Perkins engines + reliability v BMC

[paulrossall]

Please can anyone tel me the hp's of the different Perkins engine..eg 4108/4236 etc. Are these engines more modern/more reliable/more efficient than BMC 1500etc engine? What are the hp's of the BMC engines and also of the Thorneycroft engines. Are the thorneycroft engines updated BMC's.
If I wanted a second hand 50ish hp engine which should I go for and who sells reconditioned engines? Thanks. Paul

 

[sailorman]

4108 = 4 cylinders 108 cubic ins rated @ up to 50 hp. designed probably early 50s
check-out "Boats & Outboard Motors" for s/hand engines

 

[Guest]

Perkins engines are different HP depending on setup and intended use. The 4107 / 4108 can be any of 35HP up to 50HP .... my 4107 is reported as 40 HP.

They are reliable and well known engines ... having survived bus company's and various commercial uses ....

Later 're-badged' Perkins are actually another Well known company's engines .... so can't be too bad !!

 

[izewbik]

Perkins 4.108 have a tendency to break crankshafts at the front mainbearing, I suffered the same in a Bedford van some years ago but it may not occur at lower revs in a marine environment.

 

[nedmin]

Had a Bmc 1.5 in my first boat very reliable and very quiet, did about 1gallon/hour pushing a 25ft. at about 6kts.would do about 8 at a push as it was narrow beam.Getting quite old now altho. I understand they are now made in India.Got a Perkins Sabre 135 in my present boat and is superb.Not heard any bad reports on perkins 4108. Many used in Seamasters etc.

 

[discovery2]

Fitted a Perkins 4108 twenty years ago in a displacement cruiser. In the 18 years we owned the boat the engine did not falter or let us down. Sounded a bit like a tractor engine, but 'rock solid' and totally reliable - and very economical!

David

 

[rich]

Hermees has 2 4108s 1974 still run perfect no loss of power or oil, /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Piddy]

Perkins 4.108 in last boat was v. reliable when maintained properly. After 15 years I found that fitting a dedicated starting battery with short cables transformed starting and negated any pre-start operations such as using the heat/fuel device and having to use lots of throttle. That cut down the start up smoke and made life much cleaner and pleasant. I fitted a second alternator to keep the circuits isolated.
Newer boat has a Thorneycroft/BMC 1.5 equally reliable (so far - 6 years) but again I fitted a dedicated starting battery and uprated the alternator etc.
Both engines use/used little oil and had a normal servicing regime. BMC seems a bit smoother - possibly a better gearbox than that on the Perkins

 

[izewbik]

Commonly available diesels are car based. Currently VW and Peugeot-Citroen have things developed to a fine art with noise polution and fuel consumption well advanced compared to engines of years gone by. Citroen 1.9 engines are readily available as the car hydraulics frighten many potential owners which means they are consigned to the scrap yard long before their useful life is over. 450,000 miles is not uncome in the taxi fleet on these engines. Whether marinisation kits are readily available is another question.

 

[dickh]

Both the Perkins and the BMC 1.5 were designed in the late 50's early 60's so the technology is of that era. The BMC 1.5 is still made in India or is it Turkey? and spares are still available trough either Thornycroft or ASAP Supplies. The latest Thornycroft engines are based on Mitsubishi engines(I think) and are obviously well up to date with emissions etc.
BMC 1.5's were if I remember rated up to about 40HP in the marine version, but they also did a 1.8. Thornycroft, like other just marinised them.
For reconditioned engines lok on eBay or Boatsandoutboards or try Lancing Marine who marinise the Ford 1.6/1.8 diesel and can also supply parts for you to marinise an engine yourself.

 

[izewbik]

Translated by Google from a French site www.banik.org


Can one put terrestrial engine a " " on a boat?

B onjour with all the family. Cheer for your site it is really... très... very bien.(c' is the best. sincerely.)

I benefit from this small message to put a question. Did a remark in a nautical forum concerning the use of engine "terrestrial" on a boat raise that you had can be used an engine of car.? Being on a project to currently motorize a fifty with an engine of truck, I am in the search of any information on the people having already carried out this type of work and adaptation. The official mechanics met systematically tried to dissuade me accordingly....

In waiting of your opinion on the question (not urgently) receive our friendliest greetings of Switzerland or the sail on the lake and of most pleasant in this season...

Florian Pincemin & family.





Concerning the marinisation of a terrestrial engine: We have used for more than 10 years an engine XUD 7 which is that of Peugeot 205.

It was a new engine. It was marinisé by Seenergie.

The principal adaptations are:
A different injection pump bus the engine turns less quickly than on a car.
A system of cooling per exchanger water douce/eau of sea,
A bell for the adaptation of the reverser on the engine.
Drainage of cooling by the exhaust manifold.

The engine hums since 1990 and I hope that it will still do it many years. For us there is no disadvantage to use a marinized terrestrial engine... Moreover, to my knowledge, they all are to it, in the small powers...?

The principal advantage it is that we provide ourselves spare parts (belts of alternator and of distribution, oil filters, preheating plugs, injecting etc... at Peugeot or on the great surface at the price of the material for car and not marinates...



What I have of changing:

The exhaust manifold which was carried out in foundry aluminium is to disintegrate because there was a terrible corrosion it inside. It passes hot sea water there... For little that there is a place or water stagnates it is the cause of problem guaranteed in the short run. It was necessary to remake one out of stainless of them: Since we let us not have any more a concern... Seenergie delivers today, out of standard, their engines with stainless exhaust manifolds.

Blocks silent are too weak, they must support the weight of the engine to the list 24 H out of 24 with the blows of paring-iron of the sea. Imagine the engine hung on a level inclined unceasingly moving: it should not be barred... and it is true as soon as the boat lodging, whether the engine turns or not...

A mounting foot engine in foundry broke... This part which also holds the alternator is of complicated form, which explains the choice at the time carrying it out in foundry. I remade it as a welded mechanic and Seenergie has also done that for a few years.

The small peripheral problems of the beginning (there is more than 10 years) thus are now solved.

I believe it that Seenergie proposes kits of marinisation.



Additional installation

It is necessary to install a triangular head tank of form with the point in bottom it is the best means of not fixing by aspiring air... that makes it possible to control consumption, that is also used as complementary tank (25 liters).

For the coupling of the engine to the propeller shaft, we installed a double telescopic and homokinetic Cardan joint of industrial machine (or of truck??). When the leg of the engine broke, we could not stop because we were wind of end in a narrow coral master key. The engine continued to turn although it is descended several centimetre on the with dimensions one before left.... Once left the danger zone, we unrolled the génois and we are to return to put to us at the shelter by the opposite way. Without this Cardan joint which very boxed without the least concern, one could have found oneself on the reef.