| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 1393.1 | but, but, but .... | MSCSSE::BERENS | Alan Berens | Fri Nov 17 1989 09:07 | 28 |
| Our C&C 26 had a Westerbeke Vire inboard engine. It primary virtue was that it
was an inboard. In the two and a half years we owned the boat the engine was
quite reliable -- I replaced the sparkplug a couple of times and it always
ran when asked to. But ........
It is a gasoline engine. Diesels are (IMHO) much safer and far preferable.
The Vire lacks horsepower -- I think its rating of 7 hp is optimistic (or else
they have very small horses in whichever of the Scandinavian countries where
the engine is made -- Westerbeke is/was the importer).
The engine has terrible fuel economy. Our C&C came with a 6 gallon tank and we
soon bought a second. My recollection is that we were always filling a tank.
The engine has a combination starter motor/generator. This contraption would
start the engine reasonably well, but it wouldn't charge a battery in any time
less than eternity. We developed our habits of electrical conservation quickly.
Fortunately, the engine can be started with a pull rope. I had nearly
finished designing the brackets to add a real alternator to the engine when we
sold the boat.
The engine is seawater cooled, so long-term reliability is questionable. Parts
are, I suppose, available from Westerbeke, but the prices are probably
outrageous is not higher.
I wouldn't not buy a boat because is has a Vire, but I'd be sure I could
afford to replace it.
|
| 1393.2 | Watch out | ISLNDS::LANE | | Fri Nov 17 1989 12:52 | 7 |
| I have not owned a Westerbeke/Vire engine. I have owned a Westerbeke/
Petter engine. In a nut shell, parts were impossible to obtain!
Westerbeke had many parts including the transmission and engine
mounts, made especially for this imported engine, then ceased stocking
the parts. In the 25' and under category It's an outboard or a
Yanmar diesel for me!
|
| 1393.3 | >15 years ago,... | VARESE::SIEGMANN | | Mon Nov 20 1989 07:42 | 10 |
| On the other hand I once owned a Vire ( made in Finland) for 10 years
and only replaced points (every year) and once took the head off to
replace piston rings and decarbonize. Oh, and also replaced the voltage
regulator/gen-engine xfer switch. Other than that no problems. I did
try to replace the rod big-end bearings (not necessary but had it
apart..) but impossible (!) since the conn rod was let into the
flywheel using liquid nitrogen (to shrink the pin..). At 6hp it was
fine for a small (22' wl) sail.
Ciao Ed
|
| 1393.4 | VIRE 7 -- 13 years and still ticking... | DECWET::TARDIFF | It's all rock-and-roll to him. | Mon Nov 20 1989 21:34 | 14 |
| ...but just barely.
I have a C&C 25' with the VIRE 7, and everything Alan says about the engine
is true, especially re the low horsepower and the rotten starter/alternator.
Mine was taken good care of and overhauled two years ago, but it's not
going to last much longer. Its only two redeeming features are its size
and that manual start. The latter is valuable because the starter/gen
does such a lousy job of keeping my battery charged...
When I price replacement engines, though, I shudder, and pray for 50
more hours out of the VIRE 7...
+ Michael
|