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Used Diesel?

gadangit

Member III
Has anyone had any luck obtaining a used diesel with transmission to repower their boat? Looking for sources and install results...
(asking for a friend, seriously!)
 

Afrakes

Sustaining Member
The guy who bought my 86' Yanmar 2GM20F and transmission must be happy because I haven't had any death threats yet. There are engines and trannies available. It's always a crap shoot. I chose to rebuild my M-12 instead of installing the Yanmar. I had redone the control panel for the M-12 and just didn't want to switch everything out again. I didn't see enough benefit in switching to the Yanmar and the local Kubota dealer was happy to get me what I needed to refresh the M-12.
 

racushman

O34 - Los Angeles
I once rebuilt a yanmar and was disappointed with the results -- expensive, and of uncertain quality. For example, the engine developed an overheating problem in its first season after rebuild, and what I discovered was that the water pump was mostly plugged up and hadn't even had the impeller changed.

If I had it to do over again I would have purchased a remanufactured "swap" engine. Usually those can be found from reputable sellers and with some level of warranty. A little more expensive but I think worth it.
 

wynkoop

Member III
I have seen 1gm10s on various sites for sale with transmissions since I have been battering google for 1gm10 information. I happened to find mine by accident on Craigslist. Guy bought it for a project then figured out the little 1 lunger would not push a 40 foot United States Navy Launch.

If I did not have ready access to a suitable Diesel and I were to do it all over again I would probably go electric, but then I am good with engines, but I am better with electricity.

I almost went electric with Silver Maiden, but Thunderstruck, who I thought had the best bang for the bucks, did not get back to me to answer questions I had about a small customization I required to their brackets. The next week I saw the Yanmar, which at the same shaft RPM as my old Palmer, on craigslist at a very good price, so Diesel it was.

I am really sure an electric repower would have taken me less time. The electric motor is much easier to fit and move around for alignment than the yanmar.

I expect a 25-30 foot boat with a properly sized electric inboard/prop combo a good size battery bank and 100-200 watts of solar could operate with zero fuel for the life of the boat.
 

Tin Kicker

Sustaining Member
Moderator
. . . I discovered was that the water pump was mostly plugged up and hadn't even had the impeller changed.
. . .

No matter who the engine comes from and unless absolutely knowing it has been remanufactured with new parts, I'm going to pull the accessories to inspect, clean, or replace. This includes injectors, glow plugs, water pump, alternator, belt(s), checking the pulley bearings, and definitely all hoses. I factor those into the purchase & installation costs.
 

gadangit

Member III
I am really sure an electric repower would have taken me less time. The electric motor is much easier to fit and move around for alignment than the yanmar.

I expect a 25-30 foot boat with a properly sized electric inboard/prop combo a good size battery bank and 100-200 watts of solar could operate with zero fuel for the life of the boat.
Yep, I agree. This particular case is a heavy full keel cruiser. He started down the electric repower path, but budget realities of the battery bank size, amongst other budget constraints, has tacked him back to the diesel solution.

Electric is not for everyone.

Thanks for the reply!
Chris
 

gadangit

Member III
No matter who the engine comes from and unless absolutely knowing it has been remanufactured with new parts, I'm going to pull the accessories to inspect, clean, or replace. This includes injectors, glow plugs, water pump, alternator, belt(s), checking the pulley bearings, and definitely all hoses. I factor those into the purchase & installation costs.
Yeah, I can't get a good sense of whether buying a used motor is false economy?
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
I've concluded that it's probably not worth buying and installing a used engine, even after a full renovation - I think the total cost (including the value of your labor, and the hassle factor) will add up to about the same cost as buying a new replacement engine, with a warranty. I researched recently how much used engines go for - I don't think I'd be able to trust one of them, and would rather pay the extra for a new Beta marine replacement.
The reason I was pricing used replacement engines was that a guy at our club was parting out a Catalina 30 he bought from a resigned member who'd basically abandoned his boat - I wanted to put in an offer for the engine and transmission as they were exactly the same models as in my boat. I got the combo (and the old Racor filter unit) for $650, which is far, far less than 'working, but unrenovated' engines are advertised for on line (before you also pay to ship them to you). I planned to leave the engine at a local shop to refurbish at their leisure, after which I'd swap it for mine, and then use mine for parts. But, after getting it into my garage at home I realized it has 4 mounts instead of the 3 mine has. I don't want to rebuild my engine bay, so now I have a nearly-identical engine in my garage.
But, it's still very useful: every time I need to do maintenance or repair on my boat's engine, I can do a dummy run at the same task in comfort at home, and then go (with all the necessary tools and parts) and do the same task on my boat's engine, in the cramped awkward space on the boat. Also, the spare engine may eventually be useful for parts - especially the really expensive non-Kubota bits, like the exhaust manifold.
 
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Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Similar price and labor parameters for my decision to put in a new Beta. That, and wife/'admiral' totally agreed. :) She likes reliability when we are miles from anywhere in our boat.
As for the EY front mount scheme, I sorta-kinda believe that the combo-center mount unbolts and the side feet do bolt on. Reasoning is the Kubota block had all the same threaded places for a plethora of different mounts -- probably to adapt it to a lot of different tractor frames (!).....

Further, I have seen pix of an E-34 with the front mounts changed back to the "both sides" mode, and wonder if something similar would work for an E-32.
 

frick

Member III
Instead of rebuilding my A4, I pulled it and put in a new Yanmar 2gm20F. I had Zero issues for 17 years straight. Then I had to change the full lift pump.
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
Do some Google searches - it took me 15 seconds to find this:
Once you pay to ship your old engine to them, and to ship this one to you, and then pay to get it installed, plus any accessories it doesn't come with, I'd be surprised if there's anything left from a ~$10,000 kitty.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
The engine in that ad is incorrectly claimed to be 25 hp. That model is 23 hp. This indicates that they are, at the least, neglectful in not knowing something that they should know in their line of business. As always.... "caveat emptor".....
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Ha! No!! I'm (casually) looking at an E32-200 and would remove the diesel to replace with EP. Just curious what I could get for the M25-XP.

Sorry for the alarm Chris ;-)
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Ha! No!! I'm (casually) looking at an E32-200 and would remove the diesel to replace with EP. Just curious what I could get for the M25-XP.

Sorry for the alarm Chris ;-)
After posting a notice, I had one -probable- offer of $1K for my running M25XP. It was going to need a rebuild in the future, tho.
 

mjsouleman

Sustaining Member
Moderator
Everyone has a re-power/rebuild story. When I purchased my 1983 E30+ Discovery's 16 hp engine had been "worked" on by the dealer to get it into working condition. I toured a few boatyards for diesel mechanics for advice. While speaking with on mechanic, I noticed a smallish engine in a manufacturers crate and inquired about it. That engine had been purchased by a retiree that had bought a fixer-upper and went broke. The engine had been sitting in the shop for years. For just shy of 9,500 I purchased the engine and had it installed. Now Discovery has a 2007 Nanni 21 hp new engine and I have years of worry free use ahead.

Mark "Souleman" Soule
 

debonAir

Member III
Speaking of Nanni 21, this seems like a deal: https://boston.craigslist.org/sob/bpo/d/nanni-21-hp-diesel-engine/7076829145.html Just the alternator is about 1k new. Nanni is similar to Beta, taking Kubota engines and marinizing. I like their blue color better than Beta-Red, but Beta has a larger US presence.

I spent a few months going down the install-a-used-engine path after discovering the (epoxy-patched by PO) hole in my timing gear cover. My conclusion after a lot of research and asking around is that the labor and accessories, and hoses that break, etc. will be at least half the replacement expense, and if you buy a used motor you're going to end up exactly where you started: having an old motor of unknown reliability with hard to find parts. You'll just have to pay for all that labor again sooner than later. I ended up finding a used timing gear cover at a tractor grave-yard and avoided the replacement for a few more seasons for now, but I will replace with a new Beta when the time comes, unless I find an actual very-low-hour recent model motor like the one linked.
 
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