TAMD61 - Valve Failure

[NickT]

Having just suffered a valve failure (head snapped off while engine running) on a TAMD61 (engine has only done 530 hrs) I would like to know whether this is a common fault with the '61?

If it is a common fault (ie could be viewed as a Volvo design fault), have Volvo now produced an improved valve design?

Is the '61 generally a 'good and reliable' engine or does everyone put to sea in trepidation waiting for the next 'failure'. This failure has rather shaken my confidence in these engines.

Thoughts please.

Nick T

 

[Guest]

A skelleton from the volvo cupboard, when this first happened in the mid 80,s after the introduction of this engine volvo took on every case and compensated the owners accordingling through the dealer network, there was a design fault, but towards the late 80,s the poblems were sorted, there were lots of others with this engine due to vibration problems, usually if an engine does over 200 hours then faults on valves are not common, however as most engines stand alone not running then the main cause is corrosion, what year and what boat are the engines in?, you could try VP but I dont hold much hope now as they are more then 10 years old and it will be considered to be fair wear and tear, do you need someone to do the job?, where is the boat pm me if you wish to talk.

paul js.

 

[stamfordian]

Call me thick but "head snaapped off" do you meen that the stem has broken???

 

[NickT]

Sorry, didn't explain myself clearly - yes unfortunately stem's brocked and the head is rattling around in the cylinder!!

Nick T

 

[stuartw]

I have twin 61A's in my TS37 ('87 vintage). Exactly the same thing happened 7 years ago with the previous owner. The actual design fault admitted by Volvo, relates to the exhaust valve material itself. The coeffecient of expansion was in fact much greater than the guide it runs in, such that when the engine was pushed hard and the temperature increased, the valve stuck -usually in a down position- where of course it is clouted by the piston, with the ensuing mayhem.
As I understand from my previous owner, all Volvo did is replace the valves themselves, and owners were left to pick up the labour tab.
Although this only happened to the stbd engine in my case, which did in fact require it to be lifted from the boat, - the port engine valves where replaced as well - in situ.

I believe my engine had only done some 300 hrs or so. I think the only thing you could possibly get out of Volvo is the replacement exhaust valves.
Having said all that, I find the engines very robust, being derived from a very popular and long life truck engine, many of which are pounding our roads today after tens of thousands of hours. In fact I have just returned from a trip to Guernsey & France, with the engines running at 2600 revs for nearly six hrs at a stretch- no problems.
I think once the valves are changed you will have very good engines.
I wish you well
rgds
Stuart

 

[ccscott49]

To be honest I would expect any marine engine to run at 2600 rpm for at least 100 continuous hours, not just think six hours is good reliability!, remenber the guy who started his gardner in the canaries in the 1999 ARC and switched it off in the caribean 17 days later, thats reliability!

 

[stuartw]

I think we are all aware that six hours does not represent much in the life of an engine. All I was trying to point out, is the fact, that despite the engine's history, it IS capable of normal performance and longish cruising should hold no fears, if the valves have been replaced.
Having said that, I am sure thre are many TAMD61A's still grinding on with a few thousand hours on the clock AND with the original valves in. It is a bit of a lottery though.

As regards your example of the Gardner engine, I do not consider 17 days continuous running as any form of benchmark. That too is still insignificant compared with it's ultimate life.
Marine engines are quite happy running at constant revs for many hours. The real killer is intermittent running as you would get with a truck engine doing short runs.

 

[NickT]

Paul,

Thanks for the interest. The boat (Princess 414) remains in the C.I. where the local volvo dealer is now effecting repairs. Sounds as if I'm going to have to bite the bullet and change all the valves or is it just the exhaust valve that is the weakness?

 

[Guest]

This boat must be one of the last 414s built as they mostly had 60b and 60 c engines.

Paul js.