Small diesel

Another vote for 1GM10 .... simple, cheap to maintain, good spares availability.

Finding a good s/h one will demand some patience.

The economics of rebuilding a bad one are marginal unless you DIY ...
 
Allpa SF-7

Lady Campanula said:
I've been asked to source a 'very small diesel' auxiliary propulsion unit for a 20' sailboat. Good used is probably OK.

Suggestions, please?

:)
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Yanmar 1GM is a very nice unit at a very nice price.

However, there is a much smaller unit available - Allpa Mini SF- 7, from Allpa. It´s basically a Farymann 18W engine, which Allpa marinise with a nice s/s frame and vibro-mounts. These are very light (i think 45kg) and much cheaper than Yanmar. And the Farymann unit is absolute quality. If you buy one of these, be very careful wiring up the regulator that Allpa supply because they use the wrong wiring diagram.
 
narcer said:
Yanmar 1GM is a very nice unit at a very nice price.

However, there is a much smaller unit available - Allpa Mini SF- 7, from Allpa. It´s basically a Farymann 18W engine, which Allpa marinise with a nice s/s frame and vibro-mounts. These are very light (i think 45kg) and much cheaper than Yanmar. And the Farymann unit is absolute quality. If you buy one of these, be very careful wiring up the regulator that Allpa supply because they use the wrong wiring diagram.
Click to expand...

64Kg,they say.
 
I have a Farymann. They are renowned for making ultra-reliable simple engines.
However, with single cylinder and a long stroke it doesn't half make a racket, and it vibrates enough to loosen your fillings.

Cheap reliable solution if you're happy to have a cement mixer in your boat. Oh, and by the way, they have a motor cycle type alternator in the flywheel. It generates piddling current.

On the plus side, it's a doddle to start by hand, so you survive even if you have volts whatsoever.

It has never let me down, and I have a love/hate relationship with it. I suspect hate will win when I can afford a decent replacement.

So there might be a second hand one on the market next winter!
 
Yes indeed the Farymann doesn´t charge much. However, the question is do you have an origonal Farymann OR the Allpa sf-7 ? Allpa fit a different alternator completely, a Slovenian job that puts in around 13A which is not bad for a coffee maker. Also the mounting system is totally different to the Farymann so this produces obviously a smoother ride esp when cruising at 1800 rvs.

I´ve also sailed with a Yanmar 1GM and these jump around like hell also when your idling...so if you can fit in a twin then at least you´ve still got your fillings.
 
If you are buying new then a Beta or Nanni 10 is the way to go. A little more expensive than a Yanmar but same physical size and much quieter/smoother.

Just replaced a 1GM with a Nanni 14. Could have sold the Yanmar 5 times over at top price for a 20 year old engine.
 
20fter with a diesel

What a horrible idea. A small single cylinder diesel will be very noisy with a lot of vibration. A small twin outboard will be far cheaper and easier to maintain. Plus no smell and more room in the boat. try to discourage your "principal" it will not be worth it even for the macho image. olewill
 
another vote for the yanmar 1GM 10. Mine never missed a beat, and was easy to service (once you got the hang of replacing the impellor as one of the bolts is difficult to get at and that you had to loosen the banjo bolt to change the fuel filter!)

Yes it jumps around at idle, but it works and there are some reconditioned units about.

Not sure where you are but French Marine on the East Coast were worth their weight in gold for free advice after I bought the engine.
 
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That's the first time I have seen the adjective "nice" used to describe the small Petters - Mini 6 and 12. The prices asked for them (and still not selling) give a much better idea of their desirability!. Avoid at all costs. Mix of metals and virtually no spares availability means they fall apart and can't be repaired. My 20 year old Yanmar 1GM is replacing a Mini 6 after the owner had exhausted two spare engines' worth of bits to keep it going!
 
Just to balance Tranona's comment and in order to illustrate Newton's third law.
I had a Petter 12hp for 12 years it never blinked or cost a penny in repairs. Its new Japanese replacement has broken down twice in three years and eats anodes and water pumps for fun.
I will admit they are too old to be an engine of choice though.
 
Yanmar

It´s true that the Yanmars are very reliable and provide a good performance. However they still have their problems like any other motor esp the raw water cooled 1GM. They do suffer badly from electrolysis if neglected and they don´t have the life expectancy of some other diesels available on the market. Bukh and Faryman use far better quality component parts than Yanmar which last 3 times longer in the marine environment. However you obviously lose out on performance compared to the Yanmar.
 
narcer said:
It´s true that the Yanmars are very reliable and provide a good performance. However they still have their problems like any other motor esp the raw water cooled 1GM. They do suffer badly from electrolysis if neglected and they don´t have the life expectancy of some other diesels available on the market. Bukh and Faryman use far better quality component parts than Yanmar which last 3 times longer in the marine environment. However you obviously lose out on performance compared to the Yanmar.
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Not sure that is correct. NEVER in 20 years did I have any electrolysis on my 1GM. They do have weaknesses such as exhaust mixers and leaky waterpumps, but no more than any other engine. (Ask anybody who has replaced exhaust mixers on Bukhs about quality of components).

On the day I took it out my Yanmar was running as well as the day I installed it. I sold it for the same price as I paid in 1990 and I expect it will still be running in 20 years time in its new home. BTW I have replaced it with a Nanni as it is much more powerful for the same physical size. If the new Yanmar 15 had been the same size I would happily have fitted that.
 
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