Pan pan pan - help needed

peterb said:
(Use of the asterisks is because surely the full word would result in one of those 'word removed' attacks.)
Click to expand...
Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers,
Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, Volvo Engineers, . . . . Nope, seems OK to me ??? :D :D :D :D
 
Im not so sure you will even see my reply, as there are so many.
You are unfortunate in what happened, the very very same thing happened to me on our delivery trip from scotland when we purchased the boat almost 2 years ago now.
Having being stuck in a marina for 5 weeks in Dublin at outrages costs, the local mechanic there said the 20 year old engine was "dead" so, i made the decision to get the boat home to cork (160miles) by road which cost 1000euro. When i got it home, i then had 2nd opinion who also said the sale thing. A rebuild might cost up to 2 grand, and no guarantee it will work, or a full replacement for a total figure of 9500euro and that would be the end of the trouble. OR NOT AS IT HAS HAPPEND!
So we decided to go with the new engine and boy what a mistake.
I now know that our original engine (that was thought by many) is now running in another boat with out problems!!!! Sickening i know. And our new engine is dead also with a blown head gasket after taking in water thru the exhaust due to unprofessional installation where they did not install a raised elbow which allowed the water return into the engine!! Disaster, and of course, a huge argument is going on but non the less, I am now 5 weeks without my boat, and i suspect this has market the end of my season!!!
So, my point being, get a few opinions on rebuilding the engine before you write it off.
As in my case, i really regret thinking it would be the end of all my troubles with a new engine.
Im sorry to hear what happened, but trust me when i say i totally understand your position, been there, done that, and back there again.
If you do get a new engine, please please please be 100% sure about who is doing it for you, and a word of advise also is, whoever you buy it from, get them to fit it also as then you have total come back and no passing the book. Thats my only trump card.
If i had the time over again, I would buy a 2nd hand engine which you can service yourself reducing outrages costs.
Best of luck in whatever you do, and i hope you get on your way soon.........
 
Great news, well done. The chances are the engine will continue to give you great service for many years to come - it would be good to get your feedback regarding the engineers comments (he says having a yacht fitted with a T80) :)
 
peterb said:
Can be just as bad the other way round. We were intending to do major maintenance on the boat over winter. Had the V***o engineer in to check the engine; "Perfectly good, compression high, needs no work." Launched in the spring; first trip out the engine was hard to start. A week later we called in the V***o engineer (same man!); "No compression, either needs reconditioning or a new engine." Plans were such that we couldn't afford the delay for reconditioning, so we had to have a new engine.

(Use of the asterisks is because surely the full word would result in one of those 'word removed' attacks.)
Click to expand...

Pity the Volvo engineer didnt mention that the piston rings could have stuck closed over the winter thus giving the no compression reading, a simple job to free them.(if thats what it was of course)
 
peterb said:
Can be just as bad the other way round. We were intending to do major maintenance on the boat over winter. Had the V***o engineer in to check the engine; "Perfectly good, compression high, needs no work." Launched in the spring; first trip out the engine was hard to start. A week later we called in the V***o engineer (same man!); "No compression, either needs reconditioning or a new engine." Plans were such that we couldn't afford the delay for reconditioning, so we had to have a new engine.

(Use of the asterisks is because surely the full word would result in one of those 'word removed' attacks.)
Click to expand...


Plans were such that we couldn't afford the delay for reconditioning, so we had to have a new engine?? On the basis of an "engineer" telling you there was low compression?? After telling you there was good compression??

I am bemused by this touching faith in engineers shown by several posters. Marine engines are dead simple and at the same time dead temperamental because they are low tech and get little use. They require a little effort and a litte understanding. Fixing with a new one when they go a little bit wrong is a bizarre concept.
 
Keep up the good work.

a couple of months and hundreds of hours of running later, she is sweet as a nut. Thanks so much to you all for your help, we are on a nice mooring in chichester and enjoying the sun, not quite the med but we need pet passports etc. We took 4 days to sail from Plymouth to chichester, motoring a fair amount. Went like a dream. (appart from the cat sick!)

The engineer from that tried to screw me is posted below. Beware of westcountry yachts, unless you have more money than sense of course.

http://www.westcountryyachts.com/ - with over 30 years experience in being cowboys!

Thanks again.

Sea
 
Nope thanks to you guys, it would be very likely to have cost me a small fortune and most of our emergency fund if the kind people of this forum were not so willing to help someone in distress.

The day i wrote that post was the first day of our dream life starting, and almost the last. Without the advice and warnings i received on this thread we would be running a brand new yanmar instead of our trusty BMC.

2 lessons learnt for me.

- A bad engineer is often worse than the original problem.
- There is a wealth of help and information available if you simply ask.

Thanks to you all!!
 
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