Volvo Penta GM diesel engine?

[Alicatt]

I'm going off to look at a boat next week and the advert says it has a Volvo Penta GM diesel engine of 200pk
It looks like the GM V8 diesel of 6.2 or 6.5 litres but not 100% sure, also what would the likely type of outdrive leg would be fitted to this?

Anyone got a clue as to the model?

I had a couple of 6x4 trucks with GM 6.2 V8 diesel engines in them, but they were only 149hp and the engine does not look like it is turbo or super charged. The only real problems with the engines in the trucks was getting enough cooling, they could get very hot very quickly under load. In one truck it would pull the 5ton truck up to 95mph at 4500rpm (speed from a Garmin GPS)
Engine in boat:


Truck with the GM 6.2V8 diesel

 

[PCUK]

If it is a GM V8, then it is nothing to do with Volvo. Could be a Samurai which have an undeserved bad reputation for the conversion work. Otherwise, as you know a bullet-proof engine if not overstressed. Without a turbo the 6.5 will put out about 170bhp and less from the 6.2. (These figures from my own investigations so not gospel).

 

[Alicatt]

If it is a GM V8, then it is nothing to do with Volvo. Could be a Samurai which have an undeserved bad reputation for the conversion work. Otherwise, as you know a bullet-proof engine if not overstressed. Without a turbo the 6.5 will put out about 170bhp and less from the 6.2. (These figures from my own investigations so not gospel).

I had 2 trucks converted by Samurai one had a 3litre Ford V6 petrol and the other a Chrysler 4.2 V8 petrol, the performance difference was noticeable, the 4.2 did around 3mpg and the V6 did 7mpg the 6.2 V8 diesels returned 26mpg paid for themselves within 3 months!
Volvo did badge engineer various engines, and this is one of them. As the Boat is in Holland unlikely to be touched by Samurai.

 

[gordmac]

We're these engines not a common replacement for V8 petrol engines?

 

[rafiki_]

We're these engines not a common replacement for V8 petrol engines?

I don’t think so. Most V8 petrol cruisers don’t have a lot of value in them. Replacing with a like for like engine is much cheaper and easier.

 

[Alicatt]

yep after the first gulf war there were a lot of surplus engines on the market, Samurai in Bridgewater did a lot of installations in road vehicles dunno about in boats though, I have heard of a few in Europe, mainly up North in Norway/Sweden

 

[Alicatt]

I don’t think so. Most V8 petrol cruisers don’t have a lot of value in them. Replacing with a like for like engine is much cheaper and easier.

The engine above, I don't know though, the 6.2 V8 was 147 or 149 bhp and the 6.5 V8 was a little more, the 200hp of the above has me stumped, they had to turbo or supercharge them to get them up to that kind of power.
This was part of the specs of the boat a 1987 Bayliner 2850 Command Bridge - well it is almost 10 years newer than the boat I have, I'll see it later this week just I wanted to know a bit more on what it actually is so I could make a better informed look at it.


Just had a thought: It still could be a GM with a VP outdrive
but the 200pk??? (=200ps = 197hp)

 

[gordmac]

I have a feeling there has been a bit about those engines on here over the years, worth a search?
I think the idea of replacing the petrol v8 with a diesel one was to try and make it affordable to run, a petrol boat may be cheap but someone on a budget may struggle to feed it petrol. Not saying it does or doesn't make sense, particularly since the petrol outdrive wouldn't be ideal. Worth checking if the diesels were what it left the factory with rather than petrol ones.

 

[madabouttheboat]

Volvo did badge engineer various engines, and this is one of them. As the Boat is in Holland unlikely to be touched by Samurai.

Trust me, VP did not badge engineer a GM V8 diesel (yes they did use GM V8 petrol engines). My bet is that it was originally a VP V8 petrol, with a VP drive, and it still has the VP drive but is now equipped with a GM V8 diesel of unknown origin in the engine room. If its cheap enough, and all running correctly, it could still be worth having, but if there are any problems with the way it runs and performs I would run a mile. I would definitley not proceed without a good solid sea trial.

 

[Alicatt]

Trust me, VP did not badge engineer a GM V8 diesel (yes they did use GM V8 petrol engines). My bet is that it was originally a VP V8 petrol, with a VP drive, and it still has the VP drive but is now equipped with a GM V8 diesel of unknown origin in the engine room. If its cheap enough, and all running correctly, it could still be worth having, but if there are any problems with the way it runs and performs I would run a mile. I would definitley not proceed without a good solid sea trial.

Well, nearest test would be along the Maas, it's a good bit inland
I do take on all these points, and to give it due diligence in our viewing.

I have a feeling there has been a bit about those engines on here over the years, worth a search?
I think the idea of replacing the petrol v8 with a diesel one was to try and make it affordable to run, a petrol boat may be cheap but someone on a budget may struggle to feed it petrol. Not saying it does or doesn't make sense, particularly since the petrol outdrive wouldn't be ideal. Worth checking if the diesels were what it left the factory with rather than petrol ones.

I ran a couple of 4x4 and 6x4 trucks with the GM V8 engines in them for over 10 years and one put over 400k miles on it, the engines were solid but prone to overheating if pushed too hard, the weak spot in the trucks was the gearbox, those GM engines put out a fair bit of torque for their size and age. If it is an outdrive for a petrol engine then it could be low geared for the lower revving diesel, from research I have been doing the GM engines would rev to about 3600rpm, I know the ones I had in the trucks would rev to over 4000.
It's their use in boats I don't know, and if it is the same engine at all, I'll find out on Friday when we have the viewing booked.

 

[gordmac]

May be my suspicious mind but get a boat with petrol v8s, stick in diesel v8s with same outdrives and have it somewhere it can't be sea trialled to hide the unsuitable outdrives and lack of power.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

If it has indeed been re-engined from petrol, this might be a problem in waiting. The original outdrive would have been propped and specced for a higher revving / lower torque petrol engine. The diesel won’t make the revs and will almost certainly have 2x the torque so this might be a marriage made in hell…

 

[Mr Googler]

I ran a pair GM 6.5 in Samurai blue… in a boat.

Not terrible but noisy and thirsty. Boat ran at 30 knots but took a while to get her in that position. Stanadyne fuel pump was a pain in the rear. From memory…internals wear the housing so it bypasses and give you lack of fuel…something like that.

The marinisation was top draw though by whomever did it. Bowman heat exchangers and oil coolers and custom stainless cooled exhaust manifolds

It was coupled DP-D drives too with the right ratio’s