Vetus Engines - are they any good???

[TNLI]

@TNLI There is a "remanufactured" bmc 1.5 on ebay at £2000 at the moment..
"checked by our in-house engineers,. It has been tested on the test bench "
If compression is good then there is not a lot else that is expensive to replace. The bowman heat exchangers seem to go on forever, injector pump recon is around £200-£300. Injectors around £50 and glow plugs around £20 for all 4. Cam chain kit with tensioner, a whole £18..
In the long term the bmc has to the cheapest option as 30 yrs on a rebuild is a walk in the park and parts when rarely needed are just so cheap..
The only negatives i can think of is they are very heavy and noisy compared to a modern engine
I would say any brand of newish engine is good. Is there really such a thing as a bad engine nowadays?

BMC 1.5 Secondhand Engine | eBay

Problem is no guarantee or warranty is offered and trying to claim for a duff engine through Fleabay is not easy, the seller will just claim its the buyers fault. I've lost money twice buying Fleabay parts, once when the seller said I had damaged a used radio and the other time when I sent back a new scanner and the seller deducted 50% for damage. Oddly enough both sellers were overseas (Japan and Spain), so no hope of knocking on their doors to indicate the error of their ways.
In general terms it's not a good idea to buy a used or rebuilt engine without being able to see and hear it running first.

 

[Capuchino]

I have an M4.14 its about 30 years old. based on the mitsubishi K4d engine. The only problem I had was loss of power which turned out to be almost totally blocked exhaust bend. Unfortunately it is integral to the heat exchanger on the early models so I had to buy a complete new assembly. once fitted the engine is like a rocket, loads of power and smooth running, no smoke or any other issues. So to answer the question from my perspective Vetus engines are pretty good.

Hello Jmc1764,
Sorry for bringing this post back from the dead but I just bought an Albin 25 with a Vetus M4.14 diesel engine. I read that you had to replace the heat exchanger due to poor exhaust flow. Looking at the pictures you provided it seems that I to have the same old heat exchanger that you had. Do all the old heat exchangers for the M4.14 suffered from poor exhaust flow or yours was an isolated case? Any chance you can provide me with the new heat exchanger's part number? Any tips you can give me for running the M4.14?
Thanks

 

[Jmc1764]

Parts direct from Vetus are available from Vetus-Shop.Com
I think the problem is that the old heat exchangers were made of cast iron and corrosion was terrible, and it seems a small exhaust opening into the elbow is easy to block up. The new replacement exchangers are aluminium and much better design, they are expensive but if you look after it they will last the life of the engine. One thing I do every year is to clean the copper heat tubes and replace the o ring seals, when I fit the o rings I generously apply silicone grease, this seals it up and helps it all go together better and helps prevent different metal corrosion. You can still buy just about all the parts from Vetus but some engine parts can be found cheaper on ebay if you search for mitsubishi K4d or mitsubiushi fork lift engine !

 

[Bilgediver]

Good afternoon:

Having a few problems with my engine (Orca 21 HP built from a Kubota) and had a sudden brainwave and am wondering about buying a new Vetus engine - either a M 2.06 (16 HP) or a M 3.28 (27 HP). Will probably get the M 2.06 as 16 HP is more than my boat originally had which was only a 10 HP Volvo (MD 2 B). My boat is a Dufour 29 built in 1977.

Please note the MD2B is 25 HP. NOT 10 HP

 

[STATUE]

Right, that's it, I'm climbing on this post as no one has replied to mine yesterday.

FANBELT TIGHTENING - VETUS M2 - 06 : is there only one bolt to be tightened underneath the alternator ?
I'm fully aware of the adjustment bolt on the top.
Help an old sailor.

 

[SaltIre]

Right, that's it, I'm climbing on this post as no one has replied to mine yesterday.

FANBELT TIGHTENING - VETUS M2 - 06 : is there only one bolt to be tightened underneath the alternator ?
I'm fully aware of the adjustment bolt on the top.
Help an old sailor.

If you RTFM it mentions the two bolts on page 62.

Vetus M2.06 Technical data | Manualzz

 

[STATUE]

Thanks Saltire.
Because there were two alternator locking bolts underneath on my previous boat (Yanmar) I couldn't believe the owners manual that there was only one on the Vetus.
Thanks for coming back to me and not admonishing me for barging I onto this thread.

 

[Plum]

Right, that's it, I'm climbing on this post as no one has replied to mine yesterday.

FANBELT TIGHTENING - VETUS M2 - 06 : is there only one bolt to be tightened underneath the alternator ?
I'm fully aware of the adjustment bolt on the top.
Help an old sailor.

Did not reply before as mine is an M3.10 but hopefully the alternator mounting is the same on yours. One bolt at the bottom pivot. The bolt head is concentric and locates into a recess so it can't rotate meaning you only need to loosen/tighten the nut. If you ever remove that bolt to remove the alternator do watch out as there may be shims on it to prevent the alternator lugs being snapped off and the shims will fall into the bilge if you are not careful..

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[STATUE]

Thank you Plum, these replies are those little gems - missed out by 'owner manuals' thar make the possible, possible !

 

[STATUE]

Shamelessly riding on the back of this post again.
I have a Vetus M2.C5 with gearbox TMC 40-2R(M)
Revved up in gear, then wait 7 seconds before there is any propulsion.
Control cables checked, correct oil in gearbox, fixed prop (not folding), prop. shaft and propeller all correct.
Guidance please.

 

[Plum]

Shamelessly riding on the back of this post again.
I have a Vetus M2.C5 with gearbox TMC 40-2R(M)
Revved up in gear, then wait 7 seconds before there is any propulsion.
Control cables checked, correct oil in gearbox, fixed prop (not folding), prop. shaft and propeller all correct.
Guidance please.

Suggest you look at TWIN DISC TECHNODRIVE TMC 40M GEARBOX PROBLEM particularly from post #29

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[STATUE]

Plum, many thanks. Post 29 did contain an incident of exactly as mine. Reading them all don't half shake one's confidence in these gearboxes. HEY HO !

 

[Plum]

Plum, many thanks. Post 29 did contain an incident of exactly as mine. Reading them all don't half shake one's confidence in these gearboxes. HEY HO !

Hopefully the adjustment described in post #29, that can be done in situ, will solve your problem at no cost.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk