md1 wont start

[gavin400]

Boat launched a couple of weeks ago, but so far have been unable to get the Volvo md1 to start.

The fuel tank has been removed to pressure wash/steam clean and the primary and secondary filters have been replaced.
The fuel system has been bled up to the connection to the injector and there is an ample supply of clean fuel to this point.

The air filter ls clean and there is nothing blocking the inlet.

There appears to be ample compression - i.e. it wont crank over by hand or battery with the valve lifter down, but spins freely with the lifter in the raised position.

Have checked that the throttle is operating, have tried with the cold start engaged and disengaged.

I have tried spraying Easy Start into the air inlet whilst cranking.

Nothing I have done is producing even the slightest indication that the engine will fire, it just seems completely dead - no wisps of smoke, no splutters.

The engine has always started immediately, either by hand crank or via the ignition and I have never encountered these problems

A suggestion has been made that I should remove the injector for checking, but I can't get it out and am wary of causing damage

All suggestions gratefully recieved

Many thanks

Gavin

 

[NickRobinson]

Did you mean to say it won't turn over on the starter unless you use the decompressor?

I do not have experience with your engine but it seems odd you are getting so little response, not even smoke, even with Easystart.

The Easystart would rule out the injector as a primary cause

Blocked exhaust? Let us know what it turns out to be-

Nick

 

[black mercury]

If there is no smoke at all out the exhaust while cranking for about 10 seconds the engine is not getting fuel, but it should have kicked a couple of times with easy start, suppose depends how much you are using. You say you have bled the fuel system but have you loosened the injector union at the injector (the high pressure pipe) while cranking the engine over? Use the decompression lever so as not to waste the battery. You should be getting a little squirt of diesel. You should also hear the injector creak or squeak while you crank the engine over by hand, you need to listen carefully. Also remember that if you crank the engine over for a long enough without it running you will fill the exhaust with sea-water which will back fill into the engine, and it sure won't start then. Close your sea-cock.

 

[vyv_cox]

It is fundamental that the starter motor must turn the engine over under full compression. Diesel engines rely on the temperature increase generated during compression to fire the fuel. Turning it over decompressed cannot achieve this, although it can work with an engine in good condition that fires on the first revolution. You either have poor connections between the battery and the engine, either on the positive or negative side, or your battery is flat/dead.

 

[gavin400]

If there is no smoke at all out the exhaust while cranking for about 10 seconds the engine is not getting fuel, but it should have kicked a couple of times with easy start, suppose depends how much you are using. You say you have bled the fuel system but have you loosened the injector union at the injector (the high pressure pipe) while cranking the engine over? Use the decompression lever so as not to waste the battery. You should be getting a little squirt of diesel. You should also hear the injector creak or squeak while you crank the engine over by hand, you need to listen carefully. Also remember that if you crank the engine over for a long enough without it running you will fill the exhaust with sea-water which will back fill into the engine, and it sure won't start then. Close your sea-cock.

Yes, I have loosened the injector union and can see a squirt of diesel as I crank the engine.

I can also hear a squeak as I crank.

The sea cock is closed.

 

[myquest]

The fact that Easystart has not produced a result would indicate fuel delivery is not the cause for not starting. Are you spraying the Easystart with the air filter off? As an alternative to Easystart try aiming the flame from a blowlamp into the air inlet (air filter removed) while cranking the engine with the starter. If it does not start with this method you are looking for a different fault, timing etc. etc.. If you are wary about having a mobile naked flame being brandished about a highly flammable boat then make sure you have two people for this method, one to operate the blowlamp and the other to operate the starter and throttle.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Give us a clue where the boat is? That's a very peculiar fault. I am not sure you should be trying QuickStart when its always started in the past....

 

[pete]

Quote " i.e. it wont crank over by hand or battery with the valve lifter down, but spins freely with the lifter in the raised position."

What happens when you drop the decompressor whilst cranking on the starter does the compression then stop the engine cranking or does it continue to turn over ? It does sound like battery or cables.

 

[NickRobinson]

Quote " i.e. it wont crank over by hand or battery with the valve lifter down, but spins freely with the lifter in the raised position."

What happens when you drop the decompressor whilst cranking on the starter does the compression then stop the engine cranking or does it continue to turn over ? It does sound like battery or cables.

But he also has said that it used to hand start ok and now won't, not even rotating so could be electrics, possibly not...
N

 

[Bilgediver]

Yes, I have loosened the injector union and can see a squirt of diesel as I crank the engine.

I can also hear a squeak as I crank.

The sea cock is closed.

Have you had the rocker cover off to confirm all is in order and the valves appear to be doing what valves should do! Maybe the exhaust push rod has said enough is enough

 

[gavin400]

Boat is in Holy Loch, West coast Scotland.

I am ruling out any electrical problems because it won't start whether I use the starter motor or the hand crank (hand cranking is my normal way to start the engine).

If the decompression lever is dropped whilst cranking the compression 'kicks back' - if the battery has a good charge it overcomes the 'kick back', if hand cranking you have to put enormous effort in to overcome the 'kick back'.
My normal starting procedure is to turn the engine over with the decompression lever upright, and the flip the lever over and the engire fires up.

I have tried the blow torch treatment, and the Easy Start - both times with the air filter off

 

[john_morris_uk]

With a reasonably charged battery the engine should spin over on the electric start without the decompression lever being touched. Is there any possibility of the engine being 'hydraulically locked'? Ie a volume liquid fuel or water has got into the cylinder? Otherwise I am wondering if a cell of the battery has died and when the battery appears to be charged, it still doesn't give proper power to the starter? Assuming there's no hydraulic lock and the connections are good, and it still won't crank enthusiastically on the electric start, then the starter motor becomes suspect.

Basically, given compression fuel and air, when cranked at enough revs, the engine WILL go. It is extremely unlikely that the injection timing etc has moved as that just doesn't happen under the circumstances you have described. The squeak from the injector sounds right so I am assuming fuel is arriving....

 

[nigelmercier]

The fuel tank has been removed to pressure wash/steam clean ...

Yes, I have loosened the injector union and can see a squirt of diesel as I crank the engine...

Are you sure it is diesel?

 

[gavin400]

Are you sure it is diesel?

Nigel - I did begin to doubt that I had re-filled the tank with diesel, however I have since checked (and got someone else to double check) and its definately diesel

 

[nigelmercier]

^ I meant could there be water in the pipes.

 

[Halo]

Try getting an oil can with a bendy nozzle. Take of air cleaner. Check nozzle is primed. Get nozzlwe in thgrough air inlet as far as you can and give 2 or 3 squirts of engine oil. Crank as normal. This allways made mine start.

 

[concentrik]

There appears to be ample compression - i.e. it wont crank over by hand or battery with the valve lifter down, but spins freely with the lifter in the raised position

I have an MD1 in my boat too. I can only echo what some others have said - the engine should turn over when cranked by the battery/dynastarter, overcoming the compression and in that way heating the injected fuel to ignition temperature. There may be other problems, but first you must get the engine to turn, as it was designed to, on the button. If it won't do that, looking for problems elsewhere is just pointless.......

 

[gavin400]

Update:

The battery has been recharged over the last 2 days and re-installed this morning - the starter motor spins the engine readily, overcoming the compression.

Still no sign of any willingness to start, even with Easystart.

The consensus at the yard is that it is likely to be a compression problem, and may be terminal.

Will try Halo suggestion re the oil

Thanks for all advice so far

 

[Bilgediver]

Update:

The battery has been recharged over the last 2 days and re-installed this morning - the starter motor spins the engine readily, overcoming the compression.

Still no sign of any willingness to start, even with Easystart.

The consensus at the yard is that it is likely to be a compression problem, and may be terminal.

Will try Halo suggestion re the oil

Thanks for all advice so far

Did you take the rocker cover off and check the valve action ???????????????????????????

 

[sailorman]

Update:

The battery has been recharged over the last 2 days and re-installed this morning - the starter motor spins the engine readily, overcoming the compression.

Still no sign of any willingness to start, even with Easystart.

The consensus at the yard is that it is likely to be a compression problem, and may be terminal.

Will try Halo suggestion re the oil

Thanks for all advice so far

Get a firm grip on the can of easy start & give it the "distance test"

my old Yanmar YSE 12 had a nipple in the intake manifold to enable engine oil to be squirted in to aid compression on cold mornings