Which diesel

Just starting to look at trawlers and wondering if there are specific diesels, I should steer away from because of serviceability, part availability, or fuel consumption? I probably won't pick a boat because of it's engine, but if it comes down to 2 maybe the type of diesel would become the deciding factor.

I would steer well clear of volvos and anything that is light, electronic and fast spinning if you plan on going anywhere away from service centres.

Heavy, basic and slow is good for reliability.

Boat size will dictate engine models. What size boat?
I recommend engines that are all mechanical, no circuit boards, electronic sensors, etc. All electronics fail eventually and can be difficult to troubleshoot w/o expensive test equipment.

The condition of the individual engine is more important that the brand. Make sure you have a good surveyor.

Once you have found a boat that you are interested in, come back here with the make and model of the engine, and I am sure that you will get at least twenty different opinions.

If you are really interested in researching diesels spend some time over on boatdiesel.com
More than you may want to know but a valuable resource for whichever engine you end up with.

Welcome to the forum! Pick your boat first and then see what engine options are available. If you're planning to cross oceans and discover new worlds, the engine choice is very important. For coastal cruising, there are lots of good engines and a few models to avoid.

Ted

The following is slightly modified from a post a year or so ago, the result of a lot of shopping for a boat. I think the individual engine is more important than these generalities but in my shopping experience good records are no longer "trendy". I ran into more than one boat where the maintenance records on a 10+ year old boat were 2 hand written pages or less.

These are generalities:

Lugger/John Deere-desirable engines-reliable, economical

Cummins VT-555 parts expensive and difficult to get
Cummins 6BT and 6CT-good engines, run well
Cummins Q series-newer, good-can run slow for economy w/o a problem

Caterpillar 3208 Good, reliable-better with less HP squeezed out
Cat 31xx series not highly desirable
Cat C Series-newer, similar thoughts to Cummins Q

Detroit x-53, x-71 are repairable, rebuildable, reliable but a little loud and a little messy. Better the less HP you squeeze out.

Detroit DDEC-avoid--less reliable parts availablity difficult

Detroit 4 stroke diesel--don't know but not many there

MAN-a lot in some Bayliners/Meridians--don't know

Volvo-some good engines, expensive to maintain, parts may be difficult

I forgot these:
Lehman-the 120 & 135-economical, reliable and parts available

Perkins-reliable, some better than others

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I would not buy a Detroit 8.2, long history of problems.

I would enjoy any 71 series Detroit Diesel, but few were installed in White Boats.

A 3-71 would power most cruisers of 40-50 ft at very modest RPM.

They are fine with 1200RPM and a good load.

T-D has trannys that are heavy (WWII era) , require no cooling and can be operated in reverse 100% of the time with only a 3% power loss.

A big concern is also parts and service availability where you keep the boat.

Have owned twin VOLVOs for 17 years and have found that VOLVO parts cost triple that of Cummins or Cat, if you can even find them. VOLVO "enjoys" the poorest customer service in the industry, with no dedicated dealers.

BS!


No more costly to maintain than any other marine engine and parts are available if you have a brain.

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OK with me

Since Volvo has so many semi-tractor trucks on the hi-ways in the U.S. I would believe that you went to centers that service those trucks you might have better luck finding parts.

WesK said:

BS!


No more costly to maintain than any other marine engine and parts are available if you have a brain.

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Cost a mate running a trading vessel a fortune to maintain and repair in a relatively remote area where every bit of machinery is cat, cummins, komatsu and kubota.
So much so that he found it cheaper to scrap his newish electronic vulva's and replace with a pair of low tech cats before he was sent bankrupt.

Ken E. said:

A big concern is also parts and service availability where you keep the boat.

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This.

Volvo and Yanmar is readily available in my area.

Cat and Cummins, not so much.

Go figure.

So much is going to be dictated by the boats you're looking at, your cruising grounds and the age of the engines. The maintenance of the engines and condition at purchase are more critical than the brand.

please make your second post about anchors.

ktdtx said:

The following is slightly modified from a post a year or so ago, the result of a lot of shopping for a boat. I think the individual engine is more important than these generalities but in my shopping experience good records are no longer "trendy". I ran into more than one boat where the maintenance records on a 10+ year old boat were 2 hand written pages or less.

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What is the opinion on Yanmar?

Wow!
Someone asking for my "opinion".

All the info I collected was from poking around so it is a compilation of a lot of others experiences and opinions that I just put together. There are way better opinions than mine....but since you asked:

I think they are a good, sound engine of the high RPM type. Probably better in other than trawler type use. I don't know how good they are if used continuously at lower 7-8 kt RPM/speed

This risked being a Ford vs GM type debate, with one anti Volvo guy yet to post.
But, when a neighbour bought a recent model Riv 40 with twin Volvos, our marina mechanic said "it has a problem, 2 problems actually".
I was checking a boat online recently, twin Volvo D4s,300 hp, are the newer ones better?

A lot here are comparing older engines to new which is pretty stupid . I personally don't like Volvos of any sort the Sweeds should stick to making rollmops and smoked herrings something they are good at. I would pay extra for a new Cummins of the same HP but if both engines were serviced regularly they would both last the same distance prove me wrong

Donsan said:

What is the opinion on Yanmar?

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ktdtx said:

....but since you asked:

I think they are a good, sound engine of the high RPM type. Probably better in other than trawler type use. I don't know how good they are if used continuously at lower 7-8 kt RPM/speed

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They're perfectly fine in a trawler type. Run well, slow or fast. Scores of them, both 4 & 6 cyl in Mainships running The Loop and up and down the coast at displacement speeds all day long.

(There was one Yanmar 6 cyl that my mechanic noted as less desirable, but don't recall the model. I never saw one in my searching. I ended up with twin 4LHA-STE - which have a highly reliable reputation. (knock on wood).

BruceK said:

This risked being a Ford vs GM type debate, with one anti Volvo guy yet to post.
But, when a neighbour bought a recent model Riv 40 with twin Volvos, our marina mechanic said "it has a problem, 2 problems actually".
I was checking a boat online recently, twin Volvo D4s,300 hp, are the newer ones better?

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I just highlighted the problem. In many areas, mechanics are less familiar with them, not expert on them, so the blame gets assessed to the engines. Now, because there are fewer trained Volvo marine mechanics, they would not be my first choice. However, in Europe, they are very popular and well thought of. Some designers and boat builders I think highly of are heavily committed to them. There are brands for which Volvo is the only choice and I wouldn't turn away from them simply based on that.

As to parts being expensive, they are a bit more than some, but I've heard that comment made about nearly every brand except perhaps CAT and Cummins. So many people are only comfortable with one brand.

I also heard the same warnings on Volvo Gas Inboard Outboards. They were coming primarily from the Sea Ray and Bayliner dealers, Brunswick/Mercruiser people. Yet, I chose Volvo over Mercruiser (Cobalt offers both) on my last two lake boats. I liked the torque advantage and I felt they had fewer problems. Now, I'd been Mercruiser before (Sea Ray and no choice) and never had issues. I then was Volvo for 12 years or so and never had a problem. Perhaps the key wasn't either engine or outdrive, but they I kept my boats well maintained. And the Mercruiser was maintained by well trained Mercruiser mechanics while the Volvo was maintained by well trained Volvo mechanics.

Nothing runs like a Deere.

[Lugger]

menzies said:

Nothing runs like a Deere.

[Lugger]

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Can't disagree as we have them for generators.

BandB said:

Can't disagree as we have them for generators.

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And how many 50 year old farm tractors have you seen still going strong!

Luggers, are simply (sic) marinized farm tractor engines.

menzies said:

And how many 50 year old farm tractors have you seen still going strong!

Luggers, are simply (sic) marinized farm tractor engines.

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Well, actually, I have no idea how many farm tractors since I've never spent any time on a farm that had tractors. Just driving by I'm amazed how much new equipment.

Donsan said:

What is the opinion on Yanmar?

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For years I had only Cats, Cummins, Detroits & Perkins. i stayed away from Yanmars as I considered them to be only for sail boats. Boy, was I wrong!
My present boat has Yanmar 6LY2A-STPs in it and I love them.

WesK said:

BS!


No more costly to maintain than any other marine engine and parts are available if you have a brain. and lottsa moola-there fixed it

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Said in jest, however true it tis. AMJ

For finding parts, it helps if you know where else an engine was used. John Deere and Cat are obvious. Perkins is Massey-Ferguson farm tractor. Cummins 6BT is Dodge pickup truck. Others can probably add to this list.