The Universal name resonates with many of us as one of the best sailboat engines available. Despite Universal Motor Corp. no longer being in business, I plan to work on many more Universal engines in my time as a marine mechanic. Aboard my own boat, my little Universal M-series diesel has 8,000+ hours on it and it doesn’t (and probably won’t!) skip a beat. Yes, every small recreational diesel will have its flaws and quirks, but they all have one thing in common: they will keep going as long as we take care of them!
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I’m in the process of rebuilding my 1982 M-30. Other than cleaning the injectors and rebuilding the water pump, the engine was in great shape – with all 3 cylinders having 520# compression. Looking forward to another 40 years out of the rebuild!
Thank you for the history lesson Meredith. Although I have a Beta Marine, it too is built around a dependable Kubota block. For those of us that enjoy (mostly) the pleasure of maintaining our own boat and various systems, simple and reliable are the features we most value.
I think I’ll change my oil tomorrow.