Repower?

[Pete]

I know the following may be judged as DD heresy, but after spending much of yesterday in my engine room trying to make my 453's look presentable, I am having thoughts of maybe repower is not such a bad idea. The size of my engines and possible repower requirements are far below the mainstream of engines that interest most members, but given the wealth of knowledge available on HOF, I decided to look for opinions and facts that may be helpful in limiting the field of candidates.

So here goes, somewhere between 160 and 180 HP, 4 cylinder due to available space, compatible with existing 4" diameter exhaust, more work boat oriented than high performance technology, USA manufacturer.

Thanks

Pete

[Pascal]

John deer and Lugger are very popular in trawlers and apparently very reliable. Not cheap though Westebeke makes small diesels as well

Also the Cummins factory reman program is hard to beat price but I don't recall if they have anything smaller than 6 cyl

[SKYCHENEY]

You almost have to look at what the sailboat guys use. Perkins, Westerbeke, and Yanmar come to mind.

Or, for less money, just pull the 453's and rebuild them. New gaskets and seals, new paint. And good for another 30,000 hours.

[dottieshusband]

Pete, I think your on the right track. Repowering that vessel is the way to go. The money you save in fuel and maintenance will pay for the project, not to mention the vastly increased resale value. Lots of shops would love to do that kind of project, and could probably make quick work of it. Please post pics as you progress. Good luck!

[Pete]

Have a specific question on "tier ratings". Apparently this year a new marine diesel of the size that interest me has to be a tier 3 emissions control rating. I notice on the remanufactured options, these do not meet such a rating. So, my question is do remanufactured engines meet their original tier emission ratings, and offer an opportunity to decrease the complexity of the engine when compared to new?

Thanks

Pete

[jim rosenthal]

Fpr a bpat that age, you don't have to put in Tier III engines, I think. You can use anything from the Cummins reman program. They make some 4cyl B series engines which would suit.

I think you would spend far less to overhaul your 4-53s, though. And they already fit. How many thousand hours would you have to run that boat to get your investment back in the form of saved fuel? Quite a few, I suspect.

[BOATER BOB]

Check out the Perkins line of marine engines.

[Boatsb]

The engine you put in must meet or exceed the standards of the time the boat was manufacturered.

[Cricket]

Go for it, new, newer, reman modern diesel engines are a quantum leap forward from the 2-cycle Detroits.
Also, removing the engines allows easy access to get your engine room/bilge cleaned up, painted, etc.

[Avenger]

Pay attention to availability of service and support in your local and intended cruising area. For example, around here John Deere dealer are few, but in Maine where the lobstermen love those things Deere dealers are like Walgreens in Florida. There's one at every intersection.