VW diesels, unexpensive but.. viable?

[KANEV]

The same power what I can get from 85hp outboart.
??????????????
It is not going to be strong enough?
thank you

[sww914]

Bitchy thread

[kelldog]

Well;
Here's a bump to this thread. I have just acquired a 41 ft Trimaran with the pathfinder diesel in it..runs great but need an air fillter. Can someone give me an idea where to get one of find the company in canada? (if it still around)
Thank you,
Kelldog

[oceanscapt]

I've read about Cal owners not liking the Pathfinder engines but it's nice to get some positive comments. For me the biggest problem is deciding if I can get parts in 5 years. I'd sleep a lot better if the engine in the boat I'm looking at was a 4-108.

[trailblazer1229]

Originally Posted by Federico

Is there somebody outthere with experience about marinised VW 1900 diesels out of rabbits, golfs ect? Marinising kits are available, but I''d like to know about them before going into one

I would do A LOT of research about that engine. Older VW engines have a lot of parts made out of magnesium. Have you ever seen magnesium burn? If that engine were to catch fire on your boat.....Magnesium burns underwater and when water is applied to a magnesium fire, it lights up like a white pospherous grenade. So, putting water on it makes it worse. A lot worse. You would be surrounded by water if it were to catch fire.

[oceanscapt]

Originally Posted by trailblazer1229

I would do A LOT of research about that engine. Older VW engines have a lot of parts made out of magnesium. Have you ever seen magnesium burn? If that engine were to catch fire on your boat.....Magnesium burns underwater and when water is applied to a magnesium fire, it lights up like a white pospherous grenade. So, putting water on it makes it worse. A lot worse. You would be surrounded by water if it were to catch fire.

While I agree with the magnesium heat, I have seen very few fiberglass boats survive catching fire. If I were on a steel/aluminum boat I doubt I could pump enough water or carry enough Class D extinguishers to put the fire(s) out.

[hellosailor]

Trailblazer, can you cite any ONE reference to a magnesium engine block, magnesium engine parts, magnesium lawnmower deck, magnesium laptop case...magnesium ANYTHING on the consumer market experiencing a magnesium fire?

I doubt it.

You might be able to set engine parts on fire, but well before then you'd have a fully involved fuel fire on the boat and you'd be abandoning ship anyway.

While you're at it, worry about engine intake and exhaust valves. The really good ones are internally cooled by a liquid sodium flow in their cores, and liquid sodium isn't very nice to be around either. Yet somehow, it never is a problem in engine parts.

[Faster]

I've owned two boats with marinized VW engines (and still have one). I don't think the magnesium issue is a seriously valid concern... fires on diesel engines - or boats for that matter - are rare enough.

As for the engine it seems to me that the tens of thousands Rabbits around the world getting 2-300 K miles on them without issue is testament enough to the toughness and durability of the core power. With a worldwide base, I reckon basic engine parts are more widely available than any Yanmar/Volvo/ etc source. Certainly parts are cheaper and quicker to access. The marinized parts (RWP, manifold/reservoir, gearboxes) are mainstream brands like Perkins or Jabsco or Sherwood, Hurth and as such are little different from the rest.

The aluminium head calls for caution and a studious avoidance of overheating, but at 4 cyl, 40+ HP and relatively light weight it makes for a pretty nice reliable engine. A bit noisy compared to some, but careful path treatment can eliminate or minimize a lot of that. As with any installation, vibration issues often create more noise than the engine itself.

I believe my boat sat on the market for some time because of the engine.. and for that, I'm grateful. On our previous boat we did a complete rebuild top to bottom for no more than $2500.... price that out for a 4 cyl Volvo or Yanmar.... Some years ago a friend was out of pocket $3400 by the time he fixed/replaced the cylinder head on a 8 hp 1 cyl Bukh.

[tager]

Magnesium is not very noble though.

[rcarr]

I have own an Islander sailboat with a pathfinder 50 for ten years. The engine is like all engines, if maintained properly it will run great for years. As for as Pathfinder, they are still in business. You can contact them at pathfinder@pathfindermarine.com or call them at 514-695-6676. They offer great service and techincal support. Give them an engine serial number and they will produce a manual specifically for that engine. Included in the manual will be a parts list with corresponding VW part numbers so that you can buy parts locally.


rcarr