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Old 28-09-2006, 11:18   #1
JJ
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Volvo MD 2030 smoke problem

Really need some advice on this one. Port engine has just been through it's 3rd rebuild. The original problem occured at 3,000 rpms when the engine shut down and basically cooked a piston. After rebuilding it with new pistons and new injectors it did the same thing again.

The next rebuild included new injector pump and valves. Now it is running fine but smokes beginning at about 2,000 rpms and progressively gets worse and the smoke gets darker as the rpms increase. It will run 3000 in fwd gear but dumps unburned fuel in the exhaust and thick black smoke.

There are 13 hrs on it since the last rebuild. There is no blow by and the engine runs between 170 -188 deg until you bring the rpms up above 2500 then it creeps up past 195 at which point I back off the throttle.

Acts like it is overloaded but the installation is on a Cat so there is an identical engine and prop on starb. Both engines run about the same rpm's at the same throttle positions. The Starb (good) engine will run 3000 RPM with no smoke.

One final clue, the smoking engine idles fast (about 1,000) and has done so since the injector pump was changed.

Could this be injector pump timing?

Pat? Anybody? I am stumped.

Thanks,
JJ
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Old 28-09-2006, 12:44   #2
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Difficult one to answer. Only many suggestions.
Ensure the Air intake is not blocked and is getting good air quantity.
Incorrect timing should not be overlooked, but I don't really suspect that.
More than likely the pump has not been set up correctly, or it has not been put back together properly. If you really wanted to go to time an effort, you could swap over pumps from the engines and see if the other pump does the same thing. But that is a big job as you know. However, it would give you solid conclusive evidence to throw it back at the repair guy and say FIX IT and I don't want to see a bill.
My other worry would be why you had a Piston melt, TWICE!!!! That is a real worry. I may not like Volvo's, but even they don't tend to be that bad.
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Old 28-09-2006, 13:38   #3
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Thanks for the suggestions Alan. I should have mentioned that we did check the air intake, filter and the exauhst elbow and all were clean (prop too).

We may swap the injectors and pumps between the P & S engines as you suggested.

The mechanic who's doing the work thinks the original problem was pistons overheating due to overfueling hence the injection pump was replaced.
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Old 28-09-2006, 16:30   #4
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JJ,
The govenor control on thoes is a royal pain. Make sure all of the injector pump rack control levers are engaged in the sliding bar. If you miss one it can overfuel and cause the second death you explained.
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Old 28-09-2006, 20:54   #5
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Especially if No3 piston was the one that failed one on both accounts. That's a good telltale sign.
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Old 29-09-2006, 09:08   #6
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We did have a problem with the governor earlier and were not able to achieve proper RPM's. Pat's suggestion about the injector pump rack control levers is beyond my knowledge & experience so I'll ask the diesel mechanic if he understands it.

Thanks to both of you for the help. I will post the solution when we find out what it was.
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Old 29-09-2006, 12:48   #7
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JJ, that part is inside the pump. It is not really "user" servicable. It requires a person that has experiance in pumps and this is the reason why the pump should have been placed on a test bench afterwards and run up. The test bench, (which is a huge machine by the way) then monitors the fuel dose on each output. If that pump has been repaired and this test has not been done, I would be going the the pump specialist for an engine rebuild.
Pat, is that a fair comment for the way things work in the USA? It certainly would be here.
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Old 29-09-2006, 16:45   #8
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I second what Alan says.
In the 2000 series Volvo used individual pumps for each cylinder and a common "rod" to actuate them on the 2 & 3 clinder engines. It's Easy (been there) to miss the notch when reinstalling the pumps.
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Old 29-09-2006, 16:54   #9
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Is it time for a new engine?

I'm staying with an old engine at the moment but I know if I keep the boat the time will come for a repower.
My current rule of thumb is that if I am spending more than 15-25% of the new engine cost per year it then a new engine becomes cost effective.
I do not believe that a mechanic can come anywhere near what a decent (clinically clean, perfect tools, trained workers etc.) factory can do, particulary if they are working in the boat on an old engine.
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Old 02-10-2006, 12:41   #10
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We switched the injection pumps this morning and I am pretty sure that solved the problem. The smoking engine will now run 2500+ in FWD gear in the slip with only a little smoke. I am guessing the smoke we are getting now is just due to the extra prop loading load from being tied up at the dock. Does that sound reasonable?

One of the issues is how to describe the smoke itself. I classify it as follows:
1)light, seemingly normal, 2)moderate, 3)thick and 4)alarming. What we are getting now is between 1 and 2. Previously at 2500RPM it was between 3 and 4. ie: thick black smoke with raw fuel in the exhaust.

We are sending the bad pump and also injectors back to the rebuild shop to be rechecked. I suspect it is solved.

Thanks again for the advice.

Chris, Your comment was noted. Had I known it would cost this much I probably would have repowered. Sometimes you don't know until you are already in too deep.
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Old 02-10-2006, 21:12   #11
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Sounds reasonable JJ. Most likely it is just normal smoke for this engine. You should expect to see "just a little" smoke at full RPM on those engines.
So I hope you have told the Pump guy's you are expecting this job to be free!
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Old 03-10-2006, 01:21   #12
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pirate

tell me about it.....we spent over $5,000 on a smokey yanmar.....then over $20,000 for a brand new smokey Volvo.......to finally get it replaced with another not so smokey brand new Volvo under warranty.

I think it pays to ignor the smoke and use the motor as little as possible and just sail everywhere.
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