New engine

[Minerva]

Beta and Nanni are the approved Kubota marinisers in Europe. There are no "off the shelf" marinisation parts available. A bob tail (no gearbox) Beta 14 fully marinised and adaptor plate to mate to his transmission is well under $6000 in the UK

Arn’t Sole diesels also based on a Kubota block?

 

[Tranona]

Arn’t Sole diesels also based on a Kubota block?

No Mitsubishi in this size range same as Vetus

 

[fredrussell]

this may or may not be useful to you, but having a beta 14 on my own boat ive looked around quite a bit for spares etc.
i have found that a lot of kubota parts also fit beta's, and they are much cheaper. my thinking is that beta may just be a U.S branded kubota?
perhaps a kubota engine may be within your budget?
i havent looked so couldnt say.

having had a quick look, it appears that both nanni and beta are marinized kubota engines, seeing as sources suggest a beta is around $10k, and other sources say a standard kubota is around $3-4k, perhaps have a look at what the cost could be for marinizing a kubota engine?

as costly as beta raw water pumps and heat exchangers are, i cant quite see them coming to $6000?

It’s an interesting point. If you had a ‘dead’ engine, would it be that hard to move the marinising clobber over to a new ‘land based’ engine? If the difference in price would be a few hundred quid, probably not worth it, but if there was, say, a four figure saving it might be a more attractive option.

 

[Rappey]

I just can't see enough people chucking out /replacing perfectly fine older engines

You would be surprised at how many boats are fit for scrap but still have good inboards. Others want to sail away but fit a new engine first even though the old one srill works fine. I'm trying to sell a sailboat that got damaged for £100 with a working gm1. Many want to buy the engine but they have to take the boat with it !

 

[Gixer]

I'm trying to sell a sailboat that got damaged for £100 with a working gm1. Many want to buy the engine but they have to take the boat with it !

I nearly bought a yacht for £100 because I wanted the self tailing winches off it…

 

[arcot]

Arn’t Sole diesels also based on a Kubota block?

Beta good but heat exchangers are an odd mixture of aluminium and bronze....

 

[Sea Change]

It’s an interesting point. If you had a ‘dead’ engine, would it be that hard to move the marinising clobber over to a new ‘land based’ engine? If the difference in price would be a few hundred quid, probably not worth it, but if there was, say, a four figure saving it might be a more attractive option.

I suspect that it would rarely be worth it, because unless the engine was quite new the marinisation parts will themselves be pretty worn out.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that there's a fairly steady trade in Bukh engines because they get fitted to lifeboats, and at the end of the boat's life they might have only run a few dozen hours for testing and maintenance.

 

[PetiteFleur]

Beta have a good aftersales service. I chose a Beta for a few good reasons, using a Kubota base engine which is a well known commercial engine, seawater pump at the front of the engine so easy to service, will make engine feet to suit the engine bearers, hand pump for oil changes, etc. Service items can be bought from car spares centres, cheaper than Beta prices. And a nice red colour!

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I'm sure I've read somewhere that there's a fairly steady trade in Bukh engines because they get fitted to lifeboats, and at the end of the boat's life they might have only run a few dozen hours for testing and maintenance.

They need to be marinised as they are originally keel cooling which gives a stable non-duty situation that does not depend on cooling water intakes being maintained etc.

This marinisation is fairly expensive, so though the base engine is cheap from ex-ships lifeboats the going rate is between £3500 and £4000 for 20 to 25hp once converted by Marine Enterprises of Dorcester.. And they lump along which though better than drowning as the main ship goes down, can be wearing in an enclosed pleasure craft. Some narrow boats use them and have that special tractor sound, and one could probably keep them in original keel cooling config on a flat bottomed barge, but it would be problematic for a yacht,