Volvos are good engines and easy to work on, however, the cost of replacement parts is triple that of Cummins or Cat, if they are availible, as Volvo does not support their older engines.
Can't go wrong with a Lehman, unless you're Marin.
For anyone needing Perkins parts, you may want to consider these guys. They are a Perkins dealer and have a very knowledgable sales force. Engine Power Source | Auxillary Generator and Industrial EnginesThe Lehman engine is still supported very well by American Diesel Corp. You can get the best troubleshooting advice and parts overnight if need be. Plus parts are pretty cheap compared to others.
Some of the older (pre 1981) Perkins are tough to get parts for, at least that was my experience in Ct.
For anyone needing Perkins parts, you may want to consider these guys. They are a Perkins dealer and have a very knowledgable sales force. Engine Power Source | Auxillary Generator and Industrial Engines
Depending on the boat ,I would prefer a marinised industrial or at least a truck engine from a large truck.
The car or farm implement marinizations mostly are sucessfull because they never are run at their rated HP, which they cant do for long.
Rated at 120 or 135 hp and operated at 2 or 4 GPH a few hours a year,they work just fine.
However if you are looking for a blue water boat a more robust engine ,
As some marinizers like Deere select might work longer.
Of course if you do get realistic with engine selection , you might find a gas engine the most suitable choice .
My simple rule of thumb is to go to the web site of the converter / builder and look for a 24/7 rating.
Many car conversions have no such rating , and to me are not suitable for a boat that may have 24/7 requirements.
The boats intended use should be taken into consideration for engine selection.
Volvo's have the same dependability rating, but are not well supported and parts are ridiculously expensive. Last year a friend had his electronic injector harness fail in June. Volvo didn't have a replacement available and the boat was down until September.
That alone would keep me from buying a Volvo.
............. As to the Volvo's I didn't know it was that bad.
Interesting thread as I am looking for a live-a-board trawler
In my case, it was ignorance when I purchased my boat with two Volvo engines. I went from gas to diesel without a thorough investigation of various diesel engines regarding part availibilities and costs. It's no fun owning a boat with Volvo engines knowing if something fails you are S.O.L. for replacement parts.
In my case, it was ignorance when I purchased my boat with two Volvo engines. I went from gas to diesel without a thorough investigation of various diesel engines regarding part availibilities and costs. It's no fun owning a boat with Volvo engines knowing if something fails you are S.O.L. for replacement parts.
Cat marine almost went out of business a decade ago (just a rumor) because of the excessive costs assosiated with aftermarket marinization products that were faulty. The base engines were OK...but other issues hurt them.
CAT was also pulling out of the over the road/class 8 truck market.... Too many problems with EPA....and Cummins was beating them in the marketplace, but it seems that CAT has decided to bring out their own trucks instead of selling their engines...
"Interesting thread as I am looking for a live-a-board trawler"
Most any engines work fine for a dock condo or as the Brits say a Gin Palace.
One question is will you actually be under power over the usual rec boater 200 hours a year ? 12vmonths of use?
Engines LOVE to run , diesels love to run hard (close to their rated power) , few are ever worn out in yacht service.
Most are DESTROYED by lazy folks thinking a diesel is like their car engine ,
"turn it off and walk away " for months at a time.In FL its years!
Look at any diesel site for the engine MFG "out of service" requirements and be prepaired to do the drill as required.
A dock condo can be pickled by the mfg specified methods and can go back in service after years with no harm.
The harm comes from ignoring the engine requirements.