Are Volvos Actually Made by Volvo

[witzgall]

We have had both a 2002 and a 2003 in previous boats. The issue most people have with the series is the external, pipe and o-ring system for fresh water cooling. It is a PITA, but once you understand how to work with it, it is ok. The trick is to use NEW o-rings every time you take it apart, unless it is inside of a few days. Once you do that, the issues disappear. The engines are strong runners, fuel efficient, and easy to work on, given good access. We have friends that have a 2003 that was raw water cooled from the factory, and they have had NONE of the issues attributed to the engine, because, well, it has no fresh water system.

Chris

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

If you search this forum and the internet in general you'll find that people either love or hate, but nothing in between. Personally, I installed a Volvo 2003 in our boat in 1985 and it still starts every time I turn the key, has required one starter re-build and a couple of injector re-builds, and other than that has gotten pretty crappy care other than oil changes. Parts are expensive (and getting harder to find) if you need them, but I haven't needed anything that is "Volvo" (Bosch for the injectors, can't remember on the starter). I think that's pretty good service. YMMV.

[minaret]

Check out this Volvo. This is a new back up generator for a 270' yacht we're painting. It's about to get painted white to match the other engine room equipment. I asked if we could put it on my boat instead and they laughed at me!

[gjordan]

Just to toss another maker into the list. Years ago I crewed on a delivery, and the boat was powered by a 6 cylinder Volvo. I noticed that it looked very much like the engine in my mothers Volvo station wagon. Later I was looking into rebuilding my mothers engine, and a machine shop told me to buy Volkswagon rabbit diesel parts. I had some doubts, but the machine shop said to look at the castings on the side of the block. Sure enough, it said Volkswagon. They told me the VW parts prices were about half of the Volvo prices for the same parts. I dont know for sure if the Volvo in the boat was a relabeled VW or not, but if I needed parts for an older 6 cylinder Volvo, I would look into the chance that it might be a VW. I wonder how many different makers were relabeled Volvo over the last half century?? _____Grant.

[europaflyer]

Originally Posted by Maine Sail

They are ALL offensive in parts pricing with the possible exception of Beta. Beta is hactually honest about who's base engines they use and will give you the cross reference numbers.

True, Beta actually make a selling point of their use of Kubota engines, as parts for Kubota powered tractors etc can be bought worldwide.

Originally Posted by roverhi

Don't think Perkins make Perkins engines any longer. Believe they are Japanese industrial engines possibly sourced from Mitsubishi. Believe the 4-108 and the other 4-*** and 6-*** were the last of them made by Perkins in England. That's what Guy was refering to in his post.

That's pretty crazy... so the OPs engine could be made by Mitsubishi, sold to Perkins who put a Perkins badge over the Mitsubishi one and play around with it a bit, then sold to Volvo who marinise it and put a Volvo sticker over the Perkins one... can this be true?

[Kokanee]

My 30 year old Volvo MD17D was built by Volvo as a purpose built raw water cooled marine engine.

Today, the boat industry is like the car industry. With most marine engines -Parts are subcontracted out and it all gets rebadged, so its sometimes hard to tell who or where your engine was built.

[goboatingnow]

I once had a wall chart in my office , that showed the relationships in the car and engine industries, basically everyone makes bits for everyone and such companies have all sorts of intertwined ownership.

at the end of the day so what I suppose.

dave

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Kokanee

My 30 year old Volvo MD17D was built by Volvo as a purpose built raw water cooled marine engine.

They were probably one of the last marine diesels designed and built from the block up by the comany that put their name on the engine, the other two that come to mind are engines by Bukh and SABB.

The MD17D is a truly bullet proof engine... let down a bit by the FW cooling system designed by Volvo. Mine is FW cooled but with a third party heat exchanger.. however you still have to deal with the Volvo FW circ pump and its associated pipework. I took the Volvo curse off mine recently by painting it Lister Green.

[FlyingCloud1937]

The new small Volvo's are in fact Perkins, they started with the 100 series engines, and are now based on the 400 series engines. I think they only are Perkin's up to the 4 cylinder.

Perkin's is in fact now owned by Caterpillar. Shibaura does not build the Perkin's engine.

Perkins Shibaura Engines Limited (PSEL) a Joint Venture builds the engines.

1985 Long term engine supply agreement with Perkins Engines Ltd concluded.

1995 Perkins Shibaura Engines Limited (PSEL) founded as a joint venture with Perkins Group Limite in the UK.

UK - Stafford Facility
Engine manufacturing facility

2004 Perkins Shibaura Engines LLC (PSEA) founded as a joint venture with Perkins Group Limited in the USA.

USA - Perkins Shibaura Engines LLC, Facility
Engine manufacturing facility

2008 Perkins Shibaura Engines (Wuxi) Company Limited (PSEW) founded in China.

China - Wuxi Facility
Engine manufacturing facility

Brazil - Curitiba Facility
Engine manufacturing facility


India - Aurangabad Facilitiy
Engine manufacturing facility

None of the Perkin's are built in Japan. Volvo buys an OEM version of the Perkins and then marinizes in their factory, which includes sea water pump, exhaust mani-cooler, associated hoses. Alternator belt system, and Engine Panel. All of these parts are also OEM built by other manufactures.

Lloyd

[El Pinguino]

The smugness of the Yanmar owners reading this thread is almost palpable. I guess that they have learnt to ignore the fact that their engines are simply marinised motors designed for rice paddy cultivators or, in more recent times, are marinised Yanmar tractor engines.

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by minaret

Check out this Volvo. This is a new back up generator for a 270' yacht we're painting. It's about to get painted white to match the other engine room equipment. I asked if we could put it on my boat instead and they laughed at me!

And to think that is only a backup generator. They paint everything white to help them find any leaks, but think of all the extra money to paint over new paint. Money is no object on a 270 foot ship.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

The smugness of the Yanmar owners reading this thread is almost palpable. I guess that they have learnt to ignore the fact that their engines are simply marinised motors designed for rice paddy cultivators or, in more recent times, are marinised Yanmar tractor engines.

Why are they smug , yanmar 6 cylinder engines are Nissan patrol blocks. Others are Mitsubishi etc.

Dave

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

And to think that is only a backup generator. They paint everything white to help them find any leaks, but think of all the extra money to paint over new paint. Money is no object on a 270 foot ship.

For sure. It won't be cheap. Nightmare paint job.

[Sailorman Ed]

more recent times, are marinised Yanmar tractor engines.

Is there a listing someplace of which tractor engine the 2GM20 is based on?
Ed

[Aussiesuede]

Originally Posted by Sailorman Ed

Is there a listing someplace of which tractor engine the 2GM20 is based on?
Ed

Someone will chime in to confirm, but I believe the tractor variant is the YM155. They definitely use the same filters.

[Cheechako]

I dont know who makes the higher HP Volvo diesels, (200-300hp) but I remember comparing them with a Yanmar for a couple of customers. The Volvo setup was a couple hundred or more pounds heavier as I remember. We went with the Volvo setup a few times. They were like a brick.... big solid blocks.... and sweet running.