mark reed
Member III
Dear sailing colleagues and mentors -
Well, I got a shock today from our local marine engine dealership. I had wanted them to look things over and make recommendations for what if anything we should consider doing before taking the boat to Mexico this fall. I wasn't ready for what I heard.
Compression in two of the 4 cylinders is low (280-290 vs 400 in the other two). Symptoms have been present since we owned the boat (occasional wisp of smoke in engine room, excessive glow plug time needed to start, oil drips on front of crankcase) but I had never put it all together as excessive blow-by. I relied too heavily on the PO's meticulous maintenance records, and the clean bill of health we had been given by the engine surveyor we used in Seattle back in 2002 (but I don't recall if he did a compression check).
Our mechanic recommends replacing engine and transmission with like models (Universal M40 and Hurth tranny) for an estimated cost of $9300 P&L. I asked him for his best guess as to what would happen if we don't re-power. He didn't think it would fail catastrophically, but that it would become less reliable and harder to start.
I am going over the balance sheet and trying to figure out what to do:
1. We could continue to cruise the boat locally and hope that the engine lasts awhile longer (it has not appeared to get any worse in 6 years and 1000 hrs). We might be more anxious on offshore passages between Astoria and the Strait.
2. We could go to Mexico and keep our fingers crossed, but probably have more anxiety about engine failure.
3. We could re-power, but the extra cost is almost equivalent to what we estimated as our cruising costs for the first season in Mexico. The extra cost probably means: a) working a year longer, or b) selling more assets, before departure.
4. We could sell the boat, but would probably take a big hit since we would have to disclose what we know about the engine. If we decide to sell, we would still have to figure out whether or not it is cost-effective to re-power first.
5. I could try to re-build it myself, but previous experiences re-building VW engines in my youth don't make me feel very confident about this option.
Anything I'm missing? I'm seeking ideas, not sympathy. After all, we are very lucky to even own a boat in the first place! Although I must admit I am starting to wonder if I should cut my losses and figure out something cheaper to do in retirement!
Well, I got a shock today from our local marine engine dealership. I had wanted them to look things over and make recommendations for what if anything we should consider doing before taking the boat to Mexico this fall. I wasn't ready for what I heard.
Compression in two of the 4 cylinders is low (280-290 vs 400 in the other two). Symptoms have been present since we owned the boat (occasional wisp of smoke in engine room, excessive glow plug time needed to start, oil drips on front of crankcase) but I had never put it all together as excessive blow-by. I relied too heavily on the PO's meticulous maintenance records, and the clean bill of health we had been given by the engine surveyor we used in Seattle back in 2002 (but I don't recall if he did a compression check).
Our mechanic recommends replacing engine and transmission with like models (Universal M40 and Hurth tranny) for an estimated cost of $9300 P&L. I asked him for his best guess as to what would happen if we don't re-power. He didn't think it would fail catastrophically, but that it would become less reliable and harder to start.
I am going over the balance sheet and trying to figure out what to do:
1. We could continue to cruise the boat locally and hope that the engine lasts awhile longer (it has not appeared to get any worse in 6 years and 1000 hrs). We might be more anxious on offshore passages between Astoria and the Strait.
2. We could go to Mexico and keep our fingers crossed, but probably have more anxiety about engine failure.
3. We could re-power, but the extra cost is almost equivalent to what we estimated as our cruising costs for the first season in Mexico. The extra cost probably means: a) working a year longer, or b) selling more assets, before departure.
4. We could sell the boat, but would probably take a big hit since we would have to disclose what we know about the engine. If we decide to sell, we would still have to figure out whether or not it is cost-effective to re-power first.
5. I could try to re-build it myself, but previous experiences re-building VW engines in my youth don't make me feel very confident about this option.
Anything I'm missing? I'm seeking ideas, not sympathy. After all, we are very lucky to even own a boat in the first place! Although I must admit I am starting to wonder if I should cut my losses and figure out something cheaper to do in retirement!