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To You With New Beta Engines

T

terry_thatcher

Terence Thatcher
I am putting in a new Beta 35. Instructions say the water injection point must be 10" above the water line and any anti-siphon valve must be 20 inches above. I got a high-lift exhaust, but it may not make the 10" height. Haven't done the exact measurement yet. And I am pretty sure I cannot put an anti-siphon valve 20" above the water line. And not sure I want that extra valve to worry about. My Perkins has run for 43 years with no high lift exhaust or anti-siphon valve. Never had a problem with water intrusion into the engine. What have others done? Were you able to meet Beta specs? And why does the Beta demand an exhaust system that the Perkins did not? (By the way, I have heard several tales of high lift exhaust elbows breaking and spewing exhaust all over the engine room, not just from Keefer Douglas. So I have had my machinist add gussets to strengthen the exhaust to try to prevent that dirty catastrophe. My sense is that the basic Kubota engine is great; the Beta marinization is not as solid as what Perkins used to do. For instance, my little Perkins heat exchanger is sparkling clean, after a cleaning 10 years and 2000 hours ago. Beta demands that heat exchangers be dismantled and cleaned once a year. For me, that means removing the alternator and exhaust elbow. I won't go on. I bought the thing because, unlike Mark Pearson, I felt uncomfortable with a computer driven Yanmar. In retrospect, I may have made a wrong choice. I expect to pass on before the worst appears, however.)
 
My 2 yeas experience with Beta 38 :
Use their high rise elbow, you can not go higher, top of the elbow is about 2" below cockpit floor. No issues on Gulf Stream along East coast and Bahamas.
Replace zinc and see water rubber prop every year, beta rubber had crack after 2 years.
Use buster fuel pump, Beta pump is to weak. You can buy Facet FAC-40104 fuel pump cheaper from auto parts store.
I didn't clean heat exchanger, my exhaust is very cool, I have extra temp sensor on exhaust pipe.
I have original Michigan prop and i see boat is "under prop" ( 5.5 knts at 2200 rpm, but boat is heavy loaded) I'm thinking to increase pitch of the prop. Did anybody did this ?
 
Thanks. I got a Facet pump already. Our fuel tank is too low for the Beta lift pump. I am also going to put in a anti-siphon valve, it will live in the port cockpit locker. I am installing a 16x12 Max Prop. The Perkins had a 1.88/1 reduction gear and ran a 16x11 prop. My new engine will run a ZF12M with a 2.136/1 reduction. The MaxProp can be adjusted if necessary. If you have the TMC at 2/1, you may want at least 12 in pitch. I chose to use ZF because I have very good experience with their transmissions.
 
terry_thatcher said:
Thanks. I got a Facet pump already. Our fuel tank is too low for the Beta lift pump. I am also going to put in a anti-siphon valve, it will live in the port cockpit locker. I am installing a 16x12 Max Prop. The Perkins had a 1.88/1 reduction gear and ran a 16x11 prop. My new engine will run a ZF12M with a 2.136/1 reduction. The MaxProp can be adjusted if necessary. If you have the TMC at 2/1, you may want at least 12 in pitch. I chose to use ZF because I have very good experience with their transmissions.
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Beware of anti-siphon valves, mine failed and allowed seawater to backflood the engine resulting in a bent connecting rod and an engine overhaul. I now run a 1/4" plastic tube from where the valve was down to an overboard drain. This has worked well for 15 years.
 
Terry:
Let me know your results with Max Prop. I'm considering both options: Max prop or changing pitch. We have almost the same engines.
 
Hi Yurek:
I am about to address my Beta 38 fuel supply. I want to replace or eliminate the Beta mechanical fuel pump and wanted to find out how you arranged your Facet pump, and where you located it? I am thinking of putting it in the cabinet space under the L shape Settee just forward of the sink, and from ther to the Racor fiber that we have under the sink. Also did you bypass the Beta mechanical pump?
Steve
 
Two things: Beta claims that an electric pump will not damage the mechanical pump. Second, Facet, I think, recommends putting the pump after the first water separator, i.e., the Racor. That protects the pump from gunk and water. My Racor is under the sink, with an access door out into the cabin sole between the sink and nav station. For my Beta, I will install a Facet pump down there too. Facet said I could install the pump so it pumps down. They also said I could use 90 degree fittings. At Facet's recommendation, I am using a Facet 40288 and carrying a spare. The bottom of the tank in the bilge is perhaps 36" (or slightly more) below the engine's injection pump. You should talk to a mechanic or Bedta before you try to bypass the mechanical lift pump.
 
Stephen, sorry for slow response. My fuel filters and pump are under sink on the wall facing nav station. Pump should be located as low as possible. Fuel flows from the tank thru the fuel filter, Facet pump to the Beta fuel Pump. I also have vacuum gauge between filter and Facet pump to monitor state of the filter.
 
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