Importing a boat from Canada - Ford Lehman question

[bill209]

I am in the process of purchasing a trawler from Canada and will be importing it into the US. I believe the engine is original, or at least similar to the original, and given its age should qualify as an exception to the EPA emission standards. I spoke to the EPA today to make sure it would qualify and the response was yes as long as you can prove its manufacture date.

I contacted American Diesel, who is always incredibly helpful, and they noted that Lehman Power went out of business in 1991 and would therefore not be able to provide any documentation when the engine was sold to the boat manufacturer. They very considerately offered that if I could give them a proper serial number for the engine, they may could provide some verification when the engine itself was manufactured, but that lacks official certification and may not prove useful.

So the second problem I have is that the serial number I got from the survey, which I believe was pulled off the tag from the engine, was a nine digit number beginning with zero. This is not a valid Ford 120hp diesel serial number. Does anyone recognize this type of number, could it be the Lehman serial number? I will be contacting the sales broker tomorrow to see if there’s any documentation on the boat that shows the actual serial number of the engine.

Does anyone have any experience importing a trawler (or other old boat) into the United States from another country? What kind of proof does customs need to verify the age of the engine?

FWIW, the engine is a Ford Lehman120 HP 2751E.

I’m so panicky right now. =:O
I appreciate any advice you can offer.
Bill

 

[Comodave]

Are you dealing with a broker? If so they should be able to handle this for you. If not then look for a customs broker that deals with boats and they can likely help you.

 

[SteveK]

FWIW, the engine is a Ford Lehman120 HP 2751E.

Maybe 2715E, by memory started appearing mid 70's

 

[bill209]

Are you dealing with a broker? If so they should be able to handle this for you. If not then look for a customs broker that deals with boats and they can likely help you.

you bring up a good point; I am trying my best to find an import broker. I have called several that have been recommended to me, and a couple that responded have promised to send me information, but so far I have gotten nothing. Two of them I’ve contacted multiple times. I am (still) hoping to get some information within the next day or two.

I just ran across the engine manufacturing date issue this afternoon, so that is definitely going on my list of questions to ask a broker.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Mambo42]

When was the boat built and by which yard ?
If you can figure that one out, find the hull number and ask them which engines they put in the boat. I was able to find the yard that built my boat (1979) and they still had all the info.
Might be worth a shot.

 

[psneeld]

The serial number on my Lehman engine was hidden behind the coolant pipe running above/behind the injection pump. All the other numbers I found were just part numbers.

If American Diesel ..... The Lehman Ford Experts can't give you a manufacturer date, try this website.....

Ford Industrial Engine Production Dates by Serial Numbers - everythingaboutboats.org

PATH: Boat Building » Boat Equipment » Propulsion » Engines » Ford UK » PAGE CONTENTS: (click ⇒ to go to each section on this page) ⇒ Ford Industrial Engine Production Dates by Serial Numbers by Jimcdbts. ⇒ Fordson Type. ⇒ Ford Thames Trader Type. ⇒ Ford Industrial Engine Type. ⇒...

everythingaboutboats.org

If all else fails, join https://boatdiesel.com/ or have someone post the question there.

 

[bill209]

When was the boat built and by which yard ?
If you can figure that one out, find the hull number and ask them which engines they put in the boat. I was able to find the yard that built my boat (1979) and they still had all the info.
Might be worth a shot.

The boat is an Albin Trawler and unfortunately Albin went out of business in 1982.

 

[jleonard]

The boat is an Albin Trawler and unfortunately Albin went out of business in 1982.

My Albin was a 1983. So the above is not accurate
There is also an Albin owner’s group that might be able to assist. Free to join.

 

[bill209]

My Albin was a 1983. So the above is not accurate
There is also an Albin owner’s group that might be able to assist. Free to join.

You are right that Albin boats were produced after 1982, but it is a bit of convoluted ownership history (see below for Wikipedia entry) and the company that produced the 1980 Albins, Albin Marine (subsidiary of Pribo at that particular moment in time), did unfortunately go belly up in 1982.
I have researched Nya Albin Marin,in the hopes I could contact them, but have so far not found any information.

And thanks very much for the heads up on the Alban owners group. I will be heading over there shortly!

From Wikipedia:
In 1973, Albin Marin was sold to Pribo, and in 1982, Albin Marine filed for bankruptcy. The insolvency assets was bought to create Nya Albin Marin, and further boats were produced, later also by other boat builders.

 

[psneeld]

I believe Albin 36-40-43 foot trawlers built somewhere in/around the 80s, in Taiwan, were built by several different yards that some don't exist anymore.

The good news is there is more documentation on the Ford engines than the old Albins.If you haven't looked for your actual serial number, that would be my first step...don't get frustrated, I didn't find it for several years and only after doing coolant hose maintenance.

From there, the links I posted above may help...that's how I found mine which was an obvious rebuilt as it was around a decade older than when my boat was constructed in '88.

 

[bill209]

I believe Albin 36-40-43 foot trawlers built somewhere in/around the 80s, in Taiwan, were built by several different yards that some don't exist anymore.

The good news is there is more documentation on the Ford engines than the old Albins.If you haven't looked for your actual serial number, that would be my first step...don't get frustrated, I didn't find it for several years and only after doing coolant hose maintenance.

From there, the links I posted above may help...that's how I found mine which was an obvious rebuilt as it was around a decade older than when my boat was constructed in '88.

Thank you!

Sadly, I am not near the boat and cannot crawl around and look for the serial number myself, however, I will be contacting the sales broker to see if we can get someone to go take a look.

American diesel is willing to help as long as I can get them a valid serial number; and they were the ones who pointed out that the one I had wasn’t correct. But now I have a new place to look!

 

[rgano]

Maybe 2715E, by memory started appearing mid 70's

My two 2715Es were originally installed in 1971 aboard my 1972 model Grand Banks 42.

 

[bill209]

@psneeld, was the serial number you found behind the coolant pipe printed on a tag or imprinted directly on the engine?

 

[CharlieO.]

Mine was printed on a tag. I'll see if I can find it again when I get to the boat tonight.

 

[bill209]

…I'll see if I can find it again when I get to the boat tonight.

Oh my I cannot wait until I can say those words! : )
And thanks for checking.

 

[CharlieO.]

My tag in the aft starboard side of the engine

 

[psneeld]

@psneeld, was the serial number you found behind the coolant pipe printed on a tag or imprinted directly on the engine?

Stamped on the block...thus the real serial number. The "tag" affixed to the engine was worn to the point of being unreadable if that was even the right "tag" that was affixed to the starboard side back bear the bell housing ((or the right one was gone)).

 

[CharlieO.]

On my tag you can easily read the date, when I order parts I just used the serial number that the PO wrote on the maintenance manual. Can't read the serial number on my tag either.

 

[READY]

I have the same engine. Might try taking a photo of the tag or rubbing it with a white grease pencil. Both can enhance the engraving of the numbers.

 

[WeekendR_Ken]

My Albin was a 1983. So the above is not accurate

Note that, like autos, boats are ID’d by MODEL year, not MANUFACTURED year. Therefore, a manufacturer who ceases operation in, say, December 198X, would likely have manufactured and shipped about 6 months, possibly more, of 198X+1 boat. The “flip date” for model years, per CG regs, was approx mid-calendar-year. There is give/take in that, for instance, if a mfgr is producing say a 2026 model boat for a show, and it comes off the line before the mid-year flip date.

My vessel is a 1984, manufactured Dec 1983. If it incorporated a new hull or other design to shipped to a spring boat show, it could have been a “1985” even though it came off the line in 1983. Too bad that it wasn't! <sigh>

Cheers,

Ken
Weekend’R Yachts