Volvo Engines - avoid or not?

I have a MD17D, 1984(Jan), very fine engine, but it has had the fresh water conversion kit fitted many years ago. Personally I would steer clear of a MD series with raw water cooling unless absolutely certain that the water flow was not compromised by corrosion or restricted flow from salt water deposits. Service parts still obtainable but major mechanical parts hard and expensive to come by. Very regular oil changes needed to reduce compression loss through cylinder wear (primitive mineral oil specified) and consequent difficulty in starting. Tend to have fuel system oil leaks, often caused by engine vibrations. In short a fresh water cooled early well maintained engine probably OK, otherwise avoid. If anything serious fails expect to re engine.
 
As others have said, the VP engines are no more or less reliable than other marine diesels. If an engine has been maintained well and run regularly they can be very reliable but like other makes, if it has been neglected, then expect some issues. The older engines without modern sensors and electronics can often be a better bet for self-maintenance as they are less complex to repair. My 4000+hour 2003 will start first time every time if you can turn it over and get fuel and air to it - some modern engines are reliant on electronics to start and can be a problem for the DIY-types. There are good equivalent parts available for regular maintenance jobs but bespoke parts tend to be expensive, but not more so than other makes. I wouldn't shy away from a boat with a VP engine.
 
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It is a dim memory but I think there was some issue with the drive shaft on 2003 models. The splines from drive shaft to gearbox went and I can't remember what the issue was - apart from losing drive.

There was a fix published which entailed machining a hex onto the shaft and doing something to get the gearbox right.

It was long ago but I think there were references in the Moody owners website and possibly Westerly as well. It was said to be a design fault but naturally the manufacturer didn't want to know.
 
Slowtack said:
I had a VP2003 engine that was reliable. The only problem was the excessive price of parts, and it became to expensive to maintain.
I now have a 2017 VP D1-30 that is on its THIRD control box in about about 200 hours of use. Mechanically its fine, the problem lies in the unreliability of the electronics. The local VP dealer has been very good about replacement under warranty. In the event the engine fails to start at sea the only remedy is to short the starter motor. This problem is a general one and well covered in sailing websites.
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The parts for other makes of marine engines can also be very pricey - especially for older engines.

There was a known problem with VP control boxes, affecting a small number of engines, and warranty covers it (although not the inconvenience). I too have a D1-30, new in 2014, and it's never missed a beat.
 
Robin said:
However if I were looking now and a good boat had a 2001/2002 I would check it out and not be put off per se. Personally would not like one with the 43hp 2003/T as the turbo is another concern.
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Have you experienced the 2003T? I had one on my last boat, which I kept for 19 years and about 3000 engine hours. Never had any issue with the turbo at all.
 
pvb said:
The parts for other makes of marine engines can also be very pricey - especially for older engines.

There was a known problem with VP control boxes, affecting a small number of engines, and warranty covers it (although not the inconvenience). I too have a D1-30, new in 2014, and it's never missed a beat.
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I have the same one from 2013, again no problems
 
My Volvo 2003 is still going strong after 31 years. It's worth remembering that Volvo don't make service items like filters or even impellers! My daughter in the motor trade has no trouble sourcing equivalents for me, which I get at trade prices. Tesco's cheapest mineral oil is actually the right specification for the engine (actually slightly over-specified, but so is Volvo branded oil - the specified oil is no longer available). The only Volvo service item I routinely buy is the engine anode. Gaskets etc. are readily available from parts suppliers. Third party suppliers can provide bits like exhaust manifolds.

I once stripped the entire top end down, with technical support from my brother. I had no problem with parts, and the workshop manual is very clear. I've changed bearings and seals on the water pump with no difficulty and at minimal cost

As far as I know, the injectors are a standard Bosch part. The only part that might be problematic for repair would be the injector pump, but that's not a DIY job anyway.
 
Daedelus said:
It is a dim memory but I think there was some issue with the drive shaft on 2003 models. The splines from drive shaft to gearbox went and I can't remember what the issue was - apart from losing drive.

There was a fix published which entailed machining a hex onto the shaft and doing something to get the gearbox right.

It was long ago but I think there were references in the Moody owners website and possibly Westerly as well. It was said to be a design fault but naturally the manufacturer didn't want to know.
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It was mid. to late 90s and seemed affect a lot of Westerlies. On hearing of it I split the gearbox from the engine of our VP 2003 (in a Sigma 38) and the splines were fine, I attributed that to having been well greased on assembly, the grease was still doing its job after a dozen years. I am not sure if the builders ever separated the box from the engine (seems unlikely) but Marine Projects boats( Moody and Sigma) did not seem to be so much affected while Westerly owners complained that the worn splines were dry. Perhaps Marine Projects specified the greasing when ordering the engines. There used to be chapter and verse on the problem and remedy on the Westerly Owners website.
 
My VP_ 2003T is now 30 years old and perfect (should not have said that!). The normal reason for them failing is:
1. A crap mechanic has levered off the Push Fit water pipes and they now leak - an over heat event will knacker any engine. Avoid any engineer that calls them a "Crap Fit" joint! They are bad engineers.
2. The Heat exchanger should be checked every few years - Its a maintenance item - bad maintenance = bust engine
3. The Oil cooler hides (unknown) under the heat exchanger and gets forgotten. A failure of this is catastrophic. Again this is a maintenance item. I did not know I had one till someone on this forum enlightened me - we took it off and it fell to bits with loss of zinc! But it had lasted 25 years.....
4. Failure to keep the cooling system free of calcite deposits which effectively prevent circulation and bleeding of the water system - leading to a burnt out Turbo.

Its all about maintenance - ask to see the maintenance log or invoises. If none dont buy (for any engine).
I have a change over tap to my water tanks to flush the engine with - simple and well worth having! - Probably what made the oil cooler last so long!
 
pvb said:
Have you experienced the 2003T? I had one on my last boat, which I kept for 19 years and about 3000 engine hours. Never had any issue with the turbo at all.
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Not directly but it was offered by Volvo main dealer in Poole to replace the original 42hp Mercedes OM636 on our then W33. We opted for the 4 cylinderMD22L instead at 50hp, it was lighter and lower profile, fitted easily on existing beds. Volvo were trying hard to push us towards the 2003T, but I preferred the 4 cylinder and non-turbo. MD22L was an Austin Montego diesel marinised by perkins and painted blue, Volvo painted it green and fitted their own gearbox and alternator, ours was labelled Perkins on one side and Volvo the other.
 
pvb said:
Have you experienced the 2003T? I had one on my last boat, which I kept for 19 years and about 3000 engine hours. Never had any issue with the turbo at all.
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Only one Turbo issue on my 2003T, and that was due to a lack of maintenance. specifically, the issue was that it was very difficult to bleed all the air from the water cooling system and especially the Turbo - which when running you should be able to hold your hand on, and when not bled properly got very hot - so much that the (up-till then) nice green paint was black.
The problem was with the header pipes - the small one from the thermostat to the header tank, and the 22 mm rubber pipe down. The rubber pipe down we found was delaminated internally which stopped the flow of water, and the small pipe was solid at the thermostat housing with calcite - which was drilled out. No problems after that.

When I was searching for an Oceanlord, I found nearly every one had a burnt finish to the Turbo - the one I bought was still green. The implications of this were not obvious at the time.
 
I'm fairly certain that until recently my insurance policy mentioned a specific Volvo engine that they either would not insure or wanted a bigger excess for. Didn't take a lot of notice because it didn't apply to me.
Anyone else know what it was and if it's likely to be in a sailing vessel. And especially WHY?
 
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