Repower of 50C with 60 series - will they fit?

[Pair A Dice]

I want to repower o 1980 50c with 825 hp 60 series Detroit. Can anyone tell me if they will fit.

 

[Liquid Asset]

We too are looking into this because we may have a blown engine. We have a 1982 50C. I think the Series 60 will fit, but it woudl be tight. I did have the oportunity to see a 1985 52C with 900 Yanmars in it and have extensive conversation with the captain who oversaw the project. It was a very sweet ride and the boat did amost 32kts at the top end.

My concern is how to get them out. The starboard enigne would require removing the Galley and I do not think that would be an easy task. At this point we are still looking around, adn do not even know if what is completly wrong. Let me know what you find out. I would like to hear of what fits.

By the way, which motors do you have? Where is your boat located? I would love to see another 50C from my series. They are few and far between.

 

[Spellbound]

Have seen a pair of Cat 3406E's, the Yanmars mentioned above and Man 2840LE403's @ 1050hp all in the 52' model. Series 60 should fit, but it seems to me as though I heard they will not be continuing that model. You might want to check that out with a distributor.

 

[Liquid Asset]

I would vote for the 3406E's. But I have been a Caterpillar fan since the day I set foot on a big boat. If they will fit, I think you would be very happy with them.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I would think the disadvantage of the Series 60 and Yanmar 900 is that they are V-series engines, which take up more space...the 3406E is an inline six- narrower and smoother. I didn't know they were discontinuing the Series 60...they were at the boat show last week.

 

[harnett]

Not eactly sure how the 50c campares with the 53c on engine room space but Cummings in Charleston has a 53c they use as a factory test boat that currently has QSM's installed. The engine room looks like you could hold a dance in there it is so spacious. I am comparing it to my 53c with the 12v71's. Access is pretty good with those but the inline 6 engines make a huge difference.

 

[JAM3]

Both the Cat 3406E and the DD Series 60 , at least the ones I have in trucks , are both inline 6 cyl.

 

[Walter P]

When I was at the local DD dealership last week I inquired as to the status of series 60 and the guys at the service desk were unsure about their future. They did suggest that the factory "Reliabuilt" would be great if all the parts for marinizing were available at a decent cost. The price of a Reliabilt engine was pretty reasonable at about $15,500.00. Food for thought.

P.S. Series 60, 6 cyl in line. very narrow... be sure to check height however as it looked pretty tall in their showroom.

Walt

 

[rtrafford]

per Mr. Slane the engine rooms of both the 50c and the 53c are identical. i've installed 3406E-800's upon Tom's recommendation as well as my past favorable-history with cats. the series 60 was an option for me to consider as well.

the only thing you might encounter is a restructure of the floor joists for the cabin sole, but that certainly is an easy task.

in getting them out consider removing one then sliding the other over and out...or, consider bringing them in, dropping the nose, and tucking them into place.

be creative.

 

[Pair A Dice]

I have completely rebuilt the 50c added 3 ft, new cockpit, electronic controlls, 2x 20kw Northern lights, and repowered with 8V92TA 760 DDEC (up from the original 550 8V92TI) -- we have 2.7 :1 ZF transmissions. My props are the carbon fibre ones from Europe but they are currently to large. I have e "depitched" version ready to install.

However I have had a torrid time with the 92's and I doubt that they can give me the reliability with the performance that I require. I presently do 19 knots full at 1700 rpm (85% load on the computer). If I push it up to 2100 (they overheat very quickly) I can get 25kt.

The new props may help but in the last 18 months we have blown valves and cracked heads too may times to admit, even though we criuse at apprx 1750 rpm and the engines run cool at the speed. We never exceed this limit!!

I think ultimately I want to cruise at 20kt and top out at 26kt and to do this and have the reliability I will need bigger engines.

Can you gime me details as to the performance of the Yanmars?? Did they use the V8 900 HP engine?

I will send some photos for those who may be interested.

 

[Liquid Asset]

The Yanmars I saw were 900's and they moved them back on the stringers to keep the weight towards the stern. This allowed good access around the front of the engine which is a stretch with the 92s. They recieved good performance, while I woudl personally not use Yanmar as my first choice, they were very happy with them.

I would love to have some Pictures. You have done what I would like to do and am in the process, but I really would like to see that cockpit with 3 feet added.

How did you get your engines out when you changed them? Did you disasemble the galley? and then cut the floor?

We are thinking of removing the engines to rebuild or obtaining new to us engines.

 

[Pair A Dice]

I have been trying to send some pictures -- no luck.

However we completely gutted the salon/engine room and thus had no problem putting the new engines in. In the additional 3ft of dry space at the back we put the ac and watermaker. We moved the halon cylinders into the lazarette which gave us a lot more space in the engine room.

If I put new power into the boat I will have to cut the back bulkhead into the salon and tear up the back part of the salon floor -- not disturbing the new galley etc and get the new engines in.

 

[Liquid Asset]

The last 52C i got to see with a repower, they cut the window in the back of the salon almost a foot larger verticallly. It looked really good, and they were able to remove/install the engines through that window.

Where have you been able trying to send the pictures? I would really like to see these pictures. Where is your boat located?

 

[Pair A Dice]

Iam locted in Trinidad.

I tried your email at pbustle@unitedyacht.com. It sais that the file is too large.

If you give me another address I will send pictures.

We put new windows, bow rails, flybridge windshields etc. It has o very different look.

Adding the lenghth makes it a much better performing boat and she runs in to the sea as good as any. As you probably know she fishes in a beam sea way better than the newer boats.

 

[AquaNav77]

Hi Guys:

Very interesting topic. First of all the DD series 60 will shortly be cancelled according to my source at Florida Detroit Diesel Allison located in Ft. Lauderdale. These guys handle the SE Marine District for DD. A six cylinder MTU series 2000 will eventually fill in the slot. No date set as of yet.

As to the Yanmar 900 hp, this is really a Scania marine engine that has been only slightly modified with the Yanmar nameplate stamped on it. With the impending sale of Scania being contemplated in Europe, this marriage may be terminated with Yanmar. Cummins in this HP range is not in the picture leaving only MAN and CAT. MAN has a V8 rated at 800hp and is one of the new common rail engines. Caterpillar has now reworked and renamed its 3406 as the new C15 Acert engine and is available in two versions, one at 800 and the other at 853. These would fit very well into this engine room as well as make this boat run like a scalded cat (oops, no pun intended). AquaNav