Jump to content

Mystery engine ID?


Ewan123

Featured Posts

spacer.png

 

The engine on this advertised boat is referred to as a 'Beta Marine DB3', but after some googling, I can't find any other such engine... the closest I found was a Gleniffer DB3, but didn't see any images.

 

Does anyone recognise it?

Edited by Ewan123
Added pic
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Here is another one, I couldn't be doing with that racket all the time.

 

 

Isnt that MTBs old engine? Predecessor of the Beta JD3 iirc which is a John Deere tractor engine. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, peterboat said:

I dont know he doesnt respond to whatsapp jokes anymore ?

I dont know why he went? someone suggested he was miffed over somett or other but I think its a case of teddies out of the cot? Threw mine out for exactly a year once.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Ewan123 said:

Ahh, BD3 not DB3. Easy as that. Thanks for satisfying that curiosity itch!

 

Do we know much about these engines in general?

Beta Marines way of providing a brand new engine that looked and behaved in a similar way to old fashioned slow reving thump thump thump diesel engines, beloved of men with a can of brasso in one hand and a polishing cloth in the other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you buy it you cam PM me and i have quite a few manuals for the Beta BD3 Tug Engine. It is a basically a Ford 3 cylinder tractor engine. Lister also marinised the same engine and was the Lister CRK3 although theirs was never as good as the Beta's apparently. The BD3 was superseded by the JD3 because the BD3 didn't meet the eu requirements. I have owned mine for 21 years and has never not started or misses a beat. I have often been asked if it is a Gardner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

PARDON ?

 

What dis you say? - Imgflip

I think I missed the joke there ?
Please?

 

12 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Beta Marines way of providing a brand new engine that looked and behaved in a similar way to old fashioned slow reving thump thump thump diesel engines, beloved of men with a can of brasso in one hand and a polishing cloth in the other.


Does it fulfill the same need for fiddling and tinkering?

 

I did just find a topic from a few years ago that suggests they're reliable, unless it was owners with a romantic bias to their own engine...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Tonka said:

If you buy it you cam PM me and i have quite a few manuals for the Beta BD3 Tug Engine. It is a basically a Ford 3 cylinder tractor engine. Lister also marinised the same engine and was the Lister CRK3 although theirs was never as good as the Beta's apparently. The BD3 was superseded by the JD3 because the BD3 didn't meet the eu requirements. I have owned mine for 21 years and has never not started or misses a beat. I have often been asked if it is a Gardner.

Exhaust emissions requirements?

 

Thanks for the info and offer :).

Edited by Ewan123
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Tonka said:

If you buy it you cam PM me and i have quite a few manuals for the Beta BD3 Tug Engine. It is a basically a Ford 3 cylinder tractor engine. Lister also marinised the same engine and was the Lister CRK3 although theirs was never as good as the Beta's apparently. The BD3 was superseded by the JD3 because the BD3 didn't meet the eu requirements. I have owned mine for 21 years and has never not started or misses a beat. I have often been asked if it is a Gardner.

Had mine for about the same length of time and I bought it secondhand. Its been round the clock since

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Had mine for about the same length of time and I bought it secondhand. Its been round the clock since

Whats that in hours?, I assume 20,000 rather than 200,000 ?

I suspect the BD3 was a bit nicer than the JD3 in some ways, though I have read of vibration issues at higher speeds (which I find surprising). Its interesting that Beta went from Ford to John Deere for emissions reasons. I suspect the JD is very similar, or possibly even a bit worse than the BD3 but had the paper approval that Ford decided not to bother to get with an old engine?????

 

I think the JD3 is maybe the nicer looking engine but the BD3 scores with its lower tickover speed.

 

...............Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, dmr said:

Whats that in hours?, I assume 20,000 rather than 200,000 ?

I suspect the BD3 was a bit nicer than the JD3 in some ways, though I have read of vibration issues at higher speeds (which I find surprising). Its interesting that Beta went from Ford to John Deere for emissions reasons. I suspect the JD is very similar, or possibly even a bit worse than the BD3 but had the paper approval that Ford decided not to bother to get with an old engine?????

 

I think the JD3 is maybe the nicer looking engine but the BD3 scores with its lower tickover speed.

 

...............Dave

Cant remember what the clock goes up to, its the Beta panel but I am not on the boat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, dmr said:

Whats that in hours?, I assume 20,000 rather than 200,000 ?

I suspect the BD3 was a bit nicer than the JD3 in some ways, though I have read of vibration issues at higher speeds (which I find surprising). Its interesting that Beta went from Ford to John Deere for emissions reasons. I suspect the JD is very similar, or possibly even a bit worse than the BD3 but had the paper approval that Ford decided not to bother to get with an old engine?????

 

I think the JD3 is maybe the nicer looking engine but the BD3 scores with its lower tickover speed.

 

...............Dave

Jogged my memory -

I bought  a Ford Dexta from our local ag: college (wh were glad to get rid of it 'cos they'd bust the steering box - but didn't tell me...). Worked for me mowing our common and a couple of local bridleways.

It was quite gutless and smoked like ***** if you over loaded it.

Three litres and maximum revs (with lorra black smoke) of 1500 rpm.

As suggested that's probably why Ted Spash  moved to the JD engine (which looked nicer anyway - even though it was more expesnive to buy in.

Ah, happy days when everything was a lot less complicated....

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

Jogged my memory -

I bought  a Ford Dexta from our local ag: college (wh were glad to get rid of it 'cos they'd bust the steering box - but didn't tell me...). Worked for me mowing our common and a couple of local bridleways.

It was quite gutless and smoked like ***** if you over loaded it.

Three litres and maximum revs (with lorra black smoke) of 1500 rpm.

As suggested that's probably why Ted Spash  moved to the JD engine (which looked nicer anyway - even though it was more expesnive to buy in.

Ah, happy days when everything was a lot less complicated....

 

 

I reckon you forgot to take the handbrake off ??.

 

A big JD  tractor went past us recently so out of curiosity I looked up what engine it had, and it was the 4 cylinder version of the engine that Beta use in the JD3, I assume with a turbo, but the John Deere is a powerful engine.

 

................Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, dmr said:

A big JD  tractor went past us recently so out of curiosity I looked up what engine it had, and it was the 4 cylinder version of the engine that Beta use in the JD3, I assume with a turbo, but the John Deere is a powerful engine.

 

I fitted 2 Deere 4cylinder engines in boat some years ago, brilliant engines but a bit overpowered for narrowboats.

image.jpeg.63631b361d0a43846e9b87cae580a28c.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.