Volvo MD30a sacrificial anode

smb

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Does anyone know if there is one and where it should be on this engine? Since owning the boat I have never found one so assumed that there was not one fitted by design. However, a recently acquired workshop manual suggests there should be one and points vaguely to the area around the front end of the oil cooler, but using mirror, torch and 'blind' digital photography there is no anode obvious.

(I would point out that the oil cooler is beneath the heat exchanger which is beneath the inlet manifold, and the engine is in a narrow pit beneath the saloon floor, so investigation without dismantling from the top down is fairly difficult).

What a photo did reveal, on the front end of the oil cooler, is what looks like a threaded hole with a recessed plug in it. I am now starting to worry that that could be the sheared off remnants of an anode and I will have quite a job on to extract and replace it.

Any experience shared would be welcome.

steve
 
There should be a brass plug with a square head which is best removed by putting the female end of a 1/2 " ext bar on it and turning the male end with adjustables, this will then come out and the anode is screwed to a threaded stud on the back side, usually it falls off and the bits lie in the cooler doing their best to block the core. Interestingly Volvo don't fit anodes to their new models!
 
Thanks for the reply. There is nothing like you describe on my oil cooler (or anywhere else on the engine) that I can find.

I do know that the oil cooler was replaced about 10 years ago. Maybe the replacement does not have the facility for an anode as per later engines.

Steve
 
"Zinc anode, oil cooler"---Part no 800476-4.
Same again gearbox ------------- 804107-1

According the workshop manual which covers my TAMD 30 and your motor by the look of it.
Definately had to replace in my eng and gearbox.
Mines in a mobo which lives in a Marina with a high rate of anode attrition!
During the last 18 months I,ve had the oil cooler off + gearbox-heat exchanger-starter motor-alternator-water pump-sump! rocker cover (to do the valve clearances) Gearbox to fit seals, new crank seal on eng.
All a swine to get at!

Anyway the picture of your eng LOOKS like it has an anode on the oil cooler.

Replacements were had from "Volspec" and "Key Parts"

Contact those guys they,l tell you for sure.
 
Thanks for the replies.

For info I have had some drawings sent through from Keypart. They show that there is an anode and holder on this particular replacement oil cooler and they are actually <u>inside</u> the unit. Thank you VP!

To get at them I need to first remove the end cover and extract the tube stack. To gain access to the oil cooler end plate I will need to remove the intake manifold at least, and possibly the heat exchanger.

Guess its not going to be a five minute job then.


Steve
 

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