volvo 2002 probs

[jmuir1]

Last season major engine problem following a rough passage of about 2 hours motor sailing. The next days passage engine revs were dropping and rising to normal after 1/2 hour motoring and engine eventually stopped mid channel in Inverkip Marina, drifted into berth....just!! On attempting restart there was a crunch and engine failed to turn. Was unable to turn by hand and seemed seized. There was plenty of oil in engine and nothing unusual re exhaust smoke colour and engine didn't to have been overheating before it stopped although it was obvious that it would stall on reducing revs, which it did. No warning lights on panel illuminated before it stopped.

Have removed and cleaned fuel tank as muck in the tank was the first thought re the changing revs, filter was dirty although should have cut it open, glass bowl relatively clean, some bottom of fuel tank. Removed starter and cog bent but on bench seemed to be working. Have had cog replaced and refitted to engine. Relay between earth and engine block appeared not working and have removed and attatched earth to block ( this is normally for Z drive and not stern driven yachts, was for corrosion prevention, my yacht is shaft driven). Have run the engine for about 40 min with earth attached in the usual manner manner to engine block as in most boats and engine runs and starts fine, sounds ok, still to run again with cleaned fuel tank, new filters and fresh clean diesel and new oil.

Question is what was the problem....dirt in fuel? Also why did the starter cog get bent and seize the engine ( have counted all cogs on engine side and are there. All seems ok but do i need to check anything further as will have trip down Clyde soon to mooring in Millport, much of which is in a narrow channel of river.

Any advice/thoughts appreciated

John

 

[johnalison]

I had a 2002 many years ago but am no engineer. The only major problem we had was when the head gasket went. I don't remember exactly what happened but I remember that the main difficulty was that the engine stalled every time it was idled, but would restart OK. I hope this is not your problem, as my head & block were both damaged and I had to get a new engine.

 

[Stemar]

I'm no engineer either, but I have a little hard-earned experience!

The original problem certainly sounds like dirt in the tank getting stirred up and blocking the filter. I had a similar problem a few years ago that resulted in having to sail into Portsmouth Harbour in an F7, mixing it with the IoW Ferries, a traumatic experience that means I now have two filters (spin-on, not CAV) in parallel that allow me to switch to a clean filter in seconds.

Were you turning the engine for a while trying to start it before the crunch? If so, it's possible the exhaust filled with water and some got back into a cylinder. Engines installed below the waterline can be prone to this, and it can get expensive - bent con-rods and the like, but if your engine's running normally now, that seems unlikely.

A preventative against water flow-back and the risk of hydraulic damage is to close the water inlet until the engine starts if it doesn't catch quickly.

 

[30boat]

The crunch bit is worrying.If as said there was hydraulicking then you may have bent a rod.The engine may still run but the compression will have been lowered.You should check that both pistons are at the same height at tdc.

 

[kacecar]

Volvo 2002 Probs

"The next days passage engine revs were dropping and rising to normal after 1/2 hour motoring and engine eventually stopped mid channel in Inverkip Marina, drifted into berth....just!!"

Some years ago I suffered apparently similar symptoms with a Volvo 2003 (same features as a 2002 I believe). I'm not an expert so anything I say here must be treated with caution but, for what its worth, my problem on that occasion was the fuel pump. The original VP fitment has a one-way valve in the body of the pump (can't remember its precise location - in the top I think - but, in any case its obvious once you've taken the thing apart). This is supposed to be a solid fit but in this case the entire valve assembly had come loose so the pump was running inefficiently.

The temporary fix involved centre punching near the joint, effectively peening over some of the casing to hold the valve in place. This bodge lasted at least three years - I still have that old pump as a spare. The long term solution was a new pump. For what its worth, Volvo-Penta replaced the old style pump on these engines with one from a different supplier. Reportedly, the new fitment is much more reliable - which is just as well as you can't get into it. If you fit the new pump you might have to re-plum the inlet and outlet as I seem to remember the configuration of the two pumps being different.

I can't help with the "crunch" I'm afraid.

 

[jmuir1]

Hi
The crunch was the starter teeth breaking but i am unsure why this happened in the first place? The changing revs i think were due to dirty fuel. The engine has had the starter repaired and the teeth on the main engine cog are intact having counted them.

Its a bit of a mystery as every thing appears fine now running in the yard since reinstalling the starter.

Any other ideas welcome.

John

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Also why did the starter cog get bent and seize the engine ( have counted all cogs on engine side and are there. All seems ok but do i need to check anything further as will have trip down Clyde soon to mooring in Millport, much of which is in a narrow channel of river.

Any advice/thoughts appreciated

John

I agree about the stop starting and the dirt in the fuel. Classic. But nothing in your description suggests a cause for the knackered starter and en engine refusing to turn over. That being the case, nothing but a complete strip down is likely to tell you the reason and even that might not. Any other comment made right now is speculation.

Best thing to do is to use the boat starting with trips in company with another boat until confidence is built up or the problem repeats and you get towed in.

 

[chiefeng]

Hi
The engine hunting is as you say probably the dirty fuel, if it happens again it could also mean the fuel systems is pulling in air from somewhere.
As for the apparent seizing, as a previous poster mentioned, it is more than likely you had some of the cooling water backflow into one of the cylinders from the exhaust. There have been various threads in varous forums but it does happen. If you have been able to run the engine since then you were lucky as the amount of water was small and it got pushed out at the next starting attempt!
Don't worry about con rods and pistons etc I doubt if the starter motor would have achieved enough momentum for those components to get damaged. (it would show up at low revs with the engine running "rough" but be ok at high revs/load). In fact the teeth breaking on the starter motor acted like a relief valve preventing damage!
The next time you get your injectors overhauled you could always borrow a compression tester and take a reading for your peace of mind, otherwise I wouldn't worry.
If there was any major damage i doubt it would have run for 4 minutes let alone 40 minutes.
Hope this helps.
Bob

 

[jmuir1]

Hi,
Thanks to all who replied so far. Fuel tank cleaned and back in with lines all connected so will run it again for another longish spell in yard this weekend with clean fuel and filters. At least I broke down near the marina and managed to get in, one can always imagine a much more risky situation/place form previous trips.....Cuan Sound, round the Mull of Kintyre or the Rathlin sound N. Ireland spring to mind!!

Cheer

John

 

[Bilgediver]

Hi,
Thanks to all who replied so far. Fuel tank cleaned and back in with lines all connected so will run it again for another longish spell in yard this weekend with clean fuel and filters. At least I broke down near the marina and managed to get in, one can always imagine a much more risky situation/place form previous trips.....Cuan Sound, round the Mull of Kintyre or the Rathlin sound N. Ireland spring to mind!!

Cheer

John

Might be a good idea to put out good lines at the berth and run in gear for a while as then you will be pulling fuel through the system at a faster flow rate and and loading the engine this might show up problems both regarding the fuel and the engine. It will also give the batteries a good charge...

AFter this test and I would do for 30 miinutes check the oil dip stick for any light coloured discolouration which could indicate water in the sump.

 

[jmuir1]

I had thought of this but it difficult as boat on cradle still and the launch is via a straddle hoist and then onto a trolley./boogie into a narrow river and then we usually motor short dist into and then down the Clyde. Had thought that i may launch and remain tied to boggie in water and as you say run the engine for an hour and either come out again or leave to go down the river to Millport where i keep the boat on a mooring if all is well. There is a pontoon a short distance where i could sit overnight if I had to. Can't say I am looking forward to the first sail of the season!!!

This would allow me to test the engine under load which would be worthwhile.

Cheers

John