TAMD73p 20k repair??

[peter123]

Last weekend my Sealine T46 was being skippered to Mallorca from Sant Carles and 30nm out had a major engine failure resulting in the boat returning to Sant Carles on one engine. I have quickly got out of my depth technically but this is my understanding of the diagnosis-the port engine(TAMD73p 600 hours) overheated and seized due to an injector failure caused by dirty fuel-the local Volvo dealer that looks after the boat will not give me an exact figure but their guestimate to remove repair end refit is 17000 euros plus Iva so over 20k. This is assuming the damage is to one cylinder so can go up from there. Summer holiday plans are not looking good and it's a brutal repair cost so I am clutching at straws and anything else!
I know the info is a bit sketchy- I want to check I'm in the ball park. Really appreciate any advice and suggestions.

 

[volvopaul]

Last weekend my Sealine T46 was being skippered to Mallorca from Sant Carles and 30nm out had a major engine failure resulting in the boat returning to Sant Carles on one engine. I have quickly got out of my depth technically but this is my understanding of the diagnosis-the port engine(TAMD73p 600 hours) overheated and seized due to an injector failure caused by dirty fuel-the local Volvo dealer that looks after the boat will not give me an exact figure but their guestimate to remove repair end refit is 17000 euros plus Iva so over 20k. This is assuming the damage is to one cylinder so can go up from there. Summer holiday plans are not looking good and it's a brutal repair cost so I am clutching at straws and anything else!
I know the info is a bit sketchy- I want to check I'm in the ball park. Really appreciate any advice and suggestions.

A difficult Engine to remove for strip down in that boat .
An over haul kit that includes all gaskets , pistons liners etc it's around £4500. Let's say £1000 to remove £1000 to refit and sea trial. £1000 to strip down clean all parts for rebuild and £1000 to rebuild , they would be my ball park figures if it was in the uk , sounds like they are leaning on you a bit .
As they say it's only 1 cylinder I'd be asking for a parts list cost breakdown , no point in fitting 2 piston and liner .

 

[peter123]

Many thanks vp . I am on the back foot because it's in a different country-almost worth putting it on a pallet back to the uk. Really appreciate your comments.

 

[Mr Googler]

Or flying someone out!

 

[AllanG]

I'm very surprised that a failed injector, caused by dirty fuel, was the cause of the overheat and seizure.....are you certain this is the exact cause of the overheat?

Do you know if it's just one piston that's seized?

 

[peter123]

No and good point but am in the hands of the Volvo dealer who serviced it earlier in the year! A difficult situation because I am not there and don't know enough about it or have enough ammo to realistically contest their findings. Thanks for your input.

 

[volvopaul]

I'm very surprised that a failed injector, caused by dirty fuel, was the cause of the overheat and seizure.....are you certain this is the exact cause of the overheat?

Do you know if it's just one piston that's seized?

I'm not, the 73 wasn't a good motor , heard loads of them going this way. I'm forever advising my clients to get the injectors pulled and tested, A £100 nozzle can wreck the engine in 2 minutes.

This is the way most Volvo motors fail due to hosing injectors , takes the piston crown off in seconds.

 

[volvopaul]

No and good point but am in the hands of the Volvo dealer who serviced it earlier in the year! A difficult situation because I am not there and don't know enough about it or have enough ammo to realistically contest their findings. Thanks for your input.

Nothing to do with annual service, 10 years or 1000 hours whichever comes first in my book, get them out and tested.

 

[volvopaul]

Many thanks vp . I am on the back foot because it's in a different country-almost worth putting it on a pallet back to the uk. Really appreciate your comments.

I'd also have it dynoed before it goes back in.

 

[peter123]

Fancy some sun vp ��

 

[volvopaul]

Fancy some sun vp ��

Been asked so many times to go to SCM that my fear would be that the natives would confiscate my passport and chain me to the marinas cleats. I'm I guessing the dealers there aren't that great, the Mrs has always said she could live like a sun Lizard , little does she know she would be learning spanner sizes faster than she can drink a glass of vino

 

[AllanG]

I'm not, the 73 wasn't a good motor , heard loads of them going this way. I'm forever advising my clients to get the injectors pulled and tested, A £100 nozzle can wreck the engine in 2 minutes.

This is the way most Volvo motors fail due to hosing injectors , takes the piston crown off in seconds.

I'm not familiar with this Volvo model, Paul, but if one injector failure can cause this amount of damage, then it's a pretty poor design!!

I agree that fuel spraying directly on the cylinder wall can cause a piston seizure, but in the OPs case, if only one injector has failed, surely only that particular cylinder will be affected? If so, £20k does sound an expensive repair?

 

[peter123]

Got the chain and cleats ready vp. Never say never !. In the mean time your comments on the likely cause were welcome. I would much rather it was one of those things and focus my efforts on fixing it. Many thanks.

 

[volvopaul]

Got the chain and cleats ready vp. Never say never !. In the mean time your comments on the likely cause were welcome. I would much rather it was one of those things and focus my efforts on fixing it. Many thanks.

If they haven't taken the head off yet , there are 2 heads on this engine then how do they know it's the piston ? Have they bite scoped it and sent pics?

 

[volvopaul]

I'm not familiar with this Volvo model, Paul, but if one injector failure can cause this amount of damage, then it's a pretty poor design!!

I agree that fuel spraying directly on the cylinder wall can cause a piston seizure, but in the OPs case, if only one injector has failed, surely only that particular cylinder will be affected? If so, £20k does sound an expensive repair?

Any diesel will fail through hosing injector not common to Volvo , even the common rail motors do it but they fail in a catastrophic style when the nozzle sticks open filling the cylinder with fuel as there is 400 bar pressure in the fuel rail , normally throws a rod through the block , at least the old style oil burners don't .

Last year I rebuilt a kad 43 that took 20 seconds on the plane before it turned into a 5 cylinder model

 

[peter123]

As far as I know they have just compression tested it.

 

[volvopaul]

As far as I know they have just compression tested it.

Jesus how can they make a 20k assumption on a comp test ?
I'd be at the airport now faced with that figure , could be a burnt out exhaust valve or failed head gasket
I'd be asking for a video of it running filming the crank case filter to check for smoke on piston blow by .
If could do pics on here I've one of a 63p on my phone which shows a worn engine.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Blimey, what rotten luck. Faced with that sort of estimated repair cost I'd be paying flights, hotel and a day for VP to go down there and at least diagnose it properly if nothing else. Good luck with the repairs.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Blimey, what rotten luck. Faced with that sort of estimated repair cost I'd be paying flights, hotel and a day for VP to go down there and at least diagnose it properly if nothing else. Good luck with the repairs.

I'd also be offering to fly his wife out for a few days, may make VP more amenable to taking time out from his busy UK workload. Flights and Spanish hotels are relatively inexpensive, unlike the €20k repair bill quoted.......

 

[peter123]

Bit more info . Water in oil and vice versa. Cylinder 6 seized. Am going out next week to try to make sense of it and find a way forward. Have found an alternative route for removing and refitting -need to find a spanish volvo paul! Any one know a good spanish marine engine repairer.