Volvo 2002 engine overhaul/replacement

[Fulmarjon]

My boat is in Lymington. Can anyone recommend a reliable but reasonably priced engineer/company who could take my engine out and overhaul it and/or replace it (if replacement thought to be best option - it’s 30 yrs old!) at a reasonable cost without ripping me off. Anybody had to do this recently and has been really pleased with the service and cost?Very many thanks.

 

[Tranona]

Not in Lymington, but Mike Wills Marine in Poole will do a good job. Sounds like you have a Fulmar, in which case a Beta 25 is a good replacement. Would not bother with spending any money on a 2002.

 

[Sandy]

Only 30 years, its only just run in. My VP 2002 is almost 40 and still going sweet as a nut.

What is the problem with your engine? Personally, I think the modern stuff is rubbish.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Would not bother with spending any money on a 2002.

Despite the weird cooling system , the 2000 series arguably the best small diesel ever designed for boats. Thousands of em still around with parts freely available. Might possibly be worth an engineers report before
send ing to the purely gates .

 

[DJE]

You could try Gary Wilson at Beaufort Marine Engineering. He works mainly on the Isle of Wight but also in mainland locations if he can get there by boat.

 

[Stemar]

Despite the weird cooling system , the 2000 series arguably the best small diesel ever designed for boats. Thousands of em still around with parts freely available. Might possibly be worth an engineers report before
send ing to the purely gates .

My 2003 was a great engine and still running like new when I sold the boat, but it is getting on a bit and some parts are now unobtainable.

I'd say it's worth finding out if the bits you need are available and what the cost is going to be, then set that against the pleasure of a new, smoother running engine and the wallet pain level. If now's a good time financially, where later may not be, that would weigh towards new, if the opposite, that would weigh towards a repair.

 

[jamie N]

I bumped into this article concerning your dilemma, which might also help your decision.
My tuppence worth would include whether you have access to the engine in situ, where you'd be able to have the block off and replace the rings? Would having the top end 'breathed on' and the injectors serviced make a difference, or do you have a concern about the bottom end?
To dismantle it to this level doesn't require 'huge' skill, but does require tools and confidence. My own engine being done like this, together with a locally made SS exhaust manifold was a few hundred quid, but I do have time, and have done it before (badly) which helped.

 

[Cspirit]

I have had three of these engines. I installed the first, around 1993ish - no problems then sold the boat. I lived with the next in my Westerly Corsair motoring many miles in nearly 20 years. However, the cooling/heat exchanger system was a nightmare giving constant problems until I threw in the towel and had a Beta 38 installed in Greece. My "new" boat had a 2003T. I've sold this and replaced with another Beta. My view is that it is uneconomic to refurbish a perhaps 40 year old 2003. Parts are expensive and increasingly unobtainable. The cost of a new engine (plus prop, ancillaries, fitting, etc) is eye watering, to use a current phrase but in my case, despite the expense, I have had no regrets about replacing with a Beta. Hope this helps. Bob

 

[Cspirit]

PS - re the above post. I got £800 for my old 2003T a couple of months ago, sold to Marine Enterprises unseen and possibly non running ( I bought the boat intending to junk the engine so never bothered to run it). The buyer said it would be worth more as a runner. Just more info to feed into the OP's decision making process.

 

[penfold]

Even a young MD200x is 40 years old, the oldest ~50 years old. I've not worked on one for years but I still hate those water pipes.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

It's an evergreen topic on these forums with no easy answer.

After buying a boat, probably the biggest financial decision to make in sailing and there are so many variables. How long will I keep this boat ? will the boat have little value if I don't re engine ? Will I have to borrow money to do it ?
Do I want the stress of a possibly unreliable engine ? Would the cheaper option of a partial re build last very long ?
Not easy.