Royal Navy Fast Motor Boat 5383 -engine advice please

ErikBenson

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The boat has no engine. It hHAD, in 1953, a Coventry Climax KF4 diesel, but there was a petrol option. What might that have been Please? and are there any suggestions which I could consider. I don't think I will need the 50hp@ 2000 rpm of the original. Would it be silly to suggest an engine from a 1953 MG 'T' series ?
 

Peterduck

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What would be silly is to put an MG engine into a boat! Leave it for the MG people. Petrol engines don't belong in boats. A new diesel of 50hp [that is developed horsepower, by the way, which will be similar to an MG engine] will be far smaller and lighter than the old Coventry Climax. The horsepower of the old CC would be Shire Horse-sized, whereas the horsepower of a modern diesel will be pony-sized. It will also rev up more easily, and so must be teamed with a reduction gearbox. Most marine diesels come with the appropriate gearbox attached.
Peter.
 

PeteCooper

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The Hillman Imp had an engine loosely based on the Coventry Climax. The Imp engine was used in hydroplanes so may be suitable? They are available quite cheaply but I don't know what gearbox you would use - the engines easily rev to 8000rpm, and with minor tuning will do considerably more!
 

burgundyben

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Very sensible, you have enough to be getting on with an old boat with out trying to keep hold of the old engineering.

Go for something clean, light, modern, economic, with good spares availability, then you can focus your efforts on looking after the boat!
 

Peterduck

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I fully agree, Ben! I struggled for 3 years with a secondhand BMC diesel, and ended up replacing it with a modern out-of-the-crate diesel which starts immediately. Those 3 years were totally wasted.
Peter.
 

ErikBenson

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Here's how it goes. . . .I realise now that my boat is designed as a 'fast' one and the original engine was 50hp Climax supercharged diesel . Impossible to find , and maintain so now I am looking for a new Isuzu 4L-42hp which will be near the original but efficient and clean. Also worry free, and lets me fiddle on with the boat. I have a partly stoved-in piece under the boat in the diagonal boarding, caused by years of bad storage on a stupid trailer. I am looking around for clever ways to repair without massive reconstruction.
No geat rush. . .I am just loving getting to know about boats
 

Peterduck

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Do you know how many layers of planking there are where the damage is? Usually with diagonal planking, there are two or three layers of planking, each layer running in a different direction. Each layer has to be treated separately, with the smallest patch being in the inside layer. The layer above it has to have a larger patch, and if there is a layer above that, then the size of the patch in it has to be correspondingly larger. In each layer, the damaged planking has to be cut out and replaced with sound planking.
Peter.
 

mtb

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there was some climax engines on ebay a couple of weeks back they were marine versions, if you do a search re ended items you should get it up

cheers
Mick
 
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