Hard to charge the batteries with that one. You’ll have to make sure it comes with a crank. (I’ve had to start a MD1 many times one trip thru gulf islands when the starter/generator broke)
Les
Engine problems
- Thread starter flyingcr
- Start date
Les
The OP Stated "for a cost around $5000 for top end only." I badly stated my point about resale. The market assumes the boat has a working engine, so there will be a discount for a non working engine. While there will be a premium for a newer engine, I doubt it will equal the cost of a new engine, which is to say a $5,000 boat will not become a $15,000 boat because you dropped a $10,000 engine in. If the Op is planning on upgrading to a bigger boat, it becomes about cutting losses. It may cost less to sell the boat with a non working engine than to put in a new or used engine + installation cost.
Grew up in a military family. Dad always said if you" couldn't do it yourself it couldn't be done". That being said, every dollar you spend on a boat is worth about $0.10 on resale. ( maybe less). I would have a go at that engine myself because you really have nothing to lose. Depends on your timeline and parts availability of course.
The OP has never stated model of engine. He or she has stated cylinder and piston damage amongst other. That is not top end...However, depending on the Volvo model, it sorta can be. My previous MD17C could be torn down right to the connecting rods leaving the block in place. I’m not familiar with the 1-2cylinder engines (mine was three), but if it’s like mine was, it’s a no brainer..Tear it down and fix it. Get it running for not a lot of money and the boat sale will be a lot easier. New piston, liner, rings and some gaskets..If the liner is the same as the other engines, I have lots of liners.. Do it yourself with a manual..A friend with some engine experience? If the cylinder is internal to the block, that’s another story..
for the record..... top end includes pistons, rings and head
the bottom end is rods and crank...
if the engine needs to be taken down for any reason, the valves should always be inspected and new stem seals installed at a minimum...
other top end work usually includes new rings, and sometimes new pistons. if new pistons are needed, the cylinders need to be closely checked to see if the cylinders need machine work done... if all is good, then a good inspection of the rod and main bearings to see their condition. if they still look good, put it all back together and run it. if there is any noticeable wear on the bearings, replace the rod and main bearings..
when the bottom end is the problem, there is usually more expense involved, as a "problem" there almost always requires machine work and sometimes a new crank... and when this is needed, a top end rebuild only makes sense at this time.
a rebuilt engine will have all components checked and replaced as needed... a "freshened" engine will have the valves lapped/ground, new rings on the old pistons, and possibly new lower bearings installed.
many owners can easily do their own rebuild if they get to it before there is a problem. if they are familiar with the engine and it is a good working engine with high hours, it may be only a matter of new rings, new lower bearings and a head job to "freshen" the engine.
but when the weak engine gets ran until the engine starts making knocking noises, screeching noises, misfiring, overheating or extreme smoke, then it has just gotten about twice as expensive as it will undoubtedly need machine work done.. a full rebuild.
and of course, not to be overlooked are the peripherals such as the water pump, oil pump, injectors or carb/distributor, hoses.... and equally as important as the rebuilt engine is to make sure the exhaust is in excellent condition, because a bad exhaust doesnt care how much money and time you put into the engine, the bad exhaust will secretly take it out while it sets in your driveway after the test run.
when a mechanic is hired to rebuild an engine, or if a core engine has been purchased to be rebuilt, and the person doing the work knows nothing about its history, the engine needs to be torn down completely. all components need to be gone thru, cleaned and tolerances checked to insure the components are in usable condition,with all machine work done... and then build the engine back accordingly... this takes more time than a basic freshening