Engine replacement cost? Ballpark?

Hey guys,
A Broker (and licensed captain) was showing me a boat a month or so ago. It was a 2006 NT32 with a cat diesel (i believe). I asked him how much to replace the engines in these boats and he told me six grand start to finish. I was stunned that it could be that low.
ATM I am eying a 1980ish sea ranger with working twin volvos in it; https://www.yachtworld.com/core/lis...&access=Public&listing_id=1628&url=&imc=pg-fs . I just read on a different post that legacy volvos are not supported with parts. If this is true, what types of engines could the engines be replaced with and at what cost could i expect to be associated with it if i shopped around for a decent mechanic? Any help would be appreciated.

(Bligh- Sent you a PM)

First, find a new broker to deal with. Anyone that tells you he can replace a Cat (200-300 hp) for $6,000 is smoking something. Maybe a 2-3 cylinder sailboat engine, but not one for a trawler.

Secondly, can you live with the Volvo? Parts are expensive but often available. Unless the core engine is shot- high blowby, burning oil, then you can often keep them running a whole lot cheaper than replacement- see below.

The listing says that they are 140 hp each. Probably TAMD 40s which aren't that old. Get the actual model from the seller and post a question on boatdiesel about parts availability.

If you have to replace them, one of the best deals in boating is the Cummins remanufactured 6Bs. They are essentially a new engine, with a new engine warranty from Cummins. The 210 hp will cost about $35K for a pair and is one of the most solid engines available for trawlers today. Figure on another $10-15,000 for transmissions, labor, mounts, etc. Hopefully you can use the same prop shaft and props.

You might get very, very lucky and find a pair of running take outs for half that much, but the odds of doing it and being satisfied are slim to none. For example there is a "like new" 170 hp Volvo advertised on boatdiesel for $9,000. Installation costs will be the same as the remanned engine.

I realize that is almost as much as the boat you are looking at costs, which is why most old boats like that are rarely repowered. If you were to buy the boat for $60k, spend $50K on new Cummins remans, then the boat might be worth $75K.

David

David,
Thanks for the reply.
Honestly,
I dont know the state of the engines yet. I guess my main issue is reliability as I would expect it is for everyone. I will do more research on these engines before I get too far along.

Marin, got your message. Thanks for your help, again!

When I bought my Allied Mistress (sailboat) in 1994, I replaced the original Westerbeke diesel in it with a new Yanmar diesel (because at that time I thought we would do a circumnavigation, and I wanted a new engine). The price was $14K, and they lost money on the deal. So $6K for a Cat replacement? Nah. No way!

John

Bligh eBay is as good a source as any for doing preliminary research on system replacement while judging the feasibility of a potential boat purchase.

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=360423060512

While shopping for my boat I would log onto eBay from my smart phone and price replacement parts while sitting on the subject boat. It was a great tool for me to judge real world numbers and offered me a break from the euphoria experienced while shopping.

Boats with iffy engines quickly are removed from my short list as there are too many boats for sale without that stress IMO. My 2 cents

CPseudonym said:

It was a great tool for me to judge real world numbers and offered me a break from the euphoria experienced while shopping.

Click to expand...

A break from the euphoria..

Ok, I know what it costs to repower a boat. I've done it. Several times.

My last repower is a good example of what you'd be facing.

The original engines in my 47' Bayliner were 330HP cummins 5.9L

We replaced them with factory reman Cummins, same exact engine.

Cost per engine $15,000
Core Charge $3500 each

Total bill to replace >$50,000

The parts price for a reman Cummins 330 engine in whats called a repower configuration, no core charge is approx $20,000 each.

Actually there is/was a place in Crisfield ,MD that would do Cat 3208's for around 6 grand. There was some misc charges by he marina next door for holding your slip and forking the engine out...but all in all the deal of the century...and the place is/was a world renown cat rebuilder.

Popular high end brands are highly over rated. Many thousands can be saved by buying less popular and less prolific engines.

My engine repower was a Mitsubishi marineized by Klassen. I'm very happy with it.

psneeld said:

Actually there is/was a place in Crisfield ,MD that would do Cat 3208's for around 6 grand. There was some misc charges by he marina next door for holding your slip and forking the engine out...but all in all the deal of the century...and the place is/was a world renown cat rebuilder.

Click to expand...

There are probably places that will rebuild a large diesel like a 3208 for $6k but that price is misleading. It is a very long way from a in and out the door price. Saying that a $15,000 cummins reman engine is "the price" is much closer, but its not accurate either.

I'd be willing to bet that floor $6k you get the engine internals rebuilt. Probably everything else is bolted back on. That means old water pump, old turbo, old seawater pump. What about the injection pump? And the after cooler, or the starter?

The real issue that people do not realize is that. When an engine is in need of rebuilding, the reset of the stuff that has to do with the engine is often not far behind and should be address as well.

Case in point is my latest repower.

Just from my memory...

New exhaust elbows
All new hoses
Shafts needing polishing
Drip less shaft seals
Transmissions not rebuilt but checked
New gauges

The list goes on and on.

The point of this post is that if anybody is considering a repower they need to be realistic about what the out the door cost is going to be. This is even more true if you're considering a boat that needs repowering.

psneeld said:

Actually there is/was a place in Crisfield ,MD that would do Cat 3208's for around 6 grand. There was some misc charges by he marina next door for holding your slip and forking the engine out...but all in all the deal of the century...and the place is/was a world renown cat rebuilder.

Click to expand...

Several years ago a complete cat factory remaned 3208 210 hp was less than $5000.00, the downtime saved made it the best choice for a repower on a truck or piece of cat iron.

Bligh. Sent you a PM. Cheers, Neil

Popular high end brands are highly over rated. Many thousands can be saved by buying less popular and less prolific engines.

My favorite is the International DT 360 or DT 466.

NO engine swop is worthwhile IF you have to have it done.

Just too expensive in man hours.

A new engine for a gas IO might be worth the hassle , but on a diesel, a free boat would seldom be worth the hassle.

Eric wrote;
"Popular high end brands are highly over rated. Many thousands can be saved by buying less popular and less prolific engines."

How-a-bout some credit Fred?

I've always liked Intercours'in Harvester stuff. What is the DT 360 and DT 466? I assume they are truck engines or from farm equipment.

Went to work on my boat yesterday and passed two water pumps by a farm ditch running hard as I drove by. And there they were when I went home.

<How-a-bout some credit Fred?>

Sorry the quote markers no longer work on my ancient key board.

Will use < and > in future to mark quotes for you.

When my Perkins 6.354's finally die. . . I think I'm going in a different direction. No more worrying about gallons per hour or fuel and power curves, I'm going for sheer power:

The K98MC - YouTube

Bligh:

I have done a repower. I have also first hand knowledge of one at the other end of the spectrum.
Mine was to swap our running, saleable Volvo TMD40s (same as in that Sea ranger) for Volvo TAMD 41s. My net cost for the pair was about $5k.
The one at the other end was a pair of Cat 3126 (in) for a pair of Ivecos (out) for a total cost of about $110k.
The big factor is whether the new engines will just bolt in, or do you have to start from scratch on things line stringers, shaft logs, exhaust pipes, electricals, instruments, etc.

Having Volvos, I know where I can always get parts, should they become necessary. I also know how reliable these engines are, which is phenomenal.

When I was doing my research on the swap, I joined Boatdiesel.com and found several available pairs of engines, of several manufacturers, for very reasonable prices. You should do the same if you are considering this as one of your criteria for choosing a particular boat.

FF said:

<How-a-bout some credit Fred?>

Sorry the quote markers no longer work on my ancient key board.

Will use < and > in future to mark quotes for you.

Click to expand...

Why don't you just use the "Quote" (Reply with Quote) button on the bottom right of the post?

Greetings,
OR, buy a $10 keyboard and plug it into your USB port. Using a $6 (on sale) remote keyboard for this post.

993guy said:

Why don't you just use the "Quote" (Reply with Quote) button on the bottom right of the post?

Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more! A lot of the time when I read FF's posts I don't know if he's quoting someone or making his own statement. FF, please learn how to use the quote button! It'll make your TF experience much more rewarding. (AND OURS!)

I like to write "FF wrote" "..................."

I use the "Edit" function and go to "copy" or "Paste". Highlight what I want copied .. click copy (under edit) and position the curser arrow where I want the quote to start and click paste.

I can by that means be very selective about what I quote and the amount I quote.

I put this in simple terms so everybody will comprehend.

There are times where posting all of a post is appropriate though.

Opps .... thread creep.

Eric, you do realize you can save several steps by using quote post then highlighting what you don't wish to appear then hitting the backspace or delete buttons? Much faster, no typing, absolute clarity without any hint of ambiguity.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
OR, buy a $10 keyboard and plug it into your USB port. Using a $6 (on sale) remote keyboard for this post.

Click to expand...

Curious, does this feature not show up on your screens?

CPseudonym said:

Eric, you do realize you can save several steps by using quote post then highlighting what you don't wish to appear then hitting the backspace or delete buttons? Much faster, no typing, absolute clarity without any hint of ambiguity.

Click to expand...

Like this....

manyboats said:

I can by that means be very selective about what I quote and the amount I quote.

I put this in simple terms so everybody will comprehend.

There are times where posting all of a post is appropriate though.

Opps .... thread creep.

Click to expand...

I put this in simple terms so everybody will comprehend.

Click to expand...

even simpler......

Black Waterproof Soft 109 Keys Rubber Silicone USB Keyboard
Spend the coin. Back to engine replacement cost? Ballpark?

Wow- what a derailment!

psneeld said:

Actually there is/was a place in Crisfield ,MD that would do Cat 3208's for around 6 grand. There was some misc charges by he marina next door for holding your slip and forking the engine out...but all in all the deal of the century...and the place is/was a world renown cat rebuilder.

Click to expand...

T & S Marine 410-968-2970

Everything Psneeld said and more. Most of their business is waterman and commercial boating. Better do it right to keep them happy! They routinely sell and ship engines to foreign countries. They are a volume no nonsense business that rebuilds Cat, Cummins, Detroit, etc. right now, not next month.

Ted

CPseudonym said:

Eric, you do realize you can save several steps by using quote post then highlighting what you don't wish to appear then hitting the backspace or delete buttons? Much faster, no typing, absolute clarity without any hint of ambiguity.

Click to expand...

I had attempted the same procedure that Eric is using until Flywright straitened me out. Using the "Quote" button is absolutely the best way! (IMO)

O C Diver said:

T & S Marine 410-968-2970

Everything Psneeld said and more. Most of their business is waterman and commercial boating. Better do it right to keep them happy! They routinely sell and ship engines to foreign countries. They are a volume no nonsense business that rebuilds Cat, Cummins, Detroit, etc. right now, not next month.

Ted

Click to expand...

Thanks...no one believed that a good deal could exist...

Just look what the thread evolved into...go figure....