Engine replacement costs

[whiteoaks7]

What is the real cost of a new engine. I'm looking at replacing the VP2003 with something like a Beta and (a) it's a hassle getting a price for the basic lump but (b) then there's compartment mods and (c) there's all the extraneous bits to consider like controls, electrics, couplings, and lots more I haven't yet though of. So if anyone has gone through this pain let me ask: what is the real cost?

 

[jamie N]

Much of the cost can be reduced if one does the work oneself. I did the work on my boat and avoided the £54/hour charge from the local marine engineering facility. On any search engine, there's a great deal of info about the work required, but I well understand that many wouldn't want to undertake this task, and possibly have neither time, confidence or desire to do it themselves.

 

[Leighb]

There are always things you may not have thought of, such as prop shaft and prop, the Volvo may drive a LH prop and Beta is RH, I did this switch some years ago from an MD7A to a Beta 20 and new prop and shaft were needed.

 

[Tam Lin]

It does depend on your starting point. If it is a straight drop it in job then it is much cheaper, mine wasn't. If I can find a reply I have already given on this I will pm you. What boat is it?

 

[PetiteFleur]

I did all the work myself, fitted a Beta 25hp replacing a BMC 1.5. Went to SBS to look at all engines available, chose a Beta for several reasons:- Fitted handpump to change engine oil; seawater pump at the front for easy impellor change; option of special mounting feet so no alteration to existing engine bearers; proven base engine(Kubota) so spares available easily; excellent sales staff; good price; finalised spec and price at LBS and ordered for delivery in march direct to my boatyard. Sold old engine on ebay. After old engine was out, cleaned out engine compartment, replaced soundproofing with modern stuff, repainted, repositioned primary filter for easier access, fitted new propshaft with non-drip seal, new prop as opposite hand required. Had to fit new exhaust hose as different size, new waterlock, muffler and gooseneck, repositioned exhaust outlet onto transom instead of underwater.
All in cost about £5k - albeit 10 years ago. Engine warranty maintained as even though DIY installation, it was inspected by local Beta agent who signed it off. Excellent ongoing service from Beta. Oh, and it's a nice red colour! Sold other surplus bits on ebay, several new bits bought on ebay for a good saving. DIY if you have the time and expertise.
On a Moody 33 mk2.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Just repowered (engine + saildrive + control panel) from a Volvo MD2030C to a D1-30. It was getting a bit long in the tooth and although it started and ran fine, it was not revving over 2000 rpm so I lost faith in it - I inspected the old engine when I got it home and it had an almost completely blocked exhaust elbow - you live and learn. The complete unit + saildrive + control panel is now sitting in my garage waiting to be listed on E-Bay.

My experience:

If at all possible, get a drop-in replacement that will fit on your existing engine bed. Modifying the bed will add a large proportion of cost to the exercise, not to mention the mods needed to the G-Box and or prop shaft etc. which is effectively money wasted if a drop in replacement is at all possible.

My costs were (approximately).

€8000 for new engine, saildrive, control panel, prop, anode and fitting kit (All from VP) - shop around!!! I got quotes from all over europe and they varied by as much as €2000, some would take the old engine as trade-in, some weren't interested. Unless the old engine really is buggered, it will still have a reasonable value either for spares or to pass on to someone on an even lower budget with the time and patience for a re-build.

€1700 for removal of old engine, fitting new, fluids, sundries and comissioning - I paid a VP Authorised Yard to fit it because it came with an extended 5 year guarantee on everything which was only valid if fitted and comissioned by an approved yard.

€250 for the first oil change - again, felt I needed to follow the maintenance schedule if the guarantee is to remain valid.

The shiny new engine ....

Here she is in her new home ...

This may vary considerably from your boat, but drop me a PM if you have any questions ....

 

[KellysEye]

The new owner re-engined our boat with a Beta and and the cost, including removing engine, fitting new engine, new shaft and prop, was £8,000.

 

[macd]

The new owner re-engined our boat with a Beta and and the cost, including removing engine, fitting new engine, new shaft and prop, was £8,000.

That sounds a lot for a Beta 10, but perhaps yours was larger?

As others have said, compatibiity with the old ancilliary bits (shaft, prop, bearers etc) is a major factor. Fitting new bearers is expensive and time-consuming, so Beta's service of special feet is well worth considering. If memory serves, it only costs about £120 (+ VAT).

The same goes for a DIY job, which, skills permitting, I'd recommend to anyone. You can always get someone in for the technical jobs, of which there are few, and a Hiab to lower the new lump in isn't expensive. The other bonus is that you'd have a familiarity with the new engine that you probably didn't with the old.

Taking out an engine is also a priceless opportunity to re-evaluate all your engine-related systems..improve the filter system, fireproofing, exhaust, install a calorifier, accessibility for service items, etc, etc. And allow plenty of time, if possible: it's best as a winter job.

We re-engined with a Beta 50 a few years ago: the prop and shaft were fine, but an entire new exhaust system was needed, and we went for the special feet. I also installed a new fuel filter system with two filters switchable on the fly. The yard craned in the lump but I did the rest. Cost was around £1000 on top of the engine cost.

About a decade before that did much as Petitefleur did: ditched a BMC in favour of a Beta 28. The biggest bonus of the job was discovering a huge empty void underneath 70litre fuel tank which allowed me to throw it away and squeeze in a 150l tank.

 

[Tranona]

Having done two engine swaps, you will find it is the "extra" bits that add to the cost. Basic 30-35hp engine and box is in the range of +/- £5k. You will probably want to replace all the stern gear, although you may be able to re-use the shaft and the exhaust system, not least because it may well be past it, but it is easier to do these jobs when the engine is out. Upgrading electrical systems and fuel lines/filters etc is worth considering as is insulating the engine compartment. So you could easily spend £1500-2000 on such bits. Fitting professionally is usually £1000-1500, but you may well be able to do a good deal with an agent.

If you are DIY minded it is not a particularly difficult job. an advantage of DIY is that you will know exactly how it all works and the saving in labour can be invested in using all new parts. You will likely get back a good sum for your old engine if you sell it while still running in the boat as there is always somebody who has an even more worn out engine than yours but can't afford a new one.

 

[Cspirit]

I replaced my Volvo 2003 with a
Beta 38. Beta sell special feet that are the same dimensions as the 2003 so a straight drop in. I fitted everything new - prop shaft, prop, water filter, sea cock, fuel tank etc. All done by the yard in Greece. I bought the engine direct from Beta after visiting the factory - very good people - plus sourcing the fuel tank, prop and other stuff directly, thus securing best prices. Total costs including all fitting around £10k. Expensive but worth it....all done this year

 

[KellysEye]

>That sounds a lot for a Beta 10, but perhaps yours was larger?

The engine the new owner put in was a Beta 50 HP for a heavy displacement steel ketch.

 

[PhillM]

Beta 14 to replace a md7a.

New pretty much everything from engine bed upwards and stern-wards. Engine cost £3.2k and the same again for everything else, plus a bit to the shipwrights who,fixed some planking underneath.

So I'd say, engine cost x 2 = rough replacement cost.

 

[doug748]

Hello whiteoaks,

I spoke to a girl who had two of those engines replaced in the same boat as you, now I don't know anything about the engine or it's original installation but that is what she said to me, could be just a coincidence.

Anyway, modern marine diesel conversions are great value so it's well worth doing if you intend to keep a boat. I fitted a 20hp Beta for under 5k not long enough ago for the figures to have changed much. So that is new: engine, beds, gearbox, propshaft, stuffing box, insulation, water supply, and Centaflex coupling. Everything else was in good order and recycled so I was lucky. I did all the work myself apart from hoisting in the new engine.

That is the key thing. If you pay for the installation not only is the labour cost horrendous but you can end up paying RRP for all the bits and pieces. Needless to say a fitter will spend your money with a little more freedom than you might yourself. In this manner one magazine managed to spend over 10k on a similar project. You don't need to unless you want to.

 

[Turnnidge]

A timely thread, I am in the process of replacing my VP2003 and sail drive with a D1-30 set up, so there will be an engine on eBay in the not to distant future! Planning to redo the sound proofing and various other jobs while I have the opportunity.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

A timely thread, I am in the process of replacing my VP2003 and sail drive with a D1-30 set up, so there will be an engine on eBay in the not to distant future! Planning to redo the sound proofing and various other jobs while I have the opportunity.

If it's a reasonable runner then take some video of it in action before you remove it to help with the e-bay sale. Guess who didn't and wishes he had ....

 

[LittleSister]

If you pay for the installation not only is the labour cost horrendous but you can end up paying RRP for all the bits and pieces. Needless to say a fitter will spend your money with a little more freedom than you might yourself. In this manner one magazine managed to spend over 10k on a similar project. You don't need to unless you want to.

I wonder if this is referring to the article about Snooks' (of this parish) engine change in (I think) YM. He clarified on this forum that he had not paid list price for most of the items, but was obliged to quote list prices by the magazine. If I remember correctly the actual price was significantly less.

Hopefully he'll be along shortly to tell all, but in previous posts on this subject he was very positive about the experience, and seemed to think it was money/time/hassle well spent.

 

[thesaintlyone]

There was a link to a engine specialist in Holland who could fit a new engine in a boat at very reasonable cost worth a consideration if you trust the boat enough to travel across

Perhaps someone else can find the thread or worth a forum search