Well went out again yesterday , when I came back in I had two quarts of oil in the bilge, had a mechanic take a look and hear is the good news. Minor seep from front & rear seals along with a minor seep from the valve cover. The biggest leak is coming from the oil pan which seems to be rotting out. The engine is a 1983 Westerbeke 21 with a good sum of hours. The mechanic said the engine had to be pulled to do any of the work, change the seals and the oil pan, hope everything else is ok. Looks like 30 hours of labor and $300 in parts, run somewhere around $3000. He also states that an marine diesel engine has a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years. Suggested putting in a Yanmar. I am going to get a second opinion but wanted to hear from anyone who has had similar problems, changed out a motor, what was paid. Just trying to get educated quickly. Thanks
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Westerbeke will go longer
I had a Westerbeke 25 1979 model in my Cheoy Lee Clipper and it was still in great shape after 25 years of use. Of course I sailed a lot more than most people so the hours where about 2000. I had a friend who replaced an engine in a 28 Ranger and I believe it cost him around 7000 dollars. So at 3000 you are getting close to that. Here is what I would do if it where mine. I worked as a mech for about 10 years so have a little more experience than most boaters. First if the oil pan can be pulled without removal of the engine(mine could be) replace pan and gasket. Then use a product called auto-rx. It may or may not fix your seal problem but it is worth a try before you spend a lot of money. site is www.auto-rx.com. I have used it with great success on several old cars I still love to drive. Good Luck
I had a Westerbeke 25 1979 model in my Cheoy Lee Clipper and it was still in great shape after 25 years of use. Of course I sailed a lot more than most people so the hours where about 2000. I had a friend who replaced an engine in a 28 Ranger and I believe it cost him around 7000 dollars. So at 3000 you are getting close to that. Here is what I would do if it where mine. I worked as a mech for about 10 years so have a little more experience than most boaters. First if the oil pan can be pulled without removal of the engine(mine could be) replace pan and gasket. Then use a product called auto-rx. It may or may not fix your seal problem but it is worth a try before you spend a lot of money. site is www.auto-rx.com. I have used it with great success on several old cars I still love to drive. Good Luck
Another solution
If you can't pull and replace your oil pan you can repair it. There are several expoxy metal sticks which can work. They are design for different types of metal ie aluminum,steel, etc. I used this to repair a galvanized muffler on my cheoy lee and it was still working after 10 years. You will have to clean the spot that has rusted through with a wire brush before the repair. However a rusted pan indicated the oil was probably not changed as much as it should have been. So a complete replacement is best.
If you can't pull and replace your oil pan you can repair it. There are several expoxy metal sticks which can work. They are design for different types of metal ie aluminum,steel, etc. I used this to repair a galvanized muffler on my cheoy lee and it was still working after 10 years. You will have to clean the spot that has rusted through with a wire brush before the repair. However a rusted pan indicated the oil was probably not changed as much as it should have been. So a complete replacement is best.
I think it's time
At 23 years and a rusted through oil pan it's time for a new one. The decision is rebuild the same 23 year old technoligy or invest in new. Is the boat overal worth it? Will you use the boat enough to offset the expenditure? Do you have the money? Personally, I don't have to worry as my wife would tell me what to do. Reliability is utmost of importance to me. Good luck.
At 23 years and a rusted through oil pan it's time for a new one. The decision is rebuild the same 23 year old technoligy or invest in new. Is the boat overal worth it? Will you use the boat enough to offset the expenditure? Do you have the money? Personally, I don't have to worry as my wife would tell me what to do. Reliability is utmost of importance to me. Good luck.
W 21 Repairs
The W21 was far ahead of it's time with the self bleeding fuel system. It's a great motor and will run a long time if properly maintained. If I had to hire help to maintain my old Hunter I would not be able to afford to be a sailor. Get you hands dirty or hire a different mechanic and I'm sure you can fix it for a lot less. I used the boom and a few pulled to remove a 3 cyl Universal diesel from a Catalina 30 without complications. Fix the oil pan and go sailing. I've successfully used MarineTex on automotive oil pan leaks. You may be able to disconnect the shaft and lift the motor high enough to get under the pan. I bet I could do in four hours with a ten dollar bill for materials. Get 'er done!
The W21 was far ahead of it's time with the self bleeding fuel system. It's a great motor and will run a long time if properly maintained. If I had to hire help to maintain my old Hunter I would not be able to afford to be a sailor. Get you hands dirty or hire a different mechanic and I'm sure you can fix it for a lot less. I used the boom and a few pulled to remove a 3 cyl Universal diesel from a Catalina 30 without complications. Fix the oil pan and go sailing. I've successfully used MarineTex on automotive oil pan leaks. You may be able to disconnect the shaft and lift the motor high enough to get under the pan. I bet I could do in four hours with a ten dollar bill for materials. Get 'er done!
I'd do the repair 'on site'.
use a come-along attached to a 4x4 spanning the companion way. Then lift it up, replace the bad stuff and drop it back down. Leave the mounts in place and re-alignment will be easy too. This is an 8hr. job, max.
use a come-along attached to a 4x4 spanning the companion way. Then lift it up, replace the bad stuff and drop it back down. Leave the mounts in place and re-alignment will be easy too. This is an 8hr. job, max.
Good advice
I think the main leak is at the pan, I will pull it out myself and see whats up. Can't be that hard. Thanks to all
I think the main leak is at the pan, I will pull it out myself and see whats up. Can't be that hard. Thanks to all
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