Peninsular Diesels

[Albinflorida]

As a dealer, I know the "dock talk" on the Peninsular 300. Too heavy, too big, too loud, but in my 9 years of selling these boats I have not run into any more problems with "reliability" than I have with any other diesel engines. Any feedback?

[Mariner]

I think that's the exact same answer you'll get from the members here who have them. They all seem very satisfied and no one has reported any abnormal problems.

Do the rumors of unreliability actually target any specific cause? I know some engines have bad reputations, but usually it's predicated on a specific piece of faulty engineering or manufacturing that can be isolated and identified. The rumors mentioned here seem to only be of the generic "avoid the Peninsular" variety.

[jcollins]

When I started looking around I heard all the stories but never could find the specific problem. Is it because they are GM? Is it because they are noisey? All diesels are noisey aren't they? The Volvo in my last boat was very quiet compared to this one. Everyone told me to stay away from Volvo too. Must be me...

Anyway, 785 hours on mine. There was nothing in the maintenance records from the previous owner. (that doesn't mean nothing happened) But he seemed to be very good about records. I have had two things happen to me last season. The invertor took a hit from lightning and the rocker switches on the dash broke. (3 or 4 of them) Everything else was normal stuff. Most of my problems were related to learning about a new boat.
I should change my signature to read "just about any engine will last if you take care of it" (I must have posted that 50 times on this board and others.)

[tomcat rio]

ntxt

[Denis]

I also have an Albin with a Peninsular installed, 665 hours and not one problem. My previous owner was also very good about record keeping and listed no problems with the engine just one entry when he bought the boat new with air getting into the fuel line at the primary fuel filter. The dealer wrote him a letter and explained how to locate the problem. Other than that there has been nothing, not one problem. I love to listen to the nay sayers trying to warn people about something they know nothing about. As far as I can tell from all the posts listed in the several sites I read, I wouldn't own any of the more common "marine diesels" out on the market if they gave them to me, valve problems, very expensive zincs all over the engine, high priced replacement parts, lots of smoke and the list goes on.
You can keep them all, I'll keep my american made Peninsular. I know 665 hours is not 2,000 hours but I guess I'll find out as I go along. The Peninsular factory has told me to just keep the filters clean, don't run it out of fuel and don't worry about a thing until I hit 2,000 hours.

[tomcat rio]

..my 80th birthday...

[chiefrcd]

Pulled one too many G's there Tom