Beta Marine Engine repower

[corapcarey]

Hey, we are repowering with a beta 25 this spring and are wondering if anyone who has gone before us has any suggestions or wishes that they knew before they started their endeavors. We have a 1986 Mk1 with shoal keel.

I think I am moving the starting battery from the battery compartment under the settee to behind the motor in the aft cabin, forward and port of a new flex water tank.

Is there anything that you need would have done differently or known about before you installed your new motor?

Thank you in advance

Allen
SV Night Heron

[waughoo]

A unser on here that goes by Patches just did a beta repower in his boat last season.  If you do a search I believe he posted something after completion that outlines some of the challenges to look out for.

[corapcarey]

I read his post. Thanks

[Patches]

Hi Allen:

Feel free to PM me for more specific questions, but here are the main things:

1.  You need to do some surgery on the engine beds to accommodate the undercarriage of the new Beta 25.  As mentioned in a prior post, it's necessary to cut out a roughly 2 X 2 x 6" long notch out of the port engine bed on the inside and farthest aft.  This is to make room for the different TMC 40 transmission.  The shift lever on the TMC is on the port side and on the Hurth was on the right side.

2.  Another necessary notch, one I didn't appreciate until we got the engine mounted on the beds, was for the hose which hangs down from the oil change pump to the oil sump.  It ended up making contact with the starboard engine bed after we lowered it down on the engine mounts.  I opted to cut into the starboard bed to create clearance for the hose with a multi-tool and smoothed with a drum sander attached to a drill motor.  If I had it to do over again, I would cut that notch before securing the engine down.

3.  It was neccessary to raise the engine beds to accommodate the new engine.  I used 3/4" thick pieces of Starboard under each engine mount.  I think 1" would be better, but make sure what is best for your boats engine mounts.  My boat is a 1990 Mark 1.25, and I was going by what Steve of Black Dragon had noted.  His boat was an 1988 Mark 1.

4.  I used stainless hanger bolts to attach the engine mounts. If I ever have to remove the engine again I would rather loosen nuts than completely unscrew long lag bolts.

5.  Depending on whether you have a stuffing box or a PSS, you may not be able to add the Beta supplied flexible coupling without cutting your shaft.  I switched to PSS a few years ago and there was no room for the supplied coupling.  So I mated up the old fashioned way and try to get alignment perfect.

6. You're going to need to re-work your exhaust riser because Beta requires different sizes for the riser diameter and the vented loop to exhaust nipple connections. There will likely be welding involved. I strongly recommend removing the head sink for all this work.  The articulating Vetus water lock muffler (explained in a prior post) is key to getting all the connections from the riser to the hump hose/to the muffler/and lined up with the exhaust hose.

7.  I also had to do a little surgery on the lower companionway stairs (top lip) to accommodate the protruding Beta primary fuel filter housing on the front of the engine.

8.  A new (longer) gear shift cable was required, can't remember if it was a 12', but I think so.  There are good explanations on line and on the Edson website about how to tear apart the binnacle to do this.

9.  If you opt for the "C" panel like I did, you'll find it doesn't fit nicely in the Catalina/Universal cutout in the cockpit.  I ordered the gauges "loose" and then purchased a piece of black ABS (like Steve did) and mounted them using drill bits and hole saws.  I actually bolted the new black panel into the Catalina removable "box" using no.6 bolts and nyloc nuts.  Catalina Direct doesn't sell those boxes anymore, and mine was glued onto the cockpit combing with some pretty ancient sealant.  I used a 1" metal putty knife and gently tapped around the perimeter of the box until it loosened up.  Then I put my new ABS panel in the "box", drilled 6 holes for no. 6 bolts, and permanently attached it.  If I need to get to the back of the panel, I pull the whole box off.  This is also much easier to reach other things around there like the blower, the deck fill for the diesel tank, etc.

Hope this helps,

Patches

[corapcarey]

Patches,

Thanks so much. We have an early MK1.  We believe it had an atomic 4 originally, or was fitted for one and the original owner repowered with the 25xp early or maybe from the factory. The forward engine mounts are 11 5/8ish apart. Which is what  Beta has as their "atomic 4" engine mounts.
I definitely worried about the beta 25 fitting and I am going to have to redo the exhaust from the muffler back. Maybe we will have to replace, refabricate the exhaust riser as well. The muffler is 1 5/8', the exhaust thru-hull is 1 1/2" and beta says I should use 2" from muffler aft.
We gave Beta our money so we are in a holding pattern, except for removing the old 25xp. We are capable but, I am anxious about getting it fitted and sorted this spring.
I love the hanger bolt idea and the starboard reccomendation.

Thanks so much. I may reach out later when I have a clearer picture of the project.

Best

[Patches]

Allen:

Forgot one more thing:  You're likely going to need a new prop for the Beta 25.  I run a standard 3 blade fixed prop.  My 15" X 10 pitch prop for the Universal 25xp did not work with the new Beta 25.  In order to activate the Beta warranty you need to achieve 3600 rpms, which I was not able to do with that prop. I could only attain 3100rpms.  On Beta's recommendation, I purchased a new 14" X 8 pitch fixed 3 blade and that allowed me to reach 3600 rpms.

Patches

[Cache]

Howdy. Have you considered the Beta 30? It's just a tad more displacement while still sipping the fuel. The M35B's in my 'new' c34mk2 and I'm impressed with how well she clips along at 1800. I prefer a larger displacement engine running at lower RPMs without breaking a sweat to a smaller engine working harder at a higher RPM. More of a relaxing lope. Been chatting with BM on a replacement, they agree the 30 is a good match and likely have an idea what'll work for your swap.
Beware of the one foot-itis... you know, that feeling you get after buying a 65" TV realizing it's about a foot too small... :)

[LogoFreak]

I second that, replacing with a beta 25 makes no sense to me, it's undersized for a 34 footer.

[corapcarey]

Update:

Beta 25 is installed. We are very pleased. The engine will push us easily and with mor than enough power, DEFINITELY not under powered, at 3000rpm the stern sinks down.
I'll post a more detailed description of the modifications and issues we ran into later but for what its worth, we love the new motor.