Replacement for Volvo Penta 2003

[charliespan]

I'd appreciate some advice on the following:

I may need to replace my existing Volvo 2003 (28HP) due to wear. It was made in 1984.

I'm considering:

1) Replacing with a recon 2003 (the simplest option).

2) As 1) but with a more powerful (non-turbo) Volvo of roughly the same dimensions
to fit the existing Volvo gearbox and shaft/prop.What's available ?

3) A different make of more powerful engine to fit the footprint of existing 2003. I'm
prepared to fiddle with gearbox/shaft/adapter plates to acheive this. Anyone done this ?

I don't imagine I'm going waterskiing in a 35" sailing boat but I would like to achieve
slightly better speed at , say, 75% engine revs with a bit in reserve .

Practical or not ?

Thanks in advance.

Steve

 

[Tranona]

Generally it is a bit cheaper to rebuild your existing engine depending on how worn it is. Downside is that you still have a nearly 30 year old engine, 3 generations out of date.

If you decide on a complete replacement then all the major manufacturers have a suitable 28-35 hp engine in their range that will physically fit the space (most are smaller than your current engine). Chances are that when you come to do the job, either rebuild or new, you will find much of the ancillary gear (shaft, prop, exhaust etc) is also past its sell by date so it makes sense to replace the whole lot. Beta and Nanni are arguably the most popular for re-engines and they will put together packages for you. In making your choice a key issue is access to service points and choice of gearbox ratio to match your boat and prop. For reliability, performance and price there is not a lot of difference among the 4 or 5 major suppliers, so you may find that colour is a deciding factor (only partly joking!)

 

[ctelfer38]

Replacement Volvo 2003

These folks - www.powerafloat.co.uk - supplied me with a reconditioned volvo 2003 a couple of years ago at a significant saving on the new alternatives. It is like a new engine with no fuss about changing footings, controls or anything else. An option worth checking. No connection - just a happy customer.

 

[aluijten]

Although the 2003 is not a bad engine, I would recommend replacing it with a D1-30. The 2003 is quite a noisey little guy and as said above, it's well out of date.
I mean if it's still running ok and there is just some maintenace to be done, there is no reason for replacement. But if the repairs are basically a full overhaul (which is also a very grey definition) then I would be very tempted to go for a new lump of iron. The current engines run so much smoother. You might even consider a D2-40, that's a 4 cylinder (runs even smoother), but it might be too big (or too expensive)
Good Luck with your choiche.

 

[MoodySabre]

If you go for a new engine it will probably turn the opposite way to your old one so the shaft and prop will need to be changed. The Beta has adjustable feet to fit the old beds. Nanni spares/consumables are supposedly very expensive.

Another issue can be size but also where the impeller, filters etc are and whether you will be able to reach them.

 

[Quandary]

My last boat had a 2003, the current one has a D1 30, (Perkins) the only thing I can see that they have in common is the colour. No complaints about either engine though, the later one does seem smoother and quieter, but that may be down to the installation and saildrive.

 

[pvb]

I have a 2003T, and agree that these engines are a bit noisy. But, with reasonable maintenance, they do seem to be fairly reliable.

If I were in your position, I'd want to consider very carefully how much I'd be prepared to pay for more power. If you want a new, more powerful, engine you'll almost certainly need a new gearbox, shaft, prop, etc. Unless you do the work yourself (and it's not an easy job) you'll end up paying a lot of money in labour charges. I'd guess you'll end up with a 5-figure bill.

The alternative of a straight replacement reconditioned 2003 (or having yours reconditioned) is a very easy solution, and will be much cheaper.

If you go ahead with a new engine, could I suggest you agree a fixed price including installation? Otherwise, the cost will just keep escalating.

 

[charliespan]

Thank you all for responding. I can see me leaning more towards a refurbed 2003 now
what with all the expense and peripheral differences in changing to a different brand/model.

Your help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Steve

 

[pvb]

You might be able to get a reconditioned 2003T, which would achieve your aim of more power.

 

[charliespan]

Thanks PVB . I'll look into the dimensions on this model.

Steve

 

[pvb]

It's basically the same engine with a turbo added. Dimensions virtually identical. See the 2003T brochure for drawings.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks PVB . I'll look into the dimensions on this model.

Steve

Would perhaps not be a good idea as they do not have a good reputation. Volvo only introduced them because they did not have a 40hp at the time to compete with Yanmar. It was dropped pretty quickly as turbos are not suitable for the sort of running a yacht auxilliary gets and there were reliability problems with mix of metals in the cooling system.

Beware of overpowering your boat. It is tempting to go up a size, but usually this is a waste because you can't use the additional power. A notional 30hp is more than enough to reach hull speed at max revs and cruising speed at 75%. Small diesels do not like running at slow speeds. All that happens if you have a larger engine is that you use the same power and consuming the same fuel, but obviously at lower revs.

 

[Pagetslady]

VP 2003

Some years ago I had problems starting my 2003 so I decided to have the head off and regrind the valves. This was when I should have made the decision to change engines. The valves ground in and replaced at considerable cost Volvo bits are not cheap (head gasket etc) this made no difference to starting at all, so eventually I decided having already spent money, I would have the engine out and have the bores honed and new rings, It turned out it needed new big end shells, by this time I was sure I should have bought a new engine. Any way having rebuilt the engine and run it in, it has given great service and runs and starts well, But I still wish I had gone for a new 38 HP Beta marine, comes complete with new Starter, alternator and all other ancillaries, where as I have had to buy a new alternator had the starter rebuilt etc etc. Fortunately I am able to do all the work myself, just paid for the Honing and valves re ground and valve seats re cut, but the cost of all this work has cost me dearly, since having done all this, one of my injectors started to leak, so I had to replace the copper sleeve in No 1 cylinder, which would not have happened on a new engine. I have made the conversion to the gearbox which is ok but for how long, my engine was installed into my Corsair in 1987 so is now very old and has done 6000 hours at least, Beta were offering some very good deals for the boat show, they will for a small fee set up the engine bearers to fit straight into your boat, in fact they have the dimensions for several popular boats ready to set them up. Good luck with what ever you do, but I would have no difficulty making up my mind if I had my time again, a new motor every time. How much would a reconditioned 2000T cost.
regards Mike

 

[pvb]

Would perhaps not be a good idea as they do not have a good reputation. Volvo only introduced them because they did not have a 40hp at the time to compete with Yanmar. It was dropped pretty quickly as turbos are not suitable for the sort of running a yacht auxilliary gets and there were reliability problems with mix of metals in the cooling system.

Really? My 2003T is 20 years old, has never been reconditioned, and works fine. In the 15 years I've owned it, I've only had one "breakdown", when the external oil supply pipe to the turbo corroded and leaked. Otherwise, I just change the oil and filters. I've yet to have any issues with the cooling system.

 

[Tranona]

Really? My 2003T is 20 years old, has never been reconditioned, and works fine. In the 15 years I've owned it, I've only had one "breakdown", when the external oil supply pipe to the turbo corroded and leaked. Otherwise, I just change the oil and filters. I've yet to have any issues with the cooling system.

Suggest you do a search on here for posts by Bajansailor on the woes with his engine. Of course individual engines can give good service, but as I pointed out Volvo dropped it pretty qickly. Does not make sense to me to spend money on fitting a suspect 30 year old engine to a boat when there are so many good alternatives available.

 

[pvb]

Suggest you do a search on here for posts by Bajansailor on the woes with his engine. Of course individual engines can give good service, but as I pointed out Volvo dropped it pretty qickly. Does not make sense to me to spend money on fitting a suspect 30 year old engine to a boat when there are so many good alternatives available.

I'm not sure that the experience of one single poster is necessarily a guide to an individual engine's reliability! As for Volvo dropping the 2003T "pretty qickly", it was in production for 7 years - longer than most car models, so not an admission of failure!

There are indeed lots of good new engines available, but the work and the costs involved in fitting them are huge. In contrast, a straight swap for a recon engine would be relatively inexpensive and could give many years of satisfactory service at a much lower cost.

 

[Tranona]

I'm not sure that the experience of one single poster is necessarily a guide to an individual engine's reliability! As for Volvo dropping the 2003T "pretty qickly", it was in production for 7 years - longer than most car models, so not an admission of failure!

There are indeed lots of good new engines available, but the work and the costs involved in fitting them are huge. In contrast, a straight swap for a recon engine would be relatively inexpensive and could give many years of satisfactory service at a much lower cost.

One wonders why nobody followed their "lead" into small turbo diesels if it was such a good idea. The one duff one cancels out your one good one if you want the debate at that level! 7 years is nothing - Yanmars have models in continuous production for over 20 years and Volvo normal life cycle is at least 15.

The basic point remains. If you have an engine that works, keep it running as long as possible. When it reaches the end of its life, you can either take the risk of rebuilding it (but all the ancilliaries will still be old) or replace it with new. Buying another old engine - particulalry one that has fundamental faults is not sensible.

In relation to the value of a modernish 35 footer, the difference in cost between patching up an old setup and fitting new is less than 10% to get another 25-30 years of life.

 

[pvb]

In relation to the value of a modernish 35 footer, the difference in cost between patching up an old setup and fitting new is less than 10% to get another 25-30 years of life.

I'm not sure whether you're truly in touch with the realities of boating costs and values. The OP has a GibSea 106 which realistically is worth maybe £30K. A new engine, fitted, will probably cost £10K. A recon might be £2-3K. The difference is a lot more than 10% of the boat's value. And, before you say it, spending £10K on a new engine won't increase the value of his boat by anything like £10K!

 

[Tranona]

I'm not sure whether you're truly in touch with the realities of boating costs and values. The OP has a GibSea 106 which realistically is worth maybe £30K. A new engine, fitted, will probably cost £10K. A recon might be £2-3K. The difference is a lot more than 10% of the boat's value. And, before you say it, spending £10K on a new engine won't increase the value of his boat by anything like £10K!

Pretty sure I have a reasonable grasp of the economics of boats and engines. The boat definitely does not need 43hp. Reconditioning the existing engine is the most obvious, but has risks attached to it that a number of people have mentioned. If the aim is to minimise cost then this should be considered. The net cost (after selling the existing engine - everything has a value) will be much less than £10k for an appropriate sized new engine. Worth doing if you intend to keep the boat a long time.

The converse of what you say about values is also true - a boat with a worn out engine has a low value. Fitting another old engine with more power than needed does not make sense.

 

[Bajansailor]

Our Challenger 35 had a 2003T that 'blew up' 18 months ago just after the boat was relaunched - a con rod decided to escape by knocking a hole in the block.
I think the reason was probably a clogged up oil cooler - this lurks fairly well hidden behind the heat exchanger.
Anyways, we considered new (very expensive! Especially when factoring in 40% compounded import duties and VAT) and second hand engines, and eventually bought a 2003 (non turbo) from the Power Afloat folk mentioned above.
This engine cost GBP 1,500 and it came with a good service history - Power Afloat had been looking after the engine for some years for the previous owner, who decided to install a new engine simply because the old one was getting old.
It was very easy to install it, as it just sat down on the original mounts again.
However we did have to get a reducing adapter for the exhaust - the exhaust on the 2003T is slightly larger diameter than on the 2003.
The blue reducer is shown in the photo below.

The white plastic pipe is a temporary bodge which is still there, but it will get improved.....

It is also worth noting that the salt water pump is larger on the Turbo version.

Although we have gone down from 43 hp to 28 hp, she still trundles along very happily, and we do not appear to have lost any top end speed.

We just have one problem at the moment, and I think it is to do with air getting into the fuel line. It takes about 3 or 4 'goes' before the engine will start - it fires up and then quickly dies. But once it gets going, it runs happily, with very little smoke. I am wondering if perhaps a seal on the fuel pump is leaking, allowing air to get into the system?