Old Volvo penta TAMD40A

Thats the model fitted on the boat I'm looking at i dug out its manual but at 28 years old and no proper frame of maintenance reference i am sure to expect issues.

I have contacted Volvo and i will get an engineer to survey the engine but as always i need to get an idea of what i should be looking at (aside from the data on the manual)
I have zero experience in diesel engines :S


Here is the manual for reference.
https://docs.google.com/folderview?...R6WGJ4MzFfQTQ&id=0B0aVKNy145MyRXhpZThkN2RFcjg

 

give it a good run and make sure the egine oil is still clear and not milky. they crack heads easily . can be covered up with an oil and filter change before u look at it. corrosion can be a problem, but i don't know how u can check a block. i have seen 1 crack through a cylinder due to this. oil consumption, they like to be driven not potter around, they are a high revving engine and soon glaze if not worked. open up the water side of the after cooler and see what gunk is built up in there. i really think this stuff is beyond u and the volvo mechanic is a good idea as long as he is concientous and not just filling in time . it is very hard to get a decent mechanic these days, try and get feedback from someone else that has used them. for what its worth, the 41 b is a much better engine if you could swap to 1 of those later on.

 

The boat is a about a 3 hour drive the owner is an older gentlemen due to his age he cant handle several trips, so first thing i got to do is make sure the mechanic knows what he is doing no point discovering that when we are at the sight.
If the boat is sound and in good condition then yes that make sense, the TAMD40A is a troublesome engine ?
I guess the 41b is he same size and would fit with would modification?

 

i am fairly sure they are a straight swap but the volvo people will know. i am not saying the 40 is a bad engine just that the 41 is better. they need to well maintained and when they are you should get good service from them.

 

First, you write "TMD40"; that is the variety with turbo and without intercooler. The "TAMD40" is equipped with an ic. Both versions are indirect injection engines with mechanical injection; simple and robust...no electronic nonsense.

The weak points are the heat exchangers on older models; they are the very compact plate type. Sealings between saltwater- and freshwater sides are often corroded. Check that the freshwater is clean and has the correct concentration of glycol, and that there is no sign of oil film at the surface or "smudge" when you open the cooler lid (check cold before starting the engine!). Heat exchangers were later (from type 41) swapped to tube type, which are more reliable and easy to clean.

Also check that the saltwater filter is complete with its filter insert (and not clogged of course...). The oil cooler is a tube bundle inline with the main hexc; if it is full of dirt, you will have cooling problems.

Otherwise, the 30, 31, 40 and 41 type engines are very simple and robust engines, in fact the last real marine designs from VP. The 31 and 41 are direct injection and have a lower fuel consumption than indirect injected engines as such. The 40 and 41 engines are direct fits. If you have a choice, take the 41, it is upgraded on several points; it is a good marine engine.

 

Fantastic baeckmo .... very helpful ... thanks a lot !!
Seems volvo in Egypt has a bad reputation, mostly unavailable spare parts. The new engines seems to be very troublesome i have not heard any positive review regarding new volvos.

The boat is a semi displacement hull, the 41 would be a bit more HP i would guess as well and would help the boat plain a bit more. Birchwood commodore comes with various versions duel petrol, duel diesel and single diesel. This particular one has 1 diesel (i always prefer 2 for backup.)

I think one thing i should do is go out on a fishing trip with the owner and make sure everything is running and in good shape after we do all the checking.
I will also photograph everything just to have backup.

Birchwood seems to be well known amongst the old boaters and highly sought off. So far nothing major against the boat or engine as design / construction goes. Now comes the tricky part to investigate the boat physically.

All i need to do is test the engineer to make sure he knows his home work

 

Btw, is it a stern drive or straight shaft?

 

straight shaft, engine is located midship under cabin.

I have attached the plans and a picture of one raised on a crane (note its the duel engine unlike the single engined version i am looking at)

 

Would be possible to replace the engine with a bit more power with out fiddling with the boat ? I.e same dimensions and such ?


The boat is a semi displacement hull, the extra HP would get it to plane.
I guess boat weight according to the owner and equipment aboard is in the 7-8 tons range (its 4 ton empty).

 

changing engines

Hi VULKYN,

I'm not going to comment about this other than to say it will be expensive and to inform you of a personal experience of mine.
About 1980 I wanted a NEW airplane. I owned a Cessna 182 with long range tanks, a 4 place airplane. I wanted a 6 place plane. I liked the new Piper 6 place and it offered 1 option. That option was fixed place landing gear, or landing gear that folded up into the plane. Fixed was cheaper but folding up was slikker looking and saved fuel. I had flown fron north east of Sacramento, California to Baha, Mexico 3 times about 1200 miles one way.
I calculated the extra fuel burn for fixed place landing gear and the slower speed to get there (1200 miles). I would only burn 14 gallons extra one way
and I would have to allow 30 extra minutes to arrive. The folding landing gear would cost me $4,000 more US bucks, my insurance costs would increase by $ 275.00 a month, and my inspections would cost $300.00 more per inspection. 30 extra minutes meant nothing to me as pit stops (2) would chew up more time then that. Save your money and buy a high thrust kicker engine of 40 hp as a back-up and get on the water.
Your friend, Stan

 

Thats is valuable input rasorinc, see if you where in Egypt here how things would be:

You don't have a plane and wanted one. The previous owner used the engine as an electric generator.
You inspect the plane and discover the previous owner had drilled holes in the engine to help with ventilation!

You decide to see if its possible to replace the engine as a backup plan and see if its possible to find another engine that would fit size / placement !!! Because there is a big chance the engine would have never changed oil, needs a full head replacement and needs about the same money cost as a new one

(unfortunately its a lot worse in Egypt, my constant posting is really my way of just getting a grip for all the contingency situations that should not and hardly happen any where else.)

I love the kicker motor idea ! i was not happy with the idea of one engine in all cases so this is an excellent backup ! Unless its main engine is FUBARED this seems like a more logical approach ... question is how would i fit it then ? Is the idea of fitting a gearbox to allow the same shaft to run both engines even possible ?

I have attached some pictures of the stern.

Thanks for the feedback rasorinc (I'm just trying to be funny in my post above

 

Well meeting the guy on friday to see the boat, the engine is giving out black smoke on acceleration so he is brining in a mechanic and striping the boat for some repair work i told him i would tag along as its a great opportunity to go through the belly of the beast....

I do have a question, is there a proper way to ventilate a small generator and place it in the engine room rather than have it on the boat ?

 

Yes, but you must pipe the exhaust to the outside. Also you will need a blower or a large radiator type fan to move the hot air out of the hold to the outside. Louver vents are a good way to keep air moving both in and out. You want max venilation.

 

Seems a large hassle :S its also a risk i guess ..

It will all be clearer after i see the boat i guess I'm getting a tad to excited ...

 

Hey Vulkyn,
There are some typical spots on the old TAMD 40 engines that need attention. Check the intercooler bottom, if the service guys changes the zink anodes only on the invoice these parts are subject to serious corrosion.
Check all zink holders if they´re easily unscrewed and look if there´s some of the anodes left. That´s allways a good sign. Open the front cap of the heat exchanger and remove dirt that tends to collect in there. You can even find small creatures like sea shells growing in there if the boat remained unsued an in the water for a long time.
Open the bottom of the heat exchanger an clean the tubes with a wire and a vaccum cleaner. You need 2 new gaskets to reinstall it. Look if the turbo turns freely.
The injection pump can start leaking due to aging of some o-ring type gaskets. A spare gasket kit is availeable through Bosch.
Make sure the old MS3C Gearbox allways has good anodes since the oil cooler for the gearbox is inside the gearbox itself and tricky to replace. Check if the gearbox oil ist clear. If it´s milky the gearbox is on it´s way to hell.

Besides that they´re quite good engines if not worn out.