Volvo MD2020 service tips

[Iain C]

When I'm finally allowed to go sailing properly, I need to service my 2004 Volvo MD2020 with saildrive on my Bavaria 32. I want to make sure I have everything I need to hand, so I'd welcome any tips. I've also got a few questions raised by the Volvo service manual. So the jobs list I have plus tools is as follows:

• Remove Old Oil-Sealey oil extractor pump, rags, gloves
• Replace Oil Filter-filter wrench (any tips on the best one to use and don't say a screwdriver and hammer!)
• Refill Oil 15w/40-Lucas oil
• Replace Water Separator Filter (Racor or CAV)-standard tools, socket set etc
• New Fuel Filter-filter wrench
• New Belt-spanners, socket set
• Check Clean Air Filter-only recently changes anyway
• Replace Impeller-standard tools, BUT I have a speed seal cover, anything I need to consider?
• Check coolant-Volvo glycol antifreeze if needed
• Check throttle cable / linkages and Idle for correct operation-WD40/GT85
• Change S-drive oil-can this be extracted with the extractor pump with the boat in the water, or do I need to dry out and drain from the leg?
• "Reverse Gear"-the Volvo manual talks about changing the reverse gear oil, but it's not clear if this is not a feature on the MD2020, and is only on the MD2010 and MD2030. Can someone clarify this?
• S-drive anode-obviously this is a dry out job, but I need allen keys, loctite thread lock, prop puller (it's fixed not folding). Is there anything else?
• Glowplugs-the engine isn't great at cold starting, and an ex-Volvo engineer friend saw it and suggested new glowplugs could work miracles as the existing ones are likely to be the 16 year old originals, and they are cheap at £9 each. Anything specific I need to change them? outside normal sockets and standard tools?

Is there anything else I've forgotten, or any other specific tools that I'll need? Many thanks in advance!

 

[scottie]

you have a S drive which has its own integral gear box and this will be the biggest variable in time and effort as when and how it was last serviced will determine.
getting the propeller off is in theory very simple flatten the tab washer tab unscrew the cone slide the prop off
reality is that if you have not greased the spline when you took it off it is likely to be seized on so drying out can be a problem time wise
other problem can be getting drain plug out and make sure you have a new seal ring or washer check which you require

 

[JohnGC]

When I'm finally allowed to go sailing properly, I need to service my 2004 Volvo MD2020 with saildrive on my Bavaria 32. I want to make sure I have everything I need to hand, so I'd welcome any tips. I've also got a few questions raised by the Volvo service manual. So the jobs list I have plus tools is as follows:

• Remove Old Oil-Sealey oil extractor pump, rags, gloves
• Replace Oil Filter-filter wrench (any tips on the best one to use and don't say a screwdriver and hammer!)
• Refill Oil 15w/40-Lucas oil
• Replace Water Separator Filter (Racor or CAV)-standard tools, socket set etc
• New Fuel Filter-filter wrench
• New Belt-spanners, socket set
• Check Clean Air Filter-only recently changes anyway
• Replace Impeller-standard tools, BUT I have a speed seal cover, anything I need to consider?
• Check coolant-Volvo glycol antifreeze if needed
• Check throttle cable / linkages and Idle for correct operation-WD40/GT85
• Change S-drive oil-can this be extracted with the extractor pump with the boat in the water, or do I need to dry out and drain from the leg?
• "Reverse Gear"-the Volvo manual talks about changing the reverse gear oil, but it's not clear if this is not a feature on the MD2020, and is only on the MD2010 and MD2030. Can someone clarify this?
• S-drive anode-obviously this is a dry out job, but I need allen keys, loctite thread lock, prop puller (it's fixed not folding). Is there anything else?
• Glowplugs-the engine isn't great at cold starting, and an ex-Volvo engineer friend saw it and suggested new glowplugs could work miracles as the existing ones are likely to be the 16 year old originals, and they are cheap at £9 each. Anything specific I need to change them? outside normal sockets and standard tools?

Is there anything else I've forgotten, or any other specific tools that I'll need? Many thanks in advance!

The coolant should be changed completely every 2 (or is it 3) years. You'll need a socket to remove the bung (unless there's a tap fitted) and probably a screwdriver to dig through the crud behind it. You may wish to use a rad flush. You should use the same coolant as mixing causes gunging (not sure that's a word).

I have a filter wrench like this which works well although I can't remember where I bought it.


2 litre water/drinks bottles cut in half. These can be placed over vertically mounted filters to catch drips and spills. If I don't have one to hand there's usually something in the recycling bin.

A long, strong lever to tension the belt.

I've only drained the saildrive oil from below on the hard. Change the drain plug seal (o-ring I think).

My 120S sail drive and Volvo fixed 2 blade prop requires a 6mm hex and a sturdy bar (big screw driver shaft) to remove the cone. Large posi-drive for the anode screws. My prop slides off without a puller. Grease for the splines before refitting.

 

[Skylark]

When I first started playing with cars in the early 1970s, one of the first tools I bought was an oil filter remover. This is fairly decent quality and uses a chain and hardened teeth on the handle for grip. I’ve used it many times and it’s never failed to remove even the most stubborn filter.

So I’d normally suggest buying something similar and follow the maxim “ buy cheap = buy twice”

A couple of years ago I bought one from the Pound Shop. It has a rubber strap and an orange plastic body but it seems to work as least as well as something costing 5x as much plus 50 years of inflation ?

 

[Clancy Moped]

The coolant should be changed completely every 2 (or is it 3) years. You'll need a socket to remove the bung (unless there's a tap fitted) and probably a screwdriver to dig through the crud behind it. You may wish to use a rad flush. You should use the same coolant as mixing causes gunging (not sure that's a word).

I have a filter wrench like this which works well although I can't remember where I bought it.
View attachment 91714

2 litre water/drinks bottles cut in half. These can be placed over vertically mounted filters to catch drips and spills. If I don't have one to hand there's usually something in the recycling bin.

A long, strong lever to tension the belt.

I've only drained the saildrive oil from below on the hard. Change the drain plug seal (o-ring I think).

My 120S sail drive and Volvo fixed 2 blade prop requires a 6mm hex and a sturdy bar (big screw driver shaft) to remove the cone. Large posi-drive for the anode screws. My prop slides off without a puller. Grease for the splines before refitting.

Plus that filter wrench is great at opening stubborn jars, mine would go walk about and I'd always find it in the galley utensil draw.

 

[TSB240]

The MD20XO series can suffer poor starting issues from unreliable switching of the glowplug relay. This is alongside the starter relay in the black plastic box stuck on the side of the engine. Very often the relay will make poor contact in its socket and you may get limited current or no current passed to your glow plugs. Packing between the relay and the box lid is a temporary solution. Cleaning and tightening the contacts onto the relay will help. Glow plugs are pretty robust and I am still using the original ones on a 20 year old engine. Removing them can result in them breaking and their extraction then may result in complete head removal. If it ain't broke dont try to fix it!

The exhaust elbow on ours failed last year. Externally all looked well . It failed in three of the four corners of the casting. There was no sign if any corrosion prior to failure and there was still a good covering of green paint including on the retaining nuts. The elbow was severely choked with carbon and salt deposits despite the fact that our 10hp engine was probably run near maximum revs most of its life!

Removing the elbow was an absolute bastard of a job. It took 3 days. It is held on by 6mm metric thread nuts but with an 8mm AF flanged nut. You cant get any decent ring spanner onto all 4 of them and inevitably the lower ones will have corroded solid if the elbow has never been removed in 20 years. I could only get a small 8mm socket and drive onto these and only after copious amounts of plus gas and heat were they removed.

I have since found out that Volvo service engineers would recommend removing the elbow for inspection and cleaning at least every two years!

I opted to replace our cast elbow with a fabricated stainless one. This also has more clearance as it doesn't have the casting webs on all four corners. It allows a full 10mm AF 6mm threaded flange nut to be used. It also allows sufficient clearance for larger socket and drives including universal joints.

 

[Iain C]

Some great advice...thanks guys.

TSB24, please don't hate me toooo much when I tell you that I did that very job last year with an s/s elbow, and it took me about 45 minutes. Guess I was lucky as I'd heard bad things about it! It's possible that the excellent side access to the engine through a removable panel in my stern cabin probably made it a tad easier...

 

[TSB240]

Some great advice...thanks guys.

TSB24, please don't hate me toooo much when I tell you that I did that very job last year with an s/s elbow, and it took me about 45 minutes. Guess I was lucky as I'd heard bad things about it! It's possible that the excellent side access to the engine through a removable panel in my stern cabin probably made it a tad easier...

Good job you can guess which side of my engine has excellent access!

 

[duncan99210]

The OP has a Speedseal fitted to the raw water pump. Speedseal has ceased trading so spares are no longer directly available. You’ll need a new O ring for it: order on line from Simply Bearings Ltd ~ Oil Seals SKF FAG TIMKEN KOYO NTN NKE TRULOC Needle Rollers Taper Rollers Rod Ends Oil Filled Bushes Loose Balls O Rings Grease Plain Thrust. Size is 52mm x 2mm (Possibly 1.5mm: I have both to take back out to Greece with me!).
Depending on the exact model of Saildrive, it is possible to remove most (if not all) the old oil from it via the dipstick hole with a Pela pump. With the 120 S-E you can do the job by dint of careful manipulation of the hose to get it to the bottom. Other models are reported as being more difficult.... You’ll need to check the exact model of drive fitted to your boat, as the oil used in the 120S-E is a gear oil, whilst the other models use the same grade as engine oil.
As others have said, the anode change is simple but dependent on the exact type of drive. Most are single piece and retained by cross headed screws: make sure you do these up tightly and use Loctite or similar to stop them coming undone. I forgot one year and spent an uncomfortable 40 minutes in scuba gear removing and replacing our Brunton prop to tighten them up.... Never had a problem removing the prop, nor do I know of anyone who’s had a significant problem: bit of spray grease is all that’s needed.
I agree with TSB240 on the glowplugs. I nipped up the connectors on the relay as the engine was awful at starting when we bought her: the previous owner had replaced the glowplugs but the poor starting had persisted. Nipping the contacts up sorted the problem, so try that before changing plugs.