Steal from the Military? (50 hp multi-fuel outboards)

In the Us at least there is currently no diesel outboards sold.

In reading I find the Special Forces folks do have 50 hp outboard engines that run on military "multifuel".

Is a kerosene or true diesel engine just waiting to be sold to the public?

FF

 

I hear its all stainless and can be hidden submerged.

 

see the thread on Diesel outboard engines in the Outboard engine catagory. THere are some discussions about this...

 

The public can buy the 50 HP multifuel engines. http://www.evinrude.com/en-CA/Engines/MULTI_FUEL_ENGINES
Follow the link in sottorf's message above for a discussion.

 

I installed one of those a customer bought from some surplus outlet. They are heavier than the standard engines, but can run of many different fuels.

 

they run fine on Kero but not so good on diesel

 

K-1 is about the same as jet fuel. Diesel, particularly #2, runs a bit rougher at least until it warms up.

 

the engines were designed to run the fuels the military carry

 

The army during war is not worried about idle characteristics. Jet 1 and 2 is a difference in freezing.

If it runs it runs. Ive had my 2 stroke 110 motorbike on 50 % diesel. yeah it runs but wont idle and difficult to start but would I care if the Germans were chasing me.

I mean I would not be bothered about exhaust polution after dropping a nuclear
device.

 

Direct injection outboards with lower compression ratios can use "heavy fuels" mostly jetA, or the military equivalent. These engines seem to work well, they consume a bit more fuel due to the lower CR, but they are a lot better than carburated 2 strokes that dump a third of their fuel out of the exhaust port.

If you really don't have gasoline, then they are an option. The power is a bit lower than the equivalent 2 stroke, again, due to the lower CR.

The weight is a lot lower than a diesel of equivalent power. There's a good paper on converting engines to heavy fuel on the Orbital engines site. It is a 2005 SAE paper that talks about the issues with the conversion.

Also, Mercury developed the "rejuvenate" oils for their heavy fuel engine, and that looks like a really clean burning and deposit removing oil. I plan on using that in my outboard the next time I run it, as well as some "other" work that we are doing on the dyno...

 

it was all about the military not wanting to ship gas/petrol as delivered onto the battle field it was costing USD50 per gallon

 

Any ideas what these 50hp beasts sell for? Who makes them? Is the lower unit bullet proof,so to speak?

 

" but they are a lot better than carburated 2 strokes that dump a third of their fuel out of the exhaust port."

The problem of some fuel in the exhaust was solved by Styer Damler Puch many decades ago..

Many Sears motorcycles were PUCH , and they use a "split single" construction that allows the exhaust port to open first , AND close first. Supercharger anyone?

Any outboard could be constructed like this.

FF

 

I have seen these larger Mercury multifuel engines demonstrated on several occassions. But I can see why they would have very limited commercial attraction..they are not intended to run on diesel.

http://www.marineenginedigest.com/profiles/mercury/optimilitarymotor.htm

 

They say they burn JP-8. And JP-8 runs in a diesel engine with a bit less power and lubricity, but it compression ignites, so perhaps they would work on diesel?