Brand new Beta50 engine, twice low pressure alarm.

[FPNC]

If you have an oil pressure gauge, what was the oil pressure reading when the alarm when off?

[NorthCoastJoe]

If the engine angle was such that the crankshaft can touch ( dip into ) the oil it will cause frothing, foaming of the oil. If the oil pump sucks up frothy oil it will compress the air within the oil and result in a low oil pressure.
That is about the only thing I can think of that would be a loss of pressure that after a rest the pressure returns to normal.

You never told us if you have a gauge and if so what is it reading. Starting pressure, running pressure, and if the loss of pressure is gradual or sudden, or even random. The last being the easiest to fix most likely a bad connection or sender.

If you put on a mechanical gauge there are no electrical connections or senders to worry about. It gives you raw information.

[donradcliffe]

The mechanical gauge available to me had a thin plastic tube from the engine up to the gauge. It lasted about 5 years, then the tubing broke on the engine side. Worse than no gauge at all.

[BlueH2Obound]

3 days, and the OP hasn't been back to the thread . . . .

For me, X2 on the engine mounted at an angle, fill to the top of the fill range, and see how it goes.

[Goodxcharly]

I would get rid of the engine cut-off switch. Kind of worthless especially if you are in a tight situation navigating and you need the engine. A loud buzzer is enough and you can make the call of stopping the engine while sizing up the situation, low oil pressure etc.
Until you figure it out I would assume there is no oil pressure and proceed from that safe assumption till you get to the bottom of the issue.

[FPNC]

An oil fault cut-out switch on a Beta propulsion engine is unheard of and would have been a very custom order.

The Kubota oil pumps are a gear arrangement on the crank shaft. They are extremely reliable.

The most likely fault is electrical to the oil pressure gauge. Beta uses switch gauges. I.E. the low oil alarm switch is inside the gauge. So, the engine oil sender controls the gauge, the gauge displays oil pressure and closes a switch to alarm when oil pressure reading is low. Check wiring for loose connection and look to see if the gauge is alarming when the needle is showing oil pressure. If the gauge is alarming while it shows oil pressure, you have a faulty gauge.

[kmacdonald]

If the boat heels a lot while sailing, the oil pickup can suck air and cause low oil pressure. Do not run engine with excessive heel.

[VChild]

My Beta 60 had a problem of low oil pressure readings a few years ago when it was fairly new. After motoring for several hours at about 1800 rpm, the pressure gauge would suddenly drop from around 50 to the mid to high teens. Sometimes it would jump right back to 50 in a few seconds. Other times I immediately lowered the rpm to idle and then increased the rpm again, which resulted in the pressure coming back to around 50 again. Turns out it was a bad sending unit on the engine. Easy as changing a spark plug on a lawn mower. No problems since (going on 5 years now).

[nrx500]

Could the oil pressure switch be faulty?
Have you checked for a loose wire on the oil pressure switch?

[kmacdonald]

The oil pressure sender and oil pressure switch are two different animals. They may be in one unit mounted on the engine or two separate units. The oil pressure sender sends data to the oil pressure gauge. The oil pressure switch is either on or off. It causes the engine alarm buzzer and/or light to come on when the key is turned to on before the engine is started and oil pressure established. It can also be wired to shut off the engine.

Google: The oil pressure switch is normally closed. When the ignition is switched on, the oil pressure warning light illuminates. When oil pressure is built up as the engine starts, the switch contact in the oil pressure switch opens and the ground contact for the warning light is interrupted.

Turn the ignition on and the oil pressure buzzer/light should come on. Jiggle wire to switch and see if it goes off. (wiring check) If oil pressure reads fine on gauge you can disconnect wire to switch to run engine until you get a new switch.

[VChild]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

The oil pressure sender and oil pressure switch are two different animals. They may be in one unit mounted on the engine or two separate units. The oil pressure sender sends data to the oil pressure gauge. The oil pressure switch is either on or off. It causes the engine alarm buzzer and/or light to come on when the key is turned to on before the engine is started and oil pressure established. It can also be wired to shut off the engine.

Google: The oil pressure switch is normally closed. When the ignition is switched on, the oil pressure warning light illuminates. When oil pressure is built up as the engine starts, the switch contact in the oil pressure switch opens and the ground contact for the warning light is interrupted.

Turn the ignition on and the oil pressure buzzer/light should come on. Jiggle wire to switch and see if it goes off. (wiring check) If oil pressure reads fine on gauge you can disconnect wire to switch to run engine until you get a new switch.

The sender, pictured above, is what went out on mine.

[Sailor 99]

Unfortunate that you chose Beta. They are renowned for over rating their motors.

My example is typical. They sold me a 75 hp Beta that could not push the boat with the properly spec'ed prop. We ended up having to do down 2 inches in diameter. One day I found the Kubota rating on the engine. Converted to HP and it was 66 hp, not 75.

Sad that people feel they have to do business this way.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

If you had sprung the extra cash for the engine panel that had gauges instead of just idiot lights you’d probably already have enough information to sort this out.

All others repowering , take note!

If they'd sprung for the higher level engine panel that have even more problems. The Beta forums are full of people with electrical problems. Beta is not the company they used to be.

[VChild]

I actually had a much different experience with my Beta. The generic $60 oil sender unit is the only part I have ever replaced on my Beta 60 since I installed the engine 9 years ago. The engine continues to run flawlessly. Its stated power rating was matched to a significantly upsized prop for my boat. I went from a 20” 3- blade prop to a 24” 4-blade MaxProp with variable pitch. The power match and performance is spot on. As for electronic issues, I have not seen any with my Beta. In fact, one reason I went with the Beta is because it does not have a common rail with an electronic control module needed just to keep the engine running. Parts are cheap and Beta Marine shares the actual Kubota part numbers with owners so you can buy them even cheaper at any tractor supply store.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by VChild

I actually had a much different experience with my Beta. The generic $60 oil sender unit is the only part I have ever replaced on my Beta 60 since I installed the engine 9 years ago. The engine continues to run flawlessly. Its stated power rating was matched to a significantly upsized prop for my boat. I went from a 20” 3- blade prop to a 24” 4-blade MaxProp with variable pitch. The power match and performance is spot on. As for electronic issues, I have not seen any with my Beta. In fact, one reason I went with the Beta is because it does not have a common rail with an electronic control module needed just to keep the engine running. Parts are cheap and Beta Marine shares the actual Kubota part numbers with owners so you can buy them even cheaper at any tractor supply store.

Your experience is exactly why I bought a Beta (about three or four years ago). Alas, by the time I bought mine something had changed. I’ve had no major problems, just a lot of stupid niggles brought about by dumb design changes and even dumber staff.

I had joined one of the big Beta forums when I bought my engine and started to see a whole stack of emerging trends. Basically it came down to metallurgy issues and electrical problems, with a side serve of gearbox faults. I probably would have done major damage to my engine if it not for one guy pointing out an anode problem. Beta initially denied there was an anode wasting problem, then all of a sudden they made some “special anodes” which the Australian distributor actually phoned me about and offered them to me free of charge.

Sure, no anode problem but… “er… hey, how about we give you these special aluminium anodes free of charge?”

Then there’s the badly machined serpentine belt drive pulley that ALWAYS squeaks, I just LOVE that piece of Beta brilliance.

Or setting off on a big trip only to discover Beta had sent me the wrong oil filters and then they took over a month to send out the correct sort. (In other words, they’d run out and couldn’t admit it, so sent me the wrong ones to make it look like a simple mistake.)

I’ve bought a Nanni for the new boat. Exactly the same Beta V2203 without all the electrical and galvanic issues. Time will tell but I can only hope their after sales service is better.