Some very nice work here! MAN WHAT A JOB...

http://www.coastalboatsales.com/jfraley/gallery/albums.php

Mostly pictures but shows how they did those little things we have always wondered about. I haven't found an e-mail address but I have some questions;

1 Do both shafts turn the same direction?
2 Isn't that riser gonna' be real hot? Can it be wraped?
3 Will the OM 617's hold up to the extreme conditions?
4 Have they saved money vs. purchasing new marinized engines? (Obviously you can't count the labor!)

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85 300sd 400k
99 e300td 101k (hers)
34' californian twin 5.9 cummins
1999 F350 Powerjoke 75k
2001 F150 Supercrew 51k
19681/2 GT/CS

Generally, diesel engine exhaust isn't as hot as gasoline engine exhaust. Risers always have raw water exhausting on the exit side of the riser manifold, and do not see one installed in the photos.

Engine rotation is with counter rotating engines usually, torque from engines turning the same rotation will cause poor rudder response and steerage.

I would bet the 617 would hold up better than many jap marine diesels very well, but they are kinda heavy!

It all depends on what they paid for their 617 engines. A 6 cylinder Westerbeke diesel can run over ten grand new! If you add turbo charging, a lot more! My guess is that it could be cheaper to go with the MB 617.

Well I guess his site can't handle the hits it's getting now. It will only let a few people view at a time.

__________________
85 300sd 400k
99 e300td 101k (hers)
34' californian twin 5.9 cummins
1999 F350 Powerjoke 75k
2001 F150 Supercrew 51k
19681/2 GT/CS

on the last page there are two movies of the engines running,look pretty good, they painted them white, i hope the valve covers are next.

The exaust manifolds are also stock. The motors are not marinized in traditional fashon so it's really apples and oranges in comparison. I like the water jacket type exaust through the transom. I Guess that might improve performance vs. wet exaust. Sounds good too.

__________________
85 300sd 400k
99 e300td 101k (hers)
34' californian twin 5.9 cummins
1999 F350 Powerjoke 75k
2001 F150 Supercrew 51k
19681/2 GT/CS

Very impressive project, it makes me want a boat.... I'm also liking the sound of the exhaust on that thing, sounds pretty good!!!

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Oh yeah, 3800 rpm out to the fishin hole is gonna sound sweet.

__________________
85 300sd 400k
99 e300td 101k (hers)
34' californian twin 5.9 cummins
1999 F350 Powerjoke 75k
2001 F150 Supercrew 51k
19681/2 GT/CS

Nice idea saddled unfortunately, with incomplete planning.

1) I give those exhaust weldments about 5-6 hours worth of OM617.952 vibration before they develop a crack about where they're welded to the turbo outlets. If there was anyplace on a boat where you need a flexible coupling, it would be at that turbo outlet (think about what that engine does to aircleaner mounts).

2) That boat has two different engines. The portside engine has an SLS pump. Doing a project like this, I believe that I'd find two IDENTICAL engines to work with.

3) The soft, squishy high-dollar, over-engineered MBZ engine mounts have been left out enitrely. I can just imagine what kind of vibration those engines will transmit into the hull of that vessel at idle.

4) OM617.952s are ungoverned above 1100 rpm. It will take CONSTANT throttle jockying to maintain a given speed especially during low speed manuvering while docking

Mind you, the fabrication skills shown in that album are amazing. I'm soooo envious of someone that can pull off that sort of stuff.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Idling or under load?

Idling: not too hot
Under load: not only yes, but HELL yes.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

If I can remember my college physics with respect to torques and the right hand rule with of two counterclockwise spinning propellers, won't it be harder to make right hand turns?

Hmm, maybe the ZF transmissions solved this? One trans would have to have an even number of gears and the other have an odd number to have counterrotating output shafts....hmm

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

I don't know what model of ZF marine tranny those guys are using but a lot of ZFs have the same kW ratings in both ahead and astern modes which solves a LOT of problems dealing with reverse rotation engines. Basiacally, you just install a LH wheel on that side, rig the shift linkage backwards and cruise.

Edit:ZF63A marine transmission specs

The reverse ratio is slightly different so you have to pitch that wheel a little differently than the one the is running in "ahead" mode.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

A guy once asked me if it was possible to do this with two 617's. He wanted one to spin in reverse though...

Another problem point, a lot of 617s vary from engine to engine on output power, I hope they had two pretty close otherwise that boat will be going in large circles

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

Being the owner of a simular boat I know that the motor must be solidly mounted period. There is absolutely no play in the alignment of those prop shafts. There are flexible couplers available but they only allow for .010 of an inch! They are designed for short mis-alignment periods and when grabbing the wrong lever on the dash. I dont think the vibration will be as bad as you might think. The motors are mounted on a very long fiberglass support which is very very strong and solid. An old fiberglass boat like that is unbelievably stout. I would worry more about the starting and stopping clunk. Those motormounts will need to be very strong. (so will the block...)

__________________
85 300sd 400k
99 e300td 101k (hers)
34' californian twin 5.9 cummins
1999 F350 Powerjoke 75k
2001 F150 Supercrew 51k
19681/2 GT/CS

Back about 20 years ago they stopped having the engines rotate in a different direction, now the trans do it.

Personaly I have never seen an automotive engine put into a boat that wasn't a complete hack job. Most burn tons of fuel and blow up in short order.

Good luck to him, they would be better off with a used set of Yanmars or Cummins B series.

Come resale time I wouldn't touch a boat with such a conversion with a 10ft pole.

Those engines should be running just south of 4k rpm at extremly high loads. Higher then they will ever see in normal street use.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Don't the transmissions he used have a 1.5 output ratio? Then at 4,000rpm the prop would be going around 6000rpm! Do they really go that fast??! I don't really know about that stuff but it seems mighty fast for a propeller...

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)