Learning on Yanmar but owning a Volvo

[NaClyDog]

My local yacht club offers a Yanmar diesel engine course which covers everything from basic function, maintenance, trouble shooting to specific engine problems and how to fix them.


I am interested in taking this course (I only have limited gas engine knowledge) but we will have Volvo diesel engines in our cat. I asked the instructor and he basically said "take the course, they are all the same".


Just wanted an unbiased opinion from people with nothing to gain; is this training worth taking or should I find something Volvo specific?


Thanks.

[OloteleMtn]

General theory of operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting will be the same across brands; specific functions and arrangements will be different, but not so much that you will be lost. A shop manual and parts manual for your specific engine(s) will be important. The course will be useful.

[Wotname]

For the likely level of the training course, yes, they are the same.

[a64pilot]

I would agree, except for common rail, there are different ways to skinning a cat with common rail, but from a simple class that is mostly geared towards changing oil etc, it’s not going to matter.

Are your motors going to be common rail?

[NaClyDog]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I would agree, except for common rail, there are different ways to skinning a cat with common rail, but from a simple class that is mostly geared towards changing oil etc, it’s not going to matter.

Are your motors going to be common rail?

See, I don't even know what common rail is / means! lol


They will be Volvo Penta D1-30 engines.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by NaClyDog

See, I don't even know what common rail is / means! lol


They will be Volvo Penta D1-30 engines.

Don't worry about it, Volvo's aren't common rail. Some of the newer big Yanmar's are, but the course probably isn't dealing with those. BTW common rail means all the injectors are on a single pipe that's under high pressure all the time, and the injectors are triggered by cams or electronically. Others have individual feed pipes that are pressurized only when the individual injector is timed to fire. Advantage of common rail is it's self bleeding, any air in the system goes back to the tank, and it allows electronic control of the engine which is now required of new engines for emissions control. You'll learn about this in the class.

[Wotname]

^^ the D1-30 is a conventional mechanically injected engine i.e. not a common rail.

EDIT - crossed posted with capt jgw

IMO, you don't want a common rail engine on cruising sail boat.

[NaClyDog]

Thank you all so much for the responses. It's greatly appreciated.