Should I be scared of taking my Volvo Penta 2003 injector pumps apart?

[Swizzle Stick]

Hi all. I´ve just joined the site and this is my first post.

I have a couple of small but annoying fuel leaks from the retainer (high pressure diesel outlet) on two of my Penta 2003 injector pumps (PN 840594). I can buy the O-rings, gaskets and washers shown on the expanded drawing for about a dollar a piece.

When I suggested taking the pumps apart and installing a new O-ring, the engine dealer tried to talk me out of it because "you need special tools and it's dangerous if you mess it up".

I´ve previously taken one pump out (but not disassembled it) and put it back in and it works fine.

Unless I´m missing something, it looks pretty simple to unscrew the top of the pump, replace the O-ring, gasket and washer and reassemble the pump.

If I make sure the control sleeve pin goes back in the slot in the slider in the engine and I reinstall the pumps with the existing shims back where they came from, how hard can it be? Do pieces fly out everywhere and refuse to go back in?

Does anyone have any experience (good, bad or ugly) with taking these pumps apart and putting them back together? I believe the same pumps are used in all the 2000 series engines.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[slug]

Originally Posted by Swizzle Stick

Hi all. I´ve just joined the site and this is my first post.

I have a couple of small but annoying fuel leaks from the retainer (high pressure diesel outlet) on two of my Penta 2003 injector pumps (PN 840594). I can buy the O-rings, gaskets and washers shown on the expanded drawing for about a dollar a piece.

When I suggested taking the pumps apart and installing a new O-ring, the engine dealer tried to talk me out of it because "you need special tools and it's dangerous if you mess it up".

I´ve previously taken one pump out (but not disassembled it) and put it back in and it works fine.

Unless I´m missing something, it looks pretty simple to unscrew the top of the pump, replace the O-ring, gasket and washer and reassemble the pump.

If I make sure the control sleeve pin goes back in the slot in the slider in the engine and I reinstall the pumps with the existing shims back where they came from, how hard can it be? Do pieces fly out everywhere and refuse to go back in?

Does anyone have any experience (good, bad or ugly) with taking these pumps apart and putting them back together? I believe the same pumps are used in all the 2000 series engines.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Not sure what needs to be disassembled

In general don’t take an injector apart on board

A pump is complex and precise

Even the Diesel engine shop sends the pump off to a specialist company for service

When the specialist shop services an injector pump it is expensive because they they replace many internal components
not because these components are worn out , but to make sure that the rebuilt pump operates to specification for the next few thousand hours

[BlackHeron]

The parts inside are precision. There is no way you are going to find the correct O-rings to replace exactly the ones that are needed without the proper test machinery. Even the tiniest variations in their sizes changes the characteristics of the injector pumps. This is how the specialty shops tune them so they run at the exact specifications they are aiming at.

They actually oftentimes need to take these pumps apart multiple times using a whole index of slightly different O-rings and internal discs and springs and then put the assembly into their half-million dollar computerized testing machine to put them through their paces in order to see if they were calibrated properly. It might take a few tries before an experienced technician hits upon just the right combination to test out in the machine with the correct specification profile with the fuel pulses at all the different RPMs on their test chart.

If it isn't just about exactly right the engine runs like arse. Too much or too little fuel at high or low RPM or not following the curve correctly causes very rough running and poor throttle response, smoking, overheating, fouling of the injectors.

Even the little gasket each pump mounts to on the engine block on the 2000-series is actually a special shim which comes in a variety of sizes. This shim thickness determines the fine-tuning of the pump-timing. If you get these shims mixed up between the pumps, or damage them in any way the pulse timing will never be right.

[tkeithlu]

Welcome to the forum, Swizzle.

You are posing a broader question as well - when to attempt repair yourself and when to hand it over to the professionals. You've claimed for yorself some knowledge that makes this particular problem tempting to tackle. Slug is raising some concerns. You have to make a decision. I'm not going to encourage or discourage you in this specific case, but i am going to encourage to continue to enlargen your envelope, with the goal of being able to get yourself out of difficulty in more and more cases.

I've added below a section from my fieldbook for researchers in situations inwhich they have no choice - it's attempt the repair or go home. Hopefully that will orient you to whatever tasks you do take on.
Good luck with it.

Mechanical Repairs
We cannot have a course in mechanics here. What I can do is pass on some tips, some of which are reflected in the contents of a good repair kit, and some of which are general principles. The very first principle is that you have to do it. The piece of equipment has stopped working, it is important to your work, and there is no way for you to get professional service for it. You may destroy it in the process of repairing it, but there are ways to minimize that possibility, and if you do not try, there is no chance of success. Overcome your anxiety, ask for assistance, and get to work.
It is amazing how many mechanical devices stop operating from a simple lack of cleaning and oil. They do not really need repair, they just need the cleaning and oiling that they should have received long before they gave up in protest. From pocket knives to electric motors, field conditions, storage, and neglect result in dirt and rust interfering with proper operation. When you are confronted with a failed piece of equipment that does not have obvious damage, first search out the moving parts. Determine whether they are indeed moving freely, and if not, either directly oil them while moving them back and forth by hand, or disassemble, clean, and oil them.
There are only a set number of ways for something to have been assembled in the first place, so if you look carefully, you should be able to disassemble the item. Every once in awhile you will find a plastic case that is glued together, but usually there are assembly screws, set screws, or spring clips there somewhere. That, of course, makes it very important that you have the right disassembly tools, which tend to be Phillips screwdrivers, Allen (hex) wrenches, Torx wrenches, and internal and external spring clip pliers. Assembly with straight-blade screwdrivers is rare. Shaft length can be a problem. Often, assembly screws are at the bottom of deep holes in the sides of a molded case; the manufacturer saved a little bit of money by using short screws. That means you need long shaft screwdrivers and wrenches to reach down in the holes. The screwdriver on your multitool will not do.
There are principles for disassembling an unfamiliar piece of equipment. First, have a work surface that will prevent your losing small parts. In the field, a tarp may do, but if there may be internal springs involved or spring clips, consider emptying your tent, closing yourself inside, and working where there are walls to catch flying parts. Remember that there is one type of spring clip, commonly used to hold window crank knobs in place in automobiles, that is universally called a “Jesus clip” because of the expletives used by mechanics as the little devils go flying about the garage. Along with a work surface, you need some way of containing small parts. At home, a retired cupcake baking tin does this job well, but in the field, you will have to improvise.
Systematically remove each part in turn, and lay them out on your work surface in the order and the orientation in which they return to the piece of equipment, particularly if they are parts stacked on a shaft. Consider photographing each step, or sketching the way the parts go back together. In the case of screws, group them by function. Pay particular attention to how the piece of equipment works; after all, you are looking for something that is not working as it should. Clean everything, which may include lightly sanding parts to smooth them and remove rust, before re-assembly. If you find a broken part, it is time for you to become really creative and either repair it or make a replacement.
In any device that utilizes gas pressure, such as stoves and dart guns, the likely source of a failure is an O-ring or flexible gasket. These little black nitrile (synthetic rubber) doughnuts seal small cracks between metal parts. It was one of them that failed in the Challenger space shuttle disaster. They wear out, or get cut. Occasionally, but only occasionally, you can make replacement gaskets out of sheet rubber or plastic. I have done it semi-successfully for a dart gun. In more demanding situations, there is no substitute for having a set of standard O-rings available as replacements. You can buy a large set for very little money from Harbor Freight Tools or similar cheap tool warehouses. I recommend going into the field with two of every size in the set.
Good ol’ boys repair just about everything with duct tape. Army Rangers carry electrical tape for the same reasons. I recommend both, plus a variety of glues, as part of a repair kit. I also recommend small quantities of sheet rubber, gasket paper, and similar materials with which to make small parts and patches.
Glues come in various forms for a reason. The things that need to be glued vary in their material, the amount of flexing in the connection, and the size of the gap to be filled. Super Glue is wonderful, but it only works on parts with no gap (like cracked plastic or porcelain) and no flex. Model airplane cement (Duco) is a rigid plastic itself, so it will fill a gap, but it is not flexible. The same is true of epoxy glues. If you choose the two-stick, as opposed to the two-tube or two-syringe type, you can even do limited molding with epoxy. I used it once to make a new threaded drain plug for a sailboat by greasing the threaded hole, filling it with epoxy, and then unthreading it after it hardened. Contact cement, the super version of rubber cement, holds surfaces (such as cloth) together and has a lot of flexibility. Its limitation is that it will not bridge a gap. Finally, there is Shoe Goo. It is designed for shoe repair, obviously, but shoes present a difficult problem for an adhesive. They involve big gaps, must be flexible, and endure a lot of stress. Shoe Goo is very flexible, and very sticky. It is almost like silicone sealant, but much stronger and much more adhesive. It works in the worst cases, although I recommend some coarse sewing as well if you are repairing a shoe.
Sewing may seem an obvious answer to torn cloth, and it is, but also consider gluing on a patch. There is a second sort of sewing that may be needed in field conditions. The item to be rejoined may be too tough for a needle. In that case, grasp a small nail or bit of wire in your Vise Grips or hemostat, heat it, and burn holes along both sides. Then lace the sides together with thread, fishing line, or even wire. A broken zipper (on a day pack, in my personal experience) can be replaced by a series of ties in a similar fashion.
Well, what about everyone’s repair kit in a can, WD-40? First, it is more useful as a solvent than as a lubricant. It is wonderful for cleaning and freeing stuck parts, but it evaporates rather quickly. How quickly? Did you know that you can use it as starter fluid for diesel engines? That quickly. There is also one problem. It is usually marketed in aerosol cans, and you cannot take them on an airplane. It is available in ordinary cans, but hard to find. If you find a small can of WD-40 or the slightly more viscous 3 in 1 brand, it is not specifically banned by the TSA in checked bags, and I have successfully gotten it by them. Pack only a sealed (not yet opened the first time) container. Unfortunately, the readily available alternative to WD-40, mineral spirits or paint thinner, is specifically banned from both checked and carry-on luggage.

[kenbo]

I'm never rebuilt a Volvo injection pump but I've rebuilt or repaired my share of Zexel Bosch pumps and it's not as complicated or dark sciencey as it's made out to be.
Be meticulous, take lots of pictures and be certain to replace the timing shims where they came from.
The fact that Zexel pumps are dead simple and no special tools are necessary for rebuild is one of Kubota diesels strongest points.

[slug]

Originally Posted by kenbo

I'm never rebuilt a Volvo injection pump but I've rebuilt or repaired my share of Zexel Bosch pumps and it's not as complicated or dark sciencey as it's made out to be.
Be meticulous, take lots of pictures and be certain to replace the timing shims where they came from.
The fact that Zexel pumps are dead simple and no special tools are necessary for rebuild is one of Kubota diesels strongest points.

After you serviced the pump how did you test it ?

[BlackHeron]

Put it back on and "hope" for the best...

[BlackHeron]

There is a reason why an injector shop charges $200+ each for a rebuild. If it were easy they wouldn't need to charge so much.

Then there is always exchanging them for rebuilds from parts4engines


https://www.parts4engines.com/volvo-...pump-exchange/

[kenbo]

Originally Posted by slug

After you serviced the pump how did you test it ?

Exactly as Black Heron said, reinstall, bleed and start. We're not building race engines here. Kubota's are agricultural engines designed to be field serviced. The HP pump is cam driven so the coarse timing is handled by the initial gear installation. Fine timing is accomplished by the shim(s) under the pump. It's really quite simple.
I wouldn't be as bold on a rotary HP pump. I've been around engine builds since the late 50s, one of the guys I learned a lot from was Lee Petty (Richard's dad). Lee and my uncle were friends and I was the tag along kid. I kind of know when an engine is running correctly.

[Pitchondesign]

My engine was running fine, I thought, but had a coolant leak. To fix the coolant leak, we had to remove the injector pump. Since it was out, I decided to overhaul it, with about 2,500 hours on it. I sent the pump to a professional shop, that only does injection pumps. When we put the pump back on and tested the engine, I was astonished. The engine ran smooth for the first time since I owned the boat, 8 years, from idle up to full power. Prior to overhaul, the engine vibrated a little which I attributed to "just being a diesel". Once again, the engine was running fine, I thought, until I had the pump overhauled.

You can probably fix the leak yourself, but it will be hard to know if you got it right.

[Stewie12]

Injector pumps are serviced under clean conditions. No dust etc.

[sandy stone]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.marinedieselbasics.com/wp-content/uploads/Volvo-Penta-Type_2001-2002-2003T_Workshop-Manual.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiMr6XW_L3qAhULi6wKHWIVBscQFj ABegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw3wF78X51GmUzaOkPBZmSY4

Disassembly step 5, reassembly step 15. Doesn't look like rocket science to me.

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by Swizzle Stick

Hi all. I´ve just joined the site and this is my first post.

I have a couple of small but annoying fuel leaks from the retainer (high pressure diesel outlet) on two of my Penta 2003 injector pumps (PN 840594). I can buy the O-rings, gaskets and washers shown on the expanded drawing for about a dollar a piece.

When I suggested taking the pumps apart and installing a new O-ring, the engine dealer tried to talk me out of it because "you need special tools and it's dangerous if you mess it up".

I´ve previously taken one pump out (but not disassembled it) and put it back in and it works fine.

Unless I´m missing something, it looks pretty simple to unscrew the top of the pump, replace the O-ring, gasket and washer and reassemble the pump.

If I make sure the control sleeve pin goes back in the slot in the slider in the engine and I reinstall the pumps with the existing shims back where they came from, how hard can it be? Do pieces fly out everywhere and refuse to go back in?

Does anyone have any experience (good, bad or ugly) with taking these pumps apart and putting them back together? I believe the same pumps are used in all the 2000 series engines.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I've had plenty of injection pumps apart for cleaning, with no ill effects, but not those from a 2003. Cleanliness and patience are the most important things to observe here. If the engine is running fine now, there's no reason to not think it will afterwards, if you get everything right.

For those unaware, the 2003 series has unit pumps; each supplies it's own injector.

If you have reasonably good mechanical skills, you have a reasonably good chance at success. Looking at the exploded view below, I'd guess that part of the pump might be spring loaded, but a careful assessment before you start taking things apart should enable you to keep things from flying everywhere.

At worst, you'll have to face the embarassment of bringing them to the specialist with one of them in pieces.

If someone with hands-on experience with this specific pump is reading, now's your time to speak up with contrary cautionary advice...

[kenbo]

To the OP,
I just searched your VP part number and your HP injection pump is obviously cam driven. I can honestly see no issues with doing the repair you mentioned.
To the naysayers, do you understand the difference between an inline and rotary injection pump? The diesel mechanics in SE Asia rebuild these squatting over a 5 gallon bucket.

[Scaramanga F25]

Simple answer. Yes, be and stay afraid. These are the only 2 items on a diesel engine you do not/ cannot service.