Engine Type - Please Help!

[carl170]

I have bought a boat with a small inboard petrol engine.

A few boat owners have had a look and said it is totally unfamiliar! Even the guy at the boat yard who sold her to me has no idea what type it is.

All I know is that it is a small petrol engine.

The link below will show you a picture.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-5/178769/Engine2.jpg

I would be grateful for any comments or definite identification.

Thanks for looking!

Carl

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[oldharry]

Its a Vire 6 by Valmet Oy. 6hp 2 stroke, spares available from Fairways in Maldon. An excellent little engine if its still good. Watch for the waterpump seal failing and leaking into the gearbox, flywheel nut loosening up and causing the key to shear, throwing the magneto ignition timing haywire, and ensure there is an adequate water supply to the rubber exhaust - if not the inside liner melts and stops the engine without warning. It starts again immediately, runs for anything from 30 seconds to half an hour - then stops. again! And always at the most embarassing moment!

Starting problems may be due to the 4 rather undersize studs holding the cylinder head and barrel all in one casting to the crankcase coming loose and allowing leakage on the barrel - crankcase gasket.

Supplied in the 60s, by the early 70s it had been uprated to a 7hp, and then to a 12hp unit - all basically the same except the cylinder water jacket on the later ones was square, not rounded like yours.

In its day it was a popular and much more reliable replacement for the ubiqitous Stuart Turner 2 stroke, being lighter, more powerful, and much more reliable. But it is still a 2 stroke with all the ills that accompany them - fouled and oiled plugs from extended slow running being the chief complaint.


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[bob_tyler]

There is no doubt that it is a Vire 6. I fully concur with the comments above on this engine. Always keep a plug spanner and a couple of spare plugs, correctly gapped, handy. Mine had a habit of stopping after cruising slowly towards a mooring and leaving me just short of reaching distance!

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[bob26]

One very common problem with these otherwise great little motors is that the cylinder water cooling jacket silts up at the bottom and that part overheats the low fitted carburettor and causes fuel starvation.

See here (Vire owners website) for helpful support for Vire engines:

gofree.indigo.ie/~vire7/home.htm - 6k

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[bob26]

The actual name of this engine is the Vire BVR though it is commonly referred to as the Vire 6.

If you go to the Vire owners site (see my previous post) and select the Vire BVR/BVK option from the menu it will lead you to a Dutch site from which you can download the spares list and operating manual.

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[bob26]

The Dutch site:

http://www.motoren.boten.nl/

Seems to provide downloads of the manuals for most out of production engines

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[Guest]

Original Vire 6

Fitted to many early 60's boats and lasted years as long as fuel was clean. Runs on 1-15 two-stroke mix.

Some fitted with clutch and even reverse gear !!

A few later had DIY mods to ignition to beef up the spark ... by fitting a HT coil from a mini or similar. The points / dynomag coils then feed the HT coil etc.

Rope start on the front end if the Dynomag is not Dynostart ....

Mine in a Snapdrgaon 23 was full FWD-N-Rev, Dynostart job till the crankcase seals went and it lost all fuel draw .... then had to be flooded to run. Sold it off - guy went to local Motor Factors with seal P/N's and replaced all seals ..... it still runs a beaut today .....

They were good little engines, even though petrol. If you want to change to later diesel - note that the Vire is opposite rotation to most nowadys and will mean change prop as well .....

Does it run ?


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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[Guest]

Vire had 3 versions - PLUS

Vire plain 6 ..... start and go direct drive

BV series in two forms that had only fwd and neutral, or the FWD - Neutral - REV cone system.

Plus ..... there is an UK agent for Vire in the back of Mags ......

<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
/forums/images/icons/cool.gif<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by nigel_luther on 27/12/2003 14:16 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Guest]

Change to Coil ignition and

Oiling / fouling up is history.

It was basically due to weak spark from the magneto system. A system basically 'nicked' from small moped/ motorcycle ..... not really suited to marine life.

If the engine is still a good runner .... then its worth the conversion ..... fiver for a coil in the scrap-yard and a switch ... few bits of wire and away you go.


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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[david_bagshaw]

Re: Change to Coil ignition and

I did a similar conversion on a stuart turner generating set some years ago, because the magneteo magnets lost their magnitism. Worked for years, still works now but the engine is laid up in Dad's garage.

<hr width=100% size=1>David
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.euroboating.net>http://www.euroboating.net</A>

 

[neil_s]

Vire 6 it is. You need to watch out for four things when running it -

1. Make sure you turn on the water bleed into the expansion box after the engine starts, and shut it off before stopping.

2. The diaphragms in the carb need to be replaced every couple of years, or the engine won't run slowly reliably.

3. Watch out for corrosion of the expansion box - its a light alloy casting.

4. Make sure you don't allow the water pump to leak, or the salt water will drip onto the output shaft and destroy the oil seal.

I remember the engine as a bit noisy but reliable.

Cheers! Neil

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[neil_s]

I have a very old photocopy of the handbook. if you're interested, drop me a PM

Cheers! Neil

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[carl170]

Nigel - I have not tried to start her - She has been sitting for many seasons without the engine running - I intend to take the engine out and then take a good look at the condition and flush it out. The engine seems tidy enough though.

One question - there is a grey plastic wire which you can see in the middle of the photo. This wire has three bluw wires inside it.

Does anyone have any clue as to what they are?

Cheers

Carl


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