Some inexperienced boat owners may think that they will only have to incur the cost of a new engine and labour when they decide to repower their boats. However, additional costs are usually incurred during such a project. This article discusses some of the other costs that you should expect to incur when repowering your boat.

Engine Bed Modification

You may wish to replace your old engine with a new one with the same capacity. However, that new engine is likely to be smaller than the old one because advances in technology have made it possible to make boat engines smaller and more powerful. Thus, the engine bed is likely to require some modifications in order to accommodate the smaller engine that you have bought.

Drip Pan Adjustment

Another cost that you should anticipate is the cost of refabricating the oil drip pan in your boat. This change is necessary because the old oil drip pan will no longer be suitable for the new engine whose dimensions differ from those of the engine that you are replacing. The old pan will therefore have to be removed so that a new one can be installed in its place.

Return Fuel Line

Many older diesel engines did not have a return fuel line to remove excess fuel from the engine. The higher efficiency of new engines made it necessary to have a return fuel line so that excess fuel can be channeled back to the tank in order to prevent the engine from flooding. The air-vent on your current fuel tank may therefore need to be modified so that the return fuel line can be installed once you install the new engine.

Expansion Tank Installation

The smaller dimensions of the new engine also have an effect on the heat exchanger. The new water connections are likely to be lower than those on the old engine. Consequently, air locks may form in the heat exchanger coil. This can affect the flow of hot water in addition to hindering the loss of heat from the engine. This problem can be fixed by placing an expansion tank close to the highest point of the connections near the hot water tank.

As you can see, marine engine repowering involves changing many things connected to the engine. It is therefore advisable for you to talk to an expert so that you can get an itemised statement of all the adjustments that you will need to make during that project. This information will enable you to budget appropriately for the entire project.

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