Stuart Turner replacement suggestions

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Ratty and Moley

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With our restoration of Pearl White and the infamous Stuart Turner engines Does anyone have any suggestions for a replacement engine for an 8hp ST engine?

If weight is different we'd consider some ballast but needs to be the same footprint or less too

MTIA
Ratty & Moley
 
Replacement Engine

We had a Stuart P55 that gave up the ghost.

Replaced it with a Dolphin 12hp.

The Dolphin is much smaller and needed new wooden engine bearers (fixed on top of the old)

The Dolphin transformed the performance under power and under sail !.

Don't be worried about the Dolphin direct drive, its simple, it works and you can stop the engine and resart in reverse quicker than going from foward to reverse gear with a Stuart.

Fuel consumption was half and fumes nearly zero as well.

Go for it
 
Border Maid had a Stuart Turner Engine prior to the installation of the present Yanmar 1GM10 by the previous owner to me. I have a couple of survey photos of the old engine before removal and there seem to be no very significant modifications to the engine space asociated with the replacement. I don't really see the point of fitting a different kind of petrol engine if there's a diesel alternative.
 
Have you tried starting the Stuart? get a good one and they are ok, Downside is get a friday built one & they are trouble.
The RCA Dolphin is a brilliant engine more like having a turbine under the deck than anything else they are so quiet & smooth.
If you are rich by all means fit a diesel and have your fillings fall out with the vibration & noise!
 
Overhaul the Stuart

Keith 66 said:
Have you tried starting the Stuart? get a good one and they are ok, Downside is get a friday built one & they are trouble.
Click to expand...

Having extolled the virtues of modern diesels (apart from the cost!) a nicely maintained Stuart twin complements a traditional open launch and is probably just idiosyncratic rather than unreliable. Give the motor a try. If the boat has been buried in the weeds for a while the magneto should be carefully inspected and tested before trying to get her going.

I had an early P55M for many years in a 26ft launch and she was marvellous. The only problem was a tendancy to oil a plug if allowed to idle for more than 30 seconds after start-up from cold! Otherwise she would run all day. The boat is no longer in my ownership but she still has the P55 installed.
 
As already noted, the two most obvious replacements are the RCA Dolphin (petrol) or the Yanmar 1GM diesel.

Niether is ideal as they are both light weight and fast revving so will need different sterngear. The RCA is designed as yacht auxilliary and has a high shaft speed and small 2 bladed prop. The Yanmar can be had with a 3.3:1 reduction which brings the shaft speed down to the same level as the ST. However it is noisy, moves around a lot and presents a challenge to the solid stern gear of the ST. There are ways of taming it and the result can be very good. But it will not be cheap. Everything will need replacing or modifying, and if you are buying new you are looking at £4k+. You might be lucky and get a good S/H one - but I got £1200 for a 20 year old model (that had in turn replaced an ST P55), but the new owner spent about £1k on re-furbishing and new installation kit.

In terms of the physical space requirement, both the Yanmar and the (much better) Beta and Nanni 10.s are almost the same size as the ST, but will need new beds as the engine mounts are higher and further apart than the ST.

On balance I would be inclined to try and find a working P55, preferrably converted to coil ignition. When properly set up they run beautifully, quiet and smooth, but a bit thirsty. If going new diesel then worth the extra to have the Nanni/Beta twin rather than the Yanmar single.
 
Just a thought.....

Never mind which engine, much more important is must the the engine be replaced ?
Here you have what could be a beautiful Motorboat of which the motor (probably orginal fit) is an intregal and major part....warts and all.
Your next problem, in a year or so, may be a touch of rot in the keel so the solution to that could be a new plastic bath tub hull to go with the nearly new Yanmar . Need I say more?
If a Vintage Bentley were to be fitted with a `Hot` Ford V 8 engine it will go faster, cost less to run / maintain and will be more reliable. The only problem is that it it also detracts greatly from the financial value, the integrity and the interest of the whole. And worst than that it would be considered an act of gross vandalism in such circles by those that know.
I am surprised that that simular concerns have not been raised in this the Classic Boat Forum.
Please think long and hard. VITALBA.
 
A Bukh 10 is of similar weight and dimension and is a traditional marine engine, although will have the same installation costs of the GM1. Other more vintage alternatives might be an older diesel like a Lister, Petter, Farymann, Gardner, Coventry Victor, Albin, Kelvin, Ailsa, Sabb etc. Apart from the first 4, spares can be problematic. A perhaps less practical option would be fitting a petrol/paraffin engine(e.g. Kelvin) which would be a little cheaper to run and pretty to look at; again spares are problematic.

An ST can be made to perform with modifications: coil ignition or rebuilt magneto, modern carburettor as the ST carb is pretty but not very good. On the twins the condition of the bottom end/crancase seals is critical, so mechanical condition is important.

Editted to add; the ST in your blog/pics looks like it will be good for weighing in at the scrapyard, or perhaps supplying a few spares. STs do come up for sale regularly on www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk in working and non-working condition. Set up and maintained properly these can be as reliable as a diesel, so don't make any rash decisions. If you haven't found it yet there is a UK forum for Stuart Turner addicts and another here.
 
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