BMC 1.8 Engines from Calcutt

[robsusiecuttlefish]

Hiya all,

 

We're now 80% through out fit-out from a shell - 65ft trad Colecraft and have just finished her first paint job!

 

Still without an engine. Anyone out there with good experiences (reliability/smooth running etc) of a BMC 1.8?

 

Rob & Susie

Edited August 18, 2007 by robsusiecuttlefish

[RLWP]

Anyone out there with good experiences (reliability/smooth running etc) of a BMC 1.8?

 

 

Hi Rob and Susie,

 

I have a partial answer for you. Yes, we have a BMC 1.8 that was probably originally from Calcutt. For reliability and ease of maintenace, our engine has been excellent, which I think is what I expected as ours is an ex hire boat. Spares are easy to come by and it uses about 1 litre of diesel an hour and rarely needs the oil topping up.

 

Smooth running, well I guess the engine is smooth enough in itself, but we get a lot of vibration from it. Having said that, I know that the engine mounts that we have are not to the same specification as those that Calcutt would recommend. How the engine would be with the correct engine mounts, I don't know.

 

Richard

[Windjammer]

Aren't these engines manufactured in Turkey these days ?

[robsusiecuttlefish]

Hi Rob and Susie,

 

I have a partial answer for you. Yes, we have a BMC 1.8 that was probably originally from Calcutt. For reliability and ease of maintenace, our engine has been excellent, which I think is what I expected as ours is an ex hire boat. Spares are easy to come by and it uses about 1 litre of diesel an hour and rarely needs the oil topping up.

 

Smooth running, well I guess the engine is smooth enough in itself, but we get a lot of vibration from it. Having said that, I know that the engine mounts that we have are not to the same specification as those that Calcutt would recommend. How the engine would be with the correct engine mounts, I don't know.

 

Richard

 

Thanks Richard - really useful reply and much appreciated!

Rob/Susie

[Machpoint005]

Sorry to add a negative comment, but we used to have a share of an Ownerships boat, built 2003, which had a Turkish BMC 1.8. This caused all sorts of trouble due to poor manufacture (cracked block) and was replaced after 2 1/2 years with a Nannidiesel (1.9 Kubota). I know that the BMC has a lot of admirers, and there are thousands of these engines around, but personally I wouldn't touch one again. Not just because of the problems, but because of the 'not our fault mate' attitude all the co-owners got, all the way up the line when the problems were confirmed.

 

Ian

[David Schweizer]

I have heard mixed views about the new Turkish BMC 1.8 engines, but the re-built ones will be based upon a British manufactured engine, probably from a scrapped London taxi. That at least would overcome any concerns about the Turkish built units.