Volvo Saildrive

[jessica]

I have just bought a boat with a Volvo 2020 & 120S-D saildrive.
Second time out, it overheated and boiled. The first sign was black smoke as the temp. alarm sender was not connected! The inlet strainer was clear but the pipe from there to the inlet cock was found to be partly blocked almost solid by tiny mussels! I have cleared this but what happens in the seacock and the leg itself? How can I check this? If I were to backflush the system with a fresh water hose whilst afloat would it cause any damage? Any advice would be welcome.

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[warrior40]

I have also had this problem, also I have had the intake in the leg block up, but I do not know how or even if one can ever see what's inside the leg! Assuming that the same sort of stuff goes through the leg that blocks the strainer etc, it is easy to conclude that the leg will need de-furring, somehow, maybe with a household limescale-type remover.

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[tom52]

I also have a VP2020 and Saildrive.
So far it has given me no trouble but the water intake from the Saildrive leg does worry me as a potential weakness. An ideal place to wrap a plastic bag or lump of seaweed to block the water inlet.
I am considering putting in another seacock through the hull to entirely bypass the saildrive leg as my source of cooling water.
It might seem a bit drastic but could turn out to be the easiest solution to your problem if you have been colonised by mussels.

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[norseman]

Hi
When I removed the engine and saildrive last year for overhaul, Ialso found the saildrive water inlet to be furred up and a few mussels inside the water way some far to big to have got in through the 10 m/m inlet at the bottom of the leg or the three smaller holes on either side of the leg ( I can only assume they grew in there). I had to break them up with a long rod to get the bits out. I think when the boat is out over winter on the hard stand you should rod the six small side holes and the bottom 10m/m inlet, whilst back flushing at pressure now and then. If this is done at the end of each season I think there will be no problems.

Norse

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[olavs]

This happened to me as well last week. I disconnected the hose from the intake valve on top of the drive(shut the valve first!!) and connected a one meter piece of transparent hose insted which was then held upright at a level above the waterline. I then inserted a thin stiff piece of glassfiber string(like those used by electricians and plummers) down the hose, through the valve and down the leg. Brushing this up and down loosened up a lot of small barnacles and other stuff. Every now and then I lowered the hose down and into a bucket so that water could flow bringing the dirt together with it. Finally I connected a garden hose to the valve and flushed under full pressure down the leg for five minutes. Cured the problem.
I know however of other boatowners who have installed a seperate intake through the hull in order to avoid this quite common problem.
Hope this helps.
Olav

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[olavs]

This happened to me as well last week. I disconnected the hose from the intake valve on top of the drive(shut the valve first!!) and connected a one meter piece of transparent hose insted which was then held upright at a level above the waterline. I then inserted a thin stiff piece of glassfiber string(like those used by electricians and plummers) down the hose, through the valve and down the leg. Brushing this up and down loosened up a lot of small barnacles and other stuff. Every now and then I lowered the hose down and into a bucket so that water could flow bringing the dirt together with it. Finally I connected a garden hose to the valve and flushed under full pressure down the leg for five minutes. Cured the problem.
I know however of other boatowners who have installed a seperate intake through the hull in order to avoid this quite common problem.
Hope this helps.
Olav

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[chippie]

Good idea! Dental floss for motors.

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