Topic: Repowering
Iam considering repowering and would like recommendations. Any experiences, opinions, welcome. Wondering about engine choices etc. Thanks
Re: Repowering
I enquired at the boat show. A Beta Marine (a Kubota in disguise) 10 hp diesel costs around $5k to buy with another $5k to $7k to install. So you're looking at $10k to $12k, plus HST. When I asked why installation costs so much, they say that there's usually a lot of fiddling with the angles and prop shaft and stuffing box and propeller and on and on... all at $100 an hour.
So, pls tell me I'm wrong, that you can do it all for $5k tops!
The alternative, of course, is to hang an outboard off the back of the boat. But that's not for me.....
Re: Repowering
yanmar gm 10 works great. has to be moved a little forward of the original. you can re do companionway steps. Great little engine.
Re: Repowering
Hi,
The boat I acquired 3 years ago had a Beta 10 installed the previous year. I suggest that you call Mr. Stan at Beta Marine NC. He knows his product inside out,has extensive experience and willingly gives out precise advice. It is obvious that his aim is to insure that the customer is satisfied with the product with no fine print. Several Contessas have been repowered with Beta. I have had no issues with mine and it runs like a charm. Incidently the Beta 10 actually delivers 13 hp. At one point they sold as two different motors the only difference being that, for some reason, one had been blocked at 10.
...)))) May the wind fill your sails and the sun shine in your face 
5 2012-05-02 12:35:41 (edited by cPaul 2012-05-03 10:11:13)
Re: Repowering
Hi Fessalo,
What was your Contessa powered with previously? I'm wondering if some engines are better than others to replace, vis-a-vis motor mounts, dimensions, etc. For example, will the Beta 10 fit a similar footprint to a Farymann K34, or Volvo Petter 5hp, or Yanmar, etc. Or any of the many other engines factory-installed on these boats...
"Lolly Jo" #230
C. Paul Carter
Montreal, QC
C. Paul Carter
Montreal, QC
6 2012-05-02 13:24:42 (edited by Ian Malcolm 2012-05-02 13:26:44)
Re: Repowering
Assuming your existing engine is a basket case sitting next to the boat or under some mechanic's bench, start with a mounting template + output coupling template built out of plywood from the prospective engine manufacturer's dimensioned drawings. Critical fittings can be mocked up out of expanded polystyrene and glued on. This gives you a jig that can be offered up to your engine beds and shaft half coupling to see what modifications are required.
To save time, stick to tried and tested replacement engine models!
Rebuilding the beds with glassed in hardwood is well within the capability of a competent DIYer with a little previous GRP experience.
If you need the dealer to fit it so they can 'bless' the installation for warranty purposes, it will be MUCH cheaper if you have already got the beds and coupling sorted so you aren't paying for 'head-scratching' time at their hourly rate.
Re: Repowering
...)))) May the wind fill your sails and the sun shine in your face
- Adrian
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Re: Repowering
Probably a Buhk 8hp, Fessalo, though I might be wrong.
Re: Repowering
cPaul & Fessalo, I have #312 and it came with a Farymann K34 and I believe that was the stock engine for our era. You can still buy these from the USA as long as you don't live in the USA; Restricted due to their EPA requirements or something. I think they are called the 15W or 18W or something but they are the same engine.
Bertinol, I think you can do much better than $10-12k for re-powering. I was struggling with this question last summer and the prices were around $5500-6500 for engine + about $1500 for install. I can put you in touch with a good mechanic - also a member of NYC and does lots of work on Contessa's - who is a Beta dealer. If you don't know him already, you really should meet him. (FWIW, he does work for HMS Affinity, Notorious and many others at the club so you can ask around for good references)
Re: Repowering
I am considering the same re-power. Let me know how yours goes. I have a jj taylor 1981 Hull number 280. Fit with the original ferymann, which starts like its a day old and runs, Even in this cold November water. but It burns oil. and blows some out the exhaust. As I don't want to help pollute our great lakes I think its time. but $ 10 000.00 or more. A local mechanic mentioned It might not be worth fixing as, 31 years old. I am debating the rebuild or re power.
Re: Repowering
Losing oil into the exhaust suggests bad rings. Odd though, because rings bad enough to lose a lot of oil would reduce your compression and the engine would run badly. There might even be some blow-by into the crank case and your crank-case vent should be full of engine exhaust.
Any chance the oil you see is actually uncombusted diesel? If your injector is not spraying properly a portion of the fuel may not be consumed when the piston fires. The engine may still run but may be wasting part of the fuel.
Were I you I would start by pulling the injector and having a pro check the nozzle. You can pull the injector in about a minute and it is less than $100 to fix it. Money well spent if you avoid a rebuild.
From what I understand, injectors are the weak link in our diesels and checked and serviced regularly.
Christopher
12 2012-11-08 15:03:31 (edited by Ian Malcolm 2012-11-08 15:06:16)
Re: Repowering
* Cold start OK so compression good. No serious problem with rings/bore
* Using oil so NOT dribbling diesel from the injector (would be getting into the sump and increasing the level)
*Oil coming out exhaust is coming from somewhere - suspect valve stem seals and possibly worn valve guides as well.
If it was difficult to cold start, it could be a dribbling injector and bad rings/bore with the rate at which the diesel is getting into the sump more or less balancing the rate of oil loss.
Re: Repowering
Thanks Ian. It sounds like you've mostly found the problem. Last year I pulled the head off my Petter without having to remove the engine. This allowed me to have the valves serviced (my exhaust valve was bad and I had no compression). Cost was in the hundreds and not the thousands so I was pleased.