Candidate for the worst ever marine engine - VP MD2020?

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Ric

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I have one of these POS. Just google "MD2020 engine hours counter" or the equivalent in any other language and you will find dozens of threads complaining about the useless Volvo electronics, and the even more useless response by VP themselves.

Well OK, a completely non-functional engine hours counter is not the end of the world, but now try googling "MD2020 overheating problems" or the equivalent in other languages. You will find yet again multiple threads about unending problems with MD2020s overheating, with myriad causes which cannot be easily diagnosed.

Despite maintaining my 2001 MD2020 (1200 hrs) exactly to VPs schedule for 15 years, and paying through the nose for VP genuine spares, even VP oil and coolant, I have ended up with a €3000 bill this year trying to find the cause of constant overheating. The local VP dealer's response is to shrug their shoulders that the motor has 1200 hours so what do you expect!
 
Volvo do not make engine hour meters, but just about all marine engine manufacturers use VDO electronic guages. I have a Beta engine and my VDO engine hour meter has just failed. At the Southampton Boat Show I chatted to Beta about this problem, the gentleman said it is a very common problem as the electronic meter suffers from ingress of moisture. The solution is to fit a mechanical engine hour meter, which will cost about £50 plus fitting. Luckily my old engine hour meter can be re-connected, so it is an easy fix for me.
 
A 2020 in good order will not overheat, so the fact that your engineer has failed to find the reason suggests to me his inadequacy as much or more than Volvo's.
 
There must be something seriously wrong with your engine or the installation. Fundamentally the same as a 2030 that I had which ran faultlessly for over 3500 hours and never overheated.
 
There have been many threads on this forum that describe the cause of overheating in these engines. Salt deposition in the waterways and manifold seems to be the usual cause. Half a day of treatment with one of various acids or Rydlyme seems to solve the problem.
 
I have the Perkins version also known as the Volvo 2010. A two cylinder 10hp engine that is the same derivative as yours. 17 years old and over 2000 hours on the clock. Appears to have suffered from some poor maintenance over its life with the things I have found. Still going but using some oil. Its a generator engine for us whizzing around at 3000 rpm its whole life. Not a bad little engine really. Picked up a second hand one thats only done 63 hours so will be swapping the block soon
 
vyv_cox said:
There have been many threads on this forum that describe the cause of overheating in these engines. Salt deposition in the waterways and manifold seems to be the usual cause. Half a day of treatment with one of various acids or Rydlyme seems to solve the problem.
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It's indirectly cooled so the only place salt should be is in the heat exchanger and exhaust.

A few people have overheating problems due to build up of deposits in the exhaust manifold.

It's an EXTREMELY common engine and it's no surprise there are lots of hits on the www about problems. The number of www hits doesn't necessarily correlate with anything.

Our VP 2040 has overheated several times this year and last. I don't blame the engine for the weed I've fished out of the strainer and that's got stuck against/in the engine cooling inlet. I've recounted the tale on here. Does my story add the www stats?
 
I have a VP MD2030, and like John Morris, can point all "failures" to events like weed, rope or whatever.
Mine has a new hours counter - I agree those were not good, but the fix cost all of a tenner. I don't actually know how many hours total, but about 2000 (500 on current clock). It's economical, drives the boat easily (Rival32), will tow big things (I towed a 50 footer once), doesn't use oil, and if I give it a good checkout, oil and filters change annually, heat exchanger clean every four years, impellor annually and a few other bits and pieces it just keeps humming.

I nominate this as a candidate for the BEST marine engine.
 
john_morris_uk said:
It's indirectly cooled so the only place salt should be is in the heat exchanger and exhaust.

A few people have overheating problems due to build up of deposits in the exhaust manifold.

It's an EXTREMELY common engine and it's no surprise there are lots of hits on the www about problems. The number of www hits doesn't necessarily correlate with anything.

Our VP 2040 has overheated several times this year and last. I don't blame the engine for the weed I've fished out of the strainer and that's got stuck against/in the engine cooling inlet. I've recounted the tale on here. Does my story add the www stats?
Click to expand...
+1 with John Morris comments. I have the 2020 in my Westerly & have replaced the exhaust elbow from Key Parts. I believe there is now a stainless steel elbow available. When motoring I generally have the revs between 2000-2500rpm. This seems to keep the elbow cleaner for longer.
 
MM5AHO said:
I have a VP MD2030, and like John Morris, can point all "failures" to events like weed, rope or whatever.
Mine has a new hours counter - I agree those were not good, but the fix cost all of a tenner. I don't actually know how many hours total, but about 2000 (500 on current clock). It's economical, drives the boat easily (Rival32), will tow big things (I towed a 50 footer once), doesn't use oil, and if I give it a good checkout, oil and filters change annually, heat exchanger clean every four years, impellor annually and a few other bits and pieces it just keeps humming.

I nominate this as a candidate for the BEST marine engine.
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Ditto. 21 years old, had to refurb' the water pump, change the elbow and one glowplug. I chose it against the Beta after watching the rivals working - smoother than the Beta, didn't like the small heat exchanger on the Beta, it's requirement for an annual service on the exchanger and new anode, and the electrical isolation. Not that I am bad mouthing the Beta; I just preferred the Volvo. Have suffered overheat - one a jellyfish blocking the water inlet, and two partial water restrictions with weed. Doesn't use any oil, still has clean oil at the end of the season and I have 18 spare used impellers in perfect condition (1 given away, only one damaged in a season).
 
I have the Perkins version,Perama M20 which has more basic electrics than the volvo only thing that I have done is to clean the exhaust elbow apart from usual maintainance
One of the best engines ever produced and ahead of its time.

Also uses one of the most common alternators around the Lucas A127.
 
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Hi, I have a VP 2010 which I installed myself. It has around 500 hours (yes I have the duff hours meter). So far I have serviced it myself and it has been very reliable. It always starts first time. The only overheating that I have experienced so far has been from things that have been sucked up in the water intake. OK I have the water pump in bits at the moment, but the slight drip wasn't stopping it from working. I would say a good engine.
 
Lets face it. These engines run for 20 years in a nasty environment and are usually reliable with pretty basic maintenance.
The problem is not so much the engines Volvos produce but the blood sucking company that happily steal ice creams from babies and charge you for it. There is no customer care, just customer rip off.
If they charged realistic prices for spare parts far more people would be happy to repower with a Volvo but those who have had one and shelled out their children's inheritance on a bolt would never get another Volvo powered boat.
 
For many of the components on my MD2030 I haven't bought Volvo parts but other brands that are the same.
The engine is Perkins after all, and some tractor parts fit OK.
 
I did all the maintenance of my MD2020 for 12 years and never had an overheating problem, nor any problem outside routine maintenance for that matter.
 
Hi I am not familiar with this VP but I had a 2003 for many years, it suffered from overheating, I finally found the cause after doing all the usual things, on the 2003 there is a small breather pipe from the top of the thermostat housing to the header tank if this is blocked it prevents water circulating the head, finding this eventually cost me a lot of cash and hours stuck in a Portuguese marina on my way back to the U.K. From the Med. I have since then installed a Beta 35. Which after three years of teething problem and a new gearbox seems to be ok. As for the made to measure engine feet, don't expect to be able to drop the engine in and bolt it down, it doesn't work, they do make it easier to fit I emagine but I still needed to make up plates for the new hole positions. Lovely red paint job.
Mike
 
Ric said:
I have one of these POS. Just google "MD2020 engine hours counter" or the equivalent in any other language and you will find dozens of threads complaining about the useless Volvo electronics, and the even more useless response by VP themselves.

Well OK, a completely non-functional engine hours counter is not the end of the world, but now try googling "MD2020 overheating problems" or the equivalent in other languages. You will find yet again multiple threads about unending problems with MD2020s overheating, with myriad causes which cannot be easily diagnosed.

Despite maintaining my 2001 MD2020 (1200 hrs) exactly to VPs schedule for 15 years, and paying through the nose for VP genuine spares, even VP oil and coolant, I have ended up with a €3000 bill this year trying to find the cause of constant overheating. The local VP dealer's response is to shrug their shoulders that the motor has 1200 hours so what do you expect!
Click to expand...



:):) Where did they get him from ???
 
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