I do not repair my car engines myself, but used to fix my motor cycles and still have the basic mech tools. For the sake of getting the experience, I decided to install the engine by myself (availability and cost of a qualified mechanic was an issue, too, and I hate the 'regular sloppy work' that you often get). A truck crane hoisted the engine into the boat, and the work was started.

I had to reroute the Wallas heater's air duct in the engine room, to make space for the new engine. It now warms the toes at the pilot berth.

Cold start and stop control cables of MD5 were removed: Beta 10 has glow plugs and electrical stop.

The engine control panel fits into the hole of MD5 panel when you make a fill plate out of plastic or plywood.

The control panel's cable bundle was just long enough to go the same route used for the cabling of MD5. Some holes were opened up a bit so that the cable plug could be pulled thru.

MD5 had no fuel return line, so I installed one and connected it with a T-connector to the fuel tank at the tank vent tube . I also replaced the 20 y. old main fuel line hose, too. And if you are really meticulous, you at the same time empty and clean the fuel tank from the layers of sediment at its bottom.

The existing exhaust line was used as such. Beta 10's exhaust lands at the same spot as MD5's but is 5 mm larger, so a piece of larger rubber exhaust tube was pulled over the old tubing and engine exhaust and tightened with double hose clamps at both ends.

The local rep for Beta had extra wide mounting irons made. With these, the mounting /vibration damping feet of the new engine were near the holes of the old ones at MD5’s engine bed. I had to make two adapter plates from 5 mm steel, with holes for the old MD5 mounting bed screws and for the new engine’s damping feet.

I used the opportunity to replace the sail drive's main gasket (recommended replacement interval: 8 years). I replaced the rear damping foot of the sail drive, too (local V-P rep took near 200 EUR for that piece of rubber !).

At the engine, the pipe between the impeller pump and heat exchanger was rerouted with two lengths of rubber hose to an anti-siphon valve . The valve is one used for Volvo-Penta’s 20..30 hp motors, with 19mm hose connections.

Preparations done, I then installed the engine's vibration damping feet to the engine and pushed the engine into its place with a bit of effort. I used the motor's rear mounting feet as temporary installation support there. There was some (but not much) space on each side of the engine. The oil change pump is a must because there is not any room left under the oil sump.

The lower part of sail drive was dropped into its hole, the rubber gasket and its holding ring put into their place as described in the instruction booklet.

I supported the rear of the engine a bit up and lifted the upper half of sail drive to the 110S adapter; then put some grease onto the drive shaft splines and slid it carefully into the flex plate, put the mounting bolts into their threads with a drop of Loctite, and then tightened them with care, a bit at a time crosswise, checking often that the drive shaft rotates freely. Do not use force !

Installing and tightening the bolts for the engine mounting feet required some acrobatics and a long extension bit for the socket wrench.

Cooling water is taken from the sail drive to the pump at the front of the engine. The pump takes a 19 mm dia hose; the original shut-off valve at the sail drive unit has a 16 mm dia and it could be replaced.

The electrical system was connected - as at MD5 – at two points: + and - . In the familiar V-P style, the Beta 10, too, has a separate 40A main fuse of its own on the engine. The control panel's cable bundle connects with a pre-wired plug.

The movement of the throttle cable was larger on MD5 than on Beta 10. Therefore, an extension is attached to make the Beta 10 throttle lever at the injection pump 2…3 cm longer. The cover of the throttle cable fits to the bracket at the engine without problems. The internal wire of the throttle cable needs an extension of 5 cm.

The gear shift cable was attached, oil into engine AND sail drive, tank filled with diesel fuel, fuel circuit primed, and that was it.

The installation takes a leisurely weekend, if you do the preparations in advance and if you are somewhat inclined into this type of work as hobby. I spent more time on it, mostly because the work was enjoyable…

• Two cylinder engine runs smoother than the old single
• Cruising speed is a bit higher: the hull speed is reached already at a rather leisurely rpm so that there is plenty of reserve .
• Fuel consumption is not much different
• 10 hp is sufficient to maintain the speed even against wind and waves

The annual service work requires acrobatics:

• Cooling water pump is at the front of the engine (facing now rearwards), accessible through the service hatch which you reach crawling under the port side cockpit bench. Better to replace the impeller at the beginning of each season, because you do not want to do it while at the sea.
• Oil filter is next to the water pump, barely accessible from service hatch at the pilot berth, but you have to get there only once a year.
• Fuel filter change and fuel system priming can be done easily from the engine hatch.
• Oil changes are easy with the fixed pump.

Overall, I think Beta 10 makes a good fit with Senorita.