www.jec.org.uk

A fellow Portsmouth Region member asked me to repair this pile of trouble!

A Volvo Penta 13hp two pot diesel with almost no compression. If we could get it started, then this old engine ran unevenly, sounded like a sack of spanners and blew blue oil out of every orifice.

I lumped the old heap out of its engine bed using a block and tackle tied around the horizontal sail boom and dumped it on the saloon floor. Then the fun started.

Valves ok with rockers removed. No compression with pronounced hissing from the crank case. Burned paint noted on the cylinder head and crank case. Clearly been overheated at some point and rings gone. Sump was a pig to get off. Iron block and sump sealed with a cork gasket. Had to use a this sabre saw blade to cut lengthways down two sides of the sump gasket before I could get the sump off. Popped the pistons out and two piston rings fell off onto the floor. Broken!

Bores in fair condition with crank bearings all unmarked. Bores now honed, head and valves all good, rockers sent for re-profiling and parts now awaited. Raw water pump seals shot and letting sea water into the engine. Not good. Thermostat in two bits. One part in the watercooled exhaust manifold.

I always say never buy a boat. I also say never buy a boat with a Volvo engine.....especially an old one. Parts costs are tear jerking. A single piston ring set is £164! A new piston with rings is £590!!!!!! I think we got off light with a parts bill of £515 plus a drop of new oil.

I`m off for a shower. Black from head to toe and stick like a diesel train. Smelly or what?

Pics here for your interest. Yes, it is untidy but it was even worse before we had a clean up! How on earth did I get caught for this job? Spent all day parts washing and servicing. It always takes far longer than you think.
Mike

Nice ! most of them pictures look like the inside of J44 . Gary

Thank you for your kind words, Gary.

Rob, put this man on "The List"!

Mike.

Its back together again but has been a hell of a fight in less than satisfactory working conditions.

Friday session was a nightmare. Two steps forward and three back. Pistons cleaned up and re-ringed. Loads of parts to wash and service. Old gasket removal etc.

I had noted some excessive "lift" radially on the No1 main bearing. Not good. Managed to persuade the owner to let me investigate. Removed front and rear engine covers and found the oil pump drive gear falling off the pump drive shaft. To rectify meant removing the gearbox to crank drive coupling and the No 3 bearing cap which is also the oil pump body. To investigate the No 1 bearing issue also meant removing the centre main bearing cap. The massive flywheel also had to come off.

That done, out came the crank. All bearings examined and found in good condition. I wanted to replace the lot but finances precluded. Cleaned every thing up. Popped the pistons and new rings back in and rebuilt the bottom end. All went well until the No 1 main cap refitted. This time the crank went tight. Repeated investigation until suddenly all went well. All radial play gone and subsequent tightens as well. I don`t know what caused the initial slackness or subsequent tightening. I can only assume the cap was not set down correctly iat original build stage and can`t explain tightness on my build up. All is good now.

So started at 07.30 yesterday morning. Extra gaskets made, all cleaning done so began the rebuild. Once the crank issue was sorted everything went well. Finished at 16.30 and totally exhausted. Off to the pub for some well earned beer and grub. Engine now ready to go back in the hole. A day of rest today in preparation for the oncoming installation. Not going to be that easy as space is tight and engine is 4" higher than when I removed it. Previously removed from boat with head and studs off. The fight will come connecting the gearbox drive flange to the propshaft. Entry via cockpit locker needed and a very small person required to tighten four cap screws. Should be fun!

This is what you get for £505. Two piston ring sets, a head gasket and valve seals, a couple of filters, a water pump impeller and seal kit and a can of green paint! Piston rings fitted. Chrome plated ridge dodger at top, wider standard large diameter plain iron secondary compression ring in centre and oil control ring at bottom. General view of crank in block. Troublesome No1 main bearing to the right. Detail of No1 main bearing. Sump and front cover refitted and a squirt of paint. Engine back up the right way round again. head and some ancilliaries refitted, flywheel back on and more paint to tidy the job up. Today, Sunday, and self and owner exhausted, in pain and somewhat the worse for wear after last nights session. A distinct lack of enthusiasm being shown at this point in time...

Mike

Back on the job again for a couple of hours yesterday getting the engine bed and bilge prepared for the rebuild block. Enthusiasm returned after a days rest and recuperation.

managed to get a couple of chaps from the yard to help me locate the engine back in the black hole. A surprisingly heavy unit only movable using a block and tackle slung from the sail boom. Engine back in again in five minutes. All then bolted down, propshaft connected to the gearbox and then all other ancillaries added. Not difficult. Just a lot of it.

Then jury rigged a battery, control panel, master switch and cables to the block and starter. Cranked first time, bleed down the fuel system and after a couple of false starts the engine burst into life. No leaks of any kind, runs hugely better than before and only a small amount of exhaust smoke. Ran the engine for a couple of hours without incident so tonight am well pleased. A shame funds were not available for a rebore and new pistons. That would have cost another £1000. So my pal has an operable boat again with an engine that will do the job.
Engine running without any issues. Nice to get a result. Time taken. About sixty hours. Mike

A very satisfying result Mike, how's the back?

Brian