Deciding to buy a boat that needs a new engine

Sep 27, 2008
218
Hunter 41 Longport,NJ
Looking at a Beanteu 40 that the owner says needs a valve job - have no idea what that would take, or if it would make more sense to just put in a new or re-built engine. Anyone ever done that or have any ballpark on how much something like that shoudl cost, so I could discount accordingly ?
 
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
I did a valve job on a qm15 had the valves ground and lapped for 50.00 put in new seals all in all I had about 200.00 in that 2cylinder But I did my own work other than the grinding. That is about as cheap as it gets a 4 cylinder engine depending on what brand may run 1500.00 and up if you hire it out. Anew replace ment could start at 12000.00 depending on how good a shopper you are
 

Ted

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Jan 26, 2005
1,272
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
Seriously, you're going to negotiate a price reduction based on what we have to say? You haven't provided any information for us to even give you a guess. Get a proper/professional estimate to protect yourself and show the seller that you're a real/realistic buyer. Prices will vary drastically depending on engine size/manufacturer, geographic location, engine compartment access and whether or not this is going to be a do it yourself project.
 
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Jan 30, 2012
1,140
Nor'Sea 27 "Kiwanda" Portland/ Anacortes
You do not tell us what motor you have. I hope Kloudie1 will give us his views - very experienced guy.

Meanwhile, have been presented with many crippled motors thus necessarily have compared those motors actual defects to what to the owner thought was wrong. My take is -- that which the owner said was wrong rarely squared with what was actually wrong. Sometimes it is a simple fix and sometimes a more extensive fix.

Lord wonders where these owners get their information.

Suggest you obtain an independent assessment from someone who knows motors and how to diagnose same. Perhaps the present owner will tell you where he got his information concerning valves failing to perform?

There is almost no motor defect that cannot be accurately diagnosed to start with and there is almost no motor condition that cannot be put right. In the vast majority of cases putting it right is way less than a new power plant.

Charles
 
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capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,918
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
It sounds as though this engine has been abused and/or ignored. You'll probably need rings and bearings as well, plus some other parts to be determined upon break down. If you can't buy the boat at a cost that includes a new engine, I wouldn't buy it at all.
 

Tim M

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Oct 19, 2014
25
Hunter 37C Blaine,Wa.
Just to get your thinking started ... I was recently 'quoted' the cost of a re-power on our 1984 H37c from the local Yanmar dealer. A new Yanmar 3GM, discounted price, was $9,300. Labor and parts to install, an additional $6-7,000 - and there was no guarantee it wouldn't be more. I'm sure a 4-cylinder will be more. Instead of re-powering I decided to start a serious de-rusting (phosphoric acid and POR-15) and spend some money on the old 3QM (new exhaust manifold, mixing elbow and injectors) - which ran ok but was deteriorating from the outside-in, and quickly spent about $3,000 doing all the labor myself. It would be worth paying to have a good mechanic come and hear it run and he can tell if it's worth putting some money into. His input could help with negotiations or help you decide if you should walk away - unless the cost of a re-power could be reflected in the price. As was stated by Ted, just because a seller says it needs a valve job doesn't mean that's all it needs. Good luck.
Tim
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
when someone who is selling a boat says "it just needs a little valve job", you should expect that there will be plenty more related expenses that will be incurred because of it...

a properly maintained engine has very little valve issues over the life of the engine.... an valve adjustment every 2000hrs is normal, but when more is needed than that, it probably wont stop at the valve train....

I have seen valve seals fail prematurely, but its rare. so its hard to give any optimistic advice, other than saying a simple valve job is a much better option than an engine swap, if in fact it really is just a valve problem.....

work out a deal on the boat with the owner to share the cost of the repair, (it can be written up in the legal paperwork of the sale so your both protected) so then whatever it comes to, you wont be stuck with the complete cost of a re-power... he wants to sell and you want to buy, but im sure neither of you wants to take the entire risk of what is going to be found when the engine is opened up... if he is not open to dealing this way, then he is opening the door for you to lowball him without any shame in your offer.
 
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zeehag

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Mar 26, 2009
3,198
1976 formosa 41 yankee clipper santa barbara. ca.(not there)
beneteau without engine. ok. pass..... next....
i bought bird with a blown engine. i replaced the old one with a nother one.
isnt easy.
when i took this boat i made sure i had 15000 usd price reduction fro no engine. that made boat 15000 usd. then i took off for...and made it exchange for ericon 35mII. i won this one, but this is not a bendy toy. there are all kindsa bendytoys with engines. why n0t seek one of those, if ye gotta have a bendy toy.
rebuilding engine isnt as bad as replacing it. you might check around to see where you can have a bendytoy engine-isnt it a perkins 4-108??? easy to rebuild, parts available.... research well. they run forever.
 
Jun 11, 2011
1,243
Hunter 41 Lewes
If you don't have a good mechanic tell you what your getting into, your just buying a pig in a poke. Not usually a happy ending.
 
May 24, 2004
7,164
CC 30 South Florida
Why does it need a valve job? Are the stems and guides just worn out and it is using oil or has there been a mechanical failure allowing loss of compression? If there was a mechanical failure was the head or pistons affected? If the engine is not running I would be concerned about the possibility of further damage. If the engine is not turning or makes grinding noisesI would walk away from the deal.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
A Beneteau 40 needs a value job? Holy crap what did they do to it?? They STARTED building that boat in 2007!

Here's a tip, particularly when buying a newish boat.

If it needs something major, DOUBLE the cost of it and factor that in to your offer. Why?? Because if you only factor in the actual cost, why in the hell would you by the broken one?? Just find a good one without the problem and you spend the same cash and get a good boat now. Go the other way and all the risk and lost time is on you with no compensation. If the PO doesn't make it right, it should cost him.
 
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Jan 13, 2009
394
J Boat 92 78 Sandusky
Easy to trash a relatively new Yanmar. Just motor sail at about 20 degrees of heel for a while and watch what happens. Happened to a B36.7 at our club when crew were delivering the boat back from a race. I'd find out what engine the boat has and see if any 3GMs are on the used market. If you can directly replace with another Yanmar it could work.
 
Jan 4, 2010
1,037
Farr 30 San Francisco
I think a Bene has a Volvo? mine does, up previous estimates by 50%! Owner may well have been hoping all it needed was a valve job but unless he is a mechanic, has done tests, it really is just another opinion, and not an unbiased one at that.
 
Feb 26, 2004
23,018
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Seriously, you're going to negotiate a price reduction based on what we have to say? You haven't provided any information for us to even give you a guess. Get a proper/professional estimate to protect yourself and show the seller that you're a real/realistic buyer. Prices will vary drastically depending on engine size/manufacturer, geographic location, engine compartment access and whether or not this is going to be a do it yourself project.

Yup, why are you even looking at this boat UNLESS you personally know or have someone you TRUST completely analyze the beast.

Otherwise, why bother?

Really.

Good luck.

Whatever happens, it'd be nice for you to tell us.

Thanks.
 

zeehag

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Mar 26, 2009
3,198
1976 formosa 41 yankee clipper santa barbara. ca.(not there)
when i bought this boat it needed a new engine but i got the boat actually for only 5000 usd so i win anyway. and so. what is your real question? i put 3000 miles on this engine before it ranaway, so i still win. and i got 3000 ocean cruising miles under belt and know more what i want to change with this boat so it is perfect for me.

there are many bendytoys out there--- negotiate well for price if you choose to persist with this one.