Carver Owners Forum

Hi, new member here. I used to have a 1990 3107 Montego and I am now looking at a 1993 350 Aft Cabin with twin Volvo's. There are not many of these around with diesels as far as I can tell. We are scheduling the survey and a Volvo tech has expressed concerns over maintenance because you cannot reach or see the front of the engines. So I wanted to ask if there is anybody here that has had experience with this Carver model with diesels - both positive and negative. Hoping to get as much information to help me ask the right questions during the survey.

Does seller have verifiable maintenance records?

Not sure yet. The broker told us they will have all records on board during the survey, so we'll see. My surveyor and engine surveyor are both interested to see them, as am I. I don't think there were many of the 350's with diesels so it would just be interesting to hear about anybody's experience with them.

The KAMDs are good engines. A few issues inherent with the 42 and earlier but that can be said about almost all engines. Water pumps and head gaskets were an issue that was improved with the next model 43 but overall a sound engine. Just ensure there are no signs of leaks at the water pump as it could wreck your alternator in some cases. A seal kit fixes the problem. And look for stains on the block that might indicate head a gasket leak. If this is a salt water application, have the cooler inspected/tested, a failure here will result in a catastrophe, and check the exhaust elbow for salt water damage also.

No access to the front of the engines would be a concern as that usually leads to neglect of anything in that area. Lots of these engines out there though and parts still available.

Good luck with your search.

Thanks for the response. That's good information. Glad to hear that parts are still available - that was definitely a concern. Will take special note of the areas you mentioned. So far we are penciled in for a survey on the 14th of August.

If it's that far off, I would get oil samples from the engines and transmissions NOW and send out for analysis so you get results around the time of the survey and can present them to your Volvo tech. Hopefully they haven't changed fluids recently so you get a true picture of current conditions. Volvo provides this service but there are other companies that did it also.

We plan to get an oil analysis as long as they haven't changed the oil recently. Our Volvo specialist that is doing the engine survey mentioned it so I am awaiting the answer on the oil change so we can order the analysis. Probably won't be able to get it prior to the survey but they can turn it around fairly quickly. We have two weeks until settlement after the survey, unless we want to close earlier.

The analysis can take a while sometimes depending on how busy they are, especially these days as some labs may not be running 100% yet. Is it going through Volvo or someone else? And do you or the tech already have the kits?

Unless it's extremely hi, don't be alarmed if there are elevated copper levels in the Transmission oil results.

It would be great if you posted a pic of the result sheet so everyone can see what they look like.

Hope it all works out. Keep us posted.

I will check with the Volvo specialist to see if they have the kits and who exactly does the testing. Still waiting to confirm they can do the same date as the general surveyor.

Why do you say that about copper in the transmission?

I will definitely post oil analysis results - I am a big proponent of doing the analysis annually and thoroughly believe it can help identify potential issues very early. I will also post information on the results of the engine survey, especially since diesels in a 350 Aft Cabin are rare and I haven't heard from anybody yet with experience with that boat with diesels. Might be helpful for others going forward. Plus I am always looking to learn as much as possible. Thanks again.

Not uncommon for elevated copper levels in oil that passes through coolers (including engine oil coolers) as its normal to see higher levels of softer metals that will transfer and result in high numbers. Not all benchmarks take that into consideration and most are geared to the automotive industry, age also makes a difference here. You just want to ensure the results/differences aren't extreme compared to benchmarks. They should give you a brief in the report detailing any red flags though it may be somewhat subjective as they won't say anything that might come back to haunt them, which is the smart thing to do IMO. Ask your tech to interpret if he can or have him contact Volvo Tech Support to clarify anything that stands out/concerns.