Engine inspection pre purchase

[MJWB]

I'm pretty interested in a particular boat. The engine is 30 years old. I believe it has been well maintained for the last 10 years at least. Don't know the hours. However I'm realistic, could be good or might not be. And one can luck in or luck out.

So this is my first go at boat shopping. I'd like to get the engine checked as it's oldish, not been in the water for a bit (not run) and carries some risk with it.

Anybody know of someone who would inspect and report on such an engine in the Yorkshire or northeast area?
Any body got any idea what that might cost?
I've been scouting about on the net and apart from flashy looking companies who will no doubt cost the earth, I'm a bit stuck.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

What's the approx value of the boat? Makes a big difference to how you might approach this.

 

[prv]

Are we talking about a sailing boat with a 20hp diesel, or a motorboat with a 200?

Pete

 

[Sticky Fingers]

This is in PBO so I'm guessing the former... But we don't know. Spending £1k on an engine survey and test for a 3k boat is marginal at best and maybe pointless. If it's 100k then probably money well spent.

 

[wombat88]

I went through this process locally not long ago, in the South. A marine engineer might be £50 an hour and then there is their travel to and from. So say £100. Obviously it must be possible to have the engine running.

 

[MJWB]

Yes sorry, more detail needed. Sailing. £12k, 18hp. Boat's in good nick and engine looks okay. But I don't know of course or wouldn't be asking I guess. All advice gratefully received.

 

[prv]

This is in PBO so I'm guessing the former...

New poster, and there’s nothing on the forum itself specifying sail. You and I both know it’s mostly yachts in here, but it’s not that uncommon to get new folks asking questions that would be better answered by the motorboatalists next door. So while sail did seem more likely, I thought it was worth making sure.

Pete

 

[Sticky Fingers]

New poster, and there’s nothing on the forum itself specifying sail. You and I both know it’s mostly yachts in here, but it’s not that uncommon to get new folks asking questions that would be better answered by the motorboatalists next door. So while sail did seem more likely, I thought it was worth making sure.

Pete

Yes agreed. Bit of searching we know more:
Volvo Penta 18 hp

30k boat. Got to be worth spending a few hundred quid pre purchase on survey(s). OP is asking for recommendations, NE area.

Or, treat the engine as scrap and budget for a decent new one, lose all the worries and get a decade of trouble-free (ish) usage, and better performance to boot.

 

[LittleSister]

I bought a boat, apparently well maintained, with a (then) 38 year old engine a couple of years ago. As replacing it with new would be a very significant proportion of the boat's price, and more than I could afford, I was cautious.

I was consoled by the fact that this particular engine was fairly readily available second-hand (ex-lifeboat), and therefore if all else failed I could probably find the money to replace the engine without having to replace all the ancillary gear (shaft, prop, exhaust, etc. etc.) which would be required if I got a different model.

I considered a formal engine report, but thought the report would inevitably have so many qualifications and get-out clauses as to be of little worth as a document. I therefore engaged a local engineer (recommended by a friend in the boat industry) to come and start the engine and have a quick look over and listen to it and give me his opinion and the benefit of his experience. (I'd also searched the internet for people's experience of this particular engine, though it's not very common.)

He changed the oil filter and checked the impeller and a couple of other bits and bobs. The engine started instantly despite, as far as I knew, having stood unused for at least 18 months. The boat was ashore, so we couldn't check power output, but it revved freely. The exhaust was slightly smoky, but in his opinion not enough to be concerned by. He thought it sounded fine.

Of course, it could have disintegrated the following week, and I would have had no come back at all on the engineer, but for the price of an hour or so of his time, it was sufficiently reassuring to enable me to proceed with the purchase knowing that at least I wasn't buying a complete dog, and I'd got the benefit of the advice of someone with vastly more experience of marine diesels than me.

As it's turned out, the engine has been very good, except for a very expensive and inconvenient injector pump seal failure last year - hardly outrageous at 40 years old.

 

[MJWB]

Yes agreed. Bit of searching we know more:
Volvo Penta 18 hp

30k boat. Got to be worth spending a few hundred quid pre purchase on survey(s). OP is asking for recommendations, NE area.

Or, treat the engine as scrap and budget for a decent new one, lose all the worries and get a decade of trouble-free (ish) usage, and better performance to boot.

Yes but it's a 12k boat which adds to my dillema. I'm happy to spend some money to get the engine checked. It's finding someone.

 

[MJWB]

I bought a boat, apparently well maintained, with a (then) 38 year old engine a couple of years ago. As replacing it with new would be a very significant proportion of the boat's price, and more than I could afford, I was cautious.

I was consoled by the fact that this particular engine was fairly readily available second-hand (ex-lifeboat), and therefore if all else failed I could probably find the money to replace the engine without having to replace all the ancillary gear (shaft, prop, exhaust, etc. etc.) which would be required if I got a different model.

I considered a formal engine report, but thought the report would inevitably have so many qualifications and get-out clauses as to be of little worth as a document. I therefore engaged a local engineer (recommended by a friend in the boat industry) to come and start the engine and have a quick look over and listen to it and give me his opinion and the benefit of his experience. (I'd also searched the internet for people's experience of this particular engine, though it's not very common.)

He changed the oil filter and checked the impeller and a couple of other bits and bobs. The engine started instantly despite, as far as I knew, having stood unused for at least 18 months. The boat was ashore, so we couldn't check power output, but it revved freely. The exhaust was slightly smoky, but in his opinion not enough to be concerned by. He thought it sounded fine.

Of course, it could have disintegrated the following week, and I would have had no come back at all on the engineer, but for the price of an hour or so of his time, it was sufficiently reassuring to enable me to proceed with the purchase knowing that at least I wasn't buying a complete dog, and I'd got the benefit of the advice of someone with vastly more experience of marine diesels than me.

As it's turned out, the engine has been very good, except for a very expensive and inconvenient injector pump seal failure last year - hardly outrageous at 40 years old.

Yes food for thought. Trouble is finding someone. That's my bind presently.

 

[LittleSister]

Yes food for thought. Trouble is finding someone. That's my bind presently.

You could try asking on here for recommendations for the area where the boat you are interested in is. Of course, highly regarded engineers tend to be very busy, but it's probably worth a try.

 

[MJWB]

You could try asking on here for recommendations for the area where the boat you are interested in is. Of course, highly regarded engineers tend to be very busy, but it's probably worth a try.

LittleSister thank you for getting back to me again. I mentioned above I need someone in Yorkshire or the NE of England as that is where the boat is . I accept there might be a bit of travel.
I accept your experience of going for something informal rather than the bells and whistles report but either way I don't know anyone and seem to be struggling with getting a recommendation.
Hoping this might bear fruit.

 

[Robbair]

This is my own situation with a similar value boat ... although in my case I was looking at a motor boat, twin 200hp Penta's. I was just looking at engine oil analysis which seems like a good value solution to checking most of the important facets of engine health. My problem is I still can't get near the boat under the current restrictions to do the test. Under €100 though , might be worth considering, must be available in the UK if it's available in Ireland?

 

[Catalina36]

A yacht diesel engine will almost certainly never wear out in the lifetime of the boat but it can suffer from the gradual effects of decay from poor maintenance and lack of hard use. If it starts and runs without smoke it's unlikely to have very much wrong with it that can't be put right reasonably cheaply.

 

[Stemar]

If you can see it started from cold and it fires up quickly and settles down to idle smoothly - a two pot diesel will always sound rough compared to your car - and the initial smoke goes away quickly, it's probably fine, though I got caught with an 8hp engine that passed that test, but could manage 2 knots. If you can get a sea trial and it pushes the boat along nicely without significant smoke as well as starting willingly from cold, odds are, it's a goodun.

BTW, if it's a VP 2002, get the seller to demonstrate the starting technique. It's straightforward, but not intuitive, and not knowing it has caused a lot of grief to owners, giving the engine an undeserved reputation for poor starting.

 

[MJWB]

Ma

A yacht diesel engine will almost certainly never wear out in the lifetime of the boat but it can suffer from the gradual effects of decay from poor maintenance and lack of hard use. If it starts and runs without smoke it's unlikely to have very much wrong with it that can't be put right reasonably cheaply.

Ny thanks

 

[MJWB]

If you can see it started from cold and it fires up quickly and settles down to idle smoothly - a two pot diesel will always sound rough compared to your car - and the initial smoke goes away quickly, it's probably fine, though I got caught with an 8hp engine that passed that test, but could manage 2 knots. If you can get a sea trial and it pushes the boat along nicely without significant smoke as well as starting willingly from cold, odds are, it's a goodun.

BTW, if it's a VP 2002, get the seller to demonstrate the starting technique. It's straightforward, but not intuitive, and not knowing it has caused a lot of grief to owners, giving the engine an undeserved reputation for poor starting.

Many thanks for that.

 

[Wansworth]

If the boat is what you want in all other respects fracture in a new engine etc and then think compare with other boats,whilst looking at the engine see if the fuel tank is easy to get to and clean out

 

[MJWB]

If the boat is what you want in all other respects fracture in a new engine etc and then think compare with other boats,whilst looking at the engine see if the fuel tank is easy to get to and clean out

Thanks appreciated.