Volvo Penta 2002 slowing down and stalling

T

technodom

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8 Feb 2012
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www.domj.eu
Hello all,

I am looking for some help and advice please.

I recently bought a 1979 Seamaster 925 - 30ft yacht, with a Volvo Penta 2002 engine. I had a full survey done but could only get the engine checked ashore by a marine mechanic who wrote a short report saying the engine was fine.

I had a full engine service done straight after buying her - change of oil, filters etc, along with a new cutlass bearing and stern gland replaced for peace of mind.

On my first journey out with her she started fine - using the cold start method, and she ran fine for an hour then on my return to the yard she had a short slowdown in revs where she felt like she was going to stall but didn't, then revs came back up and all was okay again.

The next trip out, she went for 20 mins then slowed down and sped up and repeated this every 5-15 mins, no regularity and when the engine was running at a normal pace. Near to the end of this 1 hour trip she stalled after slowing. I turned the key off and back on a gain and she started perfectly and off she went again.

I then took her on the journey home from Hamble to Chichester and she didn't slow or stall all day, mind you we had lovely weather and sailed most of the day so not necessarily a change.

Today I took her out for a couple of hours and she stalled 4 times, was running up and down the rev's almost the whole time, she felt like she was being strangled and I felt very nervous she was about to pack up. She did start straight back up after each time she stalled.

The only other info I noted was a small cloud of white smoke when I start her up first thing and now a small trail of white smoke all the time. I made a sound recording of her today and will try and upload the file if it helps anyone.

Hope someone can help, the mechanics are saying it's going to be 2-3 weeks before they can take a look due to the time of year.

Sound file link https://jamesesq.wetransfer.com/dl/...50d7d291358fae8c13c552e4423df71376f980302e579

Thank you

Dominic
 
Could be a number of things. I have had similar problems with a 2003T. If its not overheating, and this should show up on the instrument panel, it could be dirty fuel or air getting into the fuel system. I have had dirt from the bottom of the tank causing the engine to hunt. It would only run smoothly at low revs. You may have bacteria in the fuel if you and the previous owner haven't used a biocide regularly each time the boat is refueled. Air in the fuel can easily come from improperly seated fuel filters or bleed points such as bangos and injector connections. These are just a few suggestions from my experience, but I'm no expert. Hope they help.
 
I've never used a biocide so this might only be an issue with white diesel.

This sounds like fuel starvation - I'd start by clearing the fuel tank breather. I suppose it might be **** in the bottom of the tank blocking the take off - worth checking if you have an inspection hatch.
 
If the filter's clean and there's nothing else obviously amiss, it's worth remembering that quite a number of tanks have an undocumented strainer in the fuel outlet. This can obviously cause problems if it blocks and if you don't know about it, it can be quite hard to diagnose.
 
I had the same problem with a VP2002 .

I suggest you change both fuel filters again. You may have stirred up muck in your fuel tank which has clogged them up.

If it cures the problem for a short time then it gets worse again you will know thats the problem.

If it does not cure the problem you have only wasted about £12
 
I once had what would seem to be a similar problem with a VP2003. While running under load the motor would suddenly slow and threaten to stop. Unlike the slowing one gets with blocked filters (I've had that problem too) it could be revived with a quick burst of throttle. There didn't appear to be an issue while it was idling. The problem got worse over about 30 hours motoring (it was a long windless trip along the southern coast of England and then across the Irish Sea to Cork) such that by the time we arrived at our destination I was having to "catch" the revs every few minutes.

After much faffing about with filters, injector bleeding and the like it turned out to be the fuel pump itself. It was the old style unit with the replaceable diaphragm and replacing that didn't work but I noticed the one-way valve on the fuel feed (in the pump top) was loose - I didn't realise it at first but it's meant to be a tight press fit. What was happening was that the pump would suck fuel in on one stroke and, on the next stroke with this valve loose, would pump some of it back out the way it had come in! The immediate fix was to peen over the edge such that it stayed in place - a bodge that has lasted years. Eventually I changed the fuel pump for the newer sealed type (reportedly much more reliable than the old serviceable type) but the old one remains a useable spare.

I'm not saying this is definitely your problem - other posters have already suggested lots of alternatives and it might, for example, also be a split diagphragm - but it might be worth a check.
 
Similar problem with a 2003 a few years ago, turned out to be an air problem caused by a loose banjo fitting to the fuel pump.

Interesting that so many solutions to recent posted problems for 2000 series engines have focused on the fuel pump! Seems this could be a common problem? Anyone know how much a fuel pump is? Is it worth having a spare on board?
 
OMG, So much help, thank you guys.

Kacecar, your description is exactly what is happening to mine. I think I might start there with the fuel pump.

I checked the breather pipe and it is clear. I've also got hold of the old owner who said he didn't know of any issues however when he first got her in 2006 she was doing a similar thing. He said the problem was down to a long screw in the top of the engine (fuel) filter that was not undone enough when bleeding the system, by undoing it fully and bleeding the system it resolved the issue. Firstly, this tells me he has only ever had the engine serviced once in 6 years! Not good, but then I have had the engine serviced so this could be the issue, plus no doubt 6 years of debris and gunk running around the fuel tank and fuel system. So the question is, who to get to clean the engine out, is it a mechanic job or something I can do, if I do it do I need specialist tools.

Thank you again, I will feed back when I've had a chance to look into it more.
 
scottie said:
If the lift pump has a top centre bolt then the gauze filter may be dirty.
No bolt no filter!
.
Click to expand...

Snap !

Stopped the engine on two occasions for me. Totally clogged.

Took out the gauze filter for good and went for higher micron primary filter.

No problems since for seven years.
 
This may be a silly question but I take it I can do most of these things you have all described. I take it standard practice is to disconnect the battery first, will I need to do these checks in any particular order, or is it one at a time, put it all back together and test. Then repeat for the next check? And will I need any specialist tools. I've heard mentioned a company called "keypart", I take it they are the go-to suppliers for you guys?

Thank you
 
Keypart give good service and sell lots of bits that VP either don't do any more or charge a fortune for. They used to send your first order post free.

It wouldn't have occured to me to disconnect the battery.
 
An update, Marine Power whom did the engine service noted in the survey I had done and in their inspection report that the bleed screw on the fuel filter is in fact a bolt and not a screw as it should be.

The previous owner has now got in touch and said nothing was wrong with the engine pre-sale however he mentioned when he had a similar problem a few years back and it was down to this bolt not being opened far enough when bleeding the system. Not sure on this but am going to replace the fuel filter for peace of mind anyway.

And then on re-reading the survey, they had noted a cooper return pipe underneath the exhaust looked "kinked and crushed possible restricting the flow of diesel", now that does sound promising.

So Marine Power are coming down to Chichester Marina tomorrow, to firstly put in a jury rig, to test if it is the engine or fuel system. Then if it is the fuel system as hoped then a new fuel filter and new return pipes. Fingers crossed.
 
Definitely no expert, but for what it's worth.... The previous owner says there was no problem when he sold it. I'd take that at face value and look to the work that's been done since you bought it. It could be that the filters have not been tightened sufficiently allowing air to leak in or not bled the system properly. Doubtful that he/she touched anything else so, I'd start there. Try reseating or nipping up the primary filter. The secondary one is after the pump, so shouldn't allow air in, but check it anyway - it simply screws on. Then re-bleed the system. If none of that works, turn to the other suggestions here.
 
Stemar said:
If the filter's clean and there's nothing else obviously amiss, it's worth remembering that quite a number of tanks have an undocumented strainer in the fuel outlet. This can obviously cause problems if it blocks and if you don't know about it, it can be quite hard to diagnose.
Click to expand...
That's what stopped mine in a flat calm in the middle of a busy shipping lane! Somebody had fixed a bit of gauze to the end of the fuel take off pipe inside the tank.
 
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