Camayo
New member
My friend is thinking of buying a boat with twin BMW marine engines, 70 ish, what do you think, full speed ahead or full speed astern?
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BMW ENGINES
- Thread starter Camayo
- Start date
longjohnsilver
Well-known member
These don't have a good reputation, think that spares can also be a probem. Best look for something else unless he's convinced they've been well looked after.
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omega2
Active member
No No No, they are a nightmare.
<hr width=100% size=1>J HAMER
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qsiv
New member
A friend of mine had these - he seemed to be forever having things fixed. In particular the heat exchangers seemed to need attention every 6 weeks or so.
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oldgit
Well-known member
Re: BMW ENGINES arrgghh!!!!!!!! NM.
NM
<hr width=100% size=1>Oooh look its still not dark and its nearly 5pm
NM
<hr width=100% size=1>Oooh look its still not dark and its nearly 5pm
Will_M
Member
Best left in a car...
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SeaAce
New member
Depends on which engine - my B190 in 1986 Fletcher Arrowbeau runs like my BMW car - excellent! Marine parts are expensive and only one supplier in this country - exhaust manifold/riser complete costs around £1800 - I made my own stainless and it works a treat! Other parts are not a problem!
Can't speak for diesels though!
John
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Can't speak for diesels though!
John
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omega2
Active member
It is diesels we are talking about
<hr width=100% size=1>J HAMER
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TRH
Member
If you friends hobby is working on engines full time,Then go for it. If it's trouble free boating then walk away.
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Margem
New member
BMW played with marine engines but never got it right, the BMW outdrives sometimes used were even worse.
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tr7v8
Active member
BMW diesels in boats weren't made by BMW they were made by VM which are Italian and still made. Spares prices are horrific though reliability is reckoned to be quite good. Neglected ones tend to be money pits. I beleive Mercruiser still use the VM.
Jim
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Jim
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NorthernWave
New member
I run a Birchwood with twin BMW D636's
When I first looked at the boat I very nearly didn't buy it because of having BMW's and what a reputation they have.
The heat exchangers are the only thing that can be a bit of a nightmare. They need cleaning out every other season to keep the running temperatures at the spec 90 degrees.
I dropped a valve two weeks after buying the boat (didn't fill me with any more confidence with the BMW's) which damaged the head beyond repair and also the piston.
The VM (BMW badged) engines have six seperate heads so a new head only cost £300, a new piston £86 (complete) I had the turbo rebuilt, and serviced both engines and the total bill came to less than £1000
Parts aren't a problem at all both new and second hand as a earlier thread says the VM is in fact also badged as a Mercruiser which is still in production.
I find them to be very economical and have given us many many miles of faultless motoring.
Just like cars I'm sure there are some pigs out there but you look after them and they'll look after you.
PM me if you want details of suppliers of parts etc
Chris
<hr width=100% size=1>Logged Sea Miles wanted for masters. Send PM if your on south coast and want skipper or crew.
When I first looked at the boat I very nearly didn't buy it because of having BMW's and what a reputation they have.
The heat exchangers are the only thing that can be a bit of a nightmare. They need cleaning out every other season to keep the running temperatures at the spec 90 degrees.
I dropped a valve two weeks after buying the boat (didn't fill me with any more confidence with the BMW's) which damaged the head beyond repair and also the piston.
The VM (BMW badged) engines have six seperate heads so a new head only cost £300, a new piston £86 (complete) I had the turbo rebuilt, and serviced both engines and the total bill came to less than £1000
Parts aren't a problem at all both new and second hand as a earlier thread says the VM is in fact also badged as a Mercruiser which is still in production.
I find them to be very economical and have given us many many miles of faultless motoring.
Just like cars I'm sure there are some pigs out there but you look after them and they'll look after you.
PM me if you want details of suppliers of parts etc
Chris
<hr width=100% size=1>Logged Sea Miles wanted for masters. Send PM if your on south coast and want skipper or crew.
luckyjimbo
New member
My Fairline weekender had BMW 190 petrol, the engine was ok for the year I had it, but it is true the heat exchangers get gunked up with stuff!!.
When I bought the boat I anticipated that the engine wouldn't go on forever, afterall they were 15 years old, I bought a new volvo 4.3 D/P and got the three year warranty, before it "came in line with europe" and only offered one year !
Regards
James
Ps The BMW sounds really sweet when opened up, just before it started to overheat !!
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When I bought the boat I anticipated that the engine wouldn't go on forever, afterall they were 15 years old, I bought a new volvo 4.3 D/P and got the three year warranty, before it "came in line with europe" and only offered one year !
Regards
James
Ps The BMW sounds really sweet when opened up, just before it started to overheat !!
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Chris_d
Well-known member
You haven't said which engines your looking at, petrol or diesel.
I've run a B220 petrol engine and outdrive for 7 years now, its never missed a beat, all I have done is service it.
There are loads of scare stories out there, but as the engines will be 15 years at least this applies to any make of marine engine.
The heat exchanger problems on the diesels can be fixed by upgrading to a mercruiser setup (the same engine), PH Marine at Wargrave can give details.
The outdrives can suffer clutch problems but most of these should have been fixed by now.
All depends on the price really, if the boat is cheap becasue of the BMW engines and they check out ok, it could be a bargain.
Incidently BMW dropped out of the market because they couldn't compete with the discounts Volvo offered to builders, not because the engines were bad.
At around that time Volvo did a deal with most builders that they didn't have to pay for the engines until the boat was sold, this cruicified BMW who were just to small in the marine market to compete.
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I've run a B220 petrol engine and outdrive for 7 years now, its never missed a beat, all I have done is service it.
There are loads of scare stories out there, but as the engines will be 15 years at least this applies to any make of marine engine.
The heat exchanger problems on the diesels can be fixed by upgrading to a mercruiser setup (the same engine), PH Marine at Wargrave can give details.
The outdrives can suffer clutch problems but most of these should have been fixed by now.
All depends on the price really, if the boat is cheap becasue of the BMW engines and they check out ok, it could be a bargain.
Incidently BMW dropped out of the market because they couldn't compete with the discounts Volvo offered to builders, not because the engines were bad.
At around that time Volvo did a deal with most builders that they didn't have to pay for the engines until the boat was sold, this cruicified BMW who were just to small in the marine market to compete.
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NorthernWave
New member
My BMW's sound gorgeous too!!!
<hr width=100% size=1>Logged Sea Miles wanted for masters. Send PM if your on south coast and want skipper or crew.
<hr width=100% size=1>Logged Sea Miles wanted for masters. Send PM if your on south coast and want skipper or crew.