Go to "FishtheClassic.net" and search under diesels. That is the Shamrock boat owners website and there are lots of oilburner owners there... the Shamrocks that came stock with diesels originally had Cummins motors in them before later changing to Yanmars. The Cummins owners I exchanged emails with were quite happy with theirs. Yanmars are expensive and from what I understand on the forum, not as rugged as Cummins motors. Don't know that from firsthand experience..... but I would really like to swap my 351 Ford motor for a diesel..... it's a lifelong goal!!!

JMH

I've driven GM diesels for years. These motors are so anemic that I doubt you could plane off a canoe. 6.5's are pretty strong with the turbo but they all have injector pump problems, a $1400 fix.

Another problem with the 6.5's is water gets into the block through a warped head and instantly destroys the block.

Please, if you want a reliable boat, don't go with the GM diesels. If you insist on GM, take a good rope heavy enough to tow your boat back to the dock. You'll need it...

Cheers,

Bill

MTUpower the reason I said to replace the tanks is usually in a repowering job the tanks are very old so while everything it out...

Please tell who do you work for? MTU if I remember correctly bought out Detroit and used thier electronics to make the 2000 series?

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Bill,
You have no idea what you are talking about. You may have driven them, but clearly you haven't wrenched on them. The 94+ 6.5's have a terrible record with the electronic pumps. A marine engine runs a mechanical pump as does any 93 or earlier GM. The mechanical pump (Stanadyne) is anvil reliable, they just don't like water in the fuel, a common problem as factory GM water separators suck. The pump is also the basically the same as the mechanical pump on Ford/Navistar 6.9/7.3 pre-Powerstroke engines. Regarding warped heads on 6.5's if you talk to a rebuilder or anyone experienced in GM diesels like maybe Avant Salvage in GA they will tell you that a warped head is a rarity. They don't usually even need a deck cut when rebuilt. Peninsular and AM General have had pretty good luck with the 6.5. It is the only motor installed in the Humvee. RT

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When all else fails, vote from the rooftops!
84' Mercedes Benz 300D Anthracite/black, 171K
03' Volkswagen Jetta TDI blue/black, 93K
93' Chevrolet C2500HD ExCab 6.5TD, Two-tone blue, 252K

The diesel mechanics I know really don't like the GM diesels, they seem to be throw away diesels like the CAT 3208's. The Detroit 6.2 was a GM block I think, their starting to push it at 3k hours.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Hey, I'll be the first to admit that the GM's have problems, and quite a few of them. If you know what the problems are, that solutions exist to some of the problems, and what to look for, etc. the GM's are quite reliable and durable. It just irks me when people start spouting about problems that don't exist. If money is no object then a repower with Yanmars would be the way to go. However, if you are on a budget, like to wrench and want a diesel for marine use that has the same basic weight and footprint as a gas V8 there is only one option readily available, the GM. I know too many people with 200+K on GM's under hard use that they can be completely disregarded. Mechs don't like them because they can be difficult to work on and need more care than the average diesel. RT

__________________
When all else fails, vote from the rooftops!
84' Mercedes Benz 300D Anthracite/black, 171K
03' Volkswagen Jetta TDI blue/black, 93K
93' Chevrolet C2500HD ExCab 6.5TD, Two-tone blue, 252K

What's worth it to me is a trip on a wave crushing/4 cabin/45" plasma big screen/jennifer leather'd sofa 61 footer with 3900 HP burning 200 GPH with a top speed of 49 knots (55 mph), all while looking for tuna that weighs more than you twice over, and a marlin that'll eat that tuna.[/QUOTE]

Now thats fun! Viking 61?

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my last post--

True, the electronic injector pumps are the ones that cause problems. the mechanical pumps are stone reliable.

My point was the 6.2 is anemic compared to the turbo charged 6.5 But the blocks do crack on the 6.5's. I know a number of people with 6.5 pickups and, for whatever reason, the blocks have cracked. I also know 3 local junkyard owners who have disassembled 6.5's to find out why the failure occured and in EVERY instance it was cracked block. I've heard reasons ranging from warped head to mexican material used in the manufacturing of the block.

The military does use 6.5's and 6.2's in the older models. The military also has warehouses of parts and a whole army of mechanics to fix them.

If you really want to find out whats good and whats not, go down to the dock and talk to some boat owners who run diesels. You'll be hard pressed to find many GM diesel fans. Most of these guys run Cats. At least in this area. Don't know a boat owner one who has a Gm diesel. 6.2's = no power and 6.5 = cracked block. If you want reliability, go with the Benz....

Cheers,

Bill

Does anyone know where I can get info on the volvo composite stern drive and engines?

Try this website for comments:
http://my.boatus.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=49099&KW=composite

I'm sure Volvo has info at their website.

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1984 300Sd 210k

Former cars:
1984 300D 445k (!!) (Strider) Original (and not rebuilt) engine and transmission. Currently running on V80 ( 80% vegetable oil, 20% petroleum products). Actually not, taking a WVO break.
1993 300d 2.5 275k. Current 120/day commuter
1981 300SD 188k (Hans) Killed by a deer

I like Volvo's they make a good drive and engine, their plastic drive is real cool! I was looking at one at the Norwalk Boat show last year. But ordering parts for Volvo is a monster pita!! Not to mention customer service is a joke.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Didn't Volvo have some kind of outdrive problem? Maybe I'm thinking of the early models.

Cheers,

Bill

What about water skiing behind a diesel?

I don't know? Volvo's seem to hold up well overall, our old 270 is like new but it must have over 1k hours on it. With that being said I'll buy a Merc next time around.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Asked a guy today who has the Volvo. He loves his but tells me the most common probelm is not replacing the boot [the rubber between the outdrive and the boat] before it goes bad, causing an assortment of other problems.

Cheers,

Bill