Trade-A-Boat 492 2017

torquing

talk

WITH ANDREW NORTON

Three’s company

GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES

I

t’s amazing how adding

another cylinder can

significantly increase

maximum torque and

power outputs for very

little weight gain.

The Mini-29 is a fine

example. A three-cylinder

version of the Sole Mini-17,

it develops 47 per cent more

torque and 71 per cent more

power at the same revs, yet

is only 11 per cent heavier.

Admittedly, peak torque

output takes 500 extra revs

but considering the torque

and power gains for the

additional weight this isn’t a

major problem.

What is important is

that the small weight gain

means the 29 is a viable

repower option for a long-

keel cruising yacht such as

a Clansman 30. Unlike the

old single-cylinder diesels

originally fitted to this model

• which actually weighed
  more – the auxiliary can be
  way more than just power
  to get the yacht out of a
  marina. The 29 opens up
  the possibilities of motor
  sailing, especially as it can

handle heeling up to 25

degrees without sufering oil

starvation and has the torque

to push the yacht against

tidal races or maintain

control over bars.

Having been a yachtie

since my teens (a long time

ago now) I firmly believe that

a powerful auxiliary really

makes a cruising yacht.

And this 29 would ofer a

complete transformation

without afecting trim.

THE NITTY GRITTY

Like all Sole marine diesels

up to the silky smooth

straight-six SM 105, the 29

is marinised in Barcelona

from a Mitsubishi tractor

engine base. It’s all cast iron,

with a gear-driven camshaft

operating overhead valves

via pushrods, so it’s virtually

bulletproof. Longevity is

enhanced by the oversquare

bore/stroke dimensions

that reduce piston speeds.

Heat exchanger cooling is

standard, and with indirect

injection and ecient air/fuel

combustion the 29 meets

most Euro and US exhaust

emission regulations.

The one drawback of

using a tractor base is

having no provision for hand

starting. However, with a 22:1

compression ratio and no

decompression levers this

would be virtually impossible.

The voltage-regulated

alternator pumps out up

to 40 amps, so providing a

starter battery is fitted in

addition to the house battery

and all electrical connections

to the 1.2kW starter motor are

kept clean, this shouldn’t be

an issue.

The starter motor is

mounted well above the

engine bearers, while the

alternator is mounted high

and just forward of the heat

exchanger.

The sump oil dipstick is

located on the starboard side,

just ahead of the canister oil

filter that’s mounted on its

side to reduce the risk of oil

dribbles down the cylinder

block when replacing it.

The gearbox has a separate

dipstick that – like the sump

dipstick and the oil and heat

exchanger filler caps – is

bright yellow to contrast with

the dark blue of the engine.

Sole doesn’t mention

suitable lubricating oil

viscosities in its engine

literature so I’d suggest using

diesel-specific SAE 10W30 oil

in colder climates and an SAE

15W40 in tropical conditions.

If the engine is used

frequently the oil and filter

should be changed every 200

running hours or annually; if

infrequently, every 100 hours

or six months.

Furthermore, from

information supplied by

Mitsubishi industrial engine

agents I would suggest

warming a cold engine for

five minutes before applying

load but no more than 10

minutes to prevent cylinder

bore glazing that would

result in power loss and

higher oil consumption down

the track. A sump extraction

pump is standard.

For the additional torque

and power compared with

the Mini-17, the 29 is only

slightly bulkier. Its 650mm

length is only 35mm more

than the 17, while at 446mm

74 tradeaboat.com.au