Most common engine.

[Burgiesburnin]

I want to try and buy an engine locally (South Africa) that I can strip down, rebuild and get to know very well. My objective is to then be able to maintain, service and repair the same model engine when I am eventually able to buy a boat.

Is there an engine which is by far the most common?

[BEngo]

Isuzu and Kubota probably make the majority of the engines in modern boats. They are marinised by various people so have individual foibles, butt I would expect that the basic units would be available in SA. Look for the sort of thing that powers small diggers, dumpers etc. Spares availability for these is likely to be good.

 

If you fancy something with a little more pedigree then there were a lot of LW series Gardners exported that way, though some have been recovered and there are a lot of 2LW and 3LW units in narrow boats. Lister JP or even FR's should have been exported though while the JP is quite common, the FR is less so. For a reasonably uncommon narrow boat engine which might still be found look for a Kelvin J or K. Petter, Ruston and Hornsby, Dorman are other names you might find which can also be found in narrow boats, though they are not common.

 

 

N

[Dave_P]

Isuzu and Kubota are probably the most common now (Beta engines start out as Kubotas). But 20 years ago, by far the most common were the BMCs 1.5 and 1.8. I'd wager there's still a hell of a lot of boats out there with these engines, giving the japanese newcomers a close run in terms of total numbers. The best thing about the BMC is how easy it is to learn how to service, maintain and repair.

 

I wouldn't even be considering Dorman, Ruston etc. there's plenty of engine types which are more commonly found in narrowboats than those. eg. Volvo Penta, Mitsubishi, Ford, Perkins...

 

My vote goes to BMC (but I'm biased)

[RLWP]

It's a nice idea...

 

Unless you are going to build a boat from scratch, the boat you buy will almost certainly not have the same engine as the one you bought

 

And, if you are building a boat from scratch, either put in a new engine, or an ancient 'chuff, chuff' engine

 

Richard

[dmr]

There are many skill that are very useful to posses when owning a boat, and especially when living on one, but sadly doing a full engine rebuild is not top of the list. If you desire a vintage engine then it is maybe worthwhile, but most engines last a long long time and when it comes round to rebuild time it is likely that either:

The engine has outlived you

or

The cost of parts is so high that it is more economical to replace with a new engine.

 

and...if you live full time on a boat you will not have access to the facilities required to do a good rebuild

 

Developing mechanical skill for servicing and general repairs is very desirable but I would not worry about the full rebuild.

Learning a lot about Electrics and painting skills will be a better investment.

 

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

[peterboat]

Isuzu and Kubota are probably the most common now (Beta engines start out as Kubotas). But 20 years ago, by far the most common were the BMCs 1.5 and 1.8. I'd wager there's still a hell of a lot of boats out there with these engines, giving the japanese newcomers a close run in terms of total numbers. The best thing about the BMC is how easy it is to learn how to service, maintain and repair.

 

I wouldn't even be considering Dorman, Ruston etc. there's plenty of engine types which are more commonly found in narrowboats than those. eg. Volvo Penta, Mitsubishi, Ford, Perkins...

 

My vote goes to BMC (but I'm biased)

But the OP is in South Africa where would he get the engine and spares for a BMC and the question is why bother Kubotas and Isuzu are plentiful and probably unlike BMC,S never need rebuilding. When something better comes along use it

 

Peter

[RLWP]

But the OP is in South Africa where would he get the engine and spares for a BMC and the question is why bother Kubotas and Isuzu are plentiful and probably unlike BMC,S never need rebuilding. When something better comes along use it

 

Peter

 

How do you know? There are no Kubotas or Isuzus as old as the BMC engines

 

In fact, I suspect that as soon as they go wrong, they're dead. I doubt that they will have anywhere near the same spares availability as the old BMC

 

Richard

Edited August 11, 2013 by RLWP

[Guest]

 

How do you know? There are no Kubotas or Isuzus as old as the BMC engines

 

In fact, I suspect that as soon as they go wrong, they're dead. I doubt that they will have anywhere near the same spares availability as the old BMC

 

Richard

I wouldn't be worried about the spares availability for my Jap unit (Mitsubishi) but costs of parts are horrendous. We had 600 quid on here recently for a Vetus starter motor, and seemingly they have come down a lot! I got some parts from a one time mariniser of Mitsubishi engines (no names) and he advised me never to attempt a major rebuild on the Mitsu engine; much cheaper in the long run to buy a new base engine and transfer the marinising bits.

[Naughty Cal]

Most people here seem to be assuming you will be getting a narrowboat. Not very likely given your location!

 

Volvo Penta, Mercruiser or Yanmar are more likely given the type of boat you will be looking at.

[Tony Brooks]

But the OP did not specify what type of boat or where he will keep it. As this is The Canal World Forum it is not unreasonable to assume he knew where he was posting and intend to come over here to buy a canal boat. Otherwise I would have expected the OP to post to one of the YBF forums.

 

If he buys a sailing yacht then many canal type engines would be the type fitted.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Tony Brooks

[Guest]

I took the OP to mean for canal use or similar. I felt that he would have stated otherwise had it been for a seagoing boat for example.

[bizzard]

Could well be a ships type diesel engine that Burgiesburnin's looking for to tinker with, perhaps a little old Doxford popular in big ships, large freighters and super tankers or perhaps an old Harland and Wolff ships engine would suit. Or even a mighty 1.1/2hp Stuart Turner as used as small yacht wing engines and little park lake motor boats. .

Edited August 12, 2013 by bizzard

[RLWP]

Could well be a ships type diesel engine that Burgiesburnin's looking for to tinker with, perhaps a little old Doxford popular in big ships, large freighters and super tankers or perhaps an old Harland and Wolff ships engine would suit. Or even a mighty 1.1/2hp Stuart Turner as used as small yacht wing engines and little park lake motor boats. .

 

Like this?:

 

 

 

A Stuart Turner R3M. My new toy

 

Richard

[bizzard]

 

Like this?:

 

 

 

A Stuart Turner R3M. My new toy

 

Richard

Yes beautiful little engines Richard. Thousands of them around at one time from park lake motor boats, yacht auxillaries ect ect. Our old yacht club had a 3 or 4hp one in an open guard launch, never missed a beat. We had an old 28ft ships converted lifeboat here with an 8hp model in it.

Stuart Turner used to ( could supply) all the installation gear, from brass fuel tank to complete stern gear including prop all made in house, when their factory was at Henley-on-Thames I think. They still operate in a small way with model steam plants ect.

[RLWP]

I have a Stuart stern log to go with this engine, and a Stuart prop which is too small

 

Richard

[bizzard]

I have a Stuart stern log to go with this engine, and a Stuart prop which is too small

 

Richard

Might be a 1.1/2hp prop. Has that still got the beautiful reversing handle with knob?

[RLWP]

Might be a 1.1/2hp prop. Has that still got the beautiful reversing handle with knob?

 

No, I have a source for one though

 

Richard

[Naughty Cal]

But the OP did not specify what type of boat or where he will keep it. As this is The Canal World Forum it is not unreasonable to assume he knew where he was posting and intend to come over here to buy a canal boat. Otherwise I would have expected the OP to post to one of the YBF forums.

 

If he buys a sailing yacht then many canal type engines would be the type fitted.

Not everybody on here owns and runs a narrowboat. There is no restriction on what type of boat members can own.

 

As the OP's current location is South Africa I doubt her will be getting his hands on a typical narrowboat engine to strip and rebuid!!

[Neil2]

There are many skill that are very useful to posses when owning a boat, and especially when living on one, but sadly doing a full engine rebuild is not top of the list. If you desire a vintage engine then it is maybe worthwhile, but most engines last a long long time and when it comes round to rebuild time it is likely that either:

The engine has outlived you

or

The cost of parts is so high that it is more economical to replace with a new engine.

 

and...if you live full time on a boat you will not have access to the facilities required to do a good rebuild

 

Developing mechanical skill for servicing and general repairs is very desirable but I would not worry about the full rebuild.

Learning a lot about Electrics and painting skills will be a better investment.

 

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

I think that is a very perceptive comment.

 

Quite a lot of us blokes like the notion of tinkering with engines and I agree vintages engines are a different matter, but I recall some expert on the subject saying that "modern" diesels aren't meant to be taken apart and put back together, regular servicing is everything.

 

But painting and electrics... I know a guy who has made a very good income out of perfecting his painting skills, and how many of us admit to almost total ignorance when it comes to electrics. These subjects are just not quite as appealing to the male psyche.

[peterboat]

But the OP is in South Africa where would he get the engine and spares for a BMC and the question is why bother Kubotas and Isuzu are plentiful and probably unlike BMC,S never need rebuilding. When something better comes along use it

 

Peter

Kubota the most used plant engine in the world!! probably outsold BMC 1000 to one!