The continuing saga of the broken heat exchanger!!!!!

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CHARLIECARAKUS

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A quick catch up for those of you that missed my first post.

Dickies have informed me that I need a new heat exchanger on my elderly sole 14hp inboard (1985). However they suggested a new engine instead because they could not source a new exchanger.

Right I said - but I don't think so!

I sourced a new heat exchanger, however the cost £831, plus the bill from Dickies for fitting and all the other work that needs doing I am expecting a bill of over £1500.

My thoughts are to just buy a new engine and add some value to the boat.

What are your thoughts???? Any advice on new engines, cheap as possible only keeping the boat for 6 months.

I look forward to receiving your wisdom on this matter.

PS I realise that I should be doing the work myself but the Yacht is so far away from home at the moment.
 
A friend of mine has a similar problem but being handy with that type of thing is making one himself and reckons its about half a days work so it might be worth contacting a few engineering companies, surely somebody must be able to put one togather espicially if they have the old HX to work from. Just a thought, hope it works out
 
A new Beta will cost approx £3500 and £1000 to have fitted if no major complications. Total 'extra' cost of £3,000. To make it financially worthwhile and worth the risk of extra fitting costs you'll have to get at least £3000 extra for the boat which is highly unlikely. You might just get £2000 extra.
The cost of a new engine is never recouped in the sale price unless you bought the boat very cheaply because of a completely knackered engine.
 
Have'nt found anything yet that cannot be fixed (at a price ) .
It depends on what part of the system is broken and if its the only thing wrong and you are happy with the engine why go to the expence? A new engine may add value but would you get what you invest back,probably not. Id rather spend a little time and money looking at reconditioning what you have. all IMHO of course.
 
I'd be reluctant to fork out 1500 for the repairs too. With a beta engine you might just break even when you sell the boat, but probbaly will still lose a bit.

It should make the boat easier to sell though, I know when I was looking for a boat the prospect of a new engine alwyas caught my eye.
 
10hp Yanmar on a 27 footer? Suggest you have a look at a Beta 13.5hp or 20hp. Beware that you will almost certainly need a new prop and possibly a new shaft. Have you exhausted all repair options? Are there no second hand complete 'Sole' engines about?
 
Avocet will only JUST manage hull speed with 12 hp. - and then only on a flat calm lake with a clean bottom! (the boat that is - not the lake!) If I was re-engining, I wouldn't think of going for less than 12 horse and probably 13 - 15.

Can you post photos of the heat excahnger? I can't believe someone won't be able to make / fix one for the sort of money you're considering shelling out!
 
Repair options are opening up all the time. I have spoken to the sole importer in the UK. They have never needed to replace the complete heat exchanger in 15 years of trading.

Normally it is just the core which is £500 less, if I could get some information out of Dickies it would help.

If all else fails I am going to hire a van, drive up there and bring the engine back home.
 
have to tried these people


DIAMOND DIESELS Ltd.
Unit 4, Blackburn Ind. Est, Enterprise Way
Sheborn in Emmett - North Yorkshire LS25 ÑA
01977 683690 01977 683815
emai


Or Direct from Sole

Department Spare parts

Spare part request

In order to put itself in contact with our spare part department it will be able to use following means.


SOLE' S.A..
crta. of Martorell to Gelida, km 2
08760 Martorell
Barcelona - Spain

Telf.: +34 93 775 44 05
Fax: + 34 93 776 53 79
recambios@solediesel.com





l
 
you won't get much sympathy for that - only 4 hours?

pack your tool box, manuals and sleeping bag lik the rest of us and get up there and remove the heat exchanger. Make sure you note all the bits you will need to replace when reffiting so that you can take them with you when you do the reverse in a months time with a 'sorted' heat exchanger.

It's going to cost you time or money - only a mug pays with both!
 
I am amazed - no gob-smacked !!

To change an engine because the heat exchanger is duff ????

If I couldn't get the old one repaired or replaced with recon / second-hand unit .... I would look at possible similar that could be fitted instead ...

There must be a way to fit another one ... its not as if its an internal item that has to be exactly right etc. A HX is normally an external mounted item that a change or bend to a bracket etc. allows fitting of a different HX model .....

To think of spending £3K for an engine and then fitting on top along with possible change of shaft / couplings / prop etc. incredible.

As I said in previous post - my boat when I bought it had plastic metal sealing the corroded face joint of my HX ... lasted years ..... seller pointed it out to me, never hid the fact.
 
Re: I am amazed - no gob-smacked !!

The thought behind the engine change firstly was Dickies not mine.

On my part it was not just because of the heat exchanger, I am sure that I could repair/replace it given the time.

However the engine on board is 26 years old, I have no record of servicing or engine hours.

The consideration I was giving was... if I do need to purchase a new heat exchanger at the cost of £831 would it be wise to consider a new engine rather than throwing good money after bad down the drain on an engine that is rather old in the first place.

I think it is worth remembering that not everyone that has a Yacht or uses this forum is an Engineer, and often on a steep learning curve.
 
Hi

Just to throw in a different point of view, a new engine is probably a good (one of the best?) selling point on a boat. So whilst I agree that on the face of it the sums don't add up, if it saves you 6 months or a year from maintaining the boat, paying storage/marnia berth etc and you want to sell it and move on to something else, its maybe not quite so clear cut.

Just a thought, however, if it was me I'd also go for fixing the existing engine.


Chris
 
Re: I am amazed - no gob-smacked !!

Just get someone to take the boat back to you by road! It'll cost a few hundred squid but there's nothing worse than a 4 hour drive only to find you've not got the right tools with you! I'm sure the more experienced on the board could take a good guess at what they neded but you've got everything stacked against you! By your own admission, you're non-mechanical, it's an unfamiliar boat, it's a long way away and you're dealing with a yard you don't know, possibly don't trust and are unlikely to ever see again so they've no particular reason to want to keep your custom!
 
Re: I am amazed - no gob-smacked !!

Seems an awful lot of moneyand time and trouble just for the HX. If the rest of the engine is OK why replace it?
Sorry I came in late on this thread.
Are we talking about just the HX or a combined HX/header tank.
It is unlikely that this was originally a sole part...it would have been sourced from somewhere else...probably Bowman in Birmingham who have the largest range of marine HX's. or could have been Serck or CovRad perhaps if a very old engine.

Given that a combined HX header tank for a 150hp Perkins is only about £450 it seems that you are paying too much.
Get the thing off and take it to a local radiator specialist to see what he can do.
or...
Have a look here for a replacement, Bowmans will have something that will suit.

www.ejbowman.co.uk

Steve
 
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