Volvo TAMD63P - what causes this?

[EugeneR]

What could be the cause of the discoloration below? And what does it (and other things you see in the picture) tell you about the engine?

It's a TAMD63P circa 2004 in a boat that I am considering. It requires some travel to view, hence going off pictures for now.

Thank you,

Eugene





Closer look:

 

[Montemar]

Looks like rusty water dripping on the engine. Coolant?

 

[jfm]

If you mean the brown colouration of the white paint on that heat exchanger, the answer is temperature. Unlikely to be a problem: lots of white paint goes that colour at temperatures that are high for the paint but ok for the engine - see for example many MAN engines of c 10 years ago. It's also possible someone has tidied up by spraying some white paint, using a cheap spray paint that turns brown with heat.

Obviously you need a survey to check any boat is ok, but for sure I wouldn't be very concerned about this paint thing, and would not write off this boat just on those pictures. The fact that one half of the unit is brown suggests that side is hot, which suggests some hot running in the past and possibly a period when the heat exchanger needed cleaning out (which might be the case now), but all of that is likely easily diagnosed in a survey/sea trial, and fixable, and might be historic not current. For sure TAMD63P a generally very bulletproof engine - many people on here own them/love them, and I had a pair of them and they were faultless

Good luck.

 

[volvopaul]

Overheated intercooler caused by blocked raw water system, they block up on the end cap causing poor water flow, could also be a seized wastgate causing overboost = high inlet temperature.

 

[volvopaul]

And looking at the gearbox casing I’d be looking at the flywheel damper too as they black bits could be the rubber part collapsing.

 

[tico]

Was going to say overheat , that's the end of the intercooler where the hot, compressed air enters from the turbo - But The Oracle beat me to it.

 

[JerryC]

My guess too is a very overheated intercooler caused by built up blockage. Mine were easily sorted once they were removedf. Slightly off subject, but if it's a Volvo, why isn't it green?

 

[jfm]

My guess too is a very overheated intercooler caused by built up blockage. Mine were easily sorted once they were removedf. Slightly off subject, but if it's a Volvo, why isn't it green?

They're quite often white if boatbuilder requests it. All 4 of my last VP engines were white.

 

[SC35]

They're quite often white if boatbuilder requests it. All 4 of my last VP engines were white.

I once threatened to decorate my daughters bedroom in Volvo Penta Green if she continued to misbehave. Fortunately for all, that did not happen.

 

[petem]

I once threatened to decorate my daughters bedroom in Volvo Penta Green if she continued to misbehave. Fortunately for all, that did not happen.

You'd have been bankrupt!

 

[JerryC]

Irrespective of colour (green or white), in the 2nd pic the paint on the intercooler isn't just discoloured, it's also blistered and cracked. Engine paint doesn't do this at normal temps, so obvs it's overheated badly. Mine clogged and overheated and were removed and stripped down but the (green) paint wasnt affected.

 

[Elessar]

You'd have been bankrupt!

On the contrary the green paint is magic.

I bought a black starter motor for my last boat for £200. I sprayed it green and it was then worth £800 according to Volvo.