Re-power or not

[Bob]

I have a 1980 28 O'Day with the 11 hp Universal Diesel. Last year the oil pan went and during repairs my marina determined that the compression was low on 1 cylinder and the engine would have to be " babied ". Since I navigate up & down the Ct River to L I Sound, against the tide I'm at 3 knots max. Also fear throttle up too many rpm not good to " babied " engine. Price { $13,000.}to repower with new engine is more than boat is worth or close to it. I would appreciate any advice from someone who's been there. The 11 hp is somewhat undersized for the 28. Appreciate any advice thanks. e-mail umookie@aol.com

 

[Mike]

Rebuild II

Bob:Condsidering the huge price tag for a new power plant either buying a rebuilt engine or rebuilding the one you have seems the only way to go. Also, that if you buy an already rebuilt you may want to look for a bit larger engine.Fair winds,MikeS/B Pitterpat, Lake Huron

 

[DaveO]

Run it!

Almost sounds like your boat yard wants to sell you something. You have a sailboat, 11hp is enough! you may need to look at the pitch of the prop and also time your trip with the tide.That 11hp will probably last many more years as long as the oil pressure is up to where it should be. The compression could be down because of carbon build up on the valve seats and it may just need a valve adjustment and a good hard run to clean it out with some diesel additive. How many hours are on it? Those engines are designed for thousands of hours of operation. Just my opinion... Good luck.

 

[Brian]

Diesel

I would not repower, the engine you have is probably fine. The reason for concern is the high compression of a diesel engine. With only one testing low, there are two possibilities. One is a poor valve seat, the other is a damaged ring. If it is a seat, you could run it as is somewhat safely. If it is a ring, then pressure could build up in the crankcase. This could cause significant damage. I would say your safest bet is to have it rebuilt now and be done with it. Talk to more than one mechanic, and find someone you trust. Also don't hesitate to ask for references from other customers. Another option is pull it yourself and see if your local Vo-Tech would do the rebuild as a project. Many will and for the cost of the parts. My Two Cents, for what they're worth.

 

[Bob]

Echo on rebuild...

Bob,I have the Universal 5411 as well, and have given some thought to the same dilemma you're facing now. My solution is a variation on the "if it sticks, force it, if it breaks it probably needed fixing anyway" theme. I plan to run mine until it breaks (with proper maintenance of course), and then either repair or rebuild. Replacement is not an option due to cost, and the parts for this engine are plentiful as it is just a marinized Kubota tractor engine.Before you go ahead and rebuild...I guess my first question is "how low is low"? What were the compression numbers relative to each other and to spec? That should give you an idea of how much you need to "baby" the engine. Also remember that "babying" a deisel can do more harm than good from a build-up standpoint.The most important thing is not the numbers, but how well does the engine run? Is it smoking, knocking, or giving you any other indications that something is wrong? If your boat is set up like mine, you have no idea how many hours are on the darned thing, so it's really important to listen to the engine. (That's my 'Zen and the art of sailboat maintenance' speech) Also, as far as underpowered goes, my experience is that the 11 hp engine will get the boat to hull speed (about 7-8 kts in flat water), so it should be powerful enough. When you say 3 kts going against the tide, are you refering to speed over ground? If so consider that the engine is giving you speed relative to the tide - you should be hitting hull speed. How fast can the boat go in flat water?Hope this helps.Bobs/v Simple DreamsChicago