Engine breakdown - help!

Metabarca

Metabarca

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Here's the scenario: Volvo MD2B pottering along at moderately high revs for four 4 hours (headwind) no problem, reduce revs, no prob, reduce to idle: engine dies. And will not start. I managed to start it again eventually at v. high revs but it immediately died on reducing revs. Now it will not start. And I'm not trying again as I've seen the oil is battleship grey in colour.
What have I got? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Oh, not a cooling problem: the impeller's fine and pump chucks out water.
 
Grey oil usually means the head gasket has failed 'cos you are looking at an oil/water emulsion...........see what the rest say.
Could be worse if it is that - head off, send it off for skimming (thro' local garage); new gaskat & back on. Good luck!
 
Sounds to me, like a head gasket gone. You can run an engine when there is reduced compression at higher revs but they won't idle. Water in the oil kind of confirms it really. If you havn't over heated the block much (as there will be localised heating, or uneven cooling) then you may get away with new gaskets and head skim. I'd get it sorted fairly quickly as the ones I've done suffer from corrosion in the bores with possible piston rings corroded quite quickly.

It might be worth looking at getting the head skimmed to give a good surface for the new gasket, more important on alloy heads as they distort easier.

It should be fixable, lots of time and a few gaskets, assuming you can get at it easily.
 
Hi
As the others have said it sounds like the head gasket. Although there maybe lots of cooling water coming out you can still have a cooling problem if you have raw water cooling. The exhaust manifold and output bend cooling are essentially seperate from the main engine cooling. While you have the head off take a look at the block and head waterways - they tend to get choked by salt etc. and can seriously restrict the water flow to the cylinder head. This it the voice of expensive experience.
 
Unfortunately, Volvo (pardon my language...) no longer have parts for that engine. If there's nowhere in Italy, you will probably be able to get at least some bits from:

Keyparts
428 Whippendell Rd
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD18 7PT
GB
Tel (44) 1923-221490

Good luck, but I greatly fear that more than a few euros spent on that engine won't be cost effective as the rest of the engine must be getting to the end of its life. Before committing yourself to anything, make sure the head gaskets and other bits you're likely to need are still available. From memory, you have two heads and two blocks, so you'll need two gaskets.

Head gaskets don't just go on cast iron engines. If corrosion's the cause then pistons, rings and bores will also be suspect.

If it's due to overheating check the state of the block(s) before having the heads skimmed. If they need doing as well, I'd suggest cutting your losses and looking for a new engine or replacement of a more recent design.
 
Thanks Capt Courageous and Stemar: my friendly Volvo agent has the parts (and not expensive IF it's just the gasket). I've been quoted a ball-park figure of euro 5/600 to replace the gasket, clean out the engine and check the cooling circuit. Clearly, they will be seeing why the gasket blew... Fingers crossed!
And sure, if it's something more serious, I'll have to consider a new engine (please no, not just yet!).

Lucian /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
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