Engine Replacement Advice

[Firehoser75]

What a summer!
I have been towed in twice this year. My engine is a 2004 (late in the year) Volvo MD2030D. The engine has been meticulously maintained. The first failure was when the freshwater pump pulley "housing" split in two. There was no wind that day, so a tow to a mechanic was in order. Two weeks ago, the engine (750 hours on it) suffered a catastrophic failure. A nut came off of the bottom of one of the connecting rods, and as a result, the crankshaft is beyond repair. My mechanic advises either a complete engine rebuild or a new engine. I have contacted both Volvo and my insurance, but the jury is still out as to results in this area.

My question is, what is the word on the Volvo D1-30 engine? Does anyone have any experience good or bad with one? Will it fit the existing mounting and configuration in my boat and to the existing Volvo 130S saildrive? I understand that switching brands would be expensive in terms of the retrofitting required.
As you can tell, I am leaning towards a replacement rather than a rebuild. Let's just say I have lost faith in the MD2030.
Any advise and comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom

[Vasco]

Had a similar experience with a Volvo, switched to a Yanmar. Wondering why you're still considering a Volvo even if the switch might cost a bit more. Can you get something else that'll match up with your saildrive?

[Firehoser75]

Talking to the insurance "technical expert", he stated that often when changing to a different manufacturer that the costs for installation can be as high as twice the cost of the engine. If this turns out to be incorrect (and I have asked the mechanic to get me a quote), I will certainly consider Yanmar. From what I can see here and through other sources, they do have a better reputation than Volvo.
Thanks,

Tom

[NCboatrx]

Hello Tom,

If you are changing out a relatively new engine (10 years or so old) you should have no issues and extra expense going from one manufacturers engine to another. Remember that all engine manufacturers want the same customers and therefore build to a basic standard so that they can try to sell to the same boatbuilders. The engine needs to fit on the same engine beds (bearers) and to line up with the shaft. You expect to have to change some exhaust hose and fuel hose but other than drilling and tapping some new threads for flexible mounts, the change from Volvo to Yanmar or Beta Marine or Westerbeke should be relatively simple. You must measure carefully to make sure that one part of the new engine doesnt interfere with the rest of the engine compartment.

Generally the engine company that gives the boatbuilder the best price is the one that sells the most engines to that boat builder. They then make up their profit on parts sales over the years.

If you are replacing an older engine you will find many different mount variations as the companies that built engines between 1950 and about 1985 all tried to make engines that could only be replaced by their own strange mount arrangements. These companies are largely still in business but now build to certain standards. An example is a modern 20HP diesel should be on 14.5" centers port to stbd and the shaft should be at the same height as the engine beds. Remember that the mechanic that you use will have a preferance for the engines that he sells.

The above all refers to standard engines. Saildrives are sometimes a bit harder but your research now, will pay dividends later. The 130 S saildrive is the ZF SD10 which is used by a number of different engine companies including Beta Marine.

I must point out that I am in the replacement engine business as the distributor for Beta Marine in the US.

regards, Stanley

[Talbot]

I looked at the costs of changing engines on a cat a year ago, the cost of fitting a new engine and sail drive was cheaper than fitting a new engine to an existing drive.

Its not just the price of the unit, but the fitting cost as well - plus of course having brand new sail drives as well!

[never monday]

Tom,
quick look at the parts;
a new crank is 1075.00 and a rod is 116.70
If you have to buy them, hopefully Volvo will help out

[bmartinsen]

I would hope your engine is fixable but understand some of your concerns. I just replaced (this spring) my 20+ yr old md17d with a D2-40 both volvo. I replaced everything, engine, saildrive and mounting bed. I am not a mechanic. I hired a good
fiberglasser to mount bed about $400 with parts and then dropped new unit in. It was suggested to be easier than trying to fabricate adaptors to fit (here in Cayman that can sometimes be a task). Besided I lowered the whole unit to get the saildrive clear from hull and changed prop upto a 18" folding 3 blade. Works great.( Hope I didn't just jinks myself). I looked at Yanmar and wasn't convinced that it would work
for me personnally. Not saying anything bad about Yanmar just all things concidered like getting it to this island and servicing, logists stuff. Like voting for the devil you know instead of the one you don't

[RRR]

I would suggest finding a engine rebuilder inland somewhere. I rebuild diesels here all the time and never spent that much on a crank before. It's amazing what a good machinist can fix too. Yanmars are notoriously expensive on parts though. They always have been. I remember having to pay nearly 500 bucks for a tractor yanmar air filter once. Volvo's are just as bad.

My 2 cents on your rod coming apart would be to contact the last guy that was in the oil pan. If anyone has ever been into it. Personally on boats, tractors and aircraft engines I have never put one back together without drilling and wiring the rod nuts to the studs. I've been stuck out in the middle of the ocean twice now on single engine ships and it's not fun.

[Inlet Marine Services]

go onto www.boatdiesel.com, the is a guy that answers Volvo questions all the time, Dick V, he is a Volvo expert.

[Chief Engineer]

He is one of us "good guys"

[Little Otter]

Is this the same one that the piston got screwed up? if so I implore you to swicth to a yanmar for your own health and wellbeing because nobody needs to go through having to put up with volvo's attitude to after sales service and yanmar will backup their product, also a yanmar will last alot longer than a volvo.

[never monday]

Originally Posted by Little Otter

Is this the same one that the piston got screwed up? if so I implore you to swicth to a yanmar for your own health and wellbeing because nobody needs to go through having to put up with volvo's attitude to after sales service and yanmar will backup their product, also a yanmar will last alot longer than a volvo.

I'm sorry those are subjective answers.
This was a case of a 4 year old engine out of warranty. AND Volvo Canada, NOT Volvo US.
Volvo US has exemplary customer service.

ANY sailboat auxiliary will last as long as another given proper maintainance.