Living For Sailvideo
Rebuilding the Yanmar 3GM30: What I Learned That Could Save YOU Hours!
October 6, 2025 · 32 min · 19K views
What this video covers
John rebuilds a Yanmar 3GM30 marine diesel engine, focusing on reassembling the block, timing gears, and peripherals. After having the block hot-tanked and cleaned, he installs the flat tappets using a pushrod as a guide to fish them into the bores.1:57 He lubricates all bearing surfaces with assembly lube and torques the crankshaft carrier bearings to 21–25 foot-pounds.3:56 The reassembly includes installing a new rear main seal, ensuring the oil drain hole aligns correctly, and mounting the oil pickup tube with oil-resistant thread sealant.7:05 When reassembling the timing gears, he uses a new crank gear while reusing the original cam and oil pump gears to manage costs.15:39 He also rebuilds the heat exchanger and the Kanzaki KM3P transmission, noting that generic 3GM30 gasket kits may lack sub-variant-specific gaskets for freshwater-cooled models.20:05 He emphasizes verifying specific engine drawings, as multiple pump configurations exist for the same model.26:44
Boats in this video
More from Living For Sail
From Living For Sail — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.