28TE Engine Box with Yanmar 4LH DTYE-93 Performance,Handling

[JIMBO44]

This Post concerns Matter of Time, 1994 28TE, with Yanmar, 4LH-DTE-93. The ship was picked up in Jacksonville, FL. Our plan was to sail down the East Coast to Port Saint Lucie Florida, our Home Port on the Saint Lucie River. The overall trip was about 180 miles, ending when we entered the St Lucie Inlet at Stuart Fl and sailed up the beautiful St Lucie River to our home dock on our lagoon in Port St Lucie. The Admiral and I alternated driving the boat, spending about 9 hours a day on the water at a leisurely 9-10 knot speed having great fun stopping and admiring the flora and fauna, dolphin, and manatee. We spent three days, spending the night at the Municipal Marinas in Titusville and then Vero Beach. This was our first Albin experience, I had been reading the AOG for a year in preparation for hoped for ownership. I found the boat on the web, got the aid of a Broker handling it for the owner, secured a great Surveyor and had the boat surveyed and Sea Trial performed before closing at the Broker. I went back the next weekend with the Admiral and we jumped on board! Big Adventure ahead! I was 73 years young, the Admiral a few years younger (classified information), we have been married 52 years, lived all over the world.
Now as to the boat and performance and handling; she was in great shape, only 670 hours on the 4 cylinder Yanmar. My big concern was handling my first Diesel, single screw, rudder guided boat. I had read years of great user supplied info on the AOG site. The Pulitizer Prize winner for me was the unbelievably well written guide to handling on the AOG. This Captain not only knows how to do it but can explain it in an outstanding fashion. Upon picking up the boat, we spent about 20 minutes practicing backing up and then figured out that it would take about 20 more hours to approach smiling ease. We swallowed (my) pride and called ahead to both Marinas and asked Dockmasters for help. Of course they were glad to oblige and had hands with lines waiting for us. Our cruise was uneventful, the boat beautiful, wonderful and steady to handle, we took even shifts at the helm, loafing in the cabin or at the stern in beautiful weather. Needless to say the Admiral was much happier at sea in an Albin TE than in our previous outboard powered boats or even in a 42ft beautiful Sea Ray Sedan Bridge.

By the way, the trusty little four cylinder Yanmar really sips diesel fuel at 8-10 knots with favorable seas/wind/current. I usually cruise locally at that speed in deference to our local wildlife and sealife. When in a hurry 14-15 knots at 3,000 rpm gives happy instrument readings and gets us to fishing ground 15-20 miles out at sea 30% faster. Fuel consumption is always a pleasant surprise. It costs my neighbor over $500 with 30 ft Regulator and dual 250 2-stroke Yamaha's for a days fishing in same grounds. Engine noise at 9-10 is not a problem, at 15 is not objectionable at all. I have not measured fuel consumption as no flow meter if anyone has empirical data, I would appreciate it. By the way we can now cruise for dinner at our local on water dining establishments without have to hang 10 fenders on the docking side or stern. Another great aid was having the AOG and a great member forward us the hull drawings to aid in lift set up at home. JIMBO44, Matter of Time

[DougSea]

Awesome write up Jim!

The 28TE was the boat that made my wife a comfortable boater as well. Glad to hear you're both enjoying the "new" ride.

[N4QC]

You will get excellent results from the 4LH-DTE when properly maintained along with its support systems. Mine is a 92-93 vintage, #21456, installed in a ’93 24’ Albin Getaway.

The first thing I would check is the primary fuel filter housing. I am guessing that it is a Racor 500 series. If so keep in mind that the new replacement filters now come with an adaptor “O” ring spacer. See designatedengineer.com for more information. Older new style filter elements may not have the spacer. Old old elements don’t need the spacer. A missing required spacer will cause fuel to be passed directly to the secondary filter on the engine. I now carry the necessary tools to change out the engine filter when not at the dock (experience)… Also recommend a pointer fuel filter restriction gauge.

Not all support systems are alike such as the exhaust system and transmission. The Yanmar instrument panel varies and generally the tach is 50 -100 rpms off. A Harbor Fright laser tach gives a much more accurate reading. You may find that the cooling temperature runs a little hotter here in Florida as raw waters temps reach into the 90’s. Believe engine design was for raw water to be at 77-78 degrees…

Search this site for more comments on the 4LH-DTE. Boatdiesel is another good site as well as the Yanmar help site in the UK. To get to the help site you have to go in through a side door. The link is somewhere on the AOG site – my memory is fading…

The 4LH parts catalog is Y00R3252 (be careful in reading it as it covers several LH engines). The general LH service manual is 00A0A1030-1.

Have not seen empirical datum for fuel usage. Have seen the fuel-torque curve but don’t remember where. Best performance was at about 2650 rpm.

Enjoy,

[whwells]

Joe: Congra's on your Albin. Sounds like it has already given you the experience and dependabiliy we have all come to expect from Yanmar. The later model 28te have the 6 cylinder.
I know your engine well. My previous boat to the Ablin was a 290 Lurhs 1990 with twin 4LH-DTE engines. Even with twins it was a very lean fuel boat to opeate. My problems with the Luhrs was just a failure on my part to find a good Yanmar Mech. locally. Finally sold it to a local 6Pack fisherman who has a Cummins man (formerly also worked on Yanmars) who has really done wonders for him and the boat.

I know his mechanic feels he will get 10,000 hours out of the engines with care and good service. Often we hear of 5,000 hours but I was surprised at the expectation of double that. If that is the case the your engine will likely out last your fishing and cruising days.

Great fine in an Albin. They are much better boats than the Luhrs in my mind.

whwells "Howard"
2006 35te Sportfisher/Flybridge
2004 Osprey Pilothouse 22

[N4QC]

The side door link to the Yanmar help site, which is independent of Yanmar, is:

http://www.yanmarhelp.com/index.htm

The forum page link off the home page does not work...

The site is a good read for most aspects of a vessel - not just the engine...

Have fun,