Engine advice please

[tom52]

I have been sailing for about 25 years and had my own boat for the last 15 but the time has now come to switch to a mobo.
Although I have been comfortable servicing and maintaining my simple 19HP sail boat diesel I know virtually nothing about big modern mobo diesels.
My sail boat is sold so I am looking for some advice please about engines before I take the plunge.


1. The mobos I am looking at are all about 8 years old with single Volvo D4, common rail and electronic controls. They mainly seem to have about 400 engine hours run but one has 800 hours run. How critical is hours run to the price ?

2. Assuming proper maintenance how many hours do these sophisticated complicated engines run before problems are likely to occur and major work/rebuilds might be required ?

3. Are they too complicated for any owner servicing ? Can you do your own simple routine maintenance eg oil changes, fuel and oil filter changes, impeller replacement, coolant replacement/flushing ?

Any advice gratefully received.

 

[SEARANGER ANCASTER]

I have been sailing for about 25 years and had my own boat for the last 15 but the time has now come to switch to a mobo.
Although I have been comfortable servicing and maintaining my simple 19HP sail boat diesel I know virtually nothing about big modern mobo diesels.
My sail boat is sold so I am looking for some advice please about engines before I take the plunge.


1. The mobos I am looking at are all about 8 years old with single Volvo D4, common rail and electronic controls. They mainly seem to have about 400 engine hours run but one has 800 hours run. How critical is hours run to the price ?

2. Assuming proper maintenance how many hours do these sophisticated complicated engines run before problems are likely to occur and major work/rebuilds might be required ?

3. Are they too complicated for any owner servicing ? Can you do your own simple routine maintenance eg oil changes, fuel and oil filter changes, impeller replacement, coolant replacement/flushing ?

Any advice gratefully received.

Volvopaul is the man to ask but in relation to engine hours , I would rather see a higher engine hour with service history than a low number of hours with no idea if its been looked after well.

Most modern engines are easy enough to service yourself

 

[[2068]]

I have been sailing for about 25 years and had my own boat for the last 15 but the time has now come to switch to a mobo.
Although I have been comfortable servicing and maintaining my simple 19HP sail boat diesel I know virtually nothing about big modern mobo diesels.
My sail boat is sold so I am looking for some advice please about engines before I take the plunge.


1. The mobos I am looking at are all about 8 years old with single Volvo D4, common rail and electronic controls. They mainly seem to have about 400 engine hours run but one has 800 hours run. How critical is hours run to the price ?

2. Assuming proper maintenance how many hours do these sophisticated complicated engines run before problems are likely to occur and major work/rebuilds might be required ?

3. Are they too complicated for any owner servicing ? Can you do your own simple routine maintenance eg oil changes, fuel and oil filter changes, impeller replacement, coolant replacement/flushing ?

Any advice gratefully received.

Inboard or shaft drive?
There are various issues with earlier DP-H outdrives.

As to the engines, 400 or 800 hours doesn't make much odds, I'd be more interested in the Service History and condition.

There are plenty of D4's running with 2000 hrs+, they don't generally "wear out" ... it's more the case that something specific goes bang. Engines used regularly tend to have fewer problems than those that have sat around for months without being laid up properly.

As to maintenance, I do the basic maintenance on my KAD32's myself (oil, filters, belts, impellor, coolant) because it keeps me in touch with the mechanicals. More complex stuff (fixing outdrives, changing pumps etc.) I call in VolvoPaul.

Regards,
dave.

.

 

[tom52]

I should have said in my OP the boats under consideration are shaft drive.

 

[jrudge]

All of the basic components to keep it running will be familiar to you.


Fuel filters, air fliters, oil filters, oil!

Beyond that I always get someone else to do it. I would also recommend that even if nothing is wrong you get an engineer to give it (a paid for) once over from time to time as they know what they are doing and will spot stuff you dont which is better than a bill or getting stuck.

If you have an out drive leg that will need bellows etc which whilst members of the forum have done themselves is something I prefer to steer clear of.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

1. The mobos I am looking at are all about 8 years old with single Volvo D4, common rail and electronic controls. They mainly seem to have about 400 engine hours run but one has 800 hours run. How critical is hours run to the price ?

As Searanger says, a well maintained high hours engine will probably be more reliable than a badly maintained low hours engine. However, that is not the question you are asking. Yes, the secondhand market certainly values a boat with low hours more than one with high hours, all other things being equal. How much lower is anybody's guess but to pluck a figure out of the air, the price difference between an 800hrs boat and a 400hrs boat might be 10% or more. Don't forget that it is not only the engine that has done more hours but all the other ancillary equipment on the boat too, not to mention the hard and soft furnishings getting more hammered. You wouldn't expect engine problems on an 800hr boat but you might get more problems with domestic stuff like fridges, water pumps, toilet mechanisms etc

Assuming proper maintenance how many hours do these sophisticated complicated engines run before problems are likely to occur and major work/rebuilds might be required ?

How long is a piece of string? Other more competent people will comment but IMHO modern high powered, highly stressed turbo/super charged diesel engines just won't last as long as the older naturally aspirated diesel plodders. I wouldn't worry too much about 800hrs, providing the engine has been well maintained, but you might worry if the boat had, say, 2000-3000hrs. As ever with any used boat of any age or hours, get the engine checked out by an experienced engine technician (such as Volvopaul of this parish)

3. Are they too complicated for any owner servicing ? Can you do your own simple routine maintenance eg oil changes, fuel and oil filter changes, impeller replacement, coolant replacement/flushing ?

I would say that any mobo owner should know how to do those things as a matter of course, especially fuel filter and impellor changes and especially with a single engined boat because one day the engine will stop in the middle of the sea and you'll have to try to fix it yourself. Get yourself on a training course specific to the D4 engine

 

[AllanG]

I should have said in my OP the boats under consideration are shaft drive.

Hi Tom,

You haven't said what type of boats you are considering but, being an ex-sailor myself, I can certainly recommend the Nimbus 320, which is what I bought three years ago. It's fitted with a single Volvo D4 210hp engine, and a bowthruster which, in my opinion, is essential on a single-engined shaft drive boat.

The D4 is a very simple engine to work on, and I do my own servicing, using genuine Volvo parts. I haven't had any problems with the the electronic engine controls, and the engine has more than enough power to allow cruising around 12-14 knots, which is quite fast enough for me!

My boat is a 2004 model, and I have approx. 690 hours on the engine and, provided the engine is regularly serviced, I wouldn't worry about a boat that has more hours on it compared to another boat with less hours.

Feel free to PM me if you require further info.

Cheers, Allan

 

[tom52]

Guessed it in one Allan.
Do ex-sailors ever buy anything else !

 

[spannerman]

Very straight forward to service as there are no valve adjustments to be done. Just oil and filters (oil,diesel,air,crankcase breather) and impellor and anodes and belts, the 800hr engine should have at least 4 services behind it if done at the specified 200hr intervals, but a lot of owners have them done every year regardless of accumalated hours.
These engines are reliable now, the obvious thing as with all engines is to go over them using a flashlight to inspect them, making sure the oil, coolant and seawater is where it should be and not leaking as unattended leaks can be expensive. And check security and condition of hose clamps, battery cables and fuel lines, etc.

 

[boatmike]

Yes Tom! I bought an Aquastar Oceanranger....... Proper boat for an ex raggie!

 

[Firefly625]

Guessed it in one Allan.
Do ex-sailors ever buy anything else !

yes;

Aquastar
Hardy
Nelson / Dale
Seaward
Grand Banks
etc, etc

even Nimbus, so long as shaft & single engined...

 

[KevB]

not to mention the hard and soft furnishings getting more hammered. You wouldn't expect engine problems on an 800hr boat but you might get more problems with domestic stuff like fridges, water pumps, toilet mechanisms etc

Of course one may be taken out every other weekend but lived on 24/7, the other just used every weekend...

 

[tom52]

Thanks for all that chaps, very helpful.

VolvoPaul sounds like the man. I presume he operates in the Solent area ? Does he do pre purchase engine surveys ? How do I contact him ?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Thanks for all that chaps, very helpful.

VolvoPaul sounds like the man. I presume he operates in the Solent area ? Does he do pre purchase engine surveys ? How do I contact him ?

send him a private message from this forum

 

[Greg2]

Thanks for all that chaps, very helpful.

VolvoPaul sounds like the man. I presume he operates in the Solent area ? Does he do pre purchase engine surveys ? How do I contact him ?

Paul is very knowledgeable without question but so too is spannerman, who has replied above

 

[David2452]

I've lived with a D4 from new for 8 years, servicing the basics is simple but it's not just a case of oils and filters, the charge air cooler needs removing and cleaning at intervals too but it's all in the service manual. I'm sure Paul will give more info but check the end caps on the charge air cooler for salt crystals which indicate a leak, also I believe there was a modification to the end caps at some stage but I may have dreamed that. The only issue I have had in the eight years was the afore mentioned CAC, other than that I love the motor, economical, quite smooth and not too noisy, only a sample of one though so not really indicative.

 

[spannerman]

I've lived with a D4 from new for 8 years, servicing the basics is simple but it's not just a case of oils and filters, the charge air cooler needs removing and cleaning at intervals too but it's all in the service manual. I'm sure Paul will give more info but check the end caps on the charge air cooler for salt crystals which indicate a leak, also I believe there was a modification to the end caps at some stage but I may have dreamed that. The only issue I have had in the eight years was the afore mentioned CAC, other than that I love the motor, economical, quite smooth and not too noisy, only a sample of one though so not really indicative.

Yes they changed from plastic endcaps which deformed over time to brass, if they are leaking and not attended to it will eventually be engine out to replace the main harness which fries when the seawater drips straight onto the starter battery terminal.
Also the plastic idler pulleys on the belts have been superceded by metal ones.

 

[tom52]

Paul is very knowledgeable without question but so too is spannerman, who has replied above

I always pay great attention to spannerman posts He is obviously very knowledgeable about engines, especially Volvos.
But Norway seems a little far to come for an engine survey, don't you think ?

 

[spannerman]

I always pay great attention to spannerman posts He is obviously very knowledgeable about engines, especially Volvos.
But Norway seems a little far to come for an engine survey, don't you think ?

I am flying over tonight! but going up to Nottingham to visit the family, sorry....

(ps thanks for the compliment, however I admit I don't know everything only what I have experienced over the years)

 

[AllanG]

Yes they changed from plastic endcaps which deformed over time to brass QUOTE]

Are you sure this is correct, 'cos when I changed my charge air cooler SW inlet/outlet endcap two years ago, VP UK only supplied a plastic one.....I did query this with RK Marine, whom I bought it from, and they confirmed that only the return endcap is available in brass. If a brass inlet/outlet endcap is available, please can you give us the part number?

Cheers, Allan