How Much Damage Have I Done to My Engine?

[Tintin]

An alternate view

You seem like a practical chap.

You could spend a fortune changing this and checking that, and live in fear for a bit.

Or just solve what is known and evidenced (i.e. bits of impeller) and go sailing.

For sure any problems will happen when you least expect / wish, so put out some extra fenders both sides when going to & from your marina berth, have your hook ready to drop in case of engine failure, Work out how to use your tender outboard ( if you have one) as a spare engine, and brush up on things like picking up a buoy under sail.

All good prudent stuff anyway irrespective of engine condition.

 

[vyv_cox]

I ran my engine dry when the pump failed to prime after sailing for several hours. By the time the overheat alarm went off we were right in the middle of the entrance to Scheveningen harbour and had no alternative than carrying on motoring for a minute or so. We anchored out of the fairway, replaced the impeller and all seemed to be well. Later, I inspected the water trap and found it seriously melted. The hoses had survived OK.

 

[paulrae]

Looks like the exhaust's the place to start

Thanks everyone for your advice as usual.

I'll have a good poke about the exhaust hoses and water trap and see what the effects of my stupidity have been. I'd like to think that I got away with it, but sod's law says there's something hidden there that will bite me on the bum when I'm least epxecting it.

 

[wotayottie]

+1
They must be selling them to the boat builders very cheap. Beta all the way.

Had both Volvo and Yanmar - dont see much of a difference if any. Even in spares prices.

I believe the 2030 is a Jap engine, assembled form a kit of Jap parts by Perkins and then painted Volvo green.

 

[chrishelen]

The only time I got a jolly to Sweden, my host told me he paid more in spare parts for his boat engine than a year's running costs on his car. As he said, "Buy a Volvo car but not their boat engines!"

Sadly every manufacturer seems to set their spares prices to match.

Rob.

I Once swopped a perfectly good lister petter for an average volvo 2001 in my old boat ,not one of my best moves.

 

[fisherman]

Maybe difficult for you, but when I had a complete blockage in the sea water side (left the seacock filter out) the chopped weed ended up in the oil cooler tube stack, I blew it out backwards with the deck wash. Can you use a hose to direct water back through the system to shove the impeller fragments out, even with a hand pump?

 

[Ripster]

You have all the right advice on things to check and clear out etc., so hopefully your motor will be fine. An additional mod is to fit a screaming alarm siren into the over heat circuit, so that regardless of what other noise is occuring and where you are on the boat you hear it straight away. I fitted an early warning exhaust temp alarm and a screamer on mine to give the earliest alert possible of any trouble. Something like this with an additional siren from maplin. http://www.trickettmarineproducts.co.uk/exhaustalarm.html

 

[Ruffles]

Here's a question!

If your engine has overheated (either you've forgotten to open the sea cock, or the filter has blocked) should you clear the blockage and restart the engine immediately OR wait for it to cool naturally.

Of course you may not have the luxury of waiting!

 

[sailorman]

Here's a question!

If your engine has overheated (either you've forgotten to open the sea cock, or the filter has blocked) should you clear the blockage and restart the engine immediately OR wait for it to cool naturally.

Of course you may not have the luxury of waiting!

very hot engines & rapidly filled with cold water can be damaged due to rapid & not uniform contraction of metals ( some dissimilar metals in the engine )

 

[WilliamUK]

The alarm could have been going off unheard for all the time it took to consume tea and scones

I'd be adding "fit alarm repeater" to the list. I'd want an overheat alarm to sound so I could hear it whether I was on deck or below.

But then, that's easy to say when the nearest I am to having such a problem is an engineless dinghy.

 

[Cardo]

I read this thread when it was live, and now unfortunately find myself having to go over it.

On the way back home today I suddenly noticed white "smoke" coming out of the exhaust. I'm guessing it turned out to be steam as the relatively new Beta 35 engine was pretty toasty and some of the coolant had been squirted out. I then noticed the overheat light was on (but no audible alarm, damned installers!). The engine won't have been running for more than a few minutes before we noticed and we quickly parked up and turned the engine off.

Turned out something (probably all the seaweed floating about the last few days) had blocked the raw water inlet. Some pumping with the dinghy pump cleared the inlet and things went back to normal. The engine was hot to the touch, but not overly so. I was able to touch it without burning my fingers.

After leaving the engine for a bit, we carried on up to our berth with no further issues.

So my job for next weekend is now to check for any damage that may have been caused. The engine itself seemed to be running fine afterwards, so I'm hoping there's nothing too serious.

So things to check:
Engine coolant
Exhaust where it comes out of the engine for delamination/other damage
Water trap - What's this? Is it the big plastic tub the exhaust passes though on the way out?
Anything else?

Thanks for any pointers!

 

[david_bagshaw]

generic answer

with steam coming out you should be ok, just check for leaks and items deformed in shape. others who know beta engines will be able to advise better.

 

[Cardo]

generic answer

with steam coming out you should be ok, just check for leaks and items deformed in shape. others who know beta engines will be able to advise better.

Well that's certainly good news. Thanks.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Water trap - What's this? Is it the big plastic tub the exhaust passes though on the way out?

Yes, it's called a water lift muffler.

 

[pmyatt]

Have you found the missing bits of the impeller? If not, it's probably worth looking for them.

Take the hose off the exhaust elbow and connect a hose with mains pressure to it. Take water pump outlet hose off pump and connect length of hose to it sufficient to take output to cockpit or deck. Turn on mains tap - heat exchanger is back flushed and any bits of impeller should be ejected - mains pressure generally being higher than water pump pressure.

 

[stuartwineberg]

Try Perkins

Your only concern is damage to the exhaust as others have said, but at idle even that could have survived - but take it off t the exhaust elbow and see if it has de-laminated inside.

this impeller blades getting caught in the heat exchanger thing is not a new problem, us boaters have been putting up with it for years, isnt it about time we had a filter we could install between the pump and the engine to catch them - clear plastic perhaps so we can see them? anyone know of such a device?

My 265i Sabre Perkins has such a device - the pipe coming from the water pump is about 6 inches long then has a fitting that flares out. There is a mesh screen in the flared part to catch the bits. The pipe that then goes from there has a larger flare (if you know what I mean) and that is push fitted on with a jubilee clip securing it. It's more secure than my rubbish description. I imagine the bits are purchasable and could be made to fit anything

 

[chewi]

Take the hose off the exhaust elbow and connect a hose with mains pressure to it. Take water pump outlet hose off pump and connect length of hose to it sufficient to take output to cockpit or deck. Turn on mains tap - heat exchanger is back flushed and any bits of impeller should be ejected - mains pressure generally being higher than water pump pressure.

elsewhereon these forums you will find advice not to pressurise water systems, as it allows water to get into the oil past seals that were not designed for that much pressure.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Had both Volvo and Yanmar - dont see much of a difference if any. Even in spares prices.

I believe the 2030 is a Jap engine, assembled form a kit of Jap parts by Perkins and then painted Volvo green.

Not Japanese - unless they have started to make Perkins. When I rebuilt my 2040 (the same block more I believe) I found 'Perkins' cast into the side of the green painted block...

 

[Tranona]

Not Japanese - unless they have started to make Perkins. When I rebuilt my 2040 (the same block more I believe) I found 'Perkins' cast into the side of the green painted block...

But still Japanese. Made by the Shibauru company in a joint venture with Perkins for the past 20 years or more. All the 20 series Volvo and the latest D1 type are made in Japan and shipped to Volvo to be fitted with drives and sprayed green. Engines are also widely used in small construction equipment, generators, refrigeration plant etc.

 

[john_morris_uk]

But still Japanese. Made by the Shibauru company in a joint venture with Perkins for the past 20 years or more. All the 20 series Volvo and the latest D1 type are made in Japan and shipped to Volvo to be fitted with drives and sprayed green. Engines are also widely used in small construction equipment, generators, refrigeration plant etc.

We learn something every day! I had no idea...

Personally I have no problem with it being originally made in Japan anyway.