best engine

[ukrizla]

We are currently looking to buy a liveaboard but don't know about what engine is most suitable. We would be wanting to have little trips most weekends and then a couple of good cruises during the summer. What's best for durability and fuel consumption, and best BHP. What can anyone suggest? Also, apart from looking at service reports, how do you tell how good they are?

 

Mtia Ukrizla

[mrsmelly]

We are currently looking to buy a liveaboard but don't know about what engine is most suitable. We would be wanting to have little trips most weekends and then a couple of good cruises during the summer. What's best for durability and fuel consumption, and best BHP. What can anyone suggest? Also, apart from looking at service reports, how do you tell how good they are?

 

Mtia Ukrizla

 

Hi

 

Hope you find the engine you want but the question is impossible to answer you will get 200 different " Best Engines " talk to loads of boaters and look up the topic on this forum and then decide. Only one thing is certain YOU DO NOT WANT some clunky old x crane engine or whatever you do need a modern engine they are more durable MUCH quiter and will not shake your false teeth out when battery charging...........

[johnmck]

 

The question will soon be asked, what size boat and to you intend on travelling on tidal rivers?

 

 

Regards

 

John.

[ukrizla]

 

The question will soon be asked, what size boat and to you intend on travelling on tidal rivers?

 

 

Regards

 

John.

57 to 60 foot and no tidal.

[carlt]

Only one thing is certain YOU DO NOT WANT some clunky old x crane engine or whatever you do need a modern engine they are more durable MUCH quiter and will not shake your false teeth out when battery charging...........

.....is one opinion.

 

However, some would say that, if living aboard, a vintage engine gently throbbing away is far more pleasant than some modern buzzy thing assaulting your eardrums like tinnitus.

 

Using your means of propulsion as a static battery charger is silly anyway. Why put hundreds of hours on one of the most expensive bits of your boat, on minimal load, when you could be using a much cheaper, quieter generator, or even solar/wind.

 

Modern engines have yet to prove themselves as durable. My 50 year old AS3 which always started first swing and was much easier to maintain and service than a modern engine with all its electrickery, I think, answered the "durability" question.

 

What sort of argument is "my 5 year old engine is more durable than your 50 year old one." anyway ???

Edited January 23, 2010 by carlt

[casper ghost]

The best engine is one that's in budget, will happily push you boat along, starts first time, easy to maintain, oh and of course it has to be a vintage engine

[bag 'o' bones]

Interesting argument

 

vintage engines versus modern

 

In just about every other interest/walk in life it seems pretty universally accepted that modern engines are less trouble than older designs...............

 

...........except when attached to a narrow boat.

 

Hmmmmmm

Edited January 23, 2010 by bag 'o' bones

[RLWP]

If you are buying second hand, the best engine is almost certainly the one that is already in the boat. I wouldn't let that be the main thing to consider when buying, and converting from one engine to another is expensive!

 

Richard

[carlt]

Interesting argument

 

vintage engines versus modern

 

In just about every other interest/walk in life it seems pretty universally accepted that modern engines are less trouble than older designs...............

 

...........except when attached to a narrow boat.

 

Hmmmmmm

I disagree.

 

My 1964 Bedford CA did over 8000 miles, last year, without missing a beat, including Snowdonia, N,Yorks Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District (and some flat stuff.

 

More importantly, if it had gone wrong, I could have fixed it myself using a basic tool set.

 

Like my Herald (two months in and, so far 1200 miles and equally reliable) there is nothing on the camper that I can't fix or replace myself, with the exception of welding and that only involves the chassis (both of which are mint).

 

We have also been through several modern hover type mowers, for the little lawn, whereas the Suffolk Punch is still doing the big lawn and that was given to me, second hand, by my Dad, when I bought my first house, 25 years ago.

 

As mentioned on another thread, my 1930s sewing machine is still going strong (as is my turn of the century one but that is hand cranked so might not count).

 

I tend to get through a few Jack saws a year, too, but my antique tools are still getting more antiquey, with use.

[mrsmelly]

.....is one opinion.

 

However, some would say that, if living aboard, a vintage engine gently throbbing away is far more pleasant than some modern buzzy thing assaulting your eardrums like tinnitus.

 

Using your means of propulsion as a static battery charger is silly anyway. Why put hundreds of hours on one of the most expensive bits of your boat, on minimal load, when you could be using a much cheaper, quieter generator, or even solar/wind.

 

Modern engines have yet to prove themselves as durable. My 50 year old AS3 which always started first swing and was much easier to maintain and service than a modern engine with all its electrickery, I think, answered the "durability" question.

 

What sort of argument is "my 5 year old engine is more durable than your 50 year old one." anyway ???

 

That didnt take long to get a good strong bite. My modern very quiet beta does not assault my eardrums, I can hardly hear it and NO vibration.

 

Yes I use it to charge my batteries as it whacks in 100 plus amps and give sme 3.5 kva 230 at the same time and hey, I can afford it so I spends my money on what I want and the only quieter gennies are petrol and life is too short to mess about with them and cart petrol about.

 

as for 5 years old, you as with many others would class a bmc 1500 as a modern unit but they have been around a hell of along time and there are still shed loads out there in use today having done massive hours.........

 

Keep taking the tablets...

[carlt]

as for 5 years old, you as with many others would class a bmc 1500 as a modern unit but they have been around a hell of along time and there are still shed loads out there in use today having done massive hours.........

 

Keep taking the tablets...

I don't regard a BMC as a modern unit.

 

It is a classic engine that is reliable and proven to be durable.

 

Not particularly to my taste but I'd rather have one than a modern engine.

[soldthehouse]

Interesting argument

 

vintage engines versus modern

 

In just about every other interest/walk in life it seems pretty universally accepted that modern engines are less trouble than older designs...............

 

...........except when attached to a narrow boat.

 

Hmmmmmm

On paper perhaps in theory a modern engine should be more reliable but in practice they get neglected because of their pushbutton ease. Whereas an older engine will get regular attention and inspections that a newer engine doesnt, and I am generalising . Modern engines tend to suffer lack of inspection resulting in things shaking loose, belts losing tension all resulting in breakdowns that wouldnt happen if you are constantly walking past them in an engine room. suspect quality of metals used in manufacture and constant trimming off of materials to aid costs andweight also mean they are running on the edge of failure more often than not....

Edited January 23, 2010 by soldthehouse

[mrsmelly]

On paper perhaps in theory a modern engine should be more reliable but in practice they get neglected because of their pushbutton ease. Whereas an older engine will get regular attention and inspections that a newer engine doesnt, and I am generalising . Modern engines tend to suffer lack of inspection resulting in things shaking loose, belts losing tension all resulting in breakdowns that wouldnt happen if you are constantly walking past them in an engine room. suspect quality of metals used in manufacture and constant trimming off of materials to aid costs andweight also mean they are running on the edge of failure more often than not....

 

mmmmmmmmm

 

You do make an interesting point, it is true to say that I NEVER check my engine oil between changes because the engine simply does not use any, in fact I never lift the lid to look at it, hence when I did last year one of the belts was nearly worn out and needed replacing....I think I may now become less lazy

I must say tho that japanese engineering with these modern units is superb which is why so much plant is fitted with them in the workplace, and my Honda motorcycle is ( Help ) superbly reliable ( oops now what will happen )

[soldthehouse]

mmmmmmmmm

 

You do make an interesting point, it is true to say that I NEVER check my engine oil between changes because the engine simply does not use any, in fact I never lift the lid to look at it, hence when I did last year one of the belts was nearly worn out and needed replacing....I think I may now become less lazy

I must say tho that japanese engineering with these modern units is superb which is why so much plant is fitted with them in the workplace, and my Honda motorcycle is ( Help ) superbly reliable ( oops now what will happen )

Yes but in reality and I say this as a high mileage motorcyclist, is that motorcycles dont do much work, there are only a handful of high mileage motorcycles out there so motocycle manufacturers dont have a hard job with mechanicals, and the minute any bike does some serious work it wears badly. Suppose in a nutshell what i,m saying is not many people have the nouse and skills to benefit from the long term reliability and ease of ownership offered by a vintage "and I use the word lightly" engine

Edited January 23, 2010 by soldthehouse

[mrsmelly]

Yes but in reality and I say this as a high mileage motorcyclist, is that motorcycles dont do much work, there are only a handful of high mileage motorcycles out there so motocycle manufacturers dont have a hard job with mechanicals, and the minute any bike does some serious work it wears badly. Suppose in a nutshell what i,m saying is not many people have the nouse and skills to benefit from the long term reliability and ease of ownership offered by a vintage "and I use the word lightly" engine

 

I had a bukh on my last boat it was bloody marvelous.....dont think it would have done well in the bike tho.. what bike do you ride now ?

[soldthehouse]

I had a bukh on my last boat it was bloody marvelous.....dont think it would have done well in the bike tho.. what bike do you ride now ?

BonnevilleT100.

[mrsmelly]

BonnevilleT100.

 

 

I recently sold a hinkley bonneville, bloody good bike.......

[soldthehouse]

 

I recently sold a hinkley bonneville, bloody good bike.......

Could I tempt you to buy another........

[mrsmelly]

Could I tempt you to buy another........

 

She would kill me.....I am at the moment down to one bike at last, you know how it is. The bonneville was great as a point and squirt bike I loved it, only problem was 2 up it was a tad small for me and the boss and we are off touring later this year so I bought an st1100 Pan, its bloody great, big and comfy and for what looks like an old mans bike still pisses off porchse 911 drivers when it has to

[soldthehouse]

She would kill me.....I am at the moment down to one bike at last, you know how it is. The bonneville was great as a point and squirt bike I loved it, only problem was 2 up it was a tad small for me and the boss and we are off touring later this year so I bought an st1100 Pan, its bloody great, big and comfy and for what looks like an old mans bike still pisses off porchse 911 drivers when it has to

Yes that two up thing is a problem, I had to set the suspension on the hardest setting butthe gaffer doesnt ride much now so its ok. You let me down I thought youd ask why not an old bike... theyre too unreliable...

[mrsmelly]

Yes that two up thing is a problem, I had to set the suspension on the hardest setting butthe gaffer doesnt ride much now so its ok. You let me down I thought youd ask why not an old bike... theyre too unreliable...

 

[casper ghost]

why not an old bike... theyre too unreliable...

 

My little 1948 Bantham is reliable enough...

[soldthehouse]

My little 1948 Bantham is reliable enough...

It was a joke trouble with old bikes for me and ive had lots is, when I go out now I can clock up hundreds of miles in a night, the most being 500 in 9hrs last summer, I couldnt do that on my old m21

[carlt]

My little 1948 Bantham is reliable enough...

I once went on a 40 mile trip, on my D1 and didn't break down at all....

 

They let me put it on the train for the journey back, too.

[casper ghost]

But it's very slow and too small for me.. Only do about 100 miles a year now, used to ride it to work..