Volvo MD22L Diesel

[Mikenda]

I am considering purchasing a Moody that has a Volvo MD22L 50hp (1995) diesel. Can anybody tell me the pros and cons of this engine? I believe it has a cambelt is this difficult to change and after how many hours.

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[pvb]

Think that this a basically a Perkins Prima engine, painted green. As used in Montegos, early Freelanders and Sherpa vans. Usual recommendation is change the cambelt every 3 years. Some Freelanders had catastrophic cambelt failures at low mileages, so it would be wise to adhere to the recommended change intervals. Don't know how easy it is to change.

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[Robin]

We re-engined our old Westerly 33 with one. It is basically a Montego diesel, marinised by Perkins (who sold it in blue as the Perkins Prima) and painted green by Volvo who add their gearbox and and engine panel. It is a direct injection engine so starts instantly from cold with no need for heaters or excess fuel devices.

I cannot remember the engine hours for the cam belt change, but do remember Volvo extended the hours considerably from when we fitted ours. The belt can be checked via a small cover which allows inspection of small areas at a time.

I thought it was a good and reliable engine, my only minor complaint was that it burned oil, not smokily but 24 hours under motor at cruising speed would see off a pint of oil, yet 24 hours in shorter trips would use very little. Volvo insisted this was normal and certainly other owners I spoke to all said theirs was the same.




<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[DickB]

I have one of these on my Bav42cc (98) (saildrive version) and it has been extremely reliable. Started first time after 3 months out of the water. I did notice that when I changed the engine oil that the dip stick appeared to under read a bit so that the recommended oil quantity seemed to show over the Max value (and there really was no other oil in the sump). Over the season it loses a bit but not enough to warrant a top up. The only critisism is that it is quite high revving and will run at max revs of 3500 rpm (or even 4000 - can't remember offhand). Irrespective I tend to run at 2500 max as it sounds better / quieter (illogical I know!!), but it pushes me along at a respectable 7 - 7.5 knots at those revs.

Dick Beddoe

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[Ships_Cat]

Interesting Robin - ours tends to do the same oil thing but sometimes it does and other times it doesn't. At an early in warranty service the dealer put a synthetic oil in it and it got very smoky with that. I was away at the time and the boatbuilder who built the boat had to lift the boat soon after and there was so much smoke when he drove the boat that he thought there was something seriously wrong - he took it for a couple of miles run to see if it cleared. I spoke to the helpful people at Mobil and got him to change the oil back to mineral and never been a problem again.

I have not changed the cam belt (8 years old and around 600 hours) but periodically have a peek through the inspection cover at it). It looks as if it would normally be easy to change except in our own case we have to get the auxliiary alternator and its mounting frame off to do so. Must be about time though.

Robin alludes to the fuel system - another thing is it never needs bleeding. Our fuel tank is in the fin keel and I can change the primary and secondary fuel filters with the replacement filters and bowls empty of fuel and just start the engine - the engine will suck it all up, cough a time or two and away it will run.

Suspect it is a pretty reliable engine as others have alluded to its Perkins past, it is also lightly stressed and internet searches turn up little in the way of people seeking ways to solve problems with them despite the fact there are many of the engines around in boats (particularly from the quality Scandinavian builders).

John



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[Robin]

Yes I forgot about the ability to self bleed. Also although being direct injection it doesn't normally need heater plugs, it has them anyway, though I never had to use them even after having been laid up and near freezing temperatures.

Quite a few were fitted to the quality French boats too, like Beneteaus & Jeanneaus /forums/images/icons/smile.gif though often in Perkins Prima blue.

If you lock the gear in reverse (we always did under sail) it tends to stick, this is normal and a quick blip of the starter will clear it and allow selection of neutral. The Prima Perkins version has a Hurth gearbox.



<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[hairbox]

Change cambelt @2000 engine as stated in users manuaul, but check weekly for wear

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[zefender]

I've got one on a Bav 40 (2001). After its service last April, the dealers recommended a cambelt change on next one (April 2005). The boat's done 600 hours or so. Good engine, starts very quickly and never had any problems. Think I use about 4 lts/hour. Oil never needed more than a top up mid-season.

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[Robin]

Yes I thought it was something like that, thanks.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[Ships_Cat]

Phil

Is that change cambelt at 2,000 hours?

Would be interested to know as my manual does not give an hour figure, just says replace every 3 years (the workshop manual may give hours, I don't recall, but it is on the boat).

Thanks

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[Robin]

Don't give the Volvo Dealer another Christmas bonus, as Hairbox says below the recommended interval to change the cambelt is 2000 hours. I think the original handbook time was much less, subsequently changed by Volvo I was told by our local Volvo robbers.

The oil usage on ours (and other friends) was only after a very long continuous motor, like 24 hours. In normal yacht use of a few hours at a time it was more normal.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[hairbox]

Yes In the users manual it states change cambelt at 2,000 engine hours

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[pvb]

2000 hours?????

Is that 2000hrs, with no regard to the time period involved? There's no way I'd risk 2000hrs on an MD22 without changing the belt. My boat's 14 years old and it still hasn't done 2000hrs. In the automotive world, after numerous unpredictable failures, many experts now recommend changing the cambelt every 3-4 years. Others say 6 years, but point out that engines used for lots of cold starts and short runs will need more frequent cambelt changes. For boat use, I'd reckon 4-5 years would be the absolute maximum without running a big risk of major engine failure.

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[Ships_Cat]

Thanks for that - looks like I can hang on for another 15 years or so /forums/images/icons/smile.gif.

As pvb says, the age thing is also important but the MD22 has the advantage of easing the importance of that a little in that it is easy to visually inspect the belt.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[rwoofer]

Whilst we are on the subject.

The MD22L has to been one of the most popular marine engines for raggies, since it has been sold for so long. So why is it that it is the one engine that you just can't get workshop manuals for???

Is this some conspirancy?


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[Robin]

You can because I had one, I bought it with the new engine when I had it fitted, from the Volvo dealer (Salterns in Poole).

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[silverseal]

Looking at the Montego (haynes) manual it would appear to be quite straightforward to change the cambelt, and this would be in situ. Most cambelt suppliers - there are only two makers Continental and Goodyear, recommend a change at 5 years or nn thousand hours/miles/kilometers etc. The reason for the "age statement" is that the rubber oxidizes, and is affected by oil vapour etc, and becomes more brittle.
A new cambelt costs about £20 for a Perkins engined montego, so assume the same price for "prima". Mulitply by 2.64 for Volvo pricing. Whatever it is still a hell of a lot cheaper, than having to rebuild the engine when it suddenly breaks. I reckon that a reasonably competant amateur raggie could do the job in less than 2 hours, assuming the there is reasonable access to the engine.

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[Ships_Cat]

I have the manual in pdf format (found it on the internet somewhere and is in 4 PDF files) but does not cover gearboxes and it is dated 1995 - there were a few changes during the production life eg the oil filter is different on the A series compared to the later ones).

The scanning is a bit untidy but if you want a copy PM me with your email address and I will send it. It totals about 5 MB though so may be a problem if you do not have broadband or it is too big for your mailbox at your email provider (if so let me know so I can send each file seperately - largest is 1.5M).

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[spannerman]

Its not too difficult to change the cambelt, first remove the timing belt cover over the belt and pulleys. Then remove the small bolt over cyl No1 on the camshaft cover, now rotate the engine until you see a hole in the camshaft line up with the hole in the cam cover, you can put a drill bit in and carefully rotate the engine until it drops into the hole in the camshaft, you now have the camshaft locked at Top Dead Centre on No1.
On the front side of the flywheel housing on the right hand side of the engine you will find another hole into which you can slide an appropiate size drill bit, it should locate in a hole in the flywheel, when it does you have now locked the crankshaft. you should now see that the pulley on the left side of the engine (drives the injection pump) is lined up with a mark somewhere around the 9 o'clock position, if the engine is non turbo there will be an 'A' on the pulley next to the index mark, 'B' if if its a turbo engine.
The engine is now timed up correctly and you can slacken the tensioner wheel and remove the belt, you may have to remove the cranshaft pulley also to get the belt off. Fit new belt and retension. Now carefully check the pulley with the letters on it hasn't moved when you tensioned the belt, (tension should be that you can just twist it 90 degrees on its longest run between two pulleys). Now remove your two locking pins and rotate the engine by hand a couple of times to check it rotates freely, replace the bolt on the camcover and the timingbelt cover, and fire it up.
Good luck Steve (Volvo mechanic)

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[Ships_Cat]

Thanks for that post Steve.

While I think it says much of the same in the service manual, you have added the practical experience extra comment.

Have printed your post off for future use.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.