What to do with old Volvo MD 2020 & saildrive

[Daydream believer]

In May my MD 2020 was running like a sewing machine. I was by the Gunfleet sands off the old lighthouse when suddenly I heard a ticking sound that became louder & speed dropped. The tick became a knock & 20 mins later power dropped right off & the engine stopped.
After I sailed back to Bradwell I found that the starter motor could just about turn the engine over but only slowly. No alarms sounded.
Next day my wife ordered me a new D1-30 engine ( isn't love grand ) so I just took the old one out & it is now cluttering up my garage.
I now have to decide what to do because she wants it out of the way.
Skip the engine & put the Sd120 drive on ebay -It has circa 5000 hours on it, but has had annual oil changes & never been a problem. Shaft seals have been changed 3 times.
Buy an engine stand (£60)& as a winter project strip the engine & see what the fault is. Trouble is that if it gets to rebore etc I do not want to blow the cash so I would still end up with a heap of scrap. Plus I could not test run it for a re sale
So is there anyone out there who takes these engines & recycles them. Either as a recon or sells them for parts. The alternator was serviced 200 hours ago so that has a value. The heat exchanger is Ok as is the exhaust elbow
What parts could I strip for resale? Would it be worth it? Would I be better off taking it to the scrappie & getting a couple of £'s
What would it cost me to have it reconditioned so I could sell it & would there be a profit in that?
Any comments, ideas - or even offers- welcome

 

[B27]

Personally, I would suggest selling it as it is.

If you rebuild it, the buyer doesn't know how good a job you've made and you can't offer a warranty.

So I'd either ebay it, or phone around places like Marine Enterprises who could either rebuild it and test it or use it for spares.

In retrospect, you might have got a better deal trading it in?

If what you are offered for the whole engine is a small enough sum, it becomes tempting to sell parts.
I'd look at ebay completed items to see what people will pay for used bits like starter motor, injectors, injector pump etc etc.

Or it might make a base for a garden table?

 

[VicS]

In May my MD 2020 was running like a sewing machine. I was by the Gunfleet sands off the old lighthouse when suddenly I heard a ticking sound that became louder & speed dropped. The tick became a knock & 20 mins later power dropped right off & the engine stopped.
After I sailed back to Bradwell I found that the starter motor could just about turn the engine over but only slowly. No alarms sounded.
Next day my wife ordered me a new D1-30 engine ( isn't love grand ) so I just took the old one out & it is now cluttering up my garage.
I now have to decide what to do because she wants it out of the way.
Skip the engine & put the Sd120 drive on ebay -It has circa 5000 hours on it, but has had annual oil changes & never been a problem. Shaft seals have been changed 3 times.
Buy an engine stand (£60)& as a winter project strip the engine & see what the fault is. Trouble is that if it gets to rebore etc I do not want to blow the cash so I would still end up with a heap of scrap. Plus I could not test run it for a re sale
So is there anyone out there who takes these engines & recycles them. Either as a recon or sells them for parts. The alternator was serviced 200 hours ago so that has a value. The heat exchanger is Ok as is the exhaust elbow
What parts could I strip for resale? Would it be worth it? Would I be better off taking it to the scrappie & getting a couple of £'s
What would it cost me to have it reconditioned so I could sell it & would there be a profit in that?
Any comments, ideas - or even offers- welcome

It would be interesting to find out what happened

My first guess, based on witnessing a similar failure of an MD 11C, is that it has dropped a valve.
If that has happened you could be looking at a new head plus piston, rings, a couple of valve and springs and various other bits and pieces ........ €3000 or more

 

[Bodach na mara]

The price of even used Volvo Penta parts is high and your engine will have lots of usable ones. Resist the temptation to dismantle it to find out what went wrong and follow the advice above to put it on Ebay as "suitable for spares or repair." Probably use two entries, one for the drive unit.

That's what I did when my VP 2003 took to emptying it's oil into the bilges. The sale proceeds took some of the string out of the cost to installing a new Beta 30.

 

[Tranona]

Surprised you did not get a good part exchange deal with your supplier.

The 120 drive is likely to fetch over £1K No new ones and a new 130 replacement is £5k. Engine is probably a goner. Sounds like the precombustion chamber probably in No 3 cylinder has become detached. New head so not economical. If any damage to bore it cannot be rebored. Might be worth lifting the head to see if there is any obvious damage.

The main trade dealers in such things are Coastal Rides in Kent, Marine Enterprises in Dorset and West End Marine in Yorkshire. They may be interested in buying the lot

 

[PetiteFleur]

Definitely put it on ebay at a Buy it Now price of say £350/£450 being honest about condition and sold as 'Spares or Repair' and add 'Make me an Offer'. I've sold two marine engines this way and both sold quickly with a realistic price offered and accepted. ( I recently also sold a Honda lawnmower which had also 'died' with a bang, sold as Spares or Repair)

 

[Tranona]

The saildrive on its own is worth more than double that - engine less valuable.

 

[Daydream believer]

Surprised you did not get a good part exchange deal with your supplier.

The main trade dealers in such things are Coastal Rides in Kent, Marine Enterprises in Dorset and West End Marine in Yorkshire. They may be interested in buying the lot

Just as an up date, to say thanks for the links.
Re your comment I did not bother with PE.
I did not want to delay the buying installation process, as the engine I bought was the only one available, at 10 days notice, from a supplier that I trust. Volspec had recently quoted 3 people for the same engine, so my wife bought it immediately for me (The day after my one failed), after negotiating a small discount. She said that life is too short to lose sailing time.
I had the engine installed & boat back in the water in 4 weeks. Not bad considering I had to wait for lift in/out, crane to lift old engine out & new one in etc. Volspec did final comission & sea trial for me. There was an issue, but their engineer sorted it. If I had bought the engine from an online company I would not have had that service.

I have done a deal with West End marine to sell the old engine & I am happy. I am aware of the resale of these set ups in the open market & had no intention of being greedy.
The buyer will be arranging collection in 14 days (he is having knee opp) which suits my time table..

 

[Tranona]

I have done a deal with West End marine to sell the old engine & I am happy. I am aware of the resale of these set ups in the open market & had no intention of being greedy.
The buyer will be arranging collection in 14 days (he is having knee opp) which suits my time table..

I hope you enjoy your dealings with him - an interesting character.

 

[Daydream believer]

I hope you enjoy your dealings with him - an interesting character.

You are right there- I have not been paid yet. I will not part company with the engine beforehand

 

[Refueler]

When I swapped out my 4-99 engine ... I was asked by local Scouts if they could have it for project work ... unfortunately engine by time they asked had been scrapped by the yard .... (I'd bought the 4-107 from them - which was sitting at back of shed having been lifted out of a Rustler as scrap !)

20 odd years later still running well !!

 

[bitbaltic]

Seems to me your wife owns the engine, ask her what she wants to do with it.

 

[Skylark]

Could have been altruistic and donated it to a Shorebased school as a teaching aid for the diesel engine course. Include a small plaque with “kindly donated by Daydream believer”. Many future sailors would have benefited from your generosity. A huge reward?

I am aware of the resale of these set ups in the open market & had no intention of being greedy.

 

[Refueler]

Could have been altruistic and donated it to a Shorebased school as a teaching aid for the diesel engine course. Include a small plaque with “kindly donated by Daydream believer”. Many future sailors would have benefited from your generosity. A huge reward?

Post #11 .....

Worthy cause

 

[Daydream believer]

Seems to me your wife owns the engine, ask her what she wants to do with it.

She wants it out of the middle of the garage

 

[Daydream believer]

Could have been altruistic and donated it to a Shorebased school as a teaching aid for the diesel engine course. Include a small plaque with “kindly donated by Daydream believer”. Many future sailors would have benefited from your generosity. A huge reward?

Yes! Then the shorebased course teachers could charge £100 per person to find out how to bleed the filters.

 

[Refueler]

Yes! Then the shorebased course teachers could charge £100 per person to find out how to bleed the filters.

Plenty of other good causes it could have gone to ... but I agree your point.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Next day my wife ordered me a new D1-30 engine ( isn't love grand ) so I just took the old one out & it is now cluttering up my garage.

Does your wife have a sister ?

 

[Refueler]

Does your wife have a sister ?

My Russian wife never quibbles about what I buy ... she just says its my money ... why not ...

BUT not long after (and often repeated years later ...) ... you bought xxxx - maybe time I can buy yyyyyyy ....

Life I find is not so freebie !!

 

[Daydream believer]

When I proposed, I did say- & she regularly tells people - " Marry me , marry my boat"
One has to lay the ground rules at the start.
It has worked OK for over 50 years
My wife plays lots of golf & oft announces golf holidays etc. abroad, or in the Uk- sometimes with my daughter. I never object. I tend to encourage it & why not?