Diesel engines (again)

[Guest 000]

6 cylinder 4 cylinder why dont they build 3 or 5 cylinders? take the diahatsu car smooth running being 3 pistons so I can see no problem with a 5 ?what I can gather the 3 works well because of balance.

Very true.

The 3 cylinder 29hp diesel in my H28 was silky smooth. At anything over idle revs it didn't need engine mounts - it would have just sat there on the bearers.

[wheels 543]

 

Personally I wouldn't touch a marinised ford with a barge pole, some people like them (affectionately known as a bus engine) but can give problems if not used properly.

Possibly the most common engine out there. A grand workhorse and will run reliably clocking up huge hrs. The cheapest to rebuild if you ever need and heaps of different manufacturers around the world that made the parts to marinize them, so parts available everywhere. The famous name in NZ is Lees and the guys that took the Ford and commercially Marinized it for the World is Lehman Mfg in New Jersey, whom used the Ford UK engines.

There are many versions of 4cyl and 6cyl engines. And I do have to say, I have come across a couple of Boats that in fact did have old Ford Bus engines in them.

Just not as refined as the more modern day engines of course.

 

harrytom, yes you can buy engines of just about every cylinder number. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16. I do not know of anything with 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, or greater in number.

 

 

[Priscilla II 392]

Yes, that's the juggling act. We are looking at boats 10-12 metres , around 10 tons with preferably not more than 80hp. That HP is really too much for the french canals where the speed limit is around 6km/hr. The problem is that in order to get from one canal system to another you are obliged to travel for quite some distance on the Rhone where the current is 2-3 knots and often up to 5knots if it's been raining. The Rhone valley is also subject to the mistral so you may find yourself punching into 40+knots of headwind. The juggling act is trying to get an engine that will cope with both scenarios.

This looks tidy and has a new engine.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1511077598

[Island Time 1,230]

They do. There are quite a few 3 cylinder engines (my Volvo 2003t is one), and a few 5 cylinder units as well. Mercedes and Audi come to mind.

[darkside 61]

Yes and sadly the Alfa Romeo 5 cylinder diesel. Quite a good car engine probably but a pig when converted to marine use by FNM. I know as I owned a couple. Then a couple more when they blew up. Then the next owner of that vessel also bought a couple more I understand. The Yanmar 3 cylinder 3JH2E is a pretty good unit though.

[Fish 0]

6 cylinder 4 cylinder why dont they build 3 or 5 cylinders? take the diahatsu car smooth running being 3 pistons so I can see no problem with a 5 ?what I can gather the 3 works well because of balance.

 

I've got a 3 and a 5 (and one 4 as well, but that is a hybrid)

3 cylinder Izuzu 38 Hp in the boat, 5 cylinder 2.5 l petrol in the family car

 

I'd far prefer 6 over 3 in the boat, the comments on smooth and quiet are irritating me as much as the noise and vibration from my 3 cylinder...

[Guest 000]

This looks tidy and has a new engine.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1511077598

She is a nice looking boat but unfortunately 1.3m draft. This means that canals like the Midi and the Nivernais are off limits due to draft restrictions. We have a penchant for these smaller waterways as they tend to be prettier and almost devoid of traffic compared with the bigger tourist routes.

[Battleship 100]

Possibly the most common engine out there. A grand workhorse and will run reliably clocking up huge hrs. The cheapest to rebuild if you ever need and heaps of different manufacturers around the world that made the parts to marinize them, so parts available everywhere. The famous name in NZ is Lees and the guys that took the Ford and commercially Marinized it for the World is Lehman Mfg in New Jersey, whom used the Ford UK engines.

There are many versions of 4cyl and 6cyl engines. And I do have to say, I have come across a couple of Boats that in fact did have old Ford Bus engines in them.

Just not as refined as the more modern day engines of course.

 

harrytom, yes you can buy engines of just about every cylinder number. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16. I do not know of anything with 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, or greater in number.

 

 

 

Yep that's the one Lees marine, horrid piece of sh*t if you ask me, but just from my own experience. Would much prefer a more modern design.

 

Run a 3 cylinder 3jh2 in our cruising boat lovely engine not as quiet as the 3ym in the race boat but starts first time every time and just goes and goes. Pretty common in the charter fleet just have to keep an eye on the exhaust elbow.

[Chewing Gum 17]

In the day those lees Ford 6 cyls were pretty good. Would easily do 10,000 or more hours without being touched (from personal experience) non turbo 90 to 120 hp

[harrytom 642]

The old man changed out the 100hp ford non turbo for a 180? Turbo.nothing but trouble.

[BNG 44]

The Fords are a long heavy casting (particularly the six) and many problems originate with operator error - primarily not warming them up properly to allow the thermostat to open and circulate warm water to the rear of the block before fanging it down the harbour.

 

The expansion along the length of the block is way different front to rear as they warm up and its this that can cause split manifolds (usually between cyl3/4) and head gasket issues etc.

 

Treat them nice and they will treat you nicely back. Engine oil and filter every 200 hours, injector pump oil every 50 hours.

[vic008 17]

While on diesel, little 2 cy Ford? 13-14 hp what sort of economy.? Getting about 2litre per hour. How does that sound?

[Island Time 1,230]

2 Ltrs per hour on a 14 hp motor sounds excessive to me. Any black smoke?

[vic008 17]

Yes, dirty transom.

[waikiore 398]

It sounds like a Shibaura, check the exhaust injection elbow

[wheels 543]

2ltrs/hr? Yikes. That is not good. The excessive fuel will wash the oil from the Bore and it will also likely seep past and into the Sump.
Have you checked the Prop and made sure it is clean or perhaps has something wrapped around it? Does the engine sound labored and does it reach full RPM. Check RPM both in and out of gear.

[vic008 17]

Ooh, scary. This am topped up oil, motored 5hr,and notice oil level is even higher. And runnier on dipstiick. So rings, rebore or what? Just done big haulout.

[vic008 17]

Parts available for Shibaura?

[Priscilla II 392]

Bit of a long shot but up until a couple of days ago there was a complete motor listed on trade me.

Otherwise they are a tractor motor and try Norwoods

[wheels 543]

 

Ooh, scary. This am topped up oil, motored 5hr,and notice oil level is even higher. And runnier on dipstiick. So rings, rebore or what? Just done big haulout.

Nope. You need to find the problem of why so much fuel is being squirted in.

The signs are all in the smoke

If the compression was low, and one or more cyclinders not firing, you would have vast amounts of white smoke.

If the Compression is low and you are burning oil, you get lots of Blue smoke.

It the engine is under too much load or starving of Air, you get black smoke.

 

First thing to do is the RPM test. Get the engine warmed up. Then, while out of gear, open throttle to full RPM. Does engine actually reach full RPM?

Then while either tied to Dock or underway, open throttle while in gear. Does engine reach full RPM or within 10%. Is the exhaust smoke clean, ever so slightly black, or looks like the smoke stack of a Chinese Steel Mill.

 

Lets us know the answer and we can diagnose or send you in a fairly close direction toward the issue.