Winterising a volvo md1 – How?

[carl170]

Hi. I have a boat with a Volvo MD1 in it and would like to prepare it for winter. I believe I need to flush the cooling system with some sort of antifreeze mixture, but am not sure how to do this.

It is raw water cooled, so I am assuming I feed the mixture in using a bucket or something when it is running?

Is there anything else I need to do? The boat is out of the water by the way.

Thanks for any advice, as usual. I cannot find anything on the net that tells me what I need to do!

I am also going to wrap it in sacking etc as I have heard this helps.

Regards

Carl

 

[sailorman]

i used to use a bucket tied below the exhaust skin fitting, with a 1/2" plastic skin fitting in the side of the bucket. attach a hose the this & poke the other end up the engine inlet skin fitting. fill the bucket with water & run the engine ( you will need to top up when req), when warm add a/f into the water in the bucket then run a few more mins & turn off.
remove the impeller, spray the engine with ACF50 or similar when cold,some drain the water lock but it now has a/f in it.
some would remove the rubber exhaust at the mixing elbow & blank off & same with the air intake ( oily rag would do, make sure its a large rag so as not to get ingested).
cover the engine with a blanket to stop condensation

 

[Searush]

Sailorman has about covered it. I never put AF in mine, I just drained the block - there should be a couple of brass drain taps very low down. Then a rag in the air intakes (mine was the 2cyl version) & another in the exhaust pipe.

Your engine is some 50 odd years old, it has therefore survived 50 winters already. May I respectfully suggest you start saving up for a replacement engine anyway because even Volvos won't last for ever.

 

[ferrispeterchris]

Spot on!

 

[pvb]

Sailorman has about covered it. I never put AF in mine, I just drained the block - there should be a couple of brass drain taps very low down. Then a rag in the air intakes (mine was the 2cyl version) & another in the exhaust pipe.

The Volvo Penta operator's manual (http://vppneuapps.volvo.com/ww/PIE/...403&d=Owners Publication&s=3976894&lang=en-GB) recommends flushing with rust-inhibiting oil and then draining. Whilst this used to be popular, it's seemingly less common today. I'd just drain it down, following VP's instructions.

 

[sailorman]

The Volvo Penta operator's manual (http://vppneuapps.volvo.com/ww/PIE/...403&d=Owners Publication&s=3976894&lang=en-GB) recommends flushing with rust-inhibiting oil and then draining. Whilst this used to be popular, it's seemingly less common today. I'd just drain it down, following VP's instructions.

a/f has inhibitors in it

 

[pvb]

a/f has inhibitors in it

It does, but if the design of the water passages is such that draining down is fairly thorough, why bother with anything else?

 

[Halo]

I used to do it ths way
1. Shut the seacock
2. Take the top off the inlet strainer and remove the screen
3. Fill the strainer with neat anti freeze
4. Operate the Valve lifter
5. Turn over by hand and replenish the antifreeze asit gets sucked in
6. After doing this a while get some kitchen roll and put it in the exhaust outlet - if it shows any anti freeze colour it will be Ok - if not carry on
7. You may decide to use the starter to get this done but I did not

The boat yard had a cruder method
- fill a watering can with diluted anti freeze
- Close sea cock and open top of strainer
- start engine and pour in anti feeze solution
- when it runs out stop

Incidentally I found that use of Mobil 1 engine oil allowed me to start the engine by hand - it is so thin at low temperatures
The old hand will be horrified at this becasue conventional wisdom is that synthetic oils are too good - but I did this for 15 years and it was a real improvement with no adverse effects

 

[VicS]

I used to do it ths way
1. Shut the seacock
2. Take the top off the inlet strainer and remove the screen
3. Fill the strainer with neat anti freeze
4. Operate the Valve lifter
5. Turn over by hand and replenish the antifreeze asit gets sucked in
6. After doing this a while get some kitchen roll and put it in the exhaust outlet - if it shows any anti freeze colour it will be Ok - if not carry on
7. You may decide to use the starter to get this done but I did not

The boat yard had a cruder method
- fill a watering can with diluted anti freeze
- Close sea cock and open top of strainer
- start engine and pour in anti feeze solution
- when it runs out stop

But if you just do this with a cold engine won't the thermostat be closed with the result that the antifreeze will simply flow through the bypass and into the exhaust, none actually getting into the engine where it is needed.

 

[pvb]

But if you just do this with a cold engine won't the thermostat be closed with the result that the antifreeze will simply flow through the bypass and into the exhaust, none actually getting into the engine where it is needed.

Details, mere details!

 

[Searush]

FWIW, the real Achilles heel of these motors is that the smaller waterways clog up with scale over the years, so getting the engine up to temp (hose supplying cooling water) and then using a descaling solution before letting it stand overnight before re-launching may help it last a little longer - or it could just be a waste of effort when the engine dies anyway!

 

[UncleAlbert]

Did my MD11C on Monday as follows:
1. removed hose from through hull inlet and wedge into a suitable bucket near to inlet.
2. fill bucket with garden hose and leave a trickle running whilst starting engine.
3. increase flow from garden hose to match engine sucking in quantity
4. leave engine running for 10 minutes to warm up oil ready for extraction
5. keep checking that enough water in bucket.
6 pour neat antifreeze into bucket after turning off water hose tap
7 catch some exhaust water to see that it has blue hue and therefor has antifreeze coming out as well as going in
8 turn off engine when it has emptied bucket

Reason for this palarver is that the brass drain taps are seized and immoveable and are likely to break off.

Reconnect inlet hose with 2 jubilee clips and sleep sound in bed that your engine is suitably protected.

Oh and finally dilute the dribbles of antifreeze a bit and add some washing up liquid and tip into heads bowl.

Then do oil change and filter.

 

[pvb]

Did my MD11C on Monday as follows:
1. removed hose from through hull inlet and wedge into a suitable bucket near to inlet.
2. fill bucket with garden hose and leave a trickle running whilst starting engine.
3. increase flow from garden hose to match engine sucking in quantity
4. leave engine running for 10 minutes to warm up oil ready for extraction
5. keep checking that enough water in bucket.
6 pour neat antifreeze into bucket after turning off water hose tap
7 catch some exhaust water to see that it has blue hue and therefor has antifreeze coming out as well as going in
8 turn off engine when it has emptied bucket

Reason for this palarver is that the brass drain taps are seized and immoveable and are likely to break off.

Reconnect inlet hose with 2 jubilee clips and sleep sound in bed that your engine is suitably protected.

Oh and finally dilute the dribbles of antifreeze a bit and add some washing up liquid and tip into heads bowl.

Then do oil change and filter.

I'm glad I leave mine sitting warm and safe in the water over winter!

 

[bedouin]

Incidentally I found that use of Mobil 1 engine oil allowed me to start the engine by hand - it is so thin at low temperatures
The old hand will be horrified at this becasue conventional wisdom is that synthetic oils are too good - but I did this for 15 years and it was a real improvement with no adverse effects

I would be very cautious about using a modern oil in an MD - when I tried a multigrade it was very difficult to get the oil pump to prime when starting - particularly if it had been left standing for a couple of weeks.

 

[UncleAlbert]

I would be very cautious about using a modern oil in an MD - .

I always use the cheapest MINERAL oil (definitely Not Synthetic) I can find (Asda Tesco etc) so long as its of a suitable viscosity number. I am working on the basis that when these engines were made there wasn't any synthetics so they wont expect the 'benefits' purported to be available.

Similar theory applied by using RED diesel as fuel.

 

[bedouin]

I always use the cheapest MINERAL oil (definitely Not Synthetic) I can find (Asda Tesco etc) so long as its of a suitable viscosity number. I am working on the basis that when these engines were made there wasn't any synthetics so they wont expect the 'benefits' purported to be available.

Similar theory applied by using RED diesel as fuel.

TBH I am no so worried about the Synthetic / Mineral as I am with Monograde/Multigrade. The engine is rated for a simple oil (20 I think - but I use 30) and really struggles with multigrade - it may be that the oil pump is getting a bit worn these days and making things worse.

 

[Bilgediver]

I

Incidentally I found that use of Mobil 1 engine oil allowed me to start the engine by hand - it is so thin at low temperatures
The old hand will be horrified at this becasue conventional wisdom is that synthetic oils are too good - but I did this for 15 years and it was a real improvement with no adverse effects

Mobile No 1 motor oil is NOT really suitable for this engine and the OP should stay with straight mineral oil at the correct viscosity as found in Tesco Halfords and Asda. Failing to do this may hit his pocket :bi_polo: