replacing a BMC 1.5

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lilianroyle

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I'm looking at replacing the very old and very faithful BMC 1.5 with a new engine. Weight isn't an issue, and it would be nice to have something at least as powerful (or slightly more) also a quiet engine would be good. What do people recommend. My last boat had a Volvo and I remember spares/repairs cost a fortune.
 
I am bias towards the Yanmars. They are purpose designed for the marine industry, are light and durable. I installed two yanmars in my previous boats and i had no problem with them. However, Yanmars are more expensive. Lately, a lot of people go for the Beta engines, which I am sure they good conversions. My present boat has a volvo, which is veavy and loud.

Try to match the new engine to your existing propellor so you would not have to change the prop or shaft, unless you see this as an opportunity to replace old for new. good luck
 
I am not biased against Yanmars at all, however they are just industrial base motors just like Kubota and the very small ones are direct seawater cooled which is a nausia.

Sales volumes in marine market alone would be kiss of death to any diesel engine manufacturer. Larger Yanmar engines come from BMW, Toyota, Scania automotive based offerings.

Yanmar and Kubota both real solid small motors, However I would rather talk to Beta than arrogant unhelpful robdogs from Barrus.
 
I marinised a Ford 1.8 to replace an older engine. The 1.8 came from a wrecked Ford Escort van and wasn't too difficult to do, and all the parts required are available from ASAP Supplies or Lancing Marine. Another forumite in London also did something similar with the 1.6 version. Very reliable engines with plenty of spares readily available, from your local Ford dealer.
 
I used a Beta to replace the old BMC 1.5 in my boat. One advantage of Beta is they will make the feet to fitt the engine bearers of the BMC which are much wider than usual. Saved making new engine bearers but i did have to glass a 50mm thick strip on the top to make the height up which was easy compared to new bearers.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I am not biased against Yanmars at all, however they are just industrial base motors just like Kubota and the very small ones are direct seawater cooled which is a nausia.

Sales volumes in marine market alone would be kiss of death to any diesel engine manufacturer. Larger Yanmar engines come from BMW, Toyota, Scania automotive based offerings.

Yanmar and Kubota both real solid small motors, However I would rather talk to Beta than arrogant unhelpful robdogs from Barrus.

[/ QUOTE ]

Though not biassed against Yanmar you do know remarkably little about them.

1. They are the world's largest manufacturers of marine diesel engines, which are also used in a number of industrial applications
2. They sold some 1GM and 2GM (but no 3GM) raw-water cooled engines in the UK, but the majority were indirectly cooled.
3. The GM range has for the last 4 years been replaced by the YM range of vertical 3-cylinder engines all with indirect cooling.
They are a much more modern design than the Kubota, reach all the environmental standards which Kubota have yet to stumble over and are markedly quieter (I have one)

A number of people produced marinised versions of the Kubota, which is an extremely sound industrial engine, probably rivalling Yanmar in the number produced. You are, however, entirely in the hands of the marinisers and recent threads on this board suggest certain shortcomings in Beta Marine's version.

The only grain of fact is in the reference to A E Barrus, who do tend to maintain their margins at the expense of purchasers' pockets. As an end-user approaching a distributor you should expect a degree of resistance, they'd try to pass you to their agents. Usually around Boat Show time they have an additional 10% discount for their agents, which the less sticky-fingered pass on to their purchasers.

There are even better ways of obtaining cut-price Yanmars from Yanmar BV, which I have no intention of publishing on open forum, but am happy to PM those with a genuine interest and a FULL CV on the board - no anons please.
 
Thornycroft do a drop in replacement for their versions of the BMC 1.5 and will fit your old gearbox to the engine too. They also do a part exchange scheme.
 
I have no expeirence of Yanmars but we replaced our BMC 1.5 with a Beta 37.5hp and have been extremely satisfied.

It has now done the best part of 800 hours in 4 years including a trip to Norway and it has not missed a beat or leaked a drop of oil. Beta provide a very handy yearly maintenance kit which they shipped to Norway for us. Their pre- and post-sales service has been very good. Even to the point of recommending the cheapest cockpit control panel over more expensive options....
 
Charles,

I used to be a distributor in U.S. with Yanmar franchise.

The business about 'worlds largest diesel enging manuafcturer is BS. All diesel manufacturers use it, depends where you cut the power node. I have looked up MIVRIS numbers for 15/30 Hp node and Yanmar comes in only a nose ahead of Mitsubishi and well behind Kubota on 2007/2008 production numbers.

Meeting EPA Tier II emission standards is the price of admission to the market. It is illegal to sell non compliant engines, None of the Jap small motors have failed to meet the Tier II legislation and Yanmar had to update to the YM at Tier I.

As to noise I have looked at data sheets and there is NOTHING stated about noise pressure. As far as I know only one manufacturer who lists noise pressure on their data sheets and it is not Yanmar and they are not in this power node. NVH is a very subjective subject. I have to say that the Yanmar glossies are very misleading.

Example; Yanmar glossy stuff is the Hp chicanery they quote ratings to 20 C fuel and 0.86g/cm3 fuel density. This is why they look to have better power density than competitors, whereas the more ethical manufacturers quote ratings with 40 C fuel and fuel density in the region of 0.839/0.840g/cm3

I rest my case
 
I stand corrected having re-checked Yanmar data sheets, the small Yanmar engines are now quoted with fuel density of 0.84g/cm3, it is only now only the larger engines with higher power ratings which are still using 0.86g/cm3
 
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