Engine choices in the 28TE

[JAMESDIKER]

By way of introduction, I am looking to purchase a 28TE and as part of my search I have used this site to gather as much information as possible to aid in making an informed purchase decision. With that said, I have gained a general impression of each engine model offered for the 28TE and I am seeking opinions as to the accuracy of my general impressions as I describe below. In addition, any comment you may add offering pros and cons not mentioned below would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your comments.

Yanmar 315 - Seems to be the most popular engine model and does not have a significant downside. Reliability is good, the engine is fuel efficient, quiet and light. Repair costs are in the middle of the pack and parts and support are easy to find.

The Beast - This engine has a general reputation as not being as reliable as the other engine choices and parts are getting hard to find. My impression is to stay away from this engine.

Cummins- I heard the engine is very reliable but a bit loud. Parts are easy to find and less expensive than the other engine models. On the downside, I read a thread that suggested the engine is heavy and when fully loaded, a 28TE with the Cummins installed will run with the exhaust ports submerged leading to the possibility of water ingestion.

Volvo- Good reliability, good power to weight ratio, quiet and fuel efficient . On the downside, parts are crazy expensive and the engine operating controls are more complicated than the other engine models listed above.

All comments / opinions are valued.

[Norseman]

Can only comment on the Yanmars:
Parts can be very expensive, I paid $280 for a belt tensioner in Florida at a Yanmar dealer, but the same part can be had for $35 in other countries.
Same with numerous other service parts, total ripoff, but Toyota sell the exact same parts, but you have to look hard to find them.

The Yanmar can also be difficult to work on: Hard to reach raw water pump and anodes come to mind: The engine was shoe horned into the boat.
I did all my own services for 5 years, then got tired of it, sold the boat.
See this thread: https://albinowners.net/aog/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10612

[WillieC]

I am finding out what Norseman just described. (We sold our beloved A25 and bought a NordicTug 26 with a shoehorned Yanmar.) Oh yeah. The water pump. If we lose an impeller I'll just cut the hoses and scuttle the boat. Or take out a second mortgage and buy a spare pump.

Not so sure about submerging the exhaust ports when loaded. It's all about height of of the engine exhaust discharge point above the loaded water line. This usually involves scrapping the as-built exhaust system and having a dry riser installed. (I have no knowledge of how the 28s were built, but this issue is common on many marques and not limited to Yanmars. Beware. Seaboard Marine is a wealth of knowledge on this subject.)

[Norseman]

Or take out a second mortgage and buy a spare pump.

Ha, it is bad, but not quite at the mortgage level yet.
I bought 2 spare raw water pumps from Sweden, $200 less than in the US, no sales tax and only $25 for express shipping.

[Carl]

Ha, I agree the pump is difficult, but a 3/8” battery ratchet, and the correct size metric allthread stud for aligning the second half of the pump can make your life much easier. Just be sure to have extra gaskets available, they tear easy. I always find myself hearing the song “can’t touch this” playing in the background………

[Sisu22]

I have the Cummins and I think the main selling points are rugged durability and parts cost. You will also have no problem finding someone skilled to work on them. Friends also like their Yanmars. I know at least with the Cummins there is some salt water ingestion issues, but I have an unmodified exhaust and have had no issues in 5 years in salt water. And I think the turbo I have is a lot older than that...