Yanmar and westerbeke transmission

[Minusadegree]

A friend has a yanmar 4jhse or h5e yanmar with a kbw20e transmission and is trying to figure out if it will fit a westerbeke 42b diesel engine. The westerbeke is a couple of states away..

The main problem being that the yanmar needs a complete rebuild, weighing in around $5k and a westerbeke sitting on a crate with 800 hours on it is going for 2k but has a down angle transmission. Obviously he wants to go the cheaper route for his 1988 38' island packet.

Would buying a straight transmission for the westerbeke be pretty simple and if so, what model number would that be?

[kenJ]

Westerbeakes usually have Hurth transmisions. Depending on the applicaition, a HBW 100 or HBW 150 is probably the correct choice. There are also Vee drives available. Contact Joe Joyce at Westerbeake, he lives in your part of the country, he should be able to answer most of your friends questions.

[FAST FRED]

If the boat is a keeper . A Twin Disc may offer 10X the service life of a Hirth.

Rebuilt TD are aviliable , look in Boats and Harbors for dealers.

[bertho]

agreed with fast fred, if you have really to use a hurth only select model suitable for what they call "heavy duty ", as minimum..
unfortunately Twindisk and other serious brand have not so many small model ..
ZF is now mix with hurth range , sad ..
rgds
Bertho
www.fusionschooner.blogspot.com

[Minusadegree]

I would like to thank everyone for their advice and comments.
My opinion to my friend is to just rebuild the motor for the very 'keepable boat as changing over the motor has a lot of hidden costs such as filling and drilling new holes for motor mounts, starter wires, alternator wires, fuel lines, exaust, water lines, controls and gauges.... I would be highly surprised if this boat ever leaves Long Island Sound here in Connecticut and as such, to beef up the factory installation of the yanmar would be overkill and that isn't meant to imply that the Westerbeke is or would be an upgrade to the boat. Rebuilding the yanmar is the path of least resistance in this particular case. He just has to bite the bullet as it were.

Perhaps a thread of 'when to change motors is more appropriate'?

[FAST FRED]

"He just has to bite the bullet as it were."

I would tell him to go to a couple of the large truck places that specialize in refrigeration for large truck trailers.

IF his Yannmar is used by these folks , the cost of a rebuild will be 1/2 to 1/4 the co$t at a marina , and the rebuilders will at least have the proper tools , and have seen the engine before.

FF

[Minusadegree]

I took the motor to a tractor shop after a machine shop and never stopped at a marina. The 2 quotes are within $100, and as it turns out to be, it's the parts that are the killer. Even if he were to win every auction on ebay, he wouldn't save enough to make a difference.

History of the boat is that the PO was diagnosed with cancer 10 years ago while he was taking the motor apart... The poor guy died 4 months ago and my friend inherited the boat. Just needs wax, varnish and running rigging; everything else, without the motor, is new.
So the motor sat in the boat, in pieces, for 10 years...

Anywho, when he gets back from his 2 weeks at sea on a tug boat, I'm gonna give him a couple of beers and a "WTF? Just effin do it" speach.

[FAST FRED]

Scrap the motor and simply purchase a running takeout from the truck fridge guys.

We got 3 for $1000, so he will have a lot of expensive pare parts for free.

May be able to just bolt up the old tranny.

FF

[Minusadegree]

Excellant idea Fred!