Repair
Marine engine repower done as a system, not a swap
A repower replaces worn out engines with new power and brings the mounts, controls, exhaust, cooling and propellers into agreement with what has been installed. Done properly it gives an otherwise sound hull another two decades. Done as a straight swap it produces a boat that never quite runs right.
The engine is the easy part of a repower
Bolting in a new engine is straightforward. Getting the propeller matched to the new power curve, the exhaust sized correctly, the beds and mounts aligned and the electronic controls talking to the gauges is where repowers succeed or fail. A mismatched propeller will keep a brand new engine from ever reaching rated RPM.
What is included
- Assessment of whether repower or rebuild is the better spend
- Engine selection against hull, gear ratio and intended use
- Removal of existing engines and preparation of the beds
- Alignment, mounts and coupling
- Exhaust, cooling and fuel system adaptation
- Electronic controls, harness and instrumentation
- Propeller matching and wide open throttle verification
- Sea trial and commissioning
How it works
Decide
Sometimes a rebuild is the right answer and I will say so. The decision turns on hull condition, hours, parts availability and how long you intend to keep the boat.
Install
Out with the old, beds prepared, new engines aligned, then exhaust, cooling, fuel, controls and instruments.
Commission
Sea trial with wide open throttle verification. If the boat will not reach rated RPM the propeller gets corrected, because an engine that cannot reach its rated speed is being overloaded every time you run it.
A marine repower requires the propeller to be matched to the new engine's power curve, because an engine that cannot reach its rated wide open throttle RPM is overloaded in normal operation and will not achieve its expected service life.
Related repair work
Diesel Repair
Engine, transmission and generator service on marine diesels, from routine maintenance through a complete repower.
Engine Diagnostics
Find the actual cause before parts get bought, using engine management data, live readings and a borescope.
Valve Adjustment
Valve clearance adjustment and tune ups that restore compression, economy and starting on high hour engines.
Engine Repower: common questions
Repower or rebuild, which makes more sense?
It depends on hull condition, engine hours, parts availability and how long you plan to own the boat. A sound hull with unobtainable engine parts argues for repower. A newer engine with one failed component usually argues for repair.
Do I need new propellers with a repower?
Often yes, or at least a re-pitch. Different power and torque curves want a different propeller, and the wide open throttle test at commissioning tells us whether the match is right.
How long does a repower take?
It varies widely with engine availability, yard scheduling and how much of the surrounding system needs adapting. The realistic answer comes after I have looked at the installation.
Tell me what the engine is doing
Describe the symptom on the phone and most of the time the problem is narrowed before I arrive. Surveys are booked around your sea trial date.