Engine Dilema - Perkins 4.236

[CanePazzo]

I have now started the refit of my Oyster 46 ketch, bought for a song, because the boat had sat abandoned in Greece, on the hard for nine years. After a few weeks of preparation and tinkering with the engine, we left Greece and sailed to Viareggio in Italy, where she is now out of the water, ready for a complete refit. I will replace all of the electrics, plumbing, instrumentation just to mention a few of the jobs on the list.
One of the first jobs done has been the removal of the engine, an old Perkins 4.236. It is with 'friendly mechanics' whose old Dad, has dropped all other work and is taking great pleasure in playing with my engine. He has stripped it down and informed me that I was very lucky to get to Italy and the only reason that I was able to get here was that, 'it's a Perkins!' The heat exchanger was in a bad way, with the result of salt and fresh water mixing and the expected corrosion in the cooling system. The boat obviously had a lot of water in the bilge at times and there's a lot of rust everywhere and ingress of water into the flywheel housing and a few other problems.
I don't really want to change the engine, but it has to be economically viable. A second hand engine will most likely have similar problems (not quite as large), a brand new engine will cost a faffing fortune and have electronic circuit boards in it.
I think I need to find either, another Perkins 4.236 to cannibalise or find a good source of reasonably priced spares.
Any idea's folks?

 

[VicS]

Parts4Engines ?
Perkins 4.236 parts

 

[colind3782]

My marina neighbour has the same engine on his Broom 37 and had a hell of a time finding a replacement oil cooler. He eventually found someone who was breaking for spares on the Broom owners club. I think parts for these engines are getting scarce.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Transatlantic Diesels (TAD) has been a reliable source for spare parts, but is USA based. I have imported into UK okay from TAD Trans Atlantic Diesels | Perkins Diesel Engines | Perkins Engine Parts | Cummins Diesel Engines

I agree with the rarity. Mine is now 40 odd years old and is very reliable but a bit smokey. If I was in your shoes, a full refit, I would replace the engine with new, unless you were very lucky and got a good set of spare parts at a low cost, but that takes a lot of time, constantly searching, but if you have time, maybe an option.

The 4236 was a very common engine and variants are always on eBay in the UK.

 

[coopec]

I'm wondering if the Perkins factory made a Perkins 4.236 Marine Diesel. (They never made a marinised version of the Perkins 4.108. They provided the basic 4.108 motor and then about six(?) different "jobbers" marinised them to their own design}

Just looking at the photos here I suspect it may be the same with the 4.236.
marinised perkins 4.236 engine - Google Search

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I'm wondering if the Perkins factory made a Perkins 4.236 Marine Diesel.

They did, mine left Peterborough as the marinised 4236, the M90. They ran courses for owners going foreign and offered workshop manuals and recommended spare parts for going abroad, all branded as Perkins, back in their day.

 

[ean_p]

(They never made a marinised version of the Perkins 4.108. They provided the basic 4.108 motor and then about six(?) different "jobbers" marinised them to their own design}

I don't think that this is correct C as there are many examples of the 4.108 workshop manual etc which is a Perkins publication that is applicable to the Marine variant of the engine. The differences in build are sometimes very subtle but none the less important as was pointed out to me in the late eighties while in communication with Perkins regarding the differences between the 4.236M and other variants of the same model.

 

[bristoljim]

My marina neighbour has the same engine on his Broom 37 and had a hell of a time finding a replacement oil cooler. He eventually found someone who was breaking for spares on the Broom owners club. I think parts for these engines are getting scarce.

Oil coolers should not be a problem Bowman make easy replacements - the engine should not require major replacement parts but valves ,gaskets etc are available from industrial engine rebuilders.the exhaust manifold is the more difficult one if it has major corrosion.There is a pair of these engines on ebay for not a lot of money which might be worth investigation to compare with the state of your engine - they are a very durable engine basicly.
Jim

 

[coopec]

I don't think that this is correct C as there are many examples of the 4.108 workshop manual etc which is a Perkins publication that is applicable to the Marine variant of the engine. The differences in build are sometimes very subtle but none the less important as was pointed out to me in the late eighties while in communication with Perkins regarding the differences between the 4.236M and other variants of the same model.

I am going by what two mechanics at the Perkins Agency in Perth told me.( IT IS ONLY THE MARINISING THAT DIFFERS) I have no doubt they are correct. Have a look at these photos (Click the link below) and let me know what you think! (Mine has the heat exchanger across the front of the motor)

Perkins 4.108 Marine diesel - Google Search

 

[RunAgroundHard]

... I have no doubt they are correct. ...

If you believe that Perkins did not make marine versions of their engines, fine, but that is not what the thread is about. The OP is looking for advice on parts to rebuild his engine economically. Do you have any ideas on where the OP can get parts for the marinised 4236?

 

[WFA]

Perking engine numbers carry all the build data of the engine at the time it left production. Perkins Engine build codes

 

[WFA]

If you believe that Perkins did not make marine versions of their engines, fine, but that is not what the thread is about. The OP is looking for advice on parts to rebuild his engine economically. Do you have any ideas on where the OP can get parts for the marinised 4236?

Lancing Marine

 

[WFA]

Engine parts from Parts4Engines see post#2

 

[ean_p]

I am going by what two mechanics at the Perkins Agency in Perth told me.( IT IS ONLY THE MARINISING THAT DIFFERS) I have no doubt they are correct. Have a look at these photos (Click the link below) and let me know what you think! (Mine has the heat exchanger across the front of the motor)

Perkins 4.108 Marine diesel - Google Search

Then I believe you may have misunderstood the guys at the agency or they themselves are mistaken. This link takes you to an outlet that is selling a copy of the Perkins workshop manual for the 4.108M . It is a Perkins publication and the 'M' designation refers to the marine variant of the model.
The difference between the marine variant and say the vehicle traction variant is, apart from the external additions, often subtle and marks out the quality of the Perkins build in hat era. Engines were almost hand built and to a specification to suit individual applications rather than mass produced and modified post production.
I don't have a specific example for the 4.108M ( its being 30 years plus since I enquired!) but on the 4.236M the valves had a double spring assembly and the cylinder liners had a modification particular to the M variant. These amongst many other small but specific modifications that the design engineers at Perkins thought beneficial to the marine application.
It is these mods that set the factory produced engine apart from the post production 'marinised' engine as it is very unlikely that the marinizers would delve that deeply into the engine to copy the true marine variant.
Looking at photo's doesn't really give you much of a clue. For the full sp on your engine look up / contact Perkins who should still be able to advise as to what your engine was specified for when new and also should be able to supply you with a parts manual unique to your engine number. Least wise they did for me but that was some time ago !

Perkins Diesel Engine 4..108M Series Workshop Manual

as for parts... a quick google gets you those listed above and Perkins Parts too........

 

[coopec]

If you believe that Perkins did not make marine versions of their engines, fine, but that is not what the thread is about. The OP is looking for advice on parts to rebuild his engine economically. Do you have any ideas on where the OP can get parts for the marinised 4236?

I am not in the UK but I'd try:

About Parts for Perkins and Volvo Penta diesel engines

Perkins 4.236 Marine Engine Spare Parts

Perkins A4.236 (4.236 Series) parts | UK branded tractor spares

Welcome to Boat Scrap Yard

used boat parts portsmouth uk - Google Search

 

[coopec]

Perking engine numbers carry all the build data of the engine at the time it left production. Perkins Engine build codes

I'm not sure what you are getting at. ?

I don't know about the 4.108 but Perkins engines were built all around the world.

 

[coopec]

If you believe that Perkins did not make marine versions of their engines, fine, but that is not what the thread is about. The OP is looking for advice on parts to rebuild his engine economically. Do you have any ideas on where the OP can get parts for the marinised 4236?

Should read "If you believe that Perkins did not make marine versions of their 4.108 engines, fine,......."

 

[CanePazzo]

Good morning you helpful people. Thank you for those two sites for Perkins parts, I will be looking into them later. If I were to replace the engine with a new one, I would like to avoid ones with the modern fandangly, electronic circuit boards and have something in the engine hole that I can actually work on without having a degree in engineering. Any thoughts?

 

[CanePazzo]

With the old Perkins, the boat would be motoring at 6kts at 1200rpm quietly ticking over and no strain whatsoever on the engine, a new Yanmar say, would be running at a lot more rpm than that.

 

[Blueboatman]

With the old Perkins, the boat would be motoring at 6kts at 1200rpm quietly ticking over and no strain whatsoever on the engine, a new Yanmar say, would be running at a lot more rpm than that.

I should have a look here too or give them a call
Ex lifeboat ‘ and other’ used engines etc
Marine Enterprises Ltd