Steyr diesels

[Petvet]

Brand new member. Looking at 28 Bertram with 212 hp steyr diesels. Started out looking for 31's but for what I do 80% of the time, snapper fish and ride around...the 28 looks to fit the bill. I do some bluewater trolling but only once or twice a year. I need a comfortable boat for my wife to have a couch! She has a really bad back. Mostly day boat, we will spend nights in the condo and not on the boat-but visioning a built in live well in transom and teak gunwales. Question: Steyr is not a popular maker yet of marine engines, have any of you any word on them? Thank you and thanks for letting me on this most revered site! (Currently own a 2670 Pursuit Cuddy that is a really nice boat for me, but not many areas for lounging for others)

[Tony Meola]

First off Welcome.

Hopefully Kevin will jump in. He has the same engines in his 28.

[Bruce]

As a former Steyr dealer, they are very good engines, The design has been around since the 30's.

The downfall here in the US is a lack of dealers and factory support. We made a concerted effort to push them years ago but because the volume was not there they priced higher than Cummins or Yanmar as diesels in that boat size and I sold few engines.

It's funny, an engine is an engine, is an engine. Unfortunately as as I knew then and experience now trying to find qualified techs for the custom car industry I am in now, most techs are one trick ponies. While they claim to be multi certified, a quick aptitude test finds out that's a myth.

The Steyr engines are a mono block design which stumps most mechanics, but it shouldnt.

[Kevin]

Welcome to the sand box.
I have never looked back once purchased and installed around 2006.
I'm only at about 1100 hours but the only parts I have replaced are a starter and motor mounts. That was due to leaky hatches. I did replace mixing elbows, I think around 7 years in. I need to inspect them again for corrosion. That will be with any motor though.
If you are a hands on type of person and do your own engine maintenance there is no problem. If you really on a shop for that stuff you could run into problems when you need someone to diagnose something. There was a dealer near me and they might still be, however, as of three years ago I dont think they had ever installed or worked on a Steyr outside of dealer training.
Buying a used boat......no matter what engine, make sure it is propped correctly. I would have no problem buying Steyr again. I think they are great.

[Carl]

Dad has a pair in his 28 Hatteras

Overall he loves them. Light, powerful, quiet, no smoke and efficient.

Downside is service and parts.


Few know the engines enough to work on them and get stuff done. In New York dad had service done, guy came who " knew" the motors with a guy in training. Open the hatch and lead guy said "huh". Wasn't familiar with motor, didn't have software to communicate with motor.
I ran down to boat with my laptop, software installed and they did their thing...turns out they could only do some service as they did not have parts or knowledge...they still billed pretty heavy.

In Florida there is a company that is on top of these motors, they know their stuff. Only issue is parts take time to come in and they are pricey parts.

Overall good motors...but if you have an issue do not expect to go to local store or distributor, get answered and parts to be out on water next day.

[ford351c594]

It's funny, an engine is an engine, is an engine. Unfortunately as as I knew then and experience now trying to find qualified techs for the custom car industry I am in now, most techs are one trick ponies. While they claim to be multi certified, a quick aptitude test finds out that's a myth.

I love this comment. Been trying to hire a ONE person for a year.... It is unbelievably sad. Knowledge of engines, boats, cars anything that gets you dirty is just slipping away.......

[Lars]

They are quite popular in parts of Europe. Light, efficient and reliable. Good engines.
It boils down to whether you have a mechanic who knows them near you.

[Carl]

I love this comment. Been trying to hire a ONE person for a year.... It is unbelievably sad. Knowledge of engines, boats, cars anything that gets you dirty is just slipping away.......

You don't say...and if you find a person that can do most of what needs being done, the next part is getting them to show up on a regular basis.

5th of July and its like a bad Monday with guys not quite being able to make their way in. Mr Bright eyes with a family of 4 can do quite a bit, doesn't mind working and getting dirty plus he's eager for OT...except he can't stay after hours and shows up late often...and by late I'm talking hours late, (yes hours with an S). Anyway, he's the one guy with some mechanical insight and he can TIG weld...so he went from full time to part time and soon going to be no time.
But the funny thing, he needs the money and needs the work...or so he tells me.



I have people coming in with certificates all the time...usually it only means they showed up for the certificate and paid for a course. Meaningless piece of paper.



So yeah, need support and service for the motors in your area. If your handy some can be had over the phone, but some things are tough to explain.

[ford351c594]

I blame the last 30 years of telling kids if you don't have a degree you can't make a living. Not enough blue colors left to do it.

My add says must have diesel experience, preferable Ford, and understand advanced electrical concepts. MUST HAVE OWN TOOLS. I swear about 2 weeks ago I had the dishwasher at Olive Garden apply and I had to consider if he could be worth training...............

[Carl]

I swear about 2 weeks ago I had the dishwasher at Olive Garden apply and I had to consider if he could be worth training...............

I had pretty much given up looking for help.

On my wife's recommendation I hired a kid from EZ Pass for production work. Been with us about 3 months and can run circles around "experienced" production guys already with a great attitude. Trying to spend as much time teaching him as possible...


Years ago my dad hired the pizza delivery kid. He didn't amount to much, but love that story.

[Tony Meola]

I blame the last 30 years of telling kids if you don't have a degree you can't make a living. Not enough blue colors left to do it. ..

There are do many opportunities for trade people. My nephew is in the electrical union. Now after 10 years at the age ofvv33 he makes $66 an hour and if he works Sunday's it goes up to 106. So with it he is living large right now.

Not shabby for kid that went to trade school after high school.

[Rawleigh]

I agree that we have stigmatized the trades so much that no one wants to get into them. As said, you can make a good living in them if you want to. If I had my life to live again I would seriously consider going into the trades instead of the law. I think I would have been happier and made just as much money.

[Tony Meola]

I agree that we have stigmatized the trades so much that no one wants to get into them. As said, you can make a good living in them if you want to. If I had my life to live again I would seriously consider going into the trades instead of the law. I think I would have been happier and made just as much money.

Rawleigh

One thing, living here in NJ, become a teacher. Then you are golden. Most of my cousins were teachers. What they get in Pension and Medical is obscene. While I made more than them, in retirment they are living large. No money worries.

So for those in NJ beocme a teacher.

[Carl]

One thing, living here in NJ, become a teacher. Then you are golden. Most of my cousins were teachers. What they get in Pension and Medical is obscene. While I made more than them, in retirment they are living large. No money worries.

So for those in NJ beocme a teacher.

Skip the teacher and become administration.

But if your in it for the money...custodial engineer.
Growing up, we used to call them janitors, but when making 110k before OT they deserve the name change.

My uncle was a Principle and the one person who usually brought cleared more then him...was the janitor.
Excuse me, the custodial engineer.