volvo oil change

[boatmike]

What anally retentive Swedish twassock decided that it was a fun thing to suck 11 litres of oil out of the sump of a TAMD41a through a 3/8" hole....... Grrrrrr!!!! Finally managed one (took 3 hours) unfortunately there are two........

 

[EdWingfield]

Be careful your Volvo isn't a rebadged Brit, like mine.

 

[Pete7]

You did warm the engine up first though, didn't you ?

Oh the bright side you didn't pay someone £50 per hour to sit there watching it.

Pete

 

[macd]

What anally retentive Swedish twassock decided that it was a fun thing to suck 11 litres of oil out of the sump of a TAMD41a through a 3/8" hole..

You are too harsh. This enlightened piece of engineering was obviously arrived at during a conference piss-up between designers from Volvo, Yanmar and a host of other numpties having a larf.

 

[boatmike]

Yes I know its easier with warm oil but the boat is out of the water and I am doing all the pre-season maintenance while ashore. If the bloody hole was twice the diameter and simply had a reducer bush in it, it would be easy. But damn right I didn't pay someone else so I suppose that is something.......

 

[Plum]

What anally retentive Swedish twassock decided that it was a fun thing to suck 11 litres of oil out of the sump of a TAMD41a through a 3/8" hole....... Grrrrrr!!!! Finally managed one (took 3 hours) unfortunately there are two........

3 hours!!! Are you poking a small bore tube down the dipstick tube? It only takes me a few minutes if oil is warm using my Makita 18v drill driving a cheep impeller pump http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Water-...bHZb3ABKYtk_6cyFTGq4uzenF4Q2HG7zsYaAmxS8P8HAQ

and 1/2 inch hose (garden hose) fitted over the outside of the dipstick tube. On mine, a TAMD41P, the dipstick tube goes right to the bottom of the sump. Maybe yours does too.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[stu9000]

Perfect timing BoatMike.
I commiserate and expect to be sharing your pain soon.
I am about to do this job for the very first time.

Have I got it right? You can attach hose to the outside of the dipstick housing? Mine is a. md7a

The drill driven pump looks much more effective than the push pull thing I have. But will it manage with unwarmed oil? I'm out of the water . I guess I could disconnect the water intake but there isn't a hose nearby. I read somewhere that it is good to take out all that old oil that has all season to settle rather than slosh it all round the engine again.

I guess I could just wait until she is in the water though.

Decisions. Decisions .

 

[boatmike]

Oh! Horlicks! You mean that tube goes right to the bottom of the sump? If so it will indeed be easier to get a tube over the OUTSIDE than INSIDE........ Doh! Oh well it just shows you are never too old to learn something. Even if (as I suspect) it doesn't go right to the absolute bottom it will make it much easier to get most of it out. I will try this on engine number two today and report back. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Trundlebug]

For clarification, I think the drain tube being referred to is not the normal dipstick tube in which the dipstick is located.
It's a separate tube dedicated for draining the oil, (at least it is on my MD31a's) and is therefore easier to push fit a 3/8" hose on to.

I use an electric "Water Puppy" type impeller pump, oil changes are really quick at a few minutes per engine. At 9 litres per side, that's really quick. No mess either, pumped straight from the sump into a suitable waste container or old oil drum. A lot easier than trying to get at the sump plug then mopping it all up from there...

 

[boatmike]

Thank you for your well intended comment Trundlebug but I don't think the TAMD41 series engines have any separate tube for draining the oil and it has to come out of the dipstick hole as Plum suggested.

 

[Carmel2]

Did you take the filler cap off?

 

[boatmike]

Firstly Carmel2 yes I took the filler cap off but as there is a separate crankcase breather it shouldn't matter anyway.

I promised a feedback on the second engine. The pipe for the dipstick does NOT go down to the bottom of the crankcase so putting a hose on the outside of it just sucks air, so that was a bum steer! Possibly on later engines it's different but it certainly doesn't on the TAMD41a. The only other way in to the crankcase is what appears to be a drain from the turbo housing (?) It is possible that this might be usable but it's horribly inaccessible and does not appear to be any bigger. I was therefore back to my Pela and just wait until it finally empties. I must be getting better at it though as it only took 2 hours this time! A tip for anyone else doing it though is to avoid paying £24 each for the Volvo filters. Buy them on line from "filters on line" at £11.50 each. their number is FBW-B447. That's a Baldwin 447. Coopers Fiaam GUDFT5021 will also fit. Right! I'm now off down the pub having earned a pint or three.........

 

[Trundlebug]

Thank you for your well intended comment Trundlebug but I don't think the TAMD41 series engines have any separate tube for draining the oil and it has to come out of the dipstick hole as Plum suggested.

Are you sure?
This diagram would suggest it does? Item 34
http://www.volvopentashop.com/JHL/e...eDieselEngines/7745630/7745630_21/7745630_025

I may be wrong, I don't have this engine or a manual for it

 

[Daydream believer]

What you do is this--- just before you haul the boat out you run the engine up. You then change the fuel filters & bleed etc whilst engine is warm then restart & run the engine for a few minutes to check there is no air in the system. It is easier to start the engine when hot & less strain on batteries & starter motor so if you have a problem bleeding air it best do it now rather than start of season.
You now drain the hot oil & change the HOT oil filter having left it for half an hour for oil to drain back a bit. You then fit new oil filter & refill oil.
Fill the fuel tank ( assuming you do not want to drain & clean it) to reduce condensation build up
Do a re start to see all works Ok
Now when the start of the season comes you will not have problems with engine oil being hard to change & you will not have left old oil with acid in it rotting the engine over the winter. Plus the engine should start OK & the filters will be changed.

 

[boatmike]

Actually TB I am not sure now. Looking at your diagram I think you may be right. If so it may help to get the last dregs out. I will try that tomorrow and see if it works. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Viking]

I thought this job should have been done in the autumn !?!

 

[rogerthebodger]

Actually TB I am not sure now. Looking at your diagram I think you may be right. If so it may help to get the last dregs out. I will try that tomorrow and see if it works. Thanks for the tip.

I fitted one of these into the drain plug so don't have to fiddle with dip stick hole things

http://www.sheridanmarine.com/product/watermota-oil-sump-pump

In fact I fitted a 2 way valve on to the bottom of the pump so I could drain either my engine sump of my gearbox oil.

 

[RichardS]

Firstly Carmel2 yes I took the filler cap off but as there is a separate crankcase breather it shouldn't matter anyway.

I promised a feedback on the second engine. The pipe for the dipstick does NOT go down to the bottom of the crankcase so putting a hose on the outside of it just sucks air, so that was a bum steer! Possibly on later engines it's different but it certainly doesn't on the TAMD41a. The only other way in to the crankcase is what appears to be a drain from the turbo housing (?) It is possible that this might be usable but it's horribly inaccessible and does not appear to be any bigger. I was therefore back to my Pela and just wait until it finally empties. I must be getting better at it though as it only took 2 hours this time! A tip for anyone else doing it though is to avoid paying £24 each for the Volvo filters. Buy them on line from "filters on line" at £11.50 each. their number is FBW-B447. That's a Baldwin 447. Coopers Fiaam GUDFT5021 will also fit. Right! I'm now off down the pub having earned a pint or three.........

The dipstick tube on my Yanmars do go right down to the bottom of the sump ....... but have an air hole in the tube a cm or two down from the top. When I push the hose onto the dipstick tube I have to push it well down to cover the hole or I just suck air. Once I get the tube on properly the electric pump empties the 4L in about a minute.

Richard

 

[gery w]

My 41's have a tube just aft of the dipstick for draining oil from, I attached the pela oil extractor on there and drained both in 20 minutes no probs

 

[stu9000]

The manual for the md7a specifies using the dip stick hole.
And yes.. I know now it should have been done in the autumn