Buying 1990 Beneteau 35s5

Apr 29, 2012
216
Beneteau 35s5 bristol ri
I am sea trialing this 1990 beneteau 35s5 on January 14th. The survey came out good. Just need to confirm that the engine is good. The hour meter is not functioning. It's a Volvo pen
ta 27 hp. Can anyone give me some advice on this engine? Does it have any known issues? I plan on having an engine oil analysis done once I get it up to max power.
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Thanks!

Thetone
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Now that looks like a great way to start the New Year. May your SeaTrial be un eventful.
Nice looking boat. Big wheel at the helm.
 

Gunni

.
Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
I would not hang my hat on a sea-trial and an oil analysis of a 28 year old VP with no working engine meter. When did the hour meter stop? What do the maintenance logs look like? How many owners?

Believe this is a raw-water cooled diesel. You need to know the state of corrosion and coolant flow. It is a little late to specify an engine inspection by a qualified VP mechanic, but I would want one on my team if I was buying the boat.
 

Ted

.
Jan 26, 2005
1,254
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
Which model Volvo Penta? I have a MD2030 in my boat and it has plenty of power for its size and displacement. It is not a raw water cooled engine. It runs very smooth but the saildrive may contribute to that. I see that the boat you are looking at has a prop shaft and strut. You should move those two zincs closer to the strut, about an inch forward of it would be better. No known issues to my knowledge with these engines. As with all engines, proper care by previous owners makes them last for lots of years. I don't think that a one time oil analysis will tell you very much.
 
Mar 20, 2016
594
Beneteau 351 WYC Whitby
Which model Volvo Penta? I have a MD2030 in my boat and it has plenty of power for its size and displacement. It is not a raw water cooled engine. It runs very smooth but the saildrive may contribute to that. I see that the boat you are looking at has a prop shaft and strut. You should move those two zincs closer to the strut, about an inch forward of it would be better. No known issues to my knowledge with these engines. As with all engines, proper care by previous owners makes them last for lots of years. I don't think that a one time oil analysis will tell you very much.
That's because it's really not a volvo , it's a perkins M30
 
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Jul 23, 2009
857
Beneteau 31 Oceanis Grand Lake, Oklahoma
My 1988 First 285 has a VP 2002 18hp diesel. The boat your looking at may have a VP 2003, this is the 3 cylinder version of the 2000 series. I have had my boat for about 5 years. It doesn't have an hour meter.

My engine has been 100% reliable with one very small exception, when I bought it the tach didn't work because the factory engine mounted multi-fuse was bad. The previous owner wired a secondary start switch, the motor started fine but the tach didn't work. I traced the problem back to the multi-fuse, the first 2 positions looked fine but a meter proved otherwise. After I switched to the 3rd position everything worked. I change the oil & filters every year or so. I have replaced the belt and the impeller once. I also set the valve lash, only 1 needed a very slight adjustment.

The 2000 series does not have glow plugs but I have never had trouble starting mine if the proper cold start procedure is used. I have started it a 35 F.

The parts for a 2000 series VP can be very expensive and difficult to find. Example, the repair kit for the coolant pump is $310, the repair kit for the fuel pump is about $150 if you can find one. I hope to move up to bigger boat before I need parts!

Many people do not like the 2000 series VP engines. There are a few known issues, like the transmission input shaft on the older units like mine, but so far I've been lucky.

* Edit - OP you posted that it is a 2003 series while I was typing.
 

nfg2u

.
Feb 13, 2016
92
Hunter Legend 35.5 Fort Pierce
How did survey go? The Max prop in the photo looks to have some pretty bad pitting in housing? Or is it just the photo, hard to tell. I just replaced mine this year, my blades were pitted and word beyond repair.
 

JRacer

.
Aug 9, 2011
1,331
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
I can reiterate what Syclone said. My First 310 has the 18hp 2002. I get my engine parts from www.marinepartsexpress.com Their parts guys are helpful and generally knowledgeable. They have manuals and parts explosions on their site. Good luck with the trial, nice looking boat.
 
Dec 31, 2016
319
Beneteau Oceanis 351 Charlottetown
My 1988 First 285 has a VP 2002 18hp diesel. The boat your looking at may have a VP 2003, this is the 3 cylinder version of the 2000 series. I have had my boat for about 5 years. It doesn't have an hour meter.

My engine has been 100% reliable with one very small exception, when I bought it the tach didn't work because the factory engine mounted multi-fuse was bad. The previous owner wired a secondary start switch, the motor started fine but the tach didn't work. I traced the problem back to the multi-fuse, the first 2 positions looked fine but a meter proved otherwise. After I switched to the 3rd position everything worked. I change the oil & filters every year or so. I have replaced the belt and the impeller once. I also set the valve lash, only 1 needed a very slight adjustment.

The 2000 series does not have glow plugs but I have never had trouble starting mine if the proper cold start procedure is used. I have started it a 35 F.

The parts for a 2000 series VP can be very expensive and difficult to find. Example, the repair kit for the coolant pump is $310, the repair kit for the fuel pump is about $150 if you can find one. I hope to move up to bigger boat before I need parts!

Many people do not like the 2000 series VP engines. There are a few known issues, like the transmission input shaft on the older units like mine, but so far I've been lucky.

* Edit - OP you posted that it is a 2003 series while I was typing.
If you are paying that much for parts, you should check Parts4engines,,the parts you mentioned in above are about 1/3 of the cost.
 
Jul 23, 2009
857
Beneteau 31 Oceanis Grand Lake, Oklahoma
Brian,
I have not had to buy any of the expensive parts yet.
Neither of the parts I listed are available at parts4engines but the correct style early fuel pump is and at a good price too. Thanks
 
Mar 9, 2009
8
2 M-38 Clay, Michigan
Nothing on your boat but have a 1990 Moorings M38 (Beneteau First) for sale with new engine if it doesn’t work out, hope it turns out great !
 

floydp

.
Jan 29, 2018
1
Beneteau 38s5 Secret Cove
I've had my 38s5 for two years now. It has the 2003T engine.Last year I had an oil leak which turned out to be an oil line fitting to the oil cooler. Upon further investigation, I found the whole cooler unit was 90% plugged and so corroded that failure was imminent. I found a used copper cooler from my local marine store for $35 and that saw me through the season.I've since installed a titanium cooler ( $250 from China ) and I'm back in business. Volvo were talking several thousand dollars for a factory unit! The hour meter shows 3070 hrs. which I believe to be correct, as per the previous owner, who bought her new. I've had no other issues and just love our boat. She's quite fast, comfortable and fun. Good luck.
 
Apr 29, 2012
216
Beneteau 35s5 bristol ri
Had the sea trial yesterday. Engine ran great, no smoke sounded smooth. It just seemed to lack power. No instruments were on board to measure speed. I took an oil sample.
I hope it tells me if the engine is shot.
Does the lack of power break the deal?
Thetone
 
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Apex

.
Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
ive come back to oogling over the 35s5 so many times. Breathless is probably the nicest example. congrats on moving forward in the process of buying her.

re lack of power, what did the owner say? that it was typical? only you can decide if you are ok with it. how were the revs? what could it be? ... a dirty bottom, wrong prop, undersized engine or bad engine?
 
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Jan 10, 2018
260
Beneteau 331 Halifax
As someone who has owned a number of sailboats, and has been around boats for a long time, generally I would not purchase a boat with a Volvo. Many models have issues, and parts are expensive. It has been a deal breaker for me in the past. Google that engine model. Yanmar is always my choice. If you Google Volvo marine engines you will get a litany of issues. Try the same with Yanmar and you won't get near the number. I have had 2GM30F (C&C 30), 3GM30F (C&C 32) 3HM35F (Island Packet 35) and now 3GM35F again with my Beneteau 331. They are good, easily repairable engines, and an amateur can so all the routine maintenance.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
lack of power, what did the owner say? that it was typical? only you can decide if you are ok with it. how were the revs? what could it be? ... a dirty bottom, wrong prop, undersized engine or bad engine?
Apex nailed it. More info is needed.
Did you get any comments from those on board? In a pinch you can use your phone to give you speed over the water. How high did you rev the engine (rpm)?
What gave you the feeling that the power was not enough?
 
Jul 23, 2009
857
Beneteau 31 Oceanis Grand Lake, Oklahoma
Did the stern seem to sink into the water at top speed? That would be an indicator that you were near or over hull speed.

"It just seemed to lack power." That does't really give us much to go on. What was the max RPM? How heavy is the boat?