Would you pay for this alternative engine....
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Nomad Willy
Guru
This is silly.
OB boats became popular for many reasons but one of the reasons is that one can mount the engine way far aft on the transom and still have a reasonable weight distribution because the engine was so light. Partly because of the wide bottoms aft too. Early outboards were light and and light planing boats got along well w small and light boats.
But the engine here is a very heavy unit completlely unsuitable for trawlers unless they aren’t trawlers. Planing boats. Certianly a justifiable subject for conversation as there are people here that own planing boats big enough to support this engine. But still is the lower unit capable of swinging a suitablbly large diameter propeller to push the weight of a sudo trawler? And in the nasty how often will the prop come out of the water?
No, I’m with Mark and jungpeter.
Not suitable.
OB boats became popular for many reasons but one of the reasons is that one can mount the engine way far aft on the transom and still have a reasonable weight distribution because the engine was so light. Partly because of the wide bottoms aft too. Early outboards were light and and light planing boats got along well w small and light boats.
But the engine here is a very heavy unit completlely unsuitable for trawlers unless they aren’t trawlers. Planing boats. Certianly a justifiable subject for conversation as there are people here that own planing boats big enough to support this engine. But still is the lower unit capable of swinging a suitablbly large diameter propeller to push the weight of a sudo trawler? And in the nasty how often will the prop come out of the water?
No, I’m with Mark and jungpeter.
Not suitable.
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I have no boat to test that on as the only outboard we own is a 39' CC with triple 300's and it would have no problem with the weight. I have no doubt your boat handled the increase well but wouldn't dare attempt twin diesels on Miz Trom's boat.
twistedtree
Guru
For pleasure boating, I think the draw to a diesel outboard is about using a single fuel, and getting rid of gas on the boat, and the jugs or storage tank associated with it. It's a big nuisance that we all just put up with because we have to. I would love to get rid of it, and would put up with some extra weight and cost to do so.
I also think there is an interesting possible fit for small trawlers - say in the high 20' through 30s range where displacement speed power requirements are modest, and space is at a premium. Making some of those boats outboards could be a big win, and I doubt weight is a big issue for them.
All that said, I'd want to see how reliability and durability really shakes out. A big part of why a diesel lasts longer is because they are slow moving. For every mile you travel, all the moving parts drag across each other for hundreds, if not thousands of miles of wear contact, and it's directly proportional to the engine speed while traveling. Add in the higher cylinder pressure of a high-output engine, and wear just goes up more. To fit a diesel into an outboard package, you need to do all the tricks to the engine design that reduce size and weight, but also reduce longevity. So I don't think it's a given that one of these diesels will last a lot longer than a gas outboard. I certainly wouldn't presume it as part of a purchase decision.
I also think there is an interesting possible fit for small trawlers - say in the high 20' through 30s range where displacement speed power requirements are modest, and space is at a premium. Making some of those boats outboards could be a big win, and I doubt weight is a big issue for them.
All that said, I'd want to see how reliability and durability really shakes out. A big part of why a diesel lasts longer is because they are slow moving. For every mile you travel, all the moving parts drag across each other for hundreds, if not thousands of miles of wear contact, and it's directly proportional to the engine speed while traveling. Add in the higher cylinder pressure of a high-output engine, and wear just goes up more. To fit a diesel into an outboard package, you need to do all the tricks to the engine design that reduce size and weight, but also reduce longevity. So I don't think it's a given that one of these diesels will last a lot longer than a gas outboard. I certainly wouldn't presume it as part of a purchase decision.
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