Vixen2021

Thanks Tony, that’s v helpful and also matches what Mes Midlands said to me on the phone when I called them earlier. I am waiting for a quote from them on Monday to size up what option will be the most cost effective, but this would also mean getting the boat to Leighton Buzzard or more north, which is a bit of a trek with the engine smoking like it is. I suppose I fear going down the Petter refurbishment route and more problems arise afterwards. And then it seems like I’ve wasted a lot of money on nothing and also have to replace the engine after all. But I won’t know until I try. Depends on the quote they come back with tbh There is a local engineer near where I am at the moment that I’ve heard good things about. I suppose I could ask him to do a compression test, but he doesn't specialise in older engines.

Lol. I think he’s really disheartened to realise he has to share his £1 million flat that overlooks the canal with the boats that live on it!

It's not an old historic boat. It's 45FT Hancock and Lane with Norsman Hull that was built in 1978. It is a CCer in London but the engine has not been working properly since I bought the boat... so I do worry about it! It has always emitted a cloud of smoke from the exhaust that changes in colour and intensity - blue, light grey or white - but mainly blue. I was recently reported to CRT by a landlubber whilst in Central London for 'gassing his flat' whilst running the engine to charge my batteries one evening, because of the blue smoke coming out of the exhaust. There is black residue collecting around the exhaust outlet on the boat exterior which I assume is from burning oil. When I top up my engine oil it disappears by the end of the day after cruising, because it is leaking oil from multiple places, including the air filter. There was also an issue with power - the boat would not increase speed despite the throttle in a high position, this has improved slightly with the injector refurbishment, and injector pump refurbishment, as one injector had not been firing for a long time. The lift pump has also been replaced as this was leaking heavily. The flooring around the engine is stained black from oil leaks over the past 42 years. The engine shakes the whole boat when running. I have had 4 marine engineers look at it now, all of which have high recommendations from other boaters. 2 of which said that the injectors should solve the problem and the engine might be worth keeping as Petters were good in their day - the injectors haven't solved the problem. The most recent engineer said he could do a compression test and the engine would most likely need a full 'top refurbishment' or words to that effect, but the cost of the compression test along with the work would be about £2.5k, and so already I'm at the price of a refurbished newer engine model, minus installation fees. Finding the survey from 1999 was the last straw as this confirmed that the exhaust has emitted a blue smoke since the engine was first put in the boat. So if it has always had problems, is an old engine that doesn't add any value to the boat, why would I throw more money at it attempting to fix something that has never run well? Tbh I just want something that is reliable and runs without giving me a headache from the fumes and a lot of anxiety when cruising. The hull had high readings on it's last survey and the boat itself is sound, but I got the boat for a very low price through a family friend who was aware the engine was troublesome. So no 60k scenario here (fingers crossed) Any other details needed?

Ok, thanks everyone for your thoughts so far. I’ll ditch the Vetus option, and then it seems like I have 2 routes to go down: 1) Get my current PJ2W refurbished at a ‘proper’ Diesel engine refurbishment place (or perhaps swap with an already refurbished same model from Real Diesels or similar?) This route means I don’t have to worry about the change in torque or hp or cooling. Or 2) Replace the Petter with a refurbished engine that has a good ‘flat torque’ and insist on a breakdown of its history that I can share here for additional thoughts, as you don’t know what you’re getting from a second hand refurbishment. I need to be aware of the increased rpm of more modern engines with my propellor size and gearbox. But I don’t have to be too fussed about the skin tank extension as many boats are undersized in this regard. There’s also a Beta Marine 30 being offered, which is 30hp @ 3600 rpm. Looking at the data sheet it looks like at 22hp it is 2000 rpm, so not too dissimilar from my current set up if I’m mainly cruising at 3 or 4 hp - have I got that right?! Although do the higher revs of the Beta mean I need to be more cautious about the skin tank size? I will look into the Petter refurbishment for cost quotes and see how it fairs. Thanks all!

Makes sense. Thanks! Where do I find these ‘people’ ?

I don’t understand this, as an engine restorer will also be making money off of restoring the engine..? I have spoken to a highly praised and reputable mechanic who offered the option of doing a full refurbishment, but the cost would be the same as getting a more modern refurbished engine. As well as this, the parts for the PJ are getting harder to come by. And you misunderstand me - my original question was whether 22hp is appropriate for a 45ft boat. If it is appropriate, I save the added cost of the £2.5k it would cost to have the additional skin tank welding to suit an engine with a higher HP.

No, multiple independent engineers have written the current engine off, and I found a survey from 1999 (boat is 1978) that said the exhaust has emitted a blue smoke ever since the engine was first put it the boat. It has caused me multiple problems despite refurbished injectors and fuel line replacements and so on, and so I think it’s time it went.

Hello, my first ever post... here goes! I have a 45ft Narrowboat with a 2.1 gearbox and 17” prop that has a very smokey and very leaky Petter PJ2W (22.5hp at 2000 rpm) which I want to replace with a newer engine, as I no longer want to keep throwing money at something that isn’t improving. Ive been looking at the 30hp - 35hp size range for the replacement engine, but my skin tank would need extending for this, and this adds to the cost significantly due to the boat needing to be out of the water and the welding work done (an additional £2.5k) The sq ft of the current skin tank is 5.65 sq ft (tank measures 16” x 51” x 2”) Canal contracting - who I will be buying a refurbished engine from - have suggested a Vetus M3.10 which is 22hp, as an alternative option which keeps the existing skin tank only. Will this be enough power for my 45ft? I’ve seen that Canaline state that their 25 (22hp) is suitable for up to 45ft. But does this low go limit me from rivers and the Thames for example? I cruised last weekend to Rickmansworth from Cowley, and had trouble getting through a strong weir before Copper Mill lock. This could have been due to my engine being old, smokey and riddled with problems, but doesn’t make me feel confident about navigating a river with only 22hp. It’s worth bearing in mind that this isn’t my forever boat - I plan on upgrading to a newer and larger boat in the next few years, so saving £2.5k would be very useful. Thoughts please