One for Nanni Users - or those who know engines well...

[vandy]

So, to cut a long story short, I was so close to buy a Antares 980 with Nanni inboards until the surveyor highlighted a potential old overheating issue on "one of the engines" - Quoting the survey: "The inboard engines serial number xxxx & xxxx - in clean condition with no signs of corrosion..., the port engine has signs of [potential] overheating -.....

So the mechanic advised a good service of the engines (heat exchanger etc.) - however, the surveyor scared me badly about Nanni Engines- he is aware of an old case which I "think" I managed to search it and it has been reported here:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?278966-beneteau-engine-problem


I am now debating whether I am just unnecessarily worried and it's the same for any "used" boat, or there is genuinely an issue with Nanni inboards?

 

[Spi D]

Apart from owning two (non electronic 175 hp) Nannis that run like clockwork, never misses a beat and are easy/inexpensive to maintain, I can't tell if the 200hp version is prone to fail.
Never heard about any apart from the one you refer to.

Based on Toyota 4 cyl 3-liter blocks the engine as such is sound but marinisation and/or use might be a joker in the maths. That, however, is a fact for all brands.

 

[Matt341]

Can't help with your query but when we looked at a 9.80 we were advised by an engineer to check the cam belt changes and if they had been done recently, as the Nanni is a marine converted engine based on the Toyota Land Cruiser. I can't remember the exact interval change but I believe it was around 4-5 years advised with an estimated cost of £1,000+ per engine for an engineer to supply the parts and labour.

 

[sailorman]

Can't help with your query but when we looked at a 9.80 we were advised by an engineer to check the cam belt changes and if they had been done recently, as the Nanni is a marine converted engine based on the Toyota Land Cruiser. I can't remember the exact interval change but I believe it was around 4-5 years advised with an estimated cost of £1,000+ per engine for an engineer to supply the parts and labour.

swmbo`s car cambelt was just done for £250, that price is holiday funding

 

[Spi D]

I did both mine just for peace of mind. £15 each and 2½ hours total. Add the price of a couple of pulleys/tensioner bearings if you like - still below £60 each for all parts.

Easy to work on if access is good. Remove covers and coolant tube, bolt off tensioner, reset tensioners (need a vice) then reassemble. Top off the coolant. POC.

 

[Matt341]

I did both mine just for peace of mind. £15 each and 2½ hours total. Add the price of a couple of pulleys/tensioner bearings if you like - still below £60 each for all parts.

Easy to work on if access is good. Remove covers and coolant tube, bolt off tensioner, reset tensioners (need a vice) then reassemble. Top off the coolant. POC.

Easy when you know how! Part of the problem included in the £1,000+ quote was access to the engine and the subsequent time involved in removing the necessary bits.

 

[sailorman]

Easy when you know how! Part of the problem included in the £1,000+ quote was access to the engine and the subsequent time involved in removing the necessary bits.

Look under a car bonnet, tighter than most boat bays
how many hrs does the average MoBo do in 5 yrs 100 ??

 

[Spi D]

Yep. If access is bad many hours might be spent and in case of non DIY, todays hourly rate could push the total way up.

I did mine, but even if I'd asked a workshop to do it time would have been modest. Opposite some the engine itself is straight forward to work on.

 

[Matt341]

Look under a car bonnet, tighter than most boat bays
how many hrs does the average MoBo do in 5 yrs 100 ??

True, although the cam belt change interval was advised by hours/mileage or time - whichever is first. It's unlikely the hours on a boat would reach the criteria before the time of 5 years.

There is no doubt that the job could probably be done quite quickly/cheaply by someone who knows how but when relying on an engineer to do this for us, the price they quoted would have been a factor in our final offer for the vessel.

 

[Spi D]

Look under a car bonnet, tighter than most boat bays
how many hrs does the average MoBo do in 5 yrs 100 ??

True. Both cars' and boats' engines can be a nightmare to get at, some even call for removal of the engine

I did my belts due to age, not engine hours. They looked perfect, but since the service manual states 5 years I decided to replace them, preserving the tensioners etc.

 

[sailorman]

True, although the cam belt change interval was advised by hours/mileage or time - whichever is first. It's unlikely the hours on a boat would reach the criteria before the time of 5 years.

There is no doubt that the job could probably be done quite quickly/cheaply by someone who knows how but when relying on an engineer to do this for us, the price they quoted would have been a factor in our final offer for the vessel.

My car is 100k or 10 yrs

swmbo`s car 50k or 7 yrs

Its time on MoBo`s & most do not do many hrs a year do they

 

[Solent_Boating]

It's great that OP has asked people's view on Nanni engines and the debate is around when Timing belt need to be changed on a car!!!!

OK - so my experience of Nanni Toyota based engines; pretty hard to find parts in the UK, peachment or other dealers aren't helpful (as previously mentioned) and simply telling you "the engine is longer in production" and sod off... so you will be left with a broken boat, or even worse an engine which can't be services trying to adopt parts from various engines - This is really the biggest issue for Nanni engines.

 

[sailorman]

It's great that OP has asked people's view on Nanni engines and the debate is around when Timing belt need to be changed on a car!!!!

OK - so my experience of Nanni Toyota based engines; pretty hard to find parts in the UK, peachment or other dealers aren't helpful (as previously mentioned) and simply telling you "the engine is longer in production" and sod off... so you will be left with a broken boat, or even worse an engine which can't be services trying to adopt parts from various engines - This is really the biggest issue for Nanni engines.

The discussion is CAM BELTS & whether changed on hrs or a time basis.suggest you re read previous posts
Cars are mainly on miles ( hrs)
Boats are or should be on time / age of the belt having probably done very few hrs

 

[inception]

or there is genuinely an issue with Nanni inboards?

pretty hard to find parts in the UK, peachment or other dealers aren't helpful (as previously mentioned) and simply telling you "the engine is longer in production" and sod off... so you will be left with a broken boat, or even worse an engine which can't be services trying to adopt parts from various engines - This is really the biggest issue for Nanni engines.

I second Solent_Boating's view - Parts (or being so hard to find relevant parts) are the biggest issue -

The engine blocks etc. are all made to a certain standard so that's not my biggest worry - I have not also heard people complain about complicated electronics etc. on Nanni engines - I know the smaller Nanni engines are quite popular (on canal boats etc.) but those I have spoken to who own a bigger Nanni, sometimes do complain about lack of parts/mechanics etc.

Things to consider if you are buying a Antares 980 is that whether you are planning to take it on a long cruise or not, and whether you mind if you were stuck somewhere just because a simple impeller is hard to find... annoying really,,,

 

[sailorman]

I second Solent_Boating's view - Parts (or being so hard to find relevant parts) are the biggest issue -

The engine blocks etc. are all made to a certain standard so that's not my biggest worry - I have not also heard people complain about complicated electronics etc. on Nanni engines - I know the smaller Nanni engines are quite popular (on canal boats etc.) but those I have spoken to who own a bigger Nanni, sometimes do complain about lack of parts/mechanics etc.

Things to consider if you are buying a Antares 980 is that whether you are planning to take it on a long cruise or not, and whether you mind if you were stuck somewhere just because a simple impeller is hard to find... annoying really,,,

Spare impellers should be in yer ditty bag along with other consumables

 

[aquapower]

The discussion is CAM BELTS & whether changed on hrs or a time basis.suggest you re read previous posts
Cars are mainly on miles ( hrs)
Boats are or should be on time / age of the belt having probably done very few hrs

I have Toyota 3.0 in my car and they say change at 10 years/100k mile, why should it be 5 years in a boat?

As for parts I find that A R Peachment keep most parts or can get quite easily, they also are good on advice.
As for impellers/service parts you should carry these on board. I have had to call upon a Nanni dealer once on behalf of a customer and he was there and fault fixed within 2 hours so back up good too, theres more dealers out there than most people believe.

 

[Falling Star]

..................... As for parts I find that A R Peachment keep most parts or can get quite easily, they also are good on advice.....................

+1 for Nanni and I have bought several minor parts from Peachment over the years for the 4-390 in my MF805. No problems with supply.

Also, for servicing, these engines are cheap compared to some. My cambelt was direct from Toyota. Oil filters are WIX 7175. Fuel is WF 8061. (or equivalents). Widely available and not at silly marine prices.

 

[Spi D]

Toyota parts really are no problem to find (in cases where Toyota base engine is used which both Nanni and others do more than often).

Nanni use standard Johnson (on mine Series F7B) pumps so impellers are plenty available from eg. eBay
(http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261103837983&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:3160) at £21



In general Nanni use fewer own inventions, so remote controls and other accessories are from major suppliers to the market hence compatible with other engine brands.

Since mine is non-electronic the only wired circuits are start/charge and instruments. Never had any issues there either, not even on the flybridge.

 

[rosssavage]

The discussion is CAM BELTS & whether changed on hrs or a time basis.suggest you re read previous posts
Cars are mainly on miles ( hrs)
Boats are or should be on time / age of the belt having probably done very few hrs

Well, it's thread drifted onto cam belts, but that wasn't the OP's question, which Solent_Boating has actually tried to answer! Suggest YOU read previous posts!!

 

[Latestarter1]

Well, it's thread drifted onto cam belts, but that wasn't the OP's question, which Solent_Boating has actually tried to answer! Suggest YOU read previous posts!!

+1