Repowering Cost -- 28TE

[RWP]

I have written elsewhere about my recent purchase of a 1998 28TE with what turned out to be a bad Peninsular engine and the fact that as I write it is being repowered with a 315 hp Yanmar. I am paying right around $23K for the engine and transmission. That's the price quoted by the distributor and the yard and I didn't find anything better on the 'net. It looks like Yanmar has the prices pretty well locked in. In this weak economy, I had hoped to find a supplier that would be glad to unload one sitting on the shelf for 25% or so less...but no luck. Now my question...to anyone who has done something similar...approximately how many hours of labor is reasonable to pull out the old Peninsular and install the new Yanmar? Should they be able to use the existing engine instruments and controls or will I have to get new ones? What other "extras" might I expect? I have confidence in the yard but would like hearing others' experiences with similar projects. Did you run into any major pot holes? Any advice/observations would be most welcome.

[jleonard]

I repowered a Mainship in 1999. I did all the engineering and all the work except for actually lifting the engine and bolting in place and the yard screwed that part up. They made good on it but I had to hold their feet to the fire.
I ended up spending "about" $ 18 K NET, but I had a good engine and tranny to sell($3000), about $1000 in spare parts including a spare shortblock.
At the time my new Cummins 6BTA w/ tranny was $14,500 so you can do the math to figure the rest.
I used the existing boat's gages at both stations and used the senders from the original engine (eventually I changed some of those out to new sender/gage sets).
Since I increased the horsepower significanlty I had to completely redo the exhaust including a custome riser/elbow, fuel feed and returns, raw water intake.

I can't even describe the hours but I started in mid February and got my Cummins certificate signed off the friday of Memorial day weekend. (The Cummins tech barely got off the boat and I was pulling out of the slip headed to Block)

There were a lot of days where everything I planned to do ran into a stumbling block and I would need the week to get the right parts, fittings, clamps, wires, connectors,etc. then the next week I'd get several things finished up.
One stumbling big block was that I followed the Cummins supplied instal manual to a T, and failed the first inspection becase the manual was supeceded with a larger raw water thu hull size. I had to haul the boat and put in a new thru hull, strainewr, hose, etc. Cummins did step up to the plate and reimburse me for everything including the haulout charge once I showed them the manual revision I was gioven by the distributor.
I only told that story so you'll get an idea of how involved it can be.

I would do it again in a heartbeat though..new engine = new boat esp if you kick it up a notch or three.

Yes I am planning a repower of my old trawler. I am working on a marine conversion of a pickup truck Cummins 6BT.

Hope this helps.

[RWP]

Now that the repowering project is complete and we have taken delivery of the boat, I can report that it cost approximately $9500 beyond the price of the engine. The yard had to do a fair amount of fabrication to make everything work and the price adds up quickly at $90 to $100 per hour! The extras I had not counted on were a new 4 blade Nibral prop (about $1100 -- thought surely it was solid gold), a new instrument panel (another $1100), and a second exhaust elbow to get the height of the exhaust to Yanmar's specifications ($700 including labor).

So...the lessons I learned from this are (1) you don't really save any money by buying a boat that needs a new motor (although when I bought this one, I was optimistic that the existing motor could be repaired rather easily); (2) there are likely to be unforseen glitches that cause added time and expense, (3) a brand new motor really runs beautifully and makes the boat a joy to drive, (4) I will maintain that baby as specified to keep her running like new for as many years as I own the boat.

In the end, I wound up paying as much for this boat as I would have for one equipped with a Yanmar 6LPA right out of the box -- but on the other hand it is gratifying to have a totally new power plant in which I can have complete confidence. The boat itself still has a few kinks but they are nothing major and can wait easily until we return to FL next fall. My only regret is that we had no time to play with the boat after the three day trip from Ft. Myers Beach to the Tampa Bay area.

[jleonard]

I can report that it cost approximately $9500 beyond the price of the engine

That seems high to me but it is what it is. You are at the mercy of the yard. If the job is top notch then all is well.
Enjoy the new power.

[RobS]

Considering the costs of the repower with the 6LP this boat is a good buy. Plus she looks clean and many important items were attended to over the last few years. Surprised there is no engine picture? Looks a little naked without the radome and rocket launchers....

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/ ... 12184&url=