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Thorneycroft 60 & 80

niloc

By niloc
in Boat Building & Maintenance

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andy3196 Collaborator

andy3196

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Yes, they are K series based.

 

I don't know of any sites but I have an original Operation Manual and Parts List which are surplus to requirements if you're interested.

 

They are prone to cracking pistons, that much I know about them. When mine did it I contacted Thornycroft themselves and it seems that they can supply a good range of parts for thse engines still.

 

It worked out easier for me to go for a new S4L which slots into the space the old K4D was in without too much trouble.

 

I still have my stripped Type 80D (the 80E is similar but some different parts) if there are any components of interest (FOC)

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niloc Contributor

niloc

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Just looked at an 89 Springer, has the 80. Not started it up yet, bit wary now. Not a bad boat, tidy , does that mean eng could suddenly blow, cause its 20 years old ? Or can it be avoided with careful use and maint?

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andy3196 Collaborator

andy3196

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Just looked at an 89 Springer, has the 80. Not started it up yet, bit wary now. Not a bad boat, tidy , does that mean eng could suddenly blow, cause its 20 years old ? Or can it be avoided with careful use and maint?

I don't know how common the problem is, but I wasn't warned about it in the survey when I bought my boat and the engineer that I called out didn't immediately diagnose it as a problem and only mentioned it after seeking advice from someone else who has more knowledge of this engine. I would assume from this that it isn't an inevitability but can occur. I also have absolutely no idea how many hours my engine had done when it failed, nor how it had been used prior to my ownership. Mine was an 80D, possibly the 80E which has different pistons was introduced to correct a fault. There should be a plate on the flywheel housing which identifies which engine it is.

 

Good maintenance will of course help any engine and there were signs that mine had been neglected in it's life. I also did have an overheating incident when a hose split.

 

It could be significant that of the vast number of boaters on here, I seem to be the only one who has suffered a failure.

 

It might be worth calling a few engineers and asking for their opinions, I think there is a list of recommended engineers on the Thornycroft web site.

 

At the end of the day, it is a 20 year old engine. Any engine of that sort of age may well be heading towards the end of it's life and if the rest of the boat was what I would want, I would probably take the risk.

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niloc Contributor

niloc

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I don't know how common the problem is, but I wasn't warned about it in the survey when I bought my boat and the engineer that I called out didn't immediately diagnose it as a problem and only mentioned it after seeking advice from someone else who has more knowledge of this engine. I would assume from this that it isn't an inevitability but can occur. I also have absolutely no idea how many hours my engine had done when it failed, nor how it had been used prior to my ownership. Mine was an 80D, possibly the 80E which has different pistons was introduced to correct a fault. There should be a plate on the flywheel housing which identifies which engine it is.

 

Good maintenance will of course help any engine and there were signs that mine had been neglected in it's life. I also did have an overheating incident when a hose split.

 

It could be significant that of the vast number of boaters on here, I seem to be the only one who has suffered a failure.

 

It might be worth calling a few engineers and asking for their opinions, I think there is a list of recommended engineers on the Thornycroft web site.

 

At the end of the day, it is a 20 year old engine. Any engine of that sort of age may well be heading towards the end of it's life and if the rest of the boat was what I would want, I would probably take the risk.

Thank you for the info , and good advise.

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  • 4 weeks later...
bobtom Engager

bobtom

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These engines are i beleive Mitsubishi K series? Dont know anything about them . Any sites out there worth visiting?

 

 

These engines are i beleive Mitsubishi K series? Dont know anything about them . Any sites out there worth visiting?
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bobtom Engager

bobtom

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hi all im Tom as you can see from the last 2 posts im not good at this. Mine is a thornycroft K4D also. 3 months after we bought the boat it blew a piston. It cost about 450 squids (with me doing the work ). 10 months later its going strong, no probs.

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  • 1 month later...
Tony Ross Contributor

Tony Ross

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FWIW i've got a Model 60 which has been a reliable engine over the time i've owned it (6 yrs). It is a 3 cylinder engine so prone to produce slightly more vibration than a 4 cylinder but mine has been well set up on it's engine mounts and is now lovely and quiet. Cheap to run as well!

 

Having put that in print it will now explode in my face time I fire her up!!!!

 

regards,

 

Tony

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