Replacement engine - advice please

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tarik

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Morning all,


I'm from the 'other side' I have a 31' ketch, it is fitted with a marinesed 2500cc Ford diesel engine, I'm not too happy with it.

I'm planninmg a trip to the Azores and Med next year and would like to have the comfort of knowing I have a relaible engine not only for making way but also for battery/electrics re charging etc.

Would appreciate any advice re reliable 2nd hand or new engines and an indication as to likely price range.

Many thanks for any replies,

David
 
The market is awash with suitable new engines. Beta, Nanni, Volvo, Yanmar, Vetus plus many smaller brands do suitable engines. You are probably looking in the 35-40hp range and you would be looking at a budget of around £8-10k installed with all new ancilliaries. All will be smaller, lighter, quieter and if properly installed, reliable.

Secondhand engines are more problematic. Most (but not all) are not worth it as the reason why they are for sale is because the owner has replaced them with a modern engine. It is sometimes possible to get modern engines, but you have to be lucky to get one exactly matched to what you need.

Suggest you do some research - all the manufacturers and their dealers will be happy to recommend and quote for your needs.
 
David, you might try talking to Lancing Marine. They specialise in Fords, and you may be better spending a bit of money on your current installation, rather than a lot of money on a replacement?
 
I am aware of two engine "conversions" for road engines to marine which have been less than sucessful and have been a source of constant ongoing and unsolved problems,sourced from a well known an frequently mentioned company.
For that journey surely you need new,the last thing you need half way across and the engine is being used understress,is that you cannot run it at full power because the thing constantly overheats as was the case with the two mentioned above.
 
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In contrast to Oldgit I know of many many marinised engines which have never given any trouble, cost little to buy and marinise and run year in and year out. An engine is an engine, how it's cooled shouldn't in anyway affect its reliability.
 
Lancing Marine you will find are great people to give help & advice .Nothing is to much for them.I had a pair of 2.7 Nissans i wanted to fit into a Princess 32 they gave me time help & advice even though they deal mostley in Fords.Coastal Rides in Dover often have used engines mostly Volvo but do sometimes have others worth a ring. Hope this is a help to you even if you are from the dark side.
 
tarik said:
Morning all,


I'm from the 'other side' I have a 31' ketch, it is fitted with a marinesed 2500cc Ford diesel engine, I'm not too happy with it.

I'm planninmg a trip to the Azores and Med next year and would like to have the comfort of knowing I have a relaible engine not only for making way but also for battery/electrics re charging etc.

Would appreciate any advice re reliable 2nd hand or new engines and an indication as to likely price range.

Many thanks for any replies,

David
Click to expand...

You don't say why you aren't happy with the engine?

If the engine starts and runs okay, oil pressure is good and it doesn't use / burn oil i.e its mechanically sound & the marinisation parts are in good condition then it will be a lot more cost effective and less hassle to overhaul the ancilliaries.

I'd remove the injection pump and injectors and send them to lynxdiesels.com in Wokingham for overhaul. Fit all new fuel line seals.
Replace the water pump and fit exchange alternator and starter and clean out the heat exchangers.
Fit a digital alternator regulator to ensure the batteries are fully charged as quickly as possible when the engine is running.

My 32yr old steel ketch still has its original 4108 and this is in excellent running order although I did have to fit a new Bowman manifold/heat exchanger due the Perkins one corroding away at the exhaust flange.
I did overhaul the cylinder head last winter but it wasn't really necessary and there was very little bore wear. Lynxdiesels reported no significant wear in the inj pump and injectors but did replace the seals.
I expect it to outlast me & the boat!
 
The basic Ford engine may be very good, but marinisation may be poor. Not a particularly good engine for a 31 ft sailing auxilliary - too big and heavy.

Modern 40hp engines are much smaller at 1.5L. 25 or 30 years ago there were very few compact 40hp engines, which is why the marinised automotive or old style industrial engines were used - but the world has moved on and the Japanese industrial engines used as a base for most of the latest engines are far superior in all respects.

Problem for many is, however, that the cost of a new engine (although cheaper in real terms) is disproportionate to the value of the boat. A modern boat of this size and type new would cost the thick end of £100k so £8k for the engine is not a lot, but a 30+ year old boat has a market value of probably only £20k, so engine could be 40%+ of the value, and fitting it would not necessarily increase its market value significantly.

On the other hand, a boat with a dodgy engine loses value quickly - rock and a hard spot for the owner.
 
Vehicle engines are designed to do one job - propel a vehicle at various speeds and don't have much provision for additional items. Cost and weight are kept as low as possible.

Industrial engines are designed to be rugged, suffer abuse and run at a constant speed (or narrow speed range).

More importantly provision is made for various types of add ons - additional power take offs for hydraulic and extra water pumps.

In essence a minimalised power pack with provision for multiple additional features to be easily fitted.

Kubota engines have the reputation and market whether Nanni or Beta badged (and perhaps others). Beta are very helpful if you want a customised mounting arrangement or extra alternators.

If your want is for a wide range of speeds as with a planing hull, then an automotive unit is best.

For a narrower speed range at lower engine rpm, then an industrial unit will give you better service.
 
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