KAD44 conversion to mechanical

petem

petem

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
19,106
Location
Cotswolds / Altea
www.fairlineownersclub.com
As many of you know, the KAD44 has an ECU and electronic injection pump governor.

I and others have wondered whether these engines would become useless if VP ever stopped making the ECU's. So I was pleasantly surprised to hear from to someone who had converted their KAD44 back to a mechanical governor. All that was required was:

1) A standard KAD43 pump with a the original 44 cam plate and distributor head
2) Mechanical MT-3 remote control for gears and throttle
3) A KAD43 supercharger relay
4) KAD300 supercharger (I believe this is the same as the KAD43 blower)

Fuel economy and performance were good and there was no smoke.
 
Rather than keep flogging a dead horse remember the problematic aged outdrives sat in brine, I would change boats .Go for a equivalent shaft drive .That’s very easy in the Med .Huge pool to choose from .

Then as well as the expense there’s the residuals .Newbie types there surveyor might take a negative stance to molested ( how ever good the intentions and result) motors .

Heat in the ER and heat soak from the block after shutdown is a predictable issue in boats .Buy a boat with remote mounted electrotwackery. Remotely boxed and mounted away from the block .
You are looking at late 90 s for pure mechanical so going back too far for most .

Electrotwackery works fine if its kept cool , and as much as possible is mounted remotely in a water proof box well ventilated.

The other dead IPS thread boils down to cooking electrotwackery

VP can’t get there heads around this long term issue .I guess they want to appeal to low cost manufacturers and low instal time for builders so tend to sway in terms of design towards more bolted on electrotwackery as it simpler and quicker for builders .

The sad thing is they must know by now about the failures from heat degradation of engine / gearbox mounted electrotwackery in the field .
 
You're missing the point. This thread was particularly about KAD44's not an outdrive versus shafts debate.

And the point is that the 'Electrotwackery' can easily be removed if needed.

Remind me, does your engine have ECU's?
 
There is no difference in compressors Pete. They are all part no 860360 base. Volvo just likes to change the part number everytime something small changes. i.e. different intake and exhaust outlets (these change from model to model), different O-ring type etc. But the Supercharger itself sans manifolds is exactly the same through out the range. Therefore as you have the correct fittings and manifolds there will be no change required.
 
 
Portofino said:
Heat in the ER and heat soak from the block after shutdown is a predictable issue in boats.
Buy a boat with remote mounted electrotwackery. Remotely boxed and mounted away from the block.
Click to expand...
Isn't the MAN black box installed in the e/r, in your boat? And if not, was that moved on a retrofit?
I never came across one single MAN powered boat where the electrotwackery (as you called it) was installed elsewhere.
 
petem said:
Interesting. I'll ask him why he needed to change the S/C.
Click to expand...

AFAIK it is only the turbo that is slightly different across the range. The KAD42 and 43 have marginally bigger turbos but even then the difference is not so much that they are not interchangeable
 
MapisM said:
Isn't the MAN black box installed in the e/r, in your boat? And if not, was that moved on a retrofit?
I never came across one single MAN powered boat where the electrotwackery (as you called it) was installed elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Yes that’s my point it’s remote from vibrations ( thx Simon ^ ) and residual heat soak .
It gets air heat , but the boards are not enclosed in any gel / potting compound .
Pop into the ER when your motors are cruising and put your hand on say the valve covers .Hand warm .
This is because the coolers inc the crucial oil cooler as well as the bolt as well as the coolant cooler are doing there job while the pumps are running .Plus any air movement, which as you know diesels are effectively air pumps .

Now return say 1/2 hr after a run out switched off at the dock .For 1/2 hr the air pump , ie the motor sucking it in gas ceased the pumps both oil and any water has stopped .Now try and put your hand, hold your hand I exact same spot on said valve cover .
You can’t it will burn .

Imagine what the electrotwackery is feeling if any was mounted on the motors .

Theres zero reported ECU / electrotwackery issues reported with MAN s and I assume other makers like MTU , CAT , Cummins et al who remote mount in the ER on a bulkhead or where ever .

If so with a accessible ER mounted bulkhead box full of plug in boards it’s 9iss easy to pull one and plug + play a new one, = click n go etc .

They don’t mount the Electrotwackery I mean ECU s on the blocks in cars either.They are found under the scuttle or dash , under seats , foot wells etc .Neither are they potted as they are safe .
 
A better solution would be ( if possible) make a dry un potted ECU and relevant unbiblical(s) / connections and place it in a box remote from the block in the ER somewhere dry .

Only leave sensors on the engine .
The rest of the electrotwackery mount remote un potted .

If you are not sure what works look at your competition and copy them .This ain’t the science of the rocket guys .
Speak to Hyundai.They just copy the best bits .

Its called convergence .Start at different places( with good intentions of course ) and by trail / error / luck / etc end up all doing the same in the interest of product reliability etc .

Lipsticking up a pig rarely works .:)
 
I think in a marine environment, potting (by which I presume we mean encasing the circuit board in some kind of resin) is probably a good thing, stops any corrosion of the circuit board by the moist salty air that most boats live in.

I do also think that mounting the electronics on a bulk head - not on the engine block is also a good thing, due to less vibrations.

Cant have everything though, compromise is everywhere.
 
??? Potting protects against vibration but of course is not the be all and end all of housing design. It's much more complex than that. If you are that way inclined download the following CTI symposium article. Even if you dont fully understand it it will give you an appreciation of how much you dont know just on housing the ecu

CTI Mag: What ECU Concept is the right one for your Project? - CTI Symposium DE
 
BruceK said:
??? Potting protects against vibration but of course is not the be all and end all of housing design. It's much more complex than that. If you are that way inclined download the following CTI symposium article. Even if you dont fully understand it it will give you an appreciation of how much you dont know just on housing the ecu

CTI Mag: What ECU Concept is the right one for your Project? - CTI Symposium DE
Click to expand...
I was going to sat the same. Potting actually provides protection from vibration and can be thermally conductive for heat dissipation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top