How many is too many hours on a Yanmar 2GM?

[Capt Andy]

Considering a '84 Yamaha 30' with a Yanmar 2GM but it has 6700 hours on it. Owner says he's maintained it well for the past 6 yrs. 6700 seems to be a bit long in the tooth. Asking price $19K. Is the engine life questionable?

[Fore and Aft]

Capt Andy that is starting to get up there for a 2GM, I don't usually see that many smaller GM series with those hours on them.
I just checked my files and I do have record of a 3GM that had 10300 hours on the clock so they can obviously keep going if well maintained.
Cheers

[Rumrace]

No and yes. If the engine has been loved is golden and approaching half life.
If not it’s dead in 2000 hours
It’s a good time to have the injectors restored. They get enlarged or oval.
The clutch transmission or cutlass bearing are bigger suspects. The rudder mounts, rigging , Yanmar nope.
Japan’s metals are up there in casting quality. Age and metal fatigue are way out there with that ethic. A Yanmar going 20,000 hours is not surprising even in their tiny stuff.
19K seems like asking but condition is everything and the 30’ Yamaha is a pretty accommodating boat. Again they used really good materials.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Capt Andy

Considering a '84 Yamaha 30' with a Yanmar 2GM but it has 6700 hours on it. Owner says he's maintained it well for the past 6 yrs. 6700 seems to be a bit long in the tooth. Asking price $19K. Is the engine life questionable?

IMO a 38 year old engine is doubtful regardless of hours. Parts availability, gaskets, seals.


But it could go another 6700 hours also.

[MicHughV]

the engine is only one component...there is still the transmission...etc.....
6700 hours is certainly long in the tooth....have a good mechanic come and take a look at it.

Here's the thing...if the engine has 6,700 hours on it now, how much will it have when it gets time for you to sell it......10,000....who knows....but you'll be the one trying to convince the next owner that 10,000 hours is still good.

That's the problem with a boat that is pushing 40 years old....how long do you plan to keep it. The boat is not going to get any younger. Finding the next owner will be a challenge.

[Capt Andy]

That's a really good point that I have had in mind. I'm thinking I'll pass on this particular boat. Even if I had it a couple of years that would put on more hours and make it more difficult to sell.

[Jim Cate]

Hmmm... Most recreational sailors only put 100-200 hours per year upon their engines so the 10,000 hour projection may be a bit overstated. And no one really expects a fresh engine in a elderly boat unless paying a really premium price for it.

I wouldn't let 6700 hours deter me from an otherwise good boat.

Jim

[OldManMirage]

I think 19K for a 30 footer that almost 40 years old is too much regardless of the engine. MAYBE if everything - including the engine - such as sails, rigging and electronics were practically brand new. I just paid 13K for a 1980 Endeavour 32 with much less hours on the engine and Mack sails with a Mack Pack on the main were one year old. Just my opinion.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Capt Andy

Considering a '84 Yamaha 30' with a Yanmar 2GM but it has 6700 hours on it. Owner says he's maintained it well for the past 6 yrs. 6700 seems to be a bit long in the tooth. Asking price $19K. Is the engine life questionable?

It all depends on how the engine was run and taken care of. If you figure the hours average out to 3.5 knots then it has "driven" 1,914 hours. If it were a car averaging 35mph it would have 67,000 miles on on it. Seems pretty low really when you think of it.

If the boat looks good, get an engine survey to check it.

[Rumrace]

I had 10 year old SeaRay spent every weekend burning a couple hundred $$ a day in fuel. I managed to put 1450 hours on it.
For a sailboat to get up there they should have bought a power boat.
I don’t know what your budget is but in the 50-60Krange 36-40’. I was looking for a specific model. Found lots coming off carribean fleet sales. 1600-1800 hours. Meanwhile through private sales same boat same year 30,000$ more 400 hours.
Cause that’s 400 hours on everything.
At 1800 hours it’s a parts list.
At 400 it’s a maintenance schedule

[billgewater]

The 2 GM comes in two versions. One is raw salt water cooled. i.e. the raw sea water passes through the engine block. The version with an F at the end means it is fresh water cooled and thus requires a heat exchanger. I would be asking questions about this cooling system as lack of zinc block replacement etc and corrosion in the exhaust manifold are more likely to create expensive problems than cylinder wear etc. The basic engines though can last yonks.
Another potential problem with the salt water cooled engine is that the thermostat is also immersed in salt water. Possible problem with corrosion here.

[dlj]

No one has asked what you plan to use the boat for. Are you going to do weekend coastal cruising? Where are you sailing? Are you in an area where you mostly motor? The 2GM is a simple robust diesel. While the 6700 hours would be a lot for a less than well maintained motor, it's not excessive for a well maintained motor. Other comments on tranny, cutlass bearing, all that are spot on. You have to look at how you are going to use the boat and what you need out of it. Then assess how well that boat fits, condition of all the many bits and parts ....

I wouldn't discard the purchase just based on that number. I would certainly approach it with caution.

dj

[Gripfast]

Even if the engine was maintained meticulously, there are very many small parts that could fail and kill the engine. If it fails, are you going to rebuild an engine with that many hours?
My 3GM30F failed at 18yrs old and only 1500 hours. I maintained it to the Yanmar recommended schedule for the last 12 years I owned the boat. It failed on a cruise South this last fall.
I wouldn't count on that engine lasting a lot longer.

[Cheechako]

It is getting up there for a lightweight Yanmar.
If it's fresh water cooled and very clean etc. You can certainly roll the dice on it. It could go for a few years.
Two men lifted the short block of a 3gm Yanmar out of my boat by hand. It had one failed piston at 2000 hours so the piston, rod and related were all replaced. I would suspect on rebuilding a high hour engine you would need that and more. The parts were not cheap, but you only have two cylinders. Can that little engine be rebuilt for $3000-5000? I dont know. How much is a small HP Beta or Yanmar new?

So the other option is to have it rebuilt if there is someone near you who knows the engine. But at those hours it may be worth just buying another small engine. Not sure.

[Pizzazz]

If you are attached to the boat, replace the engine with a new Yanmar, may be about $6-7k and you can rebuild and reuse the transmission. Maintaining the old 2GM will cause you headaches, mostly due to unavailability of parts, and frustration. If you would consider replacing the boat, do that and try to get at least to a 2GM20f, a lot more popular and easier to maintain today.

I slipped a bearing on my beloved 2GMF, took it apart (great learning experience) then started putting it together and gave up after $500 in parts. It was too painful to source the parts. I found a used 2GM20f on eBay for $2,800 including shipping and it took me just 2 days to install, reusing the transmission. It was a good decision and increased the resale value of the sailboat.

ex-SV Pizzazz