A Yanmar mounted on an Ecume de Mer
Our Sea Foam is originally equipped with a Yanmar YSE8. This rustic and reliable single-cylinder diesel block develops 8 horsepower and has been mounted on many production boats.
The block installed on our Ecume having not been run for several years, we had few illusions about an easy restart. Its access is rather well thought out for an 8m sailboat. So we remove the few panels closing the engine hold to estimate the extent of the damage.
The water pump is covered with a nice layer of salt. Several hoses are cracked. A thin film of rust surrounds the whole engine, which does not bode well. An examination of the oil dipstick confirms the presence of a nice mayonnaise in the oil pan, which indicates that the engine has swallowed water. There's no point in trying to restart it.
The funeral of our Yanmar seems to have to be organized, but some elements give us hope. Some recent parts, even new ones, were installed by the previous owner. The starter is new, as is the injection pump.
A refit or a replacement?
There are two scenarios:
- a replacement with a used engine
- refurbishment of the installed one
Our budget does not allow us the option of a new motorization. After having looked at the few classified ads, we choose to refurbish the existing block. Indeed, not being able to have the history of the proposed engines, we refuse to invest in a second hand one.
We take advantage of the fairing to grill the damaged block. The Ecume de Mer having been well designed, the exit of the rust pile is very easy.
A "new" refurbishment
The dismantling of the upper part of the engine confirms the diagnosis. It is necessary to change piston, connecting rod and ring. The cylinder head can be recovered and sent to a specialist for rework.
New parts are ordered. Despite its great age, we can easily find the spare parts. Yanmar has maintained the production of spare parts for blocks built more than 40 years ago.
A scrape with a needle gun allows to remove the rust from the rest of the block. A primer and a new color give a second youth to our old block. Before returning to the engine hold it has occupied for over 40 years.
A substantial budget
Replacing it with a new engine required a budget of about 9,000 euros, not including the costs of modifying the engine mount. Refurbishing the Yanmar came to less than 3,000 euros.
As mentioned above, this is the value of an equivalent engine on the used market. But we now know the history of our engine, and we can consider using it with peace of mind.
