Volvo 2002 Exhaust Elbow

[DJE]

I have water leaking from the exhaust elbow and sitting on the top of the cylinder head taking the paint off. There was a slight leak there last year. I had the head off last year and while I was at it I found that the rubber seal on the water pipe to the elbow was split. So I put in a new seal and a new exhaust elbow gasket when I put the head back on last spring. This didn't cure the leak though. If anything it has been worse this season. Anyone know where the water might be getting out?

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[Dipper]

I’m sure you must have investigated most of these but here are some suggestions:

1. If there is a leak from the elbow it can only be from the gasket, plug or through the structure itself. I am trying to visualise my 2001 elbow so may have missed something out. With sea water cooling, this will be salty.
2. There may be a leak from another part of the cooling system in this area. I can’t recall if there are any pipes going over the head or whether the thermostat housing is this high up. Again it will be salty water.
3. Have you considered that it could be condensation either directly onto the engine or dripping from above? This will be fresh(ish) water.
4. You may have a leak from the cockpit sole or elsewhere dripping onto the engine. I had this problem when I first had my boat with rainwater leaking past the instrument panel which was directly above the cylinder head. This will be fresh(ish) water unless the leak occurs as a result of spray/sea water landing on the boat.

You could try covering the engine with a plastic sheet to catch any drips or place pieces of kitchen roll in strategic spots to see if you can track the direction that leaks are coming from (remove before starting the engine!).

Good luck. I always find small leaks very annoying.


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[frilaens]

I have had several leaks on the elbow of my 2001, and mostly due to corrosion of the holes. The inlet from the head has been either corroded or cleaned too many times such that the hole is slightly wider and the gasket surface is no longer flat. I solved this by splitting the old gasket and using half (i.e. a flat washer) under the new one on the pipe. On the inlet from the thermostat housing, I have overtightened the locking screw and stripped the threads, meaning I cannot get enough tension to seal the joint. This I have bodged by making an aluminium U shaped wedge that sits fast between the thermostat housing and the U plate. The biggest leak came from the elbow/head gasket: there are 3 or 4 holes in the outer edge of the elbow and gasket that do not have corresponding holes in the head. Several of these have expanded by corrosion and are now several mms closer to the outer edge. The gasket couldn't seal these so I bunged them with high temp gasket silicon and it's been OK.

I did price a new elbow.... hence all the fixes above.

Andy

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[maxi]

Knowing Volvo injection elbows, you are very likely to find corrosion & a small crack in the elbow itself, probably on the underside where it is difficult to see.

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[DJE]

Thanks everyone. Lots of ideas there.

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