During the last season, 2019 i have had a few issue with my Diesel engine. Well, who haven´t, but when you are out on sea, and you have not a smallest clue, what is going on in engine pit, you feel your self a very helpless.
Good with Diesel is, that when you get it to run, it does run.. until it does not. We are used to think, that only real engine for sailboat is Diesel engine. Why is that?
There is a whole load of great petrol engines to use with your boat and they are much more easy to maintain.
I think, that i have to understand my engine. it can not be very complicated. if the engine is broken, and as long as there is a wind, i can reach the port, but in harbor may come other problems without auxiliary power. Diesel engine for me is too difficult to repair during the sailing.
Vire 12
i decided to change my engine at the same time while i was going to repair the leaking stern tube. i had to lift the previous engine out from boat anyway, so .. why not?
This new engine was made in Finland somewhere in beginning of 1980. It is a single cylinder, two stroke gasoline engine By Valmet. It´s made for marine use. Vire 12.
Decision was easy to take, but the task was more complicated, very interesting anyway.
Engine room was left in pretty good shape after the previous engine.
There was a small difficulties with installation and some of parts need more violence than other, but most of the time, installation was very interesting and rewarding
So, i had made boat ready to get a new auxiliary power in to engine compartment.
Vire engine is a small, probably smallest marine inboard engine in the world, that have been made. Engine is water cooled with integrated gearbox, and still it is shorter than engines without gearbox.
I had to rebuild engine bed, because the Vire 12 motor is smaller than Yanmar diesel engine was. Vire 12 engine weight only 63 kilos in full drive condition, but it was very difficult to try to bring it alone or with help in to the boat. It was easier to bring a truck to place, and to lift engine up without any broken bones.
Engine switching operation is not a light work, even engine is not very heavy. There is many small things than must be completed right, or there will be difficulties ahead.
Mounting engine to correct level from bilge, can be difficult, because you have not a good vision to shaft. There was a plenty of things of similar issues to think about during this installation. Electricity and water income did change the place also.
Engine needed to be lifted several time out and back from it´s place, so it was good, that engine is not heavy.
Slowly and surely Vire 12 found it´s place and start to look like it belongs to this boat and has been here all the time.
Engine fits in place very well and looking good. Small balance issues had to fix still and connections to do, but basically, heavy work was done. From here it would be easy and nice job to set up engine for use. Really peace of cake.
But as we know, so often things want to go different way ..
Sailing West wind 