Which replacement engine - Moody 33s

[stevd]

Hello all,

I am currently having some difficulties with the original Bukh engine. I am currently weighing up whether to replace. I know there are a lot of merits for the Bukh DV20, and I would love to revive it if possible....however if it cant be done I dont want to be hanging around deciding what to replace with. I know that the Beta engines make a good replacement with the mountings etc. and are a nice engine but I would rather not spend the that sort of money if I can help it. Whilst I dont mind spending the money on it, if there is a cheaper solution I will take it and invest in some new sails or something like that.

I have come across a Volvo Penta 2003 turbo producing 40ish bhp. Now I know this is a lot of power for the size of boat, but I know where there is one s/h running. Question is I have no idea how big it is, and if it would actually fit my Moody 33s.

The other engine that I have seen listed is again a volvo penta but a D1-30. This is apparently a practically new engine producing 28hp, but it is twice the price at circa £3k.

In your opinions which route would you go, or would anyone suggest something completely different like a brand new Chinese jobbie - Has anyone has experience of these, I think they are branded M-Power or something. If anyone has had any real experiences of the Chinese imports I would love to hear, rather than just speculation regarding Chinese manufacturing quality issues.

Many thanks
Steve

 

[scottie]

don't be tempted by the 2003t it's a turbo charged engine and you would be unlikely to use the power which would not be benificial to the engine it is also likely to be a money pit
Neither is a drop in so rebuilding the bukh or getting a recon is the least likely to have additional cots
It will cost much the same to alter the beds etc for most current engines either new or usde that have the flywheel in the middle with wide bearers rather than a narrow engine with the flywheel at the end so the the initial cost of he engine is only part of he equation

 

[l'escargot]

No matter how good it is the 2003t is still an old engine and VP parts are notoriously expensive. Go for the newest engine you can.

 

[Tranona]

Don't touch the 2003T with a bargepole. Far too powerful, but more important the (bad) design is 30 years or more out of date and spares are horrendous.

A D1-30 at £3k is a bargain if it has the correct gearbox. You will need probably another £2k in installation bits plus prop to do a decent job. The beds will need modifying as all modern engines are different spacing than the Bukh, but not a big job once you suss out how to do it. A new installation with a Beta or Nanni equivalent to the D1 30 is in the region of £8k so lots of headroom costwise if the Volvo is suitable.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Don't touch the 2003T with a bargepole. Far too powerful, but more important the (bad) design is 30 years or more out of date and spares are horrendous.

A D1-30 at £3k is a bargain if it has the correct gearbox. You will need probably another £2k in installation bits plus prop to do a decent job. The beds will need modifying as all modern engines are different spacing than the Bukh, but not a big job once you suss out how to do it. A new installation with a Beta or Nanni equivalent to the D1 30 is in the region of £8k so lots of headroom costwise if the Volvo is suitable.

For what it's worth I agree 100% with the engine choice and fitting sentiments. The costs depend to a very large extent on how much of the work you will do yourself.

Some figures mentioned on this forum for re-engining are eye-wateringly high because people are employing a marine engineer to fit the engine. I'm reasonably competent and have fitted three engines. Two of those I had to alter the engine bearers for. It's not rocket science but you need to think it all through carefully. This means the actual costs to me have often been a fraction of those quoted by others.

The newer Volvo certainly looks like a bargain.

Remember that the 'new' engine won't alter the value of your boat very much, and you have to think about getting the value back from your use and enjoyment of it all over the next few years.

 

[Poignard]

Hello all,

I am currently having some difficulties with the original Bukh engine.

You don't say what the 'difficulties' are but they would have to be pretty serious to justify scrapping a very repairable engine like the BUKH.

Instead of spending a lot of wonga on buying and installing a new engine it might be worth sorting out the BUKH and using the money 'saved' on sails etc.

Around 12 years ago I found myself in a similar situation with my BUKH 10 which had become very difficult to start and was burning a lot of oil. I considered a new engine which would then have cost around £5k but decided that I would first strip the BUKH and see if it was worth repairing before committing myself to replacing it. The parts needed to overhaul it cost around £1300 so I went ahead and overhauled it myself. It's still working fine, burns no oil and starts easily (even on the starting handle). Of course my labour cost nothing, and if you haven't the time or skill needed to do the work yourself that's not an option but it is not a difficult engine to work on.

 

[stevd]

Thanks for the replies, really good responses too. Especially regarding the 2003t. You are right regarding the engine being under utilised with regardss to the turbo!!!! I must have been having a blonde moment!!!! I should have thought of that.

The Bukh engine has been sat for a few years with a lot of emulsified oil in it. I dont know how bad it is yet. I am hoping it is just in the oil sections and not the cylinders. It had seized but I am not surprised by that with the state it is in. I have managed to free it off. But I am just thinking if its going to cost e the best part of £1500 to rebuild, would it be worth my while spending that little bit more on the Volvo D1-30. I do have to but a new prop anyway regardless. I will see how I get on over the weekend witht the current engine. I also want to add a calorfier to the boat, so this would be better with a heat exchanged volvo, right?

 

[Tranona]

The D1-30 is a much better bet all round. Lighter, quieter, smoother and is a current engine - introduced 8 years ago. The tappings are already there for calorifier take off. Make sure you plumb the engine correctly with a water strainer above the waterline, a syphon break in the seawater circuit and waterlock in the exhaust.

 

[robmcg]

Not wishing to be the lone voice of dissent but if you have an appropriate prop, the Volvo 2003t turbo shouldn't be an issue, although you may suffer from going too quick at lower engine revs. It uses a very light pressure turbo which kicks in at relatively low revs. They generally get a bashing as owners find the turbo can give up - often the bearings as they are not allowed to cool down a bit before shutting off the engine. Having said that, I agree that the D1 30 is probably more suitable in every way but you must investigate the viability of the Bukh first as emulsified oil can be from condensation/ failed seal on raw water pump which could be easily rectified for a relatively small outlay. Plenty of DV 20's out there with galactic mileage and still giving good service as they were massively over engineered.

 

[scottie]

Water in the oil can be from several sources the least being past the oil seals in the water pump to cracked castings so it should be worth some investigation with out too much expense

The problem is how long it will take and how much it will cost

Could be worth pricing complete set gaskets b/e bearings and piston rings for a start

Re the 2003t best leave alone but if you can't then price an oil cooler and fresh water pump plus above bits if hey have not been renewed.

Ask anyone in penta sales who remembers the moody eclipse farce about 2003t and they will blush about the turbo giving the extra power when you might need it and doing no harm when not

I am also sure that the prop size is limited in dia so will restrict power of engine

Worth checking he moody owners association on this and other options

 

[ffiill]

You don't say what the 'difficulties' are but they would have to be pretty serious to justify scrapping a very repairable engine like the BUKH.

Instead of spending a lot of wonga on buying and installing a new engine it might be worth sorting out the BUKH and using the money 'saved' on sails etc.

Around 12 years ago I found myself in a similar situation with my BUKH 10 which had become very difficult to start and was burning a lot of oil. I considered a new engine which would then have cost around £5k but decided that I would first strip the BUKH and see if it was worth repairing before committing myself to replacing it. The parts needed to overhaul it cost around £1300 so I went ahead and overhauled it myself. It's still working fine, burns no oil and starts easily (even on the starting handle). Of course my labour cost nothing, and if you haven't the time or skill needed to do the work yourself that's not an option but it is not a difficult engine to work on.

I second that-all engines are totally rebuildable and one like the Bukh will last forever.Put all the money needed into having a proper recon which shouldnt cost much more than the above.Remember recon costs relate to the number of cylinders;number of valves;number of big end bearings as work is usually charged per cylinder.For example two cylinder rebores two big ends and two pistons should cost a third as much as six cylinders.
Then no worries about engine beds;pipework;electrics;shortening or lenghthening prop shafts;new engine cover etc.

 

[cimo]

having gone down the rebuild route this winter myself (bukh 20) & if it helps with your decision process any,
I can to give an estimate on todays likely costs,

To replaced the following -
big end bearings
wet liners & orings
pistons & rings
valves
valve springs
push rods
gaskets
crank shaft seals
gearbox shaft seals
Injector re-build/service

realistically your looking somewhere just beyond £2K, labour not inc.(I'm converting from euros).
DIY not as daunting as it may first seem.
No previous rebuild experience myself, I was armed with the workshop & just enough knowledge to get myself into trouble!

You'll get plenty of support from the experts in poole & here to name two sources.
Great experience to have done it (& great that it's behind me too!).

No harm to go down the rebuild route initially, time permitting - if you were to start stripping down
you'll soon know if its a feasible option before spending any money.