Yanmar v Volvo

[Greg2]

We are looking at options for our next boat, which is likely to be a Broom 38. Options currently on the market have either Yanmar 6LP- DTE at 250hp or Volvo TAMD 41P at 200hp. We are talking 1998/99 vintage in both cases.

I am fairly familiar with the Volvos as friends have had them and we had the later KAD42's. I understand them to be fairly solid and reliable lumps.

I am not so familiar with the Yanmars and particularly this model. I understand that Yanmar parts can be a tad pricey, which will be unwelcome having Perkins in the current boat. Anyone know anything about these engines? Reliability? Performance? Maintenance issues? Parts prices and availability?

I get that there will be a performance difference given that one is 200hp and the other 250hp but to be honest blasting about burning fuel isn't part of the long term plan and whilst we might prefer a little extra on tap it isn't the only/primary consideration.

Any info on the Yanmars would be appreciated.

 

[volvopaul]

Stick with Volvo as the yanmars are silly money on major parts like coolers and pumps .
I was at Brooms on Monday and Brundal bay marina on Saturday, I must have walked by your boat .
I've been tempted with a 42 with D6 , did a trial on one and liked it very much .

 

[Momac]

A friend has the same Yanmar engines in his Broom 38.

No engine issues as such and he says the oil comes out clear looking at service time. He gets filters through a motor trade contact - its a toyota engine? Yanmar parts are, apparently, expensive.

Last year he caught something under the water very gently. - believed to be a submerged tree branch. The bellhousing cracked like an egg and the shaft pulled out ruptured the cooling pipe and therefore pumping water into the bilge risking sinking the boat . A new bellhousing and gearbox were required - the parts were available. The damage was disproportionate to the impact which was at dead slow in a lock approach and just in gear - possibly not in gear. A freak accident perhaps . Or possibly the bellhousing was weak or fatigued.

Not sure what speed it does but it does plane . He is like you and prefers, generally , to do slower speeds .

 

[Greg2]

Stick with Volvo as the yanmars are silly money on major parts like coolers and pumps .
I was at Brooms on Monday and Brundal bay marina on Saturday, I must have walked by your boat .
I've been tempted with a 42 with D6 , did a trial on one and liked it very much .

Thanks Paul. We like the 42 as well.....those on the market are still asking a bit much for us though. Not sure we want much more tied up in a boat at the moment so the 38 probably ticks most boxes.

 

[Greg2]

A friend has the same Yanmar engines in his Broom 38.

No engine issues as such and he says the oil comes out clear looking at service time. He gets filters through a motor trade contact - its a toyota engine? Yanmar parts are, apparently, expensive.

Last year he caught something under the water very gently. - believed to be a submerged tree branch. The bellhousing cracked like an egg and the shaft pulled out ruptured the cooling pipe and therefore pumping water into the bilge risking sinking the boat . A new bellhousing and gearbox were required - the parts were available. The damage was disproportionate to the impact which was at dead slow in a lock approach and just in gear - possibly not in gear. A freak accident perhaps . Or possibly the bellhousing was weak or fatigued.

Not sure what speed it does but it does plane . He is like you and prefers, generally , to do slower speeds .

Blimey, not something you ever want to happen.

I managed to find an old post by Latestarer who says the Yanmars are very, very reliable if properly looked after but flippin' expensive if not!

 

[pks1702]

We have a 42CL with 6LYA STE and a previous boat with 4LHA STP which was a very sweet engine.

like you I researched as extensively as I could and did indeed see Latestarters comments. In the end I felt there was not a lot between them and it came down to finding the boat rather than the engines given that 6LYA are rated pretty well.

We don't tear around and are almost OCD in looking after the engines.

only comment I would make from the servicing of the smaller engine is I don't rate the local main dealer.

 

[[165042]]

4LH-STE is pretty much bomb-proof with some having over 10000 hours on in commercial use. Obviously you'd expect a turbo or two to have been replaced in that time which are about £1200. Manifold elbows go but you can buy better ones for £400. The sixes have a few issues - as do all Volvos. Personally I'd consider a boat on service history and condition rather than specific engines.

 

[oceanfroggie]

We are looking at options for our next boat, which is likely to be a Broom 38. Options currently on the market have either Yanmar 6LP- DTE at 250hp or Volvo TAMD 41P at 200hp. We are talking 1998/99 vintage in both cases.

I am fairly familiar with the Volvos as friends have had them and we had the later KAD42's. I understand them to be fairly solid and reliable lumps.

I am not so familiar with the Yanmars and particularly this model. I understand that Yanmar parts can be a tad pricey, which will be unwelcome having Perkins in the current boat. Anyone know anything about these engines? Reliability? Performance? Maintenance issues? Parts prices and availability?

I get that there will be a performance difference given that one is 200hp and the other 250hp but to be honest blasting about burning fuel isn't part of the long term plan and whilst we might prefer a little extra on tap it isn't the only/primary consideration.

Any info on the Yanmars would be appreciated.

We have a Broom 38 with twin Yanmar's for 12 years and very happy with it. The 6 cylinders maker her particularly quiet and smooth. Being a Toyota land cruiser engine used in millions of vehicles, service parts have been inexpensive through the motor trade. Parts couldn't be easier to get, and we have found the yanmar's very reliable, always starts instantly. When cruising in an Atlantic swell in an F6 we've always felt safe and the engines just purr like they would run forever. She's not smokey either. Two pals of mine have a 38CL and 39KL respectively both with Volvos, and while very happy have mentioned the higher volvo servicing costs. I like that the yanmar doesn't have electronics to get in the way or to go wrong.

She burns 2ghp @ 7kt and 10ghp @ 15kt well up on the plane, she's also happy cruising at 18-20kt with a WOT of 26kt but were not interested in rushing around wasting fuel. 7kt displacement speed is extremely economic and 15kt on the plane is our economic planing speed. We cruise off the Atlantic west coast of Ireland and inland on the vast Shannon loughs.

Also very much like the 38's SD hull performance in our particular cruising area. We regularly make 100-150nm passages in one leg when on offshore cruise trips. A good auto helm essential for comfort on long runs. We also replaced the old raymarine nav and comms gear with Garmin. We also added electric davits as we anchor a lot overnight and use a decent tender for shopping and meals ashore.

PS: The 38's aft cabin puts many 55 footers to shame.

 

[n.herring]

The 38 ended up mainly with yanmars because I asked for them in no 17, they also got into no 16 that was being built at the same time, they were not an option until then. Pretty much every 38 was built with them in till Volvo brought out the d6
Great engine that had no issues, Neil

 

[Greg2]

The 38 ended up mainly with yanmars because I asked for them in no 17, they also got into no 16 that was being built at the same time, they were not an option until then. Pretty much every 38 was built with them in till Volvo brought out the d6
Great engine that had no issues, Neil

Interesting. I wonder why they weren't an option before then

 

[Greg2]

We have a Broom 38 with twin Yanmar's for 12 years and very happy with it. The 6 cylinders maker her particularly quiet and smooth. Being a Toyota land cruiser engine used in millions of vehicles, service parts have been inexpensive through the motor trade. Parts couldn't be easier to get, and we have found the yanmar's very reliable, always starts instantly. When cruising in an Atlantic swell in an F6 we've always felt safe and the engines just purr like they would run forever. She's not smokey either. Two pals of mine have a 38CL and 39KL respectively both with Volvos, and while very happy have mentioned the higher volvo servicing costs. I like that the yanmar doesn't have electronics to get in the way or to go wrong.

She burns 2ghp @ 7kt and 10ghp @ 15kt well up on the plane, she's also happy cruising at 18-20kt with a WOT of 26kt but were not interested in rushing around wasting fuel. 7kt displacement speed is extremely economic and 15kt on the plane is our economic planing speed. We cruise off the Atlantic west coast of Ireland and inland on the vast Shannon loughs.

Also very much like the 38's SD hull performance in our particular cruising area. We regularly make 100-150nm passages in one leg when on offshore cruise trips. A good auto helm essential for comfort on long runs. We also replaced the old raymarine nav and comms gear with Garmin. We also added electric davits as we anchor a lot overnight and use a decent tender for shopping and meals ashore.

PS: The 38's aft cabin puts many 55 footers to shame.

Very helpful thanks.

We are Broom fans - quality boats and as you say the aft cabin set up provides accommodation that would rival many larger boats. Our first was an Ocean 37 and our current boat is a Broom 41, which has superb accommodation and an excellent cockpit. The 38 will be a bit smaller and ironically we took some time weighing up the relative merits of a 38 versus a 41 when we bought last time. The extra space and the cockpit on the 41 won the day back then and whilst we have loved the 41 we are thinking that the 38 is better suited fir the longer term.

 

[n.herring]

Interesting. I wonder why they weren't an option before then

Back in 1997 yanmar were not a known name in motor boats in uk, very big in china apparently. They had lots of their smaller engines in yachts. We had their 140hp 4 cylinder in a motor boat we had built in 1991 and they had been faultless so we asked for them in our new 38, Yanmar recommended the 250hp. Once Broom used them in our 38 they were very pleased with the results and put the larger 350hp in the 42 in 2001, I should have been on commission.

 

[malc60]

my Rodman 38 has a pair of 6LP 370,s and up to now have been spot on, so sweet, done 700 hrs, no probs

 

[Greg2]

my Rodman 38 has a pair of 6LP 370,s and up to now have been spot on, so sweet, done 700 hrs, no probs

Thanks

 

[volvopaul]

my Rodman 38 has a pair of 6LP 370,s and up to now have been spot on, so sweet, done 700 hrs, no probs

The 6lp is 260 and 300 hp it's the 6ly that's 370 hp

 

[acbruce]

Has something happened to Latestarter? I have always been in awe of his knowledge but haven't seen a post from him for some time.

 

[volvopaul]

Has something happened to Latestarter? I have always been in awe of his knowledge but haven't seen a post from him for some time.

I've been wondering the same for a while as he's not been on here lately which is a shame , he mentioned to me in a pm a while back he wasn't 100% .

 

[pks1702]

I've been wondering the same for a while as he's not been on here lately which is a shame , he mentioned to me in a pm a while back he wasn't 100% .

,

He is missed here; his knowledge and experience were respected. Hope he is OK.