small diesel engine that will hand start reliably (may be heavy!)

[Mirelle]

If you were contemplating a small workboat, say 16ft long, to take a 10-15hp engine, and you wanted a hand starting diesel, in order to avoid the problems that sometime occur with electics in open boats, what would you choose?

(The question assumes that a reconditioned old engine is more likely to hand start than anything being made now)

Sabb G10?

Air cooled Lister?

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Lister, every time.

So simple, so strong, so reliable..

 

[pessimist]

Seconded.

 

[Mirelle]

Thanks. Which model?

I seem to recall they did some water cooled ones as well as air cooled.

 

[mainmarine]

Re: Thanks. Which model?

I have a Sole 9 HP water cooled diesel, I hand start every time saves on the battery drain.
Malc

 

[Kilter]

no direct experience with the Lister so no comment; the Sabb however is an excellent little engine.

 

[FWB]

The Yanmar 1GM10 is easily hand started.
It is also possible to buy a device which is a clockwork motor which is a direct replacement for many starter motors. You pull a string to wind it up and then let it go. Details on my boat --- extracted from PBO I think --- but am at home at present.

 

[Mirelle]

Not in my experience!

I can hand start the Volvo MD2 in the boat easily, even in midwinter, despite its 38 years; I never managed it with the Yanmar IGM10 in another boat we had for a time. You must be much fitter than I!

 

[FWB]

I think that was prob a problem with the engine itself. I reckon though that clockwork is the way to go. Will send you details next time I'm on the boat if you like.

 

[r_h]

The 1GM can be hand started – it's nowhere near as easy as with an older engine with a heavy flywheel, but it seems to get easier with practice. One of the key things is to gently turn it over for a while (I guess at least 20 secs) with the handle to get the oil moving around. This makes it soooo much easier to spin it over quickly when you go for it...

 

[Darran1967]

[ QUOTE ]
Not in my experience!

I can hand start the Volvo MD2 in the boat easily, even in midwinter, despite its 38 years; I never managed it with the Yanmar IGM10 in another boat we had for a time. You must be much fitter than I!

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, I Had a Volvo MD3 and could easily hand start it. I have a 1gm10 yanmar now, I find this impossible to hand start, I can get it turning over great, then as soon as i put the compression on, thats it, stops dead (even when I try to ease the compression).

Any tips on the yanmar would be great.

 

[richardabeattie]

I have tried on my Yanmar 2GM and can certainly wind it up with the decompressors open but that's as far as it goes! When they close it's like hitting a wall.

 

[graham]

I can second that i tried until my arm seized up and failed to start my 2GM on our previous boat.I have never heard of anyone succeeding.

I think a Lister would be the obvious choice.

 

[Otter]

Bukh DV10, they run for ever though so you'll probably not find one!

 

[Porthandbuoy]

I had a Westerly once with a Volvo MD1. That had to be hand-started, and being heavy it meets your second criterion (or is that criteria?)

 

[TheBoatman]

Re: Thanks. Which model?

I used to own a fishing boat that had a water cooled 18Hp (twin pot) Lister with both hand start and electric. The electric very rarely worked because the starter motor was low down on the engine (Bendix always seized) but hand started every time and once started would only stop when the diesel ran out - once you got that flywheel turning there weren't nuffin that would stop it /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

So in answer to the question - if I was looking for reliability and weight wasn't a problem LISTER every time.

Peter.

 

[mikejames]

I tried my Yanmar 1GM(7) last sunday and apart from getting it to fire once as it bounced backwards off the compression (painful) I failed completely to get it to start by myself.

The starter motor is 1 kilowatt max which makes it about 10 times stronger than me, and much more persistent.

I think that its better having an electric starter and a solar cell to keep the battery fresh (use a smaller gel battery), with an installation that protects the electrics and the engine from the elements.
That will probably mean you will never need the starter handle because whatever reason the engine has for not starting will still be there regardless of the battery.

 

[old_salt]

Yanmar 1GM and Yanmar 2GM.
The trick is not to turn and turn it over till you flatten the battery but to hit the starter Key and turn the handle at the same time. The little residual in the battery will give you some assistance possibly enough to spin it over quicker then by hand only and it should start.

 

[Mirelle]

That is the engine for me!

Thank you.

I mentioned Sabb and air cooled Lister because I knew them as lifeboat engines and knew I can handstart them, but 18hp of watercooled Lister is exactly what I want in a workboat.

I have just recalled a very good advert for Lister on a nearby river, in the shape of the workboat of a well known proprietor of moorings, whom I won't name as he is a friend of long standing, but his workboat is in daily use year round in all weathers and does not get a lot of attention. In fact the engine box has actually disintegrated entirely and the Lister is naked to the winds that blow. It starts every time.

 

[old_salt]

Re: That is the engine for me!

Have a look at on ebay.
here.
and
here
and this is only 5 hp
here