Tohatsu MFS9.8A3 UL 9.8HP 4STR UL (£2,141.41p) in westerly centaur with dead engine

[prv]

I'd expect to buy a secondhand diesel twin and install it for less than the cost of just buying the Tohatsu. So it'd be cheaper, less work, safer and more convenient to fit a new inboard. No brainer.

run me through the economics as you see them based on an old centaur with a jiggered volvo

I guess this would make a good start: http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/...enta-md11c-23hp-marine-diesel-engine-PAA81053

MD11C was standard on Centaurs, wasn't it? So should be drop-in with no major (read, expensive) modifications needed.

Pete

 

[Simondjuk]

I guess this would make a good start: http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/...enta-md11c-23hp-marine-diesel-engine-PAA81053

MD11C was standard on Centaurs, wasn't it? So should be drop-in with no major (read, expensive) modifications needed.

Pete

Exactly. Although personally, I'd be tempted to spend a little extra for a more modern engine.

It seems Dylan has an illogical aversion to inboards though, so pointing out the economic, practical and safety benefits is probably futile. An interesting, if pointless and retrograde, conversion to consider nonetheless, so I'd like to see how it would work out in practice.

 

[prv]

Exactly. Although personally, I'd be tempted to spend a little extra for a more modern engine.

Much to be said for that. Still, I thought a drop-in replacement, straight from the hands of a diesel mechanic, for under a grand was worth calling attention to. Add a few quid for transport and it's still less than half of Dylan's proposed outboard. Even without dicking around with a jigsaw and glass mat

An interesting, if pointless and retrograde, conversion to consider nonetheless, so I'd like to see how it would work out in practice.

Me too.

Pete

 

[Simondjuk]

Much to be said for that. Still, I thought a drop-in replacement, straight from the hands of a diesel mechanic, for under a grand was worth calling attention to. Add a few quid for transport and it's still less than half of Dylan's proposed outboard. Even without dicking around with a jigsaw and glass mat

I concur, but have a slight worry of anything sold with a fault by an expert in the field of fixing said fault. He could bung a couple of injectors in it and sell it as all good for a price increase greater than the cost of the injectors. He's spent time painting and servicing it, why not fix the fast running fault if it's so simple to do?

I also worry about spares availability on older engines. The BMW D7 was a light, compact little engine, let down only by it's flywheel housed generator. If I could have sourced spares, I'd have rebuilt it and fitted a proper alternator. The spares mostly didn't exist, and the few that did we're hideously expensive.

 

[Paddingtonbear]

We all think Dylan is great but mad do we not? why don't we all club together our skills and knowledge and form a collective to solve his difficulties? might be fun or even a possible DVD

 

[greggron]

With 2500 centaurs built, hasn't some bright spark considered this idea before? What do the WOA have to say?

 

[Seajet]

With 2500 centaurs built, hasn't some bright spark considered this idea before? What do the WOA have to say?

You could ask them, and probably learn a few new naughty words !

 

[aquaplane]

Naaa, Westerly owners don't bloody swear.

I have the impression that most owners don't believe that you can improve perfection so any mods are a retrograde step.

 

[mtb]

Tohatsu make a very long shaft

I want the prop just where the current prop is so all that - drive shaft and engine coming out

Thank you guys for forcing me to think this through as well

still yet to to receive the killer reason for not doing it

noise - bad - but I have lived with that for 18 months

fully comp insurance - out of the question on all my boats

structural strength - centaurs built like out houses and I can afford a fair amount of extra weight on structure - the hull looks strong around the prop area - you would need to be watertight and bring the forces generated back to the Hull

I think that some of you guys are underestimating the thrust from an outboard with the prop in the right place

your experience has been with outboards on the back of a boat just barely in the water

the well idea gets around this

There's the first real reason dylan
water will swamp the outboard in a swell and then who knows what could happen if the weather is such that you cant sail either because of high wind / no wind then what
When I brought the 26ft colvic sailer the petter twin head gaskets blew on the morning I left salcomb ( **** quality gaskets) I had fitted an out board bracket to the transom so had my Yamaha 5hp as a just in case. With the 5hp I couldn't get into Portland against the wind and tide so ended up waiting all night to get in, then it took five attempts to pick a mooring up ( no real power )
I then swapped the 5hp for a 25hp yamaha ok yes any one would think that's right over the top but no, it would rev no problem but as it was not meant to push a displacement boat it was sluggish and bleeding expensive to run
The new law re you cant get more than so many litres of petrol from a filling station meant carrying jerry can's long distances err they get heavy after a couple of miles you cant get very far with out petrol

Who says you have to pay thousands for an inboard engine, there are always complete marine engines on ebay
So buy a couple of cheap engines one for fitting and one so you have spares
Consider what many have said, once the boat gets lifted in a swell the out board will over rev HOW LONG WILL IT LAST !

I've spent over a year sorting out the petter engine for the colvic I tried in vain to use more gaskets from the same company in York which failed after only two hours running. Then I found a petter twin near brighton with a spare block. So rebuilt that only to find the injection pump was knackered. While waiting for another I saw the yanmar 2qm15 and box so got it. Tomorrow I'm going down to fit the modified engine and gearbox feet which was yet another trip to wells then 8 hours re making em then fit the new vetus mounts before lining it all up then I'll drill and tap the eight holes to mount em
plus a whole new exhaust system and soon I'll remake the wiring loom
All this is because out boards don't work on bigger boats I have not been out sailing it since getting to wells I will not go out to sea with an out board through choice it is far to easy to come unstuck

love your web site blogs Dylan thanks very much for the pass

cheers
mick

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Consider what many have said, once the boat gets lifted in a swell the out board will over rev HOW LONG WILL IT LAST!

33 years and still going strong for the Honda BF7.5 on my first boat (they called it a BF75 back in 1981, but it's basically the same engine as the current model).

 

[dylanwinter]

There's the first real reason dylan
water will swamp the outboard in a swell and then who knows what could happen if the weather is such that you cant sail either because of high wind / no wind then what
When I brought the 26ft colvic sailer the petter twin head gaskets blew on the morning I left salcomb ( **** quality gaskets) I had fitted an out board bracket to the transom so had my Yamaha 5hp as a just in case. With the 5hp I couldn't get into Portland against the wind and tide so ended up waiting all night to get in, then it took five attempts to pick a mooring up ( no real power )
I then swapped the 5hp for a 25hp yamaha ok yes any one would think that's right over the top but no, it would rev no problem but as it was not meant to push a displacement boat it was sluggish and bleeding expensive to run
The new law re you cant get more than so many litres of petrol from a filling station meant carrying jerry can's long distances err they get heavy after a couple of miles you cant get very far with out petrol

Who says you have to pay thousands for an inboard engine, there are always complete marine engines on ebay
So buy a couple of cheap engines one for fitting and one so you have spares
Consider what many have said, once the boat gets lifted in a swell the out board will over rev HOW LONG WILL IT LAST !

I've spent over a year sorting out the petter engine for the colvic I tried in vain to use more gaskets from the same company in York which failed after only two hours running. Then I found a petter twin near brighton with a spare block. So rebuilt that only to find the injection pump was knackered. While waiting for another I saw the yanmar 2qm15 and box so got it. Tomorrow I'm going down to fit the modified engine and gearbox feet which was yet another trip to wells then 8 hours re making em then fit the new vetus mounts before lining it all up then I'll drill and tap the eight holes to mount em
plus a whole new exhaust system and soon I'll remake the wiring loom
All this is because out boards don't work on bigger boats I have not been out sailing it since getting to wells I will not go out to sea with an out board through choice it is far to easy to come unstuck

love your web site blogs Dylan thanks very much for the pass

cheers
mick

thanks for your input.....

however,surely there is no reason why the well should flood

that is not the way they work

and as the outboard prop is in exactly the same position as the inboard prop then there is no reason why it should ever leave the water and over rev

D

 

[mtb]

it's the swell that I'm talking about, it happened to mine off Bexhill and any way you'd be much better off with a 26ft colvic than one of those toy centaur things you need room inside ;-)

 

[chrishelen]

I'd expect to buy a secondhand diesel twin and install it for less than the cost of just buying the Tohatsu. So it'd be cheaper, less work, safer and more convenient to fit a new inboard. No brainer.

replace one piece of junk for another if your not careful.

 

[Twister_Ken]

and as the outboard prop is in exactly the same position as the inboard prop

D

If that's the case, aren't you going to end up with the outboard well slap bang in the middle of the cockpit 'trench'? Don't see that doing much for either sailability or saleability.

 

[dylanwinter]

If that's the case, aren't you going to end up with the outboard well slap bang in the middle of the cockpit 'trench'? Don't see that doing much for either sailability or saleability.

take a look at the links

I reckon that it would be at the back of the cockpit just in front of the tiller

you might need to modify the tiller a bit - although I doubt it

the Centaur cockpit is a massive thing (compared to the slug and Katie L) so still ahead

I agree lads.... a brand new engine in Centaur is the way to go

but what is needed is some lateral thinking to make these old yachts affordable to the likes of myself

I think some loss of cockpit space and the hideous increase in noise level is worth it

D

next time I see a centaur ashore I will get my tape measure out and have a good look

 

[Seajet]

One thing worth bearing in mind is that due to the long cranked tiller in the Centaur 80% of the cockpit is wasted space, and the helmsperson ends up near the front !

I was reminded of this last Friday as I crewed for a chum on his Centaur.

 

[dylanwinter]

One thing worth bearing in mind is that due to the long cranked tiller in the Centaur 80% of the cockpit is wasted space, and the helmsperson ends up near the front !

I was reminded of this last Friday as I crewed for a chum on his Centaur.

so.... would there be room for a well just in front of the tiller without modifying anything

I assume that the clamps would be just around the floor of the cockpit

I notice from the images on google that the tiller curves up and forward

 

[Seajet]

I think an engine well - and the protruding engine head - would be very much in the way, with the standard tiller the helmsman is pretty much at the front of the cockpit.

Maybe one could do something smart with an autohelm & remote control, but I'm one of those who reckon a well in a Centaur is a daft idea anyway, more of a discussion point than a serious intent.

I have seen a couple of Centaurs with wheel steering, but that's another example of money & effort wasted and something else to go wrong !

 

[prv]

I think an engine well - and the protruding engine head - would be very much in the way

True if you keep the tiller as is, but if you were able to extend the rudder stock up to around seat level, and fit a less-curved tiller to that, then I think it would pass over the top of the well ok. Extending the stock (do you drop the rudder and fit a whole new bar, or try to clamp or weld an extension to the top? Does it need a bearing at the new top?) would be a big job, but then so is building the well in the first place.

Pete

 

[Twister_Ken]

True if you keep the tiller as is, but if you were able to extend the rudder stock up to around seat level, and fit a less-curved tiller to that, then I think it would pass over the top of the well ok. Extending the stock (do you drop the rudder and fit a whole new bar, or try to clamp or weld an extension to the top? Does it need a bearing at the new top?) would be a big job, but then so is building the well in the first place.

Pete

OK but all that is more expense.