Outboard or Sterndrive

[Forbsie]

Thanks to Mike Kolling, I now know that this boat that I've acquired is a Buckingham 25. With that knowledge, I have searched the net and all the other Buckinghams seem to have outboards instead of the sterndrive that I have.

My engine, probably a 2.1 litre Ford diesel with Bowmar cooling unit and a Sonic leg, will likely need replacing, or at least need a serious overhaul. Should I consider replacing it with an outboard? If not, does anyone have advice on which diesel engine, preferably reconditioned, I should look at for river cruising?

I have seen ads in the For Sale Forum for engines like a BMC diesel in perfect working order. Assuming that a BMC engine would be at least 30 years old (or am I just thinking of the car marque) would this be a wise move?

 

[boatone]

Are you sure the engines NBG or are you just making assumptions?
I bought a similar vintage norman cruiser with a merc om636 1.8 diesel and Bowman heat exchanger and an Enfield Z drive and felt, like you , that I might need tor rplace it. 5 years later sold the boat for considerably more than I paid for it and engine still going strong. Dont be too quick to change it if you dont need to. You'll find fuel consumption and costs much better than an outboard and you've got good battery charging and possibility of a calorifier as well.
I can put you in touch with a good diesel engineer if you want advice (lower thames)

TonyR
boatone@boatsontheweb.com
www.boatsonthethames.co.uk

 

[Forbsie]

Thanks Tony. I would really appreciate the details of the engineer. I am hoping you are right about it not being NBG but am trying to see what my options and costs will be if it is.

The boat is currently in a field and I will not have it on the Thames (Eel Pie) until 30th April but would be grateful to have a dependable guy to check it out asap when it gets there. It certainly looks a mess with all pipes disconnected but there is still oil in it. If I changed the rusty rocker cover (or whatever you call that thing on the top) it would look fine. I cleaned the boat yesterday and it was transformed from a wreck to really quite presentable with just 1 hours work.

Fingers crossed.

Gordon

 

[Wexfordian]

Best of luck with the new baby!

 

[ccscott49]

Just as an aside, you dont have to put the boat in the water to test the engine, it would be cheaper and easier, to connect a water hose to the inlet, inside the boat and run it up before launch, then you will find out if its worth launching!! Good luck and welcome!

 

[Forbsie]

Thanks Colin, my problem is that there are too many disconnected pipes and cables on both the engine and the leg at the moment. Not knowing what I'm doing yet, I don't want to damage the outdrive without someone with more knowledge looking at it. I am puting it on the slip as soon as they have space to do the engine and finish the paintwork.

It just occurred to me, does living on Ecofisk qualify you for the Liveaboard Forum? ;-)

 

[ccscott49]

I liveaboard in Portugal! On a 57' motorsailer, shortly bound for Ibiza, I spend more time afloat than most merchant seamen! I would tend to get somebody who knows what they are doing to connect everything up and test it for you, maybe as a homer or get a manual and a good normal mechanic to help out. You can get cheap engines these days, but you may need to get an adaptor plate and bellhousing to use them, which may get expensive, it would be better to stick with the type you have, not neccessarily that engine, but the same type, you have all the expensive stuff already, heat exchanger etc.

 

[Forbsie]

Just kidding. ;-)

I found a disintegrating Haynes manual on board for Sierra diesels so as soon as it, or a replacement is working, I am going to learn how to maintain it.

 

[ccscott49]

I'm pretty sure they turboed that diesel aswell, so you could quite easily get a re-con or secondhand one and have a bit more power, you can buy fordie bits cheap! I wouldn't change that engine, it's proved to be a reliable unit in the cars.

 

[BarryH]

Lancing Marine marinise a fair nimber of ford oil burners, it might be worth giving them a call.