Hatteras 53 Re-power/Re-engine on YouTube

What a great find thanks.

Superb install.

One happy owner I am sure; well apart from the dent in his wallet :)
 
Super video of an excellent job. Really interesting. The hull form on many Hatteras seem better suited to displacement speeds as above that they seem to push walls of water for horrific fuel burn rates. The shaft alignment and engine mount precision was interesting. Those guys knew what they were doing.
 
Superb find Tender, so thanks for posting. Certainly makes you realise it's far from just an engine out and engine in job. Wish they'd covered some areas in more detail but they did a pretty good job for the running time.

It looked like the engine sumps only just cleared the floor though - planning or a little luck?
I assume the engines run in different directions or do they have gearboxes built in?

But what, no rope cutters?

Lovely project though and great looking boat.
 
Excellent video - anybody thinking of re-powering should watch it! It brought back memories of our repowering of our Birchwood TS37 a few years ago - BMW's to Volvo D6's. Once you start it is difficult to know where to stop. We also fitted everything in shown the video plus new fuel and water tanks (the holding tanks I had fitted 3 years earlier). To install the engines, a hole had to be cut in the flybridge floor as they wouldn't fit through the saloon glass sliding door. In the saloon the entire floor and all joists were removed so it was easier to work on than the Hatteras. Many calculations were done beforehand to make sure everything would fit, allowing for reinforced beams, stringers, engine mounts etc. there was about 1'' under the sump and 3/4'' between the top of the engine and the sound insulation on the floor panels. The end result was a quieter, smoke free boat, that did 26 knots verses 19 and 1.4mpg verses1.1. All the angst about overheating and breakdowns dissappeared. But . . . . . . it took 9 months to complete and cost a fortune. We had decided beforehand that if we did this work, we would keep the boat for at least another 7 years. Needless to say we were dazzled by a broker offering us a fantastic trade in against a nearly new boat and we went for it. Somebody got a fantastic 25 year old boat with all new mechanicals! Having been through this experience, I would strongly recommend to anybody considering re-powering to think twice about the project. I for one would not do it again.
 
ebbanflo said:
Excellent video - anybody thinking of re-powering should watch it! It brought back memories of our repowering of our Birchwood TS37 a few years ago - BMW's to Volvo D6's. Once you start it is difficult to know where to stop. We also fitted everything in shown the video plus new fuel and water tanks (the holding tanks I had fitted 3 years earlier). To install the engines, a hole had to be cut in the flybridge floor as they wouldn't fit through the saloon glass sliding door. In the saloon the entire floor and all joists were removed so it was easier to work on than the Hatteras. Many calculations were done beforehand to make sure everything would fit, allowing for reinforced beams, stringers, engine mounts etc. there was about 1'' under the sump and 3/4'' between the top of the engine and the sound insulation on the floor panels. The end result was a quieter, smoke free boat, that did 26 knots verses 19 and 1.4mpg verses1.1. All the angst about overheating and breakdowns dissappeared. But . . . . . . it took 9 months to complete and cost a fortune. We had decided beforehand that if we did this work, we would keep the boat for at least another 7 years. Needless to say we were dazzled by a broker offering us a fantastic trade in against a nearly new boat and we went for it. Somebody got a fantastic 25 year old boat with all new mechanicals! Having been through this experience, I would strongly recommend to anybody considering re-powering to think twice about the project. I for one would not do it again.
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Great. That is just the sort of info I want (some of the boats I am looking at buying will need a repower).

Would you mind sharing the full cost of installation over the engine cost (as a %age of course)? That would give me a clue as to whether it is worth it for me.
 
We had numerous quotes for engines and gearboxes (D6 310's and Cummins) that were around £50,000 - £52,000 for a pair. Many workshops like to quote a price that includes fitting - for not alot more than the list price of the engines. Unless you are replacing the engines with the same model this is not realistic. There is always more work involved, because you unearth other problems. We needed new gearboxes,shafts and props (Clements did the calculations and manufacture). We moved from morse cables to full electronic control, so new wiring looms and new instruments. Being larger engines, the cooling water requirement was greater so new seacocks, new strainers, new piping and new exhausts. You should also consider at this stage access to items that need regularly checking - there is no point having the port engine dipstick only accessible by removing the sofa / fridge /sideboard etc. The 25 year old fuel tanks had 25 years of accumulation in the bottom of them (it may have stopped them leaking of course!) and were way past their best. Likewise the water tank which you could push a biro through in places. The generator needed updating, and the new one was about £4000 (specil SBS deal). As the hull had been out of the water for 9 months, osmosis checks were done and the hull was found to be free, and we used the opportunity to have Cuprotect (original) applied (fantastic stuff). We would guess parts probably totalled £55,000 and labour £15,000 ish. With the bilges and engine room completely cleaned and re gelcoated, I did wonder if I should have had a glass floor in the saloon rather than new carpet !
 
As I have done many re power projects this one was def worth a look , a bigger scale project than I've ever done requiring much the same as I've done but on a smaller scale. I bet this boat sat a lot higher out of the water.

When your ready Roy I'm sat here waiting!!
 
ebbanflo said:
Excellent video - anybody thinking of re-powering should watch it! It brought back memories of our repowering of our Birchwood TS37 a few years ago - BMW's to Volvo D6's. Once you start it is difficult to know where to stop. We also fitted everything in shown the video plus new fuel and water tanks (the holding tanks I had fitted 3 years earlier). To install the engines, a hole had to be cut in the flybridge floor as they wouldn't fit through the saloon glass sliding door. In the saloon the entire floor and all joists were removed so it was easier to work on than the Hatteras. Many calculations were done beforehand to make sure everything would fit, allowing for reinforced beams, stringers, engine mounts etc. there was about 1'' under the sump and 3/4'' between the top of the engine and the sound insulation on the floor panels. The end result was a quieter, smoke free boat, that did 26 knots verses 19 and 1.4mpg verses1.1. All the angst about overheating and breakdowns dissappeared. But . . . . . . it took 9 months to complete and cost a fortune. We had decided beforehand that if we did this work, we would keep the boat for at least another 7 years. Needless to say we were dazzled by a broker offering us a fantastic trade in against a nearly new boat and we went for it. Somebody got a fantastic 25 year old boat with all new mechanicals! Having been through this experience, I would strongly recommend to anybody considering re-powering to think twice about the project. I for one would not do it again.
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The BMW/ mercruiser vm swap must have been a real project. I've done a broom 345 from merc to yanmar 6lp, it was a very straightforward swap requiring very little effort , just altering the from mount location , most other items were virtually the same.

Which size hp D6 engines did you go for?
 
Sheppy said:
Superb find Tender, so thanks for posting. Certainly makes you realise it's far from just an engine out and engine in job. Wish they'd covered some areas in more detail but they did a pretty good job for the running time.

It looked like the engine sumps only just cleared the floor though - planning or a little luck?
I assume the engines run in different directions or do they have gearboxes built in?

But what, no rope cutters?

Lovely project though and great looking boat.
Click to expand...

Modern engines run counter clockwise viewed from astern, contra rotation is achieved by running one gearbox ahead and other astern.

Oil pan clearance sufficient, term 'floor' brought out a smile. Shaft bonding is the norm no anodes or rope cutters, not popular in US as they screw up performance.

The custom risers looked well thought out with plenty of height, nice to see surge tube, perhaps a little short. That bonded heat insulation jacket looks real nice when new, however does come un-bonded after about three to four years, heat blankets more expensive, not as neat but far more durable.

However stern gear design and execution would have me dancing up and down, quality vessel deserved better. Replacing P strut with A strut and using together a four blade propeller is cruzin for a bruzin, rumble rumble rumble.

As to installation I was speechless. Prop nuts went on the wrong way around, should be big nut first followed by little nut, key was far too loose in key-way. I would have liked to have seen prop fitted by lapping on to shaft with grinding paste without key eliminating any tiny irregularities which could be the seat of crevice corrosion. Once prop is mated to shaft with lapping, shaft marked when absolutely sure prop is 'home'. All comes apart, compound cleaned off with brake cleaner. Fit key and ensure prop comes right up to 'home' mark and everything dry. Just using a split pin on the second nut is not normal U.S. quality practice. Lock wire with the ear of the small nut drilled aircraft industry style spells quality and is super safe.

As to the numb nuts yard numpties using pipe wrenches on the prop nuts!.......Sums it all up. Yes Hatteras deserves better.
 
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