems many other owners suffer from
VM engines need careful maintenance and are prone to problems at the top end, usually associated with overheating.
I have one in a Range Rover and speak from experience!
ccscott49
Well-Known Member
At least without outdrives you'll only have half the problems many other owners suffer from
VM engines need careful maintenance and are prone to problems at the top end, usually associated with overheating.
I have one in a Range Rover and speak from experience!
My case rests, yer honour!!
Renegade_Master
Well-Known Member
would'nt be easy to remove those engines through those small patio doors I reckon
miket
Well-Known Member
roof hatch
Pretty sure mine had a big hatch in the saloon roof/ flybridge floor for removing engines.
Unless hugely cheap it sounds a lot of hassle unless you have the ability to do the engine swap yourself and the rest of the boat is excellent.
Pretty sure mine had a big hatch in the saloon roof/ flybridge floor for removing engines.
Unless hugely cheap it sounds a lot of hassle unless you have the ability to do the engine swap yourself and the rest of the boat is excellent.
volvopaul
Well-Known Member
Turbo a great boat but not with those small engines in unless you are just going river cruising, and yes as said they need to be 100% right as spares are getting scarce now, some parts are available.
Id try and find one with 60b or 60cs in, though some boat have been selling for as little as 60k with the 61a 306s in.
The engines are really easy to get out as the flybridge floor panel lifts out., ive overhauled a pair in a t36 before.
My mate has just sold his which was re engines with 2 yanmar 350s, it was in MBM a few years back showing its new motors, then another article on its revampted interior.
Great sea boat so cant go wrong for the money, and as they say they dont make em like that anymore.
I do know of a pair of used 61a engine if your interested in a big project.
If its that boat with small motors in then they did do it with the TAMD41 200hp volvos in, but again its a river boat.
Id try and find one with 60b or 60cs in, though some boat have been selling for as little as 60k with the 61a 306s in.
The engines are really easy to get out as the flybridge floor panel lifts out., ive overhauled a pair in a t36 before.
My mate has just sold his which was re engines with 2 yanmar 350s, it was in MBM a few years back showing its new motors, then another article on its revampted interior.
Great sea boat so cant go wrong for the money, and as they say they dont make em like that anymore.
I do know of a pair of used 61a engine if your interested in a big project.
If its that boat with small motors in then they did do it with the TAMD41 200hp volvos in, but again its a river boat.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
"Explain that"
Sorry,should be been more specific.Any 9 ton boat with around 500 hp using 16-20 gallons per hour at £1.00 per litre(at the moment) or around £80.00 per hour at cruise will not be a inexpensive boat to run.
Sorry,should be been more specific.Any 9 ton boat with around 500 hp using 16-20 gallons per hour at £1.00 per litre(at the moment) or around £80.00 per hour at cruise will not be a inexpensive boat to run.
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Ah sorry, I thought you meant the Turbo 36 in particular
Will33
Well-Known Member
Although not diesel so not directly related i brought a fairline carrera a few years back with BMW engine. Never did a trial and discovered the engine would not get the boat on the plane so clearly underpowered, also cooked it after collecting the boat as it overheated. Spent money trying to get it right and failed miserably so ended up re-engineing
To echo the advise already given walk away or buy at a price that will let you drop in two more reliable diesels
Will
To echo the advise already given walk away or buy at a price that will let you drop in two more reliable diesels
Will
Latestarter1
Well-Known Member
At least without outdrives you'll only have half the problems many other owners suffer from
VM engines need careful maintenance and are prone to problems at the top end, usually associated with overheating.
I have one in a Range Rover and speak from experience!
I am the LAST person to spring to the defence of VM, however when doing due dilligence on them years ago I raised overheating issues with them. No lover of IDI engines, but the old VM IDI engines had internal temperature gradients which were plain nasty. As ususal there is a big but, I was shown reams of correspondence between VM and Brit Leyland/Rover Group highlighting the fact that niether the Range Rover or the Rover SD1 which also used the engine had cooling systems which were fundimentally inadequate and never compliant with VM requirements.
Just wanted to set the story straight, also current motors share nothing with the goofy old IDI designs.
omega2
Well-Known Member
I had a vauxhall omega 2.5 diesel, BMW derived, magic engine, it's still going in the hands of my son-in-law well over 250,000 miles, bodies no great shakes but that engine has been faultless. However the one my mate had in his Hardy 24, was a nightmare, I reckon they are not up to constant load as demanded by a marine engine.
