Volvo Penta 2003 Routine Service Cost

[Sianna]

2003 VP KAD43, full service, compressor oil, Oil, filters, belts, 290 dp outdrive oil change plus anodes, my engineer does for £500 using VP parts, no mileage charges. It probably could easily be done by myself for £100-£150 but peace of mind, knowing the prop is back on correctly etc is worth is worth it for me

 

[Sandy]

This seems a bit extreme!

Our MD 2030 is 20 years old and at least 5000 hrs - don’t know exactly as the hours meter stopped working years ago. It has had plenty of short runs15 - 30 minutes to and from the mooring interspersed with the occasional long runs.

Still as good as the day it was built. The only repair over that time has been to replace the waterpump seals.

I too am just a tad confused by the evidence of thousands of boat owners who run their engines like we do and don't have a issue with them and some of the posts on here.

I wonder if it is to do with the age of the technology and the modern stuff does not work as it relies on to much electronics in a mechanical world.

 

[madabouttheboat]

2003 VP KAD43, full service, compressor oil, Oil, filters, belts, 290 dp outdrive oil change plus anodes, my engineer does for £500 using VP parts, no mileage charges. It probably could easily be done by myself for £100-£150 but peace of mind, knowing the prop is back on correctly etc is worth is worth it for me

That is interesting, as I look after a pair of the same engines for a family member. The Volvo retail price for a full engine service plus the drive oil and anodes is currently £679 per engine. This does not include drive bellows.

I know savings can be made on these prices by shopping around, but you don't generally find genuine VP parts at much reduced prices from the RRP above. If your engineer is doing all this for £500 using genuine parts I don't see how he is making much/any money, even if he has access to trade prices, which may give him up to 30% off RRP.

Even using aftermarket/non-branded items, I cant see all the parts for the service mentioned being obtainable at £100-£150.

 

[Bobc]

I too am just a tad confused by the evidence of thousands of boat owners who run their engines like we do and don't have a issue with them and some of the posts on here.

I wonder if it is to do with the age of the technology and the modern stuff does not work as it relies on to much electronics in a mechanical world.

Ok, so let me pad this out a bit and maybe give you some clues that will lead you to understand better...

How does diesel ignite in an engine? The answer is through heat. Unlike petrol, diesel does not explode, and hence there is no spark plug. The fuel/air mix is compressed (a lot more than in a petrol engine), which produces friction and heat, until the fuel burns. The more heat there is, the better, cleaner, and more thoroughly it burns.

So now understanding this, let's take it further. When an engine is cold, the gaps between the piston/rings and the cylinder walls are greater. This means that there is less compression. It also means that more diesel can get squeezed past the rings into the sump, where it thins the engine oil. In doing so, it also amplifies the wear on the cylinder walls, as the oil is washed off by the passing diesel. Hence the worst engine wear occurs from a cold start and in the first few minutes of running, and gradually decreases as the engine gets hotter and everything expands.

Any fuel that is not fully and cleanly burnt, will either become like soot, and coat the tops of the pistons, the valves, and the injectors, and stop them working efficiently, and any that escapes the cylinder and cools will go gloopy like tar, and will stick to surfaces like the exhaust elbow, clogging it up and reducing the airflow through it, making the engine less efficient.

So, hopefully that help explain why running a diesel for short periods at low revs is bad. It doesn't mean that it will fall apart, but does mean that it won't last as many hours, and will end up requiring more maintenance and repairs than on an engine which is run hot and clean.

 

[Sandy]

Ok, so let me pad this out a bit and maybe give you some clues that will lead you to understand better...

How does diesel ignite in an engine? The answer is through heat. Unlike petrol, diesel does not explode, and hence there is no spark plug. The fuel/air mix is compressed (a lot more than in a petrol engine), which produces friction and heat, until the fuel burns. The more heat there is, the better, cleaner, and more thoroughly it burns.

So now understanding this, let's take it further. When an engine is cold, the gaps between the piston/rings and the cylinder walls are greater. This means that there is less compression. It also means that more diesel can get squeezed past the rings into the sump, where it thins the engine oil. In doing so, it also amplifies the wear on the cylinder walls, as the oil is washed off by the passing diesel. Hence the worst engine wear occurs from a cold start and in the first few minutes of running, and gradually decreases as the engine gets hotter and everything expands.

Any fuel that is not fully and cleanly burnt, will either become like soot, and coat the tops of the pistons, the valves, and the injectors, and stop them working efficiently, and any that escapes the cylinder and cools will go gloopy like tar, and will stick to surfaces like the exhaust elbow, clogging it up and reducing the airflow through it, making the engine less efficient.

So, hopefully that help explain why running a diesel for short periods at low revs is bad. It doesn't mean that it will fall apart, but does mean that it won't last as many hours, and will end up requiring more maintenance and repairs than on an engine which is run hot and clean.

I fully understand the theory and practicalities of running a diesel engine, so no need for the lecture (my signature line might give you a clue).

I have an engine that was fitted to the boat on build in 1986. It is a basic diesel engine and needs three things: clean fuel; air and lubrication, to quote a crusty old mechanic I worked with.

I had exhaust elbow off last winter and it had a light coating of soot, like you would find at the end of a car exhaust. Either I have a magical touch or I am doing something correctly.

 

[nevis768]

It would appear a service kit is £27.99
Volvo Penta MD2030, MD2040 Service Kit B

 

[DownWest]

My only comment on this, is that I would change the oil on winter lay up, rather than leave oil that has been subject to condensation from possibly short runs, in the engine for winter. Change, then run at load for 20 mins. Oil is cheap for simple engines, so not worth worrying about.

 

[PaulRainbow]

It would appear a service kit is £27.99
Volvo Penta MD2030, MD2040 Service Kit B

Great if you don't change the oil, coolant, belts, anode, transmission oil etc