Twin Volvo Penta Engines advice needed

[DonB]

Hi there,

new to this site, could some offer any advice regarding my Volvo penta engines.

Twin engines fitted on my 32 foot senior boat, been off the water for 2 years.
Gone to start, 1 engine won’t turn over. Been advises to take glow plugs out and pour diesel into the pots, as yet no success.
Any ideas what could be stopping it turning over.
The other one turns over but diesel not getting up to the injectors.
Diesel mechanic advised take the pump off and have it overhauled.
Undone all the bolts but worried about taking off as I wouldn’t know how to re-time it.

Any help would be appreciated, and any idea how I could source a workshop manual?
TIA

 

[Plum]

Hi there,

new to this site, could some offer any advice regarding my Volvo penta engines.

Twin engines fitted on my 32 foot senior boat, been off the water for 2 years.
Gone to start, 1 engine won’t turn over. Been advises to take glow plugs out and pour diesel into the pots, as yet no success.
Any ideas what could be stopping it turning over.
The other one turns over but diesel not getting up to the injectors.
Diesel mechanic advised take the pump off and have it overhauled.
Undone all the bolts but worried about taking off as I wouldn’t know how to re-time it.

Any help would be appreciated, and any idea how I could source a workshop manual?
TIA

In my opinion you are getting very bad advice. If an engine is not turning over, pouring diesel into the cylinders is pointless until you know whether the engine is siezed or there is a battery/starter motor problem. If you are not getting diesel to the injectors, overhauling the injector pump should be the last thing to do. Suggest you bolt that injector pump up, hopping you have not already upset the injector timing, Now open the bleedscrew on the secondary filter, operate the lift pump and see if anything comes out. What VP engines are they?

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[RichardS]

In my opinion you are getting very bad advice. If an engine is not turning over, pouring diesel into the cylinders is pointless until you know whether the engine is siezed or there is a battery/starter motor problem. If you are not getting diesel to the injectors, overhauling the injector pump should be the last thing to do. Suggest you bolt that injector pump up, hopping you have not already upset the injector timing, Now open the bleedscrew on the secondary filter, operate the lift pump and see if anything comes out. What VP engines are they?

I totally agree. You (the OP) should start by ignoring whoever is advising you as you seem to be starting by doing the things which should be last on the list.

First thing is to put a large spanner/socket on the crankshaft pulley of the engine that won't turn and try and turn it by hand to see if it really is seized. The engine which turns must be bled through to the injectors before doing anything else.

Richard

 

[Newbroom]

What engines are they. If in a senior they will be probably be MD 29 or MD32s or something of that age
Check if the engine can be turned manually via front pulley or similar. Don't take the pump off. Don't pour diesel into the engine until you know if it seized.
Sorry Richard your post appeared as I was typing this.

 

[DonB]

Thanks all for coming back to me, I need to get in there and find out which model they are. We have already tried everything you have suggested.
on the one engine that does turn over, the water pump that draws water from the river to the cooling system has been removed and won’t turn, but the engine does turn.
the engine won’t turn.

 

[DonB]

Thanks all for coming back to me, I need to get in there and find out which model they are. We have already tried everything you have suggested.
on the one engine that does turn over, the water pump that draws water from the river to the cooling system has been removed and won’t turn, but the engine does turn.
the engine won’t turn.

Sorry that was meant to say the engine won’t turn on the other!

 

[DonB]

Also there’s an electrical sensor with a wire coming out of it on the water pump, does anyone know what that is?

 

[boatmike]

You need to be clear. When you say engine wont turn do you mean you have tried turning it by hand with a spanner as suggested or the starter wont turn it over? When you say the water pump won't turn on one but the engine will does that mean the water pump was seized solid on one engine but now you have removed the water pump you can turn the engine by hand? If that's the case the obvious first move would seem to be to remove the water pump on the other one and see if that is also seized wouldn't it?? The electrical wire sounds like a temperature sensor but usually these are found on the thermostat housing. Is this a raw water cooled engine? By "water pump" therefore you may mean the main circulating pump on the front of the engine under the thermostat housing driven by a pulley rather than the one on an indirectly cooled engine with a heat exchanger that is present only with indirect cooling. Pictures would be a help.....