Mahe 36: Engines

[MKB53]

One thing to be aware of is the risers choking up with carbon. May be that.

[Jef & Marin, Netherlands]

Hi Martyn,
Some thoughts about your starting problem if it is not the glow plugs:

- You might have water or dirt in your diesel. Did you inspect and if necessary clean you pre-filters? On my Mahé (sold) there were clear bowls, very easy to inspect for water or dirt.

- Did you change your engine fuel filters? There might be water or dirt in it. When you change them, fill them with clean diesel before screwing on, that makes starting after the change easier. There is a posting with cheaper fuel filters from standard cars. They are not inferior normally, the price difference is in the paint and print on the outside.

- In normal "summer" diesel there is paraffin that might become solid in low temperatures. In winter, in cold areas fuel stations for cars normally supply diesel in which this problem is solved more or less. Maybe you have summer diesel. That this engine starts well once warm makes sense. But the other engine should show similar problems, it's from the same tank.

- You might have a small leak in the fuel supply on this engine. Air is sucked in, and during long starting the air is expelled. That this engine starts well once warm makes sense.
The complete fuel system of the Mahé is below tank level, except for the pre-filters and the cut-off valves, so that is the most probable location for such a leak is there.
There is a bleed screw on the fuel injection pump. 10 mm socket. Put some toilet paper around the bleed screw. Open one turn, and manually pump diesel with the fuel pump. You might see air escaping.

- The membrane in your fuel pump might be broken. Clever Fountaine Pajot put a gauze at the lower of the pick-up tube in the tank. This gauze gets blocked by dirt or diesel bug. This draws a vacuum, causing hard work for the puel pump membrane. Which can cause the fuel pump membrane to tear/leak.
This last one is not a personal experience; it happened to the buyer of our Mahé. So I do not know how to check this and repair it.

Good luck,
Jef

[Rufduck]

Thanks all for the replies.
With a problem, I start simple and progress to more esoteric.

While changing the oil (what a joy that is...) I examined the glow plugs and on a lark, just wiggled the common strap, presume it is the positive lead. Numbers 1&3 are solid but number 2 is likely broken ceramic, obvious movement.
We use the boat frequently and all the diesel is fresh but thanks for the thoughts.
Oil change.
- There is a horizontal hose barb fitting (7-10mm maybe) just above and aft of the spin on filter. There is no cap covering the barb part.
--Is this the suck out fitting. It's the only part that looks reasonable for that purpose.
--Is it a valve? Or is it just open to the inside of the engine? I doubt that it is open since there is no sign of blow by.
--How does it operate? Loosen to open?

- The tech in Grenada who changed the oil apparently installed it with a filter wrench. It is solidly stuck.
--Is there a filter wrench that actually fits the Volvo filter? I have tried a web wrench but no joy except for distorting the filter.
--Will check the new filter to be sure it's not a reverse thread (never heard of such a thing but will believe anything at this point).
--Plan to top up the oil and run the engine until hot and try to loosen filter. Hate to nun and mix the old oil.
-- If that fails, it's the screwdriver thrust through the can trick.
Cheers, Martyn

[Cotemar]

Rufduck,

Oil changes on a FP Mahe 36 are usually a pretty easy job.

There is an oil suck out metal tube that comes up from the bottom of the engine on a Volvo Penta D1-30 engine. It should have a rubber cap on it that pulls right off. You can buy new rubber caps. They are cheap form Volvo Penta.

Remove the oil filter with Large Channel Lock pliers.

Only hand tighten the oil filter when you replace it, so you have no issues on your next oil change.
.
.

[Rufduck]

Cotmar,
Thanks for the picture. I see the suck out tube apparently lies behind the oil filter.
Without removing a bunch of stuff from the starboard side of the engine, there is no way that a pair of channel locks can grip the existing filter. There is only one position that a strap type filter wrench will fit and that only allows perhaps an eighth of a rotation. A lever type filter wrench is out of the question. If the filter were even an inch deeper, all of the above would work. When we bought the boat, it came with 14 Volvo spin on filters. 7 fuel and 7 oil. I am using one of those.
Over the years, I've changed oil in cars, aircraft, tractors, bulldozers and boats. While some have been a bit challenging, none have stymied me quite as much as this installation.
With the proper tool, you are quite correct...it should be straight forward.
Off to town for that tool.

Does anyone know of a cross reference for the VP/Perkins glow plugs for the D1-30?

If it wasn't such a delight to sail (15 nm close reaching in 18-25) a week ago, I could get frustrated with this boat.
Cheers, Martyn

[VanIsle]

Rufduck

The hose barb on the side of the engine block may be the coolant drain valves. Mine are black plastic. There is a good description of them in the Volvo manual.

I use a web strap mounted on a socket wrench to remove the oil filters. Takes about five minutes to figure out how to get the strap on and still get that 1/8 turn, but the filter comes off fairly easily.

Gary

[VanIsle]

Just found a thread on this forum titled "Pricing Volvo Glowplugs" where Cotemar and others have posted the part numbers of aftermarket glowplugs. Not sure how to post the link.

[Rufduck]

Filter is out. Tried 2 other gripper type tools with no joy so out came my 2 ft long screwdriver. It was necessary to pierceboth sides to keefrom simply tearing the can.
My appologies. the horizontal nipple (about 11mm) is just aft of the filter (I may have said forward...upside down and turned around). As best I could, I traced the pipe and it appears to make a 90 deg bend and then down to the bottom of the pan. I will look for the coolant drain fitting. I'm 6'3" and 260 with size 16 feet, so just getting into the engine bay is a challenge.

If someone can point me toward that thread re Glow plug pricing, would greatly appreciate it. The plug that I removed has a number stamped on the side 185366250. Our local machinery parts store tried to cross reference it (we live in a farming community) but he had no cross reference other than to say it was Volvo or Perkins.

Thanks again,

Martyn

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by VanIsle

Just found a thread on this forum titled "Pricing Volvo Glowplugs" where Cotemar and others have posted the part numbers of aftermarket glowplugs. Not sure how to post the link.

VanIsle,

You can make a link to another CF post by:
1) Going to the number in the top right of the post you want to point people to.
2) Right Mouse Button (RMB)
3) Copy link address

Go to your new post
4) RMB > Paste
.
.

[Rufduck]

Hi all,
For what it's worth...
VP D1-30 B uses same glow plug as D2-40 21192358.
The link to that other thread re Pricing Glow plugs is
Pricing Volvo Glowplugs [Sitemap] - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

A poster there Ken Norris 49 found an NGK plug NGK 2649 YE01 for his D2-40.

NAPA Auto Parts $22 and change. Could not find if Ken had any issues but will compare gross measurement data for both and if the same, in it goes.

Cheers,

Martyn

[ardnagee]

Has anyone changed the fuel sender? I gather it is the sort with a float. Mine seems to have packed up and when I came to look at it my smallest screwdriver was too long and I wondered even if I undid it whether there was enough room above it to get it out??

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by ardnagee

Has anyone changed the fuel sender? I gather it is the sort with a float. Mine seems to have packed up and when I came to look at it my smallest screwdriver was too long and I wondered even if I undid it whether there was enough room above it to get it out??

Our 2007 Mahe came with no fuel gauge but a stainless steel dip stick that you just insert into the fuel cap.
Very handy, it never broke, very good accuracy, simple and elegant.



I wish that would work on our Lagoon 380, but instead I have to change the sensor and try to fish for the debris of the old float inside the tank.

[MKB53]

Like Rabbi my Mahe only had the dipstick. If is anything to go by the water tanks used a Wema probe (Long) and they were put in before the deck was fitted. When I put one in the 2nd tank I had to carefully bend it to get it in as there was not enough clearance.
The Wema is normally a threaded screw in fitting so if it is fastened with individual screws it is not one of them.

Good luck, they built them without replacement in mind.

Cheers

[Seapatience]

I am currently doing the research about senders (both fuel and water) and gauges as my eco cruising monitor quit working. Here is what I found:

FP is of course European and the European standards in Ohm resistance are different than American. Senders can be replaced from a number of different sources, but the one I am using is WEMA here in the USA. My sender unit is probably still good, and I am told that as long as you match up European standards with the sender and European gauge you are ok. Vice versa the same with the American standards sender and gauge. But you can't mix them up.

I have a 2014 Lipari 41 and it looks like the space above the fuel tank will be very tight if I have to replace the sender unit unless I move the tank out of that tight space. The sender unit is the 5 individual screw model. Therefore, I have elected to just try a European gauge. I am awaiting its arrival and will post whether I have any success or not in the near future. Hope this adds to information about the fuel sender problem.

[MKB53]

In Australia Wema supply both senders and gauges that are either 180 Ohm (European) or 240 Ohm (US I assume) so you should be able to get a Wema replacement.