Engines

[Scott B]

Wow that looks as bad as my Westerbeke.. :cry: Perhaps they have two factories with two different painting techniques? The motor I saw was was indeed a bigger Yanny not a smaller one. I guess I will change my opinion back to.... most factory paint jobs stink..

Don't you hate all that paint flaking off the hoses when they expand and contract? What a mess...

Drives me crazy.... I'm tempted to try somehow to clean it all off once and for all, but it's way down on the priority list..... weekends are too short to stay tied to the dock.

What would take the paint off without harming the hose.

I've seen pics of the newer boats with clean hoses, so maybe they changed recently.

this is from the '09 38, which is the 40 hp ( and from the Hunter website.)

 

[Ross]

Let me preface by saying first that this has been a very interesting discussion, and second, that I have no diesel engine experience. In the discussion of relative engine quality, it seems to me that all of these makes would have similar shaped bell curve distributions of wear rates or working life span - ie some engines by the same manufacturer will out last other, seemingly identical engines. Further, that there will be substantial overlap in the curves for similar engines, similarly used, from different manufacturers. So the question I have to ask is whether anyone has experience with a large enough sample of various makes of engines subjected to similar working conditions, to draw a valid conclusion? I acknowledge that the choices of boat manufacturers might indicate their opinions as to the best makes of engines, as suggested above. However, I'm cynical enough to wonder whether those choices might be driven by other considerations, such as money. Any thoughts?
Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo

Many years ago the choice was much easier. You could have Lister, Perkins, Westerbekke, Fairbanks-Morse and Lunenburg Foundry at about 75 pounds per hp and they would run approximately forever. Then technology advanced and smaller high speed diesels came on the scene and the weight came down slowly. The industry suffered growing pains and the companies that built the most engines learned the fastest as a result we have adapted industrial and farm machinery engines for marine use. 60 Years ago I knew Briggs and Stratton, Tecumseth, and Kohler engines these were the modern gas engine replacements for the hit and miss low speed engines that came before. Progress isn't always smooth but it is progress. From all that I have heard Kabuta probably makes the best engines in the less than 20 hp class.