Re-powering CD30C with Yanmar or Volvo

[S/V Portal]

Hi Everyone

This is my first post to the discussion board and I'm hoping I might get lucky with some help/advice from anybody who has repowered from an MD7A with the Walter V drive to either a Yanmar or Volvo engine. A couple of years ago I purchased a CD30C that had been sailed out to Australia from California that had the original 1979 MD7A with raw water cooling. Sadly, I recently discovered water in the oil and the initial advice I have received from a respected Volvo mechanic in Brisbane is that the engine isn't repairable (or worth repairing??) given its age and non-availability of parts.

I have seen the other threads where owners have repowered with a Beta 14 or 16 incorporating a ZF V drive, but I'm wondering if anyone has gone with a Yanmar or Volvo (I'm told they're most common here in Australia and easiest to access servicing and parts on the east coast of Oz).

If 'yes', I would love to benefit from your advice and experience. Specifically, the mechanic looking to do the work was interested to see if we could get our hands on line drawings of the MD7A/transmission/Walter V drive installation so that he could best pair up a new engine and V drive as well as get a sense for engine mount adjustments and length/configuration of drive shaft. If anyone has access to line drawings, or could point me in the direction of someone who might, that would be huge help.

I haven't been quoted a price yet, so if you don't hear back from me it's because I have keeled over from the shock of it.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

John of SV Portal

[moctrams]

Check out Ben Thomas at Oregon Marine Industries. Ben’s email is omi@integra.net. I bought my Beta BD722 from Ben a few years ago for my Cape Dory 30C. Ben provides detailed engine bed measurements and two stainless steel engine bed adapters.

[S/V Portal]

Hi Moctrams

Thanks for the reply and for pointing me towards Ben. Sorry for the slow response....I thought that I would receive an email alerting me to any replies. Lesson learned

I've been talking to the Beta dealer here in Australia and am waiting on their quote. I'm interested to know if you did the install yourself. I'm reasonably handy having done a couple of house renovations, but never tackled anything like an engine replacement. Having said that, I'm naively optimistic enough to give anything a go.

Assume your happy with the BD722?? Your picture looks like a tidy install.

Thanks again for your advice and direction.

J

[moctrams]

Flag Harbor Marine in St. Leonard, MD installed the Beta for me. This is the 2nd install from them. The 1st was my Cal 29. When we took boat out after install, we buried the stern. The engine beds and detailed measurements form Ben made it so much easier for the yard.

[S/V Portal]

Thanks for that. Did you couple the Beta with a ZF 15MIV v-drive?

[moctrams]

Yes on V-drive. Been very reliable.

[GeorgeH]

Have you considered an electric engine?

I repowered two years replacing a MD7b with a rebuilt Yanmar 2GM20 and while the repowering went fine I wish now I had researched marine battery engines. Diesel engines are dirty and big carbon emitters. It's no wonder Volkswagen went to such pains to trick emissions testing equipment knowing that it's Diesel engines could not meet stringent US emission standards without fudging.

With daily advances in battery storage and solar recharging units becoming more efficient and reliable it seems the future is already here.

And I think there is a reason we all chose to sail instead of motoring about on the water. It's love of the wind and the sound of water pushed aside by the hull.

So why spoil it with a carbon emitting engine.

[Jack.Ducas]

Be sure to check the seals in the water pump of the MD7. My original MD7 1980 had water in the oil and that was the cause of it. My completely rebuilt MD 7 had the same problem. A rebuild kit includes the shaft, Two bearings and two seals. Yes they can still be bought. McDonnell Marine in Bloomfield Ct. 06022 zip code is a great source for parts for any Volvo marine diesel engine. Rebuild the pump, change the oil 4 to 5 times run it in between changes for a short time (no more than a minute) to ensure it flows through all passages (ex. oil journals in the crankshaft). If the engine was not run long before the oil was found you may be OK for a unknown time. I'm very faithful in checking the oil every weekend or everyday if cruising directly because of this very same problem.

[Maine_Buzzard]

Budget for a summer on the hard if you repower yourself.

Move the boat to where your tool shed is located.

Everthing will take twice as long as you expect.

If you think you can reuse it, laugh and set it aside. (Prop shaft, shifter/throttle, exhaust- they will all need to be replaced.)

Only way I’d do another repower is if the boat is unique and I had another to sail around on to lower my blood pressure.

[mgphl52]

Only way I’d do another repower is if the boat is unique and I had another to sail around on to lower my blood pressure.

If I were doing it myself... and had that "other boat to sail around on"... it'd probably not get done...

[Keith]

I also have a 1979 MD7A. Had salt water in the oil 2 years ago. The head gasket was eaten away. The parts are all available. I had the head redone, new gasket, valves, seals, planning, etc.. about $400 total cost with me doing the labor to take it apart and re-assemble. I changed the oil about 6 time in a few weeks and it has been running fine for two years. I also cleaned a lot of rust out of the water jacket when the head was off. It was tedious breaking the rust into small pieces with a long thin screw driver then sucking them out with my oil changer vacuum pump but worth it. I also sailed with out the engine for 5 or 6 weeks in a very tight channel in the east bay of Osterville, MA. My sailing skill were most definitely improved. The highlight was sailing through the narrow channel up to my mooring under spinnaker alone on a very light wind day.

Keith

[jen1722terry]

We echo Maine Buzzard. We repowered last year at a yard and ended up spending far more than we planned for.

We chose a Beta 25 for our 31. Nice engine and easy to do maintenance on. New engine mounts, new shaft, flex coupler, cutlass bearing, control panel, modified exhaust and prop were necessary. Be sure the dealer guarantees that the prop is the correct pitch. Depending on what type of steering pedestal you have, you may need a custom adaptor for the shifter cables (otherwise, they will work in reverse).

Not a project for the faint of heart, but if you have the skill to do it yourself, you could save big $$$.
The payoff is a quieter, more compact, cleaner engine that is easy to maintain. The Beta is also a Kubota block, easy to get some parts for it at a tractor supply.

Jim Walsh also repowered with a new Westerbeke and really likes it.

PM if you want more details and photos of our install.

And we wish you the very best of luck with the repower.

Jenn and Terry

[Jim Walsh]

Jim Walsh also repowered with a new Westerbeke and really likes it.


Jenn and Terry

Actually it was a new Universal M-25XPB......also based on a Kubota block. That was back in "07". They were nearly giving away diesels back then

[jen1722terry]

My mistake, Jim. Chalk it up to my very fuzzy memory with the meds I'm taking for a recent case of shingles. It's like living in an altered state.

And to the original poster of this thread, John, I can send some close-up photos of the adapter that the yard devised to allow our shifter cables to move in the correct directions. It was designed by Neil Collins of Director/Robbinhood and works very well. We are far away from the boat now, but plan to stop in early May to check on it on our way over to New Hampshire. I could easily get photos of the adaptor, or any other facets of the install.

Thinking about this, as your install will have a V-drive and reversed engine, that may eliminate the problem with the reversed shifters. Not sure about this.

Happy sailing to all, if the snow ever stops.

Terry