Posted: July 14 2006 at 13:24 | IP Logged

I'd say that's a logical next step.   

Posted: April 18 2007 at 15:26 | IP Logged

I have the same model, year and problem. How did it turn out? Was there a bunch of crud in the heat exchanger?

Gary

Posted: April 22 2007 at 21:36 | IP Logged

Hi Jeff;

Thanks for the information, it sounds like the ticket to making this thing run right again. When you removed the heat exchanger did you remove the core from it or did you take the entire assembly to the radiator shop? I have the entire unit on the workbench right now.

Thanks for the advice on the timing belt also. I took a good look at mine and it looks like it would be a good time to replace it also. It was a bit of a challange to find those timing marks before I removed it, but found them and the belt is now off. I also removed the carb for a good cleaning. the gas was a bit sour and there was alot of garbage in the float bowl and accel. pump housing. One thing I've found out is there is no fuel filter on this boat, very strange.

Since I've got this boat "torn apart" right now, looks like time for new plug wires, cap, and rotor too.

Thanks again for the help!

Where did you get your new timing belt from?

Gary

Posted: April 24 2007 at 20:21 | IP Logged

Hi Jeff;

I don't have a Volvo-Penta shop around here, the local marina that did service this boat for the original owner did a VERY poor job of maintaining it.

I pulled the core out of the heat exchanger and found a lot of calicum buildup on the closed water side of the fins. I was suprised at the amount of buildup, I didn't think an antifreeze solution would do that. Anyways, it is going to a radiator shop in Elkhorn this week. Once it is all back together, I'm going to give the engine a good cooling system flush.

There is no fuel filter on the fuel tank. I pulled the cover over the tank sending unit and removed the sender and the fuel pickup tube from the tank to check for any blockage. There is a check valve in-line at the top of the tank. All hose are being replaced and a filter wil be added just before the fuel pump.

Was checking the condition of the lower unit and see that the bellows for the u-joints has cracked and split open. That will be a fun one to replace. I think I might as well replace the exhaust and water hose back there while I have the unit removed and inspect the u-joints.

Looks like a big parts order will be going in for this rascal. I'm thinking of ordering from an outfit called Marine Parts Express. www.marinepartsexpress.com

Thanks for the information, I'll let you know what happens!

Gary (down in Racine Co.)

Posted: May 20 2007 at 11:53 | IP Logged

Here is an update on my progress of the over-heating problem. I did remove the heat exchanger and removed the copper core from it. The inside of the unit appeared to be pretty clean, but the exterior side (antifreeze side) was coated in the very thick calcium buildup. The entire inside of the exchanger unit was found to be this way also. I took the core to a radiator shop for cleaning and they ended up having to sandblast it to get it clean. The shop owner asked me how old the antifreeze was in the boat and I told him it was probably the original from 1993. I was told that it must be changed every two years because the additives in it break down after that time. Another big “no-no” is using tap water to make the 50/50 solution. You are adding the dissolved minerals in your tap water to your cooling system. Only use distilled water to make the 50/50 mix or buy the premixed.

I’ve rebuilt the carb, it was a total mess inside the float chamber and the accel pump housing. I’ve cleaned the fuel tank, replaced the fuel line and added a fuel filter. This boat did not have any fuel filter on it.

Replaced the timing belt, it was worn but now was a good time to do it. The trim motor wasn’t working and had to be fixed/cleaned. The bellows for the u-joints on the stern drive was rotted and cracked open so this required pulling the drive off the back of the boat. I found there was some pretty bad corrosion on the drive and the sea water connector that connects to the hose feeding the raw water pump was really in bad shape. This might be part of my running hot problem also. I had noticed that last time I ran the boat with the drive lowered into my water tank (a cut-off 55 gal plastic drum) that it only seemed to have half of the water flow that it should have had. Also found a broken wire connection between the tilt cylinders. I’ve also ordered some new anodes for the drive. They were zinc but going to switch to magnesium for fresh water use only.

The rest of my ordered parts should be here by Tuesday and then I can finish putting it back together, adjust the carb to get it running and then do the cooling system flush.

I’ll post more as this “little project” continues. I’m sure glad I’m doing this myself, I’d hate to see the bill I’d be handed from a marina for doing all this!

 Gary - KB9VGD