Need feedback on Peninsular 6.2 liter diesel

[jsakovits]

I know there has been a number of emails on this topic but needed to ask anyway in case I missed something. I am considering buying a boat with a 1994 Peninsular 6.2 liter, 250 hp diesel. Any feedback on the risks and what I should look out for ? I love the boat but could not afford to repower if I had a problem.

Thanks for your help !

[RobS]

Many prospective buyers look at buying a Pen powered Albin with the theory that they are purchasing for a price low enough compared to a Yanmar Albin that if they did have to repower they would simply then be in the price range of what a Yanmar Albin would have cost, expect now they have new power. That would be a $20K plus investment.

It sounds like that is more than what you are budgeting. The good thing is that the Pen diesel is not an expensive engine to repair and/or replace compared to other diesels. As far as that specific engine, you can secure the model and serial numbers and contact Peninsular Diesel and obtain more specifics. If you are not familiar with these engines an inspection by a marine diesel mechanic may be an option.

Peninsular Diesel's website is http://www.peninsulardiesel.com. I once spoke to Matt at Peninsular and found him to be quite honest and helpful.

[RWP]

I did buy a boat with a Peninsular diesel (6.5 liter, 330 hp) but the engine failed twice on sea trials (once it began pumping oil from the pan under high speed, the second time there was an internal failure at high speed that required shut-down and towing back to the dock). An effort to repair the motor by doing a valve job on one side was unsuccessful. While I could have sent the engine back to Peninsular and bought a brand new long block for about $7K (not including r and r labor and shipping), my confidence was so shaken that I decided to go whole hog and repower with a brand new Yanmar 6LPA. The engine and transmission were in the $23K ball park. My guess is the labor is going to be arouind $10K. I won't get the boat until next week. The key point for me is that when the engine failed the second time, the seller cut his price so drastically that repowering with the Yanmar was not totally crazy. If the Peninsular repair succeeded, I probably would have repowered with Peninsular if the need arose several years hence. But two major failures in a row were too much to handle psychologically.

I have read many satisfactory reports on this site about the Peninsular engine. I am reasonably confident that my experience is not typical. I believe there were hundreds of Albins powered by Peninsulars and surely many are still running. My advice is to have the engine thoroughly inspected by a qualified engine surveyor and if it passes, go ahead and buy the boat. You may very well get many hours of satisfactory service. If you don't, you can probably find someone who can rebuild the engine...or in the worst case, buy a new long block from Peninsular. My expereince with Matt at Peninsular mirrors others: he is very knowledgable, full of helpful advice, and willing to visit with people. He told me the long blocks they sell are brand new motors. They reuse any "hang on" parts from the old motor you send them (sea water pump, fuel injection pump, alternator, etc.) but they go over those items and won't put them on the new motor if they're questionable.

From what I've heard, it would be wise to treat the Peninsular engine rather gently. It is a light diesel truck engine, best suited to varying loads between 1500 and 2500 rpm. I'm told it does not stand up so well to continuous loads of over 3000 rpm, which is where it would run to achieve "normal" cruising speed. Also, be sure the boat is propped correctly. Many boats are over-propped (meaning they cannot attain fully rated rpm at WOT). The result, lugging the engine, contributes to premature wear. If you're prepared the use the boat as a "fast trawler" and if the engine passes survey and sea trial, you can be pleased that you got a good deal on a great boat.


Good luck!

[jcollins]

RWP,
Thanks for your post. Well said and very informative. I am one of those lucky Peninsular owners. No failures yet. I am approaching 1000 hours this season and other than the normal maintenance required, I'll be hanging on to this engine. I generally run 2700-2900 cruising range. Not because of worry but that speed (18-20) feels right for the boat and crew. WOT is 3500-3600.

On those flat calm mornings when it's just me and the dog I'll run around 3200 for awhile. I have the 6.2 model.
As with anything, maintenance is key. Take care of it, especially if money is tight. A couple of hundred spent here and there sometimes hurts but could save you thousands in the long run. Remember BOAT. (Break Out Another Thousand)

Jsakovits - I love to hear about anyone buying a new-to-them boat, but if you are at the top of your budget you may want to rethink. It's nice to have some extra cash for upgrades, repairs, etc.


Just my two cents...

[jsakovits]

All,

Thanks so much for your very informative feedback. I really appreciate the thoughtful replies. I will try to keep you posted on the results.

Thanks again !