Diesel Outboards

[George Askew]

Hi There
New boy "in town'.

Can anyone please advise.
I live in SAfrica and am looking for a diesel outboard for a 4 metre rigid inflatable [RIB] boat tender/ runabout /diving tender.
The max pax it will take will be 6 + skipper for short hauls.
It should not weigh more than a 40 HP Petrol [gasoline] one and deliver equivalent speed and power.
Here on the Dark Continent we cant always get the nice toys the 1st world can.
Can anyone please give me some advise and/or refer me to where I can obtain info on these machines.
Also - where can I get one for the least cost?
And what sort of price should I be looking at?

Thanks
Regards
George

[hmattos]

Sorry George, the only manufacturer of diesel outboards I know is YANMAR. They make a couple of models in the 20 to 35 hp range, however they are very heavy and probably unsuitable for your RIB. I suggest the only reasons to look at diesel are fuel cost or fuel availability. The latter I cannot help with, but a new hi tech E-Tec or D.I. petrol engine will amaze you by its low fuel consumption.

Good Luck
Hugh Mattos

[hmattos]

George try: http://www.barrus.co.uk/products.php?sectionid=54 for the Yanmar diesel outboards.
#
Regards
Hugh Mattos

[Ilan Voyager]

Yanmar makes a 36 HP diesel outboard. Very nice, a technologic miracle. Not heavy (just a bit more than a gas equivalent) but a little drawback. The price is about twice a four stroke 50 HP outboard price... If you are a pro using your outboard 1500 hours/year, maybe it will be worth. I'm not sure of the duration of a diesel revving at 4500 RPM (maybe I'm wrong as Yanmar makes very good diesels).

[PADDLEGUY]

My Son Works For Yamaha And Told Me That They Are Working On A Diesel Outboard..

[nero]

I was in Trincomali, Sri Lanka in 1992 or sometime along then. They had outboard motors on their small fishing boats. They were diesel burning. I do not know if they had converted them or not. I talked with the boat owners and they claim to have little problem with them.

I have tried several internet searches but no results.

It was a long time ago but I remember seeing name brands on the housings.

anybody know anyone from Sri Lanka that they could ask?

[robrohdeszudy]

Greetings,
Some 3rd world engines CAN run on diesel fuel but are not diesels. They are gas engines that can also burn KEROSENE. Not the same deal. We used to set up farm tractors this way in the 1920's, as distillate (like kerosene) was far cheaper than gasoline. If you see an old tractor with 2 tanks, that's the deal. You have to preheat the kerosene for it to vaporize correctly. I'd look at technical data on old John Deere dual fuel tractors for how to best do this.
Best of luck,
--Rob

[nero]

Yeh, My grandfather had one of these tractors. He used to run in on #1 diesel fuel. Guess that is the same as kerosene. By the time I arrived in this world he was only using it on gasoline. He explained that it had to be started on gasoline and then as the motor was heated up the fuel would be turned over to diesel.

the outboards I saw on in Sri Lanka had the word diesel on the side of the cowling (spelling). Who put it there I do not know.