Who Knows About Diesel Outboard Engines ?

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Exiles

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Hi we are planning a voyage this summer to one of the most remote places in the world and will travel thousands of nautical miles between areas where we can get fuel. As such we will be carrying lots of diesel and would like to have a 9hp or so diesel outboard.
Does any one know of any reliable Diesel outboard engines?
Does any one know how reliable and durable they are?
I f you want more info on our voyage to the top of our planet please feel free to look around our site

www.belzebub2.com

Thank you!!!
 
The only ones I ever saw, were Yamaha 25hp, in Africa. I believe there were a few around UK, in use on water taxis, but havent seen one in UK or the rest of Europe to be honest.
 
Good Luck

I wish you well with your adventure.

Have you read Barrow's Boys by Fergus Fleming?

It's a very good read.

Available here.

It gives an insight with what previous adventurers had to put up with in that neck of the woods.

Can't help you with the diesel outboard info I'm afraid.
 
Google Diesel Outboards and you will get plenty of references to previous discussions on the subject and manufacturers who offer them

However, you won't get much luck with a 10hp as nobody makes them that small. Big problem is weight. A bare 10hp diesel is at least 50kgs - more than a complete 10hp 4 stroke petrol.

Most diesel outboards are around 25hp and designed for permanent installation on commercial craft such as fishing boats or water taxis. However even in these applications the fuel savings do not always outweigh the poor performance and high cost.

Good luck with your trip.
 
There was quite a big debate about the practicality of a small, sub 10Hp diesel outboard, and the general consensus was that it wasn't really practical because of difficulties of building in enough strength to withstand the required compression, enough mass to carry a flywheel through this compression, and problems in fuel atomisation and metering at such low powers...

However I've just done a quick "google" and found Chinese Star Diesel Outboards, which apparently are available in 4, 6, and 9Hp versions. Obviously I don't know how reliable they are, or what spares back-up is like.

Edit: I've just noticed the weights of them.... Better buy a hernia belt as well!!
 
I read a post on another forum in which an American in (Vietnam, Cambodia, somewhere like that) was planning to build boats using a small Kubota air-cooled industrial diesel attached directly to a prop via a long driveshaft - the classic "long tailed boats" used in that part of the world. Apparently those engines are common there (about the only ones you can semi-reliably get parts for out in the countryside) and very robust/repairable. I guess you're probably not looking for something that unconventional / agricultural though.

I have a hazy memory of some small nation's navy (Netherlands and New Zealand come to mind for some reason) having small diesel outboards for workboats because they had a rule that only two types of fuel were allowed on any ship, so as soon as they had a Jet-A powered helicopter on board a diesel ship they could no longer carry petrol for outboards.

Sorry, probably not helpful, just vaguely relevant recollections bumping around in my head.

Pete
 
PaulJS said:
However I've just done a quick "google" and found Chinese Star Diesel Outboards, which apparently are available in 4, 6, and 9Hp versions.
Click to expand...

Heh - although they do also have more conventional-looking machines, I like the 8 - 14hp model:

scan0002s.jpg


Pete
 
PaulJS said:
There was quite a big debate about the practicality of a small, sub 10Hp diesel outboard, and the general consensus was that it wasn't really practical because of difficulties of building in enough strength to withstand the required compression, enough mass to carry a flywheel through this compression, and problems in fuel atomisation and metering at such low powers...

However I've just done a quick "google" and found Chinese Star Diesel Outboards, which apparently are available in 4, 6, and 9Hp versions. Obviously I don't know how reliable they are, or what spares back-up is like.

Edit: I've just noticed the weights of them.... Better buy a hernia belt as well!!
Click to expand...

Yes, its a bit of a shame really. It was me who started that and the consenses was that it was not needed.
I am sure that in the future we will see a lighter weight diesel outboard.
At the moment without much thought I came up with an idea for a 30kg 5 hp diesel outboard. I then spoke to some manufacturers who told me they could do it for a minimum order of 2000.
The good thing about that is that it shows that it is possible. The other point is would people buy it and the answer to that wont be proved on forums.

So, if we take the OP and me as interested people, then I only need to find another 1998 people.

My idea has some significant advantages as well.
One disadvantage is that you need more muscle to start it.... but for fit cruisers, this should not be a major problem.
If I could get the weight down to 25kg, then I would try make it electric start.

The whole idea would not be cheap, maybe 3000 Euros. I am sure however that if a major manufacturer made it then the price would be a lot less.

Of course there are those who will say its not needed, but as we know ...everything with boats depends on your situation. If you are a long distance cruiser who goes to remote places then this could be very interesting.
 
prv said:
I read a post on another forum in which an American in (Vietnam, Cambodia, somewhere like that) was planning to build boats using a small Kubota air-cooled industrial diesel attached directly to a prop via a long driveshaft - the classic "long tailed boats" used in that part of the world. Apparently those engines are common there (about the only ones you can semi-reliably get parts for out in the countryside) and very robust/repairable. I guess you're probably not looking for something that unconventional / agricultural though.



Pete
Click to expand...

There have been many attempts over the years to produce such arrangements. Petter produced them in the late 70's. I remember competing for (and winning) a big contract for fishing boat engines where the preference was for a long tail type arrangement, but the proposals were expensive and impractical and a conventional outboard chosen.

You have to remember that the biggest element of fuel cost is tax - take that away (as in most commercial areas) and the potential lower fuel consumption is dwarfed by cost and weight considerations. In the leisure market, fuel consumption is largely irrelevant - weight, convenience and low cost are the key factors. Carrying two types of fuel is inconvenient, but for most people not a problem.
 
Yanmar made them, 27hp I think, a few years ago. I saw 2 at Mainbrace Chandlery in Braye in the summer of 2009. Ruggerini also made them, a friend had one on his canal boat.
 
Tranona, on the ball. When I was in Portugal in the middle 70's, the engine of choice was a petrol/parrafin Yamaha. Around 8/15 hp. Fuel tax made petrol a stiff option. Parrafin was cheap, as it was used for lighting and agriculture. The engines had a duel tank, as one advanced the the throttle, the mix changed from petrol to parrafin. The EU changed all that...
Might as well add this. Yamaha also offered their GRP boats with engine packages,and licencing, which effectevly knocked out the trad wood boats as it was cheaper to go that way
 
I remember chugging up the Oxford Canal in the 70's in a small GRP cruiser with that Yamaha engine - mostly in a light blue haze. Remember it being a B**** to restart after the obligatory pub stop.

Worse than the Seagulls I subsequently worked with for pollution!


Happy days!
 
Have to use a diesel genny and electric outboard. One site has one for a 25' boat, 80lb thrust. Cheap too, you could afford two. Transmission losses must be prohibitive though.
 
Exiles said:
Hi we are planning a voyage this summer to one of the most remote places in the world and will travel thousands of nautical miles between areas where we can get fuel. As such we will be carrying lots of diesel and would like to have a 9hp or so diesel outboard.
Does any one know of any reliable Diesel outboard engines?
Does any one know how reliable and durable they are?
I f you want more info on our voyage to the top of our planet please feel free to look around our site

www.belzebub2.com

Thank you!!!
Click to expand...

why not electric? with enough solar, wind & generator power what you will need for the boat anyway...
 
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